readingwithbecs
Written on Jan 29, 2019
THE INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON BEHIND THE COSMERE
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What if the Dark Lord won?
A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.
But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on a criminal no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.
****
FANTASY DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN SANDERSON:
'Highly recommend to anyone hungry for a good read'
ROBIN HOBB
'Epic in every sense'
GUARDIAN
'Sanderson is the most immersive fantasy writer I've ever encountered'
BEN AARONOVITCH
'All the explosive action any adventure fan could want'
LOCUS
- ISBN10 0575089911
- ISBN13 9780575089914
- Publish Date 1 October 2009 (first published 25 July 2006)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Gollancz
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 672
- Language English
Reviews
HekArtemis
Written on Nov 12, 2018
Suz @ Bookish Revelations
Written on Jul 27, 2018
luddite
Written on May 17, 2017
Good world-building, strong characters, sensible physics for the magic elements, very plausible political system, a satisfying end, and a good hook for the next book.
Sanderson's prose felt a little underwhelming for me though, but that's mostly nitpicking. His story development is very good.
On to the next book!
Mercy
Written on Jan 15, 2017
Lo que alabo más de Sanderson y creo que es la principal causa de su fama son los originales sistemas mágicos en sus historias, con tres leyes creadas por él y una variedad enorme de formas de magia; no es la típica fantasía a la que estamos acostumbrados, es decir esa donde hay dragones y variedad de criaturas, brujas, magos, castillos, etc. Sino que es algo completamente original, Elantris tiene un tipo de magia (AonDor), mientras que en Nacidos de la bruma, tenemos otros tipos de magia derivados de lo que se llama Artes metálicas; tenemos la alomancia, la ferruquimia y la hemalurgia que consisten en extraer o usar los metales para acceder a diversos poderes como tirar o empujar objetos, ampliar los sentidos, tener más fortaleza física, entre otros o como en la serie El archivo de las tormentas que me parece que tiene un tipo de magia donde los poderes son extraídos de piedras preciosas. Puede que este equivocada con algo porque apenas estoy descubriendo todo esto, así que mis disculpas. Lo que quiero decir es que en cada historia hay algo completamente nuevo y eso es absolutamente genial y bienvenido en estos tiempos donde hay ya poco que no se haya inventado.
El imperio final ha sido un inicio de serie espectacular, admito que tiene cosillas que no me convencieron del todo, a saber, una especie de insta-love pero que luego se difumina bastante y no es de la mayor importancia, también tuve algún problema con frases que se repiten a menudo pero al final, la grandeza de la historia hizo que le diera una valoración más global y me olvidara de esos detalles. La novela tiene dosis adecuadas de intriga y acción, con un buen puñado de personajes carismáticos, un villano como pocos y un world building tan detallado que es imposible no imaginar cada elemento del ambiente donde se desarrolla; desde las brumas que llenan la tierra cada noche, la ceniza que cae durante el día, las granjas y minas o cuando describe el poder omnipotente del Lord Legislador y, especialmente, las escenas de lucha entre alománticos, que son muy logradas y el lector es capaz de visualizar cada uno de los movimientos aunque al principio cueste un poco cogerle el truco al funcionamiento de la alomancia, pronto el autor se encarga que entendamos todo perfectamente.
Quiero alabar el final, yo no esperaba que terminara así para nada y es que todo el libro es una sucesión de sorpresas, una tras otra, cada vez que se descubre algo nuevo es para emocionarse y querer saber más, y como dice Kelsier: "siempre hay otro secreto". Pero madre mía, nunca espere esos secretos revelados al final que dan un giro enorme a la novela y deja el listón muy alto para el siguiente (acá puedo decir que el resto cumple con creces). En fin, ha sido una gran idea decidirme a dar una oportunidad a este libro y puedo ahora decir sin pena que será de mis mejores lecturas del año y Brandon Sanderson se une a las filas de mis escritores favoritos. Si ya lo leyeron y les gustó, estoy segura que concuerdan conmigo, y si aún no leen nada de él y les gustaría experimentar un nuevo tipo de fantasía, no duden en leer esta serie, seguro les encantará.
Reseña completa en: http://thebooksaremylife.blogspot.com/2017/02/resena-el-imperio-final-brandon.html
bestmessever
Written on Jun 25, 2016
ross91
Written on Apr 22, 2016
Elend is my bae. 3
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Mar 14, 2016
Click on the image for the blog post!
YES I FINALLY READ THIS.
Admittedly, the Mistborn trilogy hasn't been on my radar for long, I didn't even know it existed before last year, but then it cropped up on BookTube and seemed to be everywhere. And everyone were saying how good it was and I wanted it. Gosh how much I wanted it.
