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Mistborn: The Final Empire Hardcover – July 25, 2006
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Now with over 10 million copies sold, The Mistborn Series has the thrills of a heist story, the twistiness of political intrigue, and the epic scale of a landmark fantasy saga.
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?
Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson
The Cosmere
The Stormlight Archive
The Way of Kings
Words of Radiance
Edgedancer (Novella)
Oathbringer
The Mistborn trilogy
Mistborn: The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension
The Hero of Ages
Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series
Alloy of Law
Shadows of Self
Bands of Mourning
Collection
Arcanum Unbounded
Other Cosmere novels
Elantris
Warbreaker
The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
The Scrivener's Bones
The Knights of Crystallia
The Shattered Lens
The Dark Talent
The Rithmatist series
The Rithmatist
Other books by Brandon Sanderson
The Reckoners
Steelheart
Firefight
Calamity
- Print length544 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherTor Books
- Publication dateJuly 25, 2006
- Dimensions6.55 x 1.65 x 9.6 inches
- ISBN-10076531178X
- ISBN-13978-0765311788
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Review
Praise for Brandon Sanderson and the Mistborn Saga
Over 10 million Mistborn books sold!
“One of the genre’s most beloved authors.”―TIME
“Sanderson raises the genre stakes… A fan favorite.”―The New York Times
“[Sanderson] is not a brilliant writer of epic fantasy, he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.”―Patrick Rothfuss, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“The genre’s most popular writer… easily one of the most successful and prolific fantasy writers of the century so far.”―Esquire
“Epic in every sense.”―The Guardian
“If you’re a fan of fantasy and haven’t read the Mistborn trilogy yet, you have no excuses.”―Forbes
“A breathtaking saga that promises twists every step of the way… succeeds in celebrating what makes fantasy magical while simultaneously delivering a fresh adventure that’s endlessly entertaining.”―Paste Magazine, “The 50 Best Fantasy Books of the 21st Century (So Far)” on Mistborn
“A fascinating world.”―The Washington Post on Mistborn
“Highly recommended to anyone hungry for a good read.”―Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author, on Mistborn
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Mistborn
The Final EmpireBy Sanderson, BrandonTor Books
Copyright ©2006 Sanderson, BrandonAll right reserved.
ISBN: 076531178X
Chapter One
Ash fell from the sky.
Vin watched the downy flakes drift through the air. Leisurely. Careless. Free. The puffs of soot fell like black snowflakes, descending upon the dark city of Luthadel. They drifted in corners, blowing in the breeze and curling in tiny whirlwinds over the cobblestones. They seemed so uncaring. What would that be like?
Vin sat quietly in one of the crew’s watch-holes—a hidden alcove built into the bricks on the side of the safe house. From within it, a crewmember could watch the street for signs of danger. Vin wasn’t on duty; the watch-hole was simply one of the few places where she could find solitude.
And Vin liked solitude. When you’re alone, no one can betray you. Reen’s words. Her brother had taught her so many things, then had reinforced them by doing what he’d always promised he would—by betraying her himself. It’s the only way you’ll learn. Anyone will betray you, Vin. Anyone.
The ash continued to fall. Sometimes, Vin imagined she was like the ash, or the wind, or the mist itself. A thing without thought, capable of simply being, not thinking, caring, or hurting. Then she could be . . . free.
She heard shuffling a short distance away, then the trapdoor at the back of the small chamber snapped open.
“Vin!” Ulef said, sticking his head into the room. “There you are! Camon’s been searching for you for a half hour.”
That’s kind of why I hid in the first place.
“You should get going,” Ulef said. “The job’s almost ready to begin.”
Ulef