Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Cosmere Universe) (Mistborn, #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?

Reviewed by ladygrey on

3.5 of 5 stars

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Well that was fantastic.

So straight away, this is a well written book. The names are a bit odd but whatever. A lot of authors aren’t good with names. Almost everyone had pretty decent nicknames though so it worked out. The style reminds me a lot of Dune. I mean there’s mentats and mahdi and houses and, ok those are the major parallels but they’re striking. I like the world, still, and the fantasy elements. And it’s fun to read something fresh that draws from less than typical sources and is also pretty original.

The writing is so accessible, it’s not as emotionally vibrant as typical YA but it’s engaging enough that you quickly fall into the story. And otherwise it pretty much feels like a YA book, maybe a bit edgier than some but not that far off from Six of Crows or Quitana of Charyn. Maybe it’s Vin’s age but I think more it’s the pace—this is a book that moves really well—and also how it dips into characters emotions and attitudes without dragging down the story. It’s a good balance.

Kelsier is a fabulous character. All swagger and cavalier foolhardy but with the skills to back it up. I love that character every time. And really I liked all the characters. They kept the story going and they kept it interesting beyond politics (which were really barely a thing) and beyond the heist (I know it was a rebellion but it really felt more like a heist).

And it was gratifying that I knew the bad guy’s secret. I didn’t see the two twists at the end so it was kind of fun to be both right and surprised. And it’s mildly heartbreaking and still fulfilling. Really good book.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 May, 2020: Finished reading
  • 25 May, 2020: Reviewed