Would definitely recommend him. Nothing will ever beat Malazan for me but it is nice to be able to grasp the magic systems from time to time and Sanderson excels when it comes to magic systems (he has a science background so everything has logic to it).
Where to start with Sanderson is a tough one but I'd probably say the Mistborn series is as good a place as any.
I'll eventually read The Wheel of Time when I find myself with a spare few years...