After some mishaps with TBD shipment, I finally had it in my hands. And then proceeded to abandon one of my most anticipated reads ever, Winter, in order to read it.
I was not disappointed! I was sucked into this fantastic world from the first paragraph, falling in love with the writing and the characters almost as soon as each was introduced. They were just such a likable band of misfits, brave and daring where those qualities are oppressed, joyful and cheerful where there shouldn't be any reason to be, and flawed to the point of perfection.
Firstly, we have Kelsier. Has there ever been a more charming bandleader? The fact he sometimes really really really really worried me, as the rest of the crew worried, somehow just added to everything. Because I felt myself willing to believe him, in him, alongside everybody else.
Then there's Vin, the only woman in the crew, and the youngest by many many years. She's sixteen, has lived her life trying to be invisible in a landscape that only meant her harm, trusting no one. And she has a unique ability. She becomes Kelsier's apprentice, in a way, and she is the true hero in this story for me.
I loved, loved, loved her. Loved watching her slowly open up to her friends. Loved watching her come to put her faith in something so intangible as "trust".
Not to mention all their abilities as Mistborns! They were so interesting to read of, definitely one of the more interesting magic systems I've ever encountered. I can't wait to learn how the mistborns were created, because this book hints that we're going to discover all that in this series.
The whole novel spans around a year in time, and that year is spent planning and hatching plans--some of which misfire, some of which succeed--on how to overthrown the evil ruler of this world. And let me tell you this - you will believe it all. Sometimes, these things seem too easy or too far fetched. But Sanderson definitely worked hard to make sure every bit of it made sense and could, possibly, happen in RL.
Now, the weakest point of this novel is probably the romance. Not because I didn't like the love interest, because I adored his keen mind and dishevelment, but because Sanderson spent no time establishing them.
We're told they've been hanging out for a few weeks and stuff, but we see very few of these conversations and interactions, leaving us to wonder why the heck everyone say they're in love when all you can see is attraction and the possibility of more.
Romance is not a big factor in a novel like this, but if you're already putting it in I feel like you should at least give it some thought and not just throw in "yep, they're in love".
Aside for this, there were a few other points that didn't make sense to me while reading this novel. Make sure to come back tomorrow for spoilery discussion questions that I'd love to brainstorm with you!
But overall, a fantastic read that I couldn't put down!
Admittedly, the Mistborn trilogy hasn't been on my radar for long, I didn't even know it existed before last year, but then it cropped up on BookTube and seemed to be everywhere. And everyone were saying how good it was and I wanted it. Gosh how much I wanted it.
After some mishaps with TBD shipment, I finally had it in my hands. And then proceeded to abandon one of my most anticipated reads ever, Winter, in order to read it.
I was not disappointed! I was sucked into this fantastic world from the first paragraph, falling in love with the writing and the characters almost as soon as each was introduced. They were just such a likable band of misfits, brave and daring where those qualities are oppressed, joyful and cheerful where there shouldn't be any reason to be, and flawed to the point of perfection.
Firstly, we have Kelsier. Has there ever been a more charming bandleader? The fact he sometimes really really really really worried me, as the rest of the crew worried, somehow just added to everything. Because I felt myself willing to believe him, in him, alongside everybody else.
Then there's Vin, the only woman in the crew, and the youngest by many many years. She's sixteen, has lived her life trying to be invisible in a landscape that only meant her harm, trusting no one. And she has a unique ability. She becomes Kelsier's apprentice, in a way, and she is the true hero in this story for me.
I loved, loved, loved her. Loved watching her slowly open up to her friends. Loved watching her come to put her faith in something so intangible as "trust".
Not to mention all their abilities as Mistborns! They were so interesting to read of, definitely one of the more interesting magic systems I've ever encountered. I can't wait to learn how the mistborns were created, because this book hints that we're going to discover all that in this series.
The whole novel spans around a year in time, and that year is spent planning and hatching plans--some of which misfire, some of which succeed--on how to overthrown the evil ruler of this world. And let me tell you this - you will believe it all. Sometimes, these things seem too easy or too far fetched. But Sanderson definitely worked hard to make sure every bit of it made sense and could, possibly, happen in RL.
Now, the weakest point of this novel is probably the romance. Not because I didn't like the love interest, because I adored his keen mind and dishevelment, but because Sanderson spent no time establishing them.
We're told they've been hanging out for a few weeks and stuff, but we see very few of these conversations and interactions, leaving us to wonder why the heck everyone say they're in love when all you can see is attraction and the possibility of more.
Romance is not a big factor in a novel like this, but if you're already putting it in I feel like you should at least give it some thought and not just throw in "yep, they're in love".
Aside for this, there were a few other points that didn't make sense to me while reading this novel. Make sure to come back tomorrow for spoilery discussion questions that I'd love to brainstorm with you!
