Mistborn: The Original Trilogy

Mistborn: The Original Trilogy (Era 1) by Brandon Sanderson is set in a world where ash falls from the sky and mists rule the night — because a thousand years ago the prophesied hero failed and the Dark Lord won. The story follows Vin, a skaa street thief who discovers she is a Mistborn — able to burn all metals using the magic of Allomancy — as she joins a daring heist to overthrow the immortal Lord Ruler.

• The Final Empire (2006): Kelsier assembles a crew of Allomancers to rob the Lord Ruler's treasury and topple his empire.
• The Well of Ascension (2007): The Lord Ruler is dead but the political vacuum brings three armies to Luthadel's gates.
• The Hero of Ages (2008): The nature of Ruin and Preservation is revealed; the ultimate nature of the world is upended.