But overall, a fantastic read that I couldn't put down!
Joséphine
Written on Mar 6, 2016
Much as I loved Vin and Kelsier too, I've a quiet adoration for Sazed. His knowledge and wisdom contributed so much and I enjoyed reading every passage that outlined his explanations of history and culture. Above all, the fiercest loyalty among this group of amazing people made me care for them so much more. It's no wonder my heart ached through their trials and losses, while their triumphs made me smile and feel incredible warmth within.
Amber
Written on Sep 5, 2015
This is a story about how my life was ruined forever by a fantasy book that was not Harry Potter. I knew The Final Empire was going to be good, but I didn't know just how brilliant it was going to be until I finally started reading it. Prior to buying it, I hadn't heard too much about it. I know, I don't know where I've been. And once I had bought it, it sat on my shelf for about a year before I finally decided to pick it up. And picking it up was one of the best decisions I made in 2014.
Brandon Sanderson is a fantastic writer. Since discovering his work, I have read a good few books by him, and all of them have been great, but The Final Empire is the one that truly stands out due to the setting and the characters, plus the heist storyline that so many people adore.
The story mostly focusses on two main characters, Kelsier (3) and Vin, although there are a bunch of other characters who also get page time and who are incredibly important. Kelsier is the leader of a crew of people who want to take down the Lord Ruler, aka the guy who is in charge of the Final Empire and keeping rich people in business with slavery, fear, and a metal called Atium. And then Vin is the young woman who stumbles into Kelsier and joins his crew, and later helps them on their mission to end the bad guy and free the Empire. And I totally shipped these two together even with the age difference and if you find that creepy then you would definitely hate most of my other ships. They have chemistry! I regret nothing.
Metals are very important in this book because they're what give people their powers. Some people, that is, because not everyone has the ability to weild metals, and fewer people still can actually use all the metals like Vin and Kelsier can. This power is called Allomancy, and the people who have it are called either Mistlings or Mistborns, depending on how powerful they are. This is the foundation of the magic system in this book, but it's so much more complex than that. Sanderson has done a phenomenal job of creating a system here that works; one that has power and also limitations. It's probably one of the best magic systems that I have ever read about, and I love that there is so much more to explore after this first book.
Kelsier and Vin are both amazing characters. Kelsier is the bestest person, even though he is morally grey at times because some of the things he does are like, woah. But he has an amazing backstory that I like to compare to Spartacus, and he wants to take out the Lord Ruler who has been oppressing and killing innocent people for years. Kelsier is a force to be reckoned with, and he's my favourite character out of all of the ones I've met through Sanderson's books so far.
Vin is also a very complex character, although she doesn't really come into her own until towards the end. She has spent her whole life being controlled, oppressed, and abused by either her family or her elders. She's had a shit life, but she's still come out of it strong and determined. I love her, and I love the way her character is heading by the end of this book. All the Vin, guys, all the Vin.
While this is an epic fantasy with entirely new world-building, it wasn't a slow read at all. It took me no time to get into it and to get used to the characters and their personalities, and the world was explained patiently and clearly, while also leaving you wanting to know more. Unlike a lot of epic or high fantasy (looking at you, ASOIAF) there was no slow moment or any moment that I felt could have been explained a lot better. I was hooked from the start and, while The Final Empire is over 600 pages long, I didn't want it to end once I'd started. I could read about this world and these characters forever, and I'm incredibly sad that it's only a trilogy because I want ALLLLL the books. All of them.
CAN I JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SHOUT AT YOU ALL ABOUT THE ENDING BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST SOUL DESTROYING THING I HAVE EVER READ AND I WASN'T EXPECTING IT SO FUCK ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LET ME GO THROUGH IT WITHOUT WARNING ME (I'm joking, I don't actually want to know what's going to happen or have any warnings at all) I WAS A SOBBING MESS AND I WILL NEVER EVER RECOVER I HAVE BEEN SCARRED FOR LIFE MY HEART HAS BEEN RIPPED OUT OF MY CHEST AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE ANYBODY FOR DOING THIS TO ME
Ehem.
My one complaint would be the lack of female characters. Vin is the only one. Although one (or two?) more get introduced in the sequel, I've noticed that Sanderson's books in general lack female main characters and it's hard to ignore. That said, I haven't read Warbreaker yet, which sounds promising, and also The Alloy of Law. Fingers crossed for more diversity and improvement!
I could ramble on about The Final Empire to you all day, or you could just take my (flawless) advice and go and buy a copy right now. I would recommend it to fans of Sarah J. Maas, because the level of feels felt for Heir of Fire and this are just about equal. Also consider reading this if you love Fire and Thorns, because the world building is everything you could have ever wanted. Just... just read this book, guys. It's one of the best things I've read in the past year, and I don't think you will regret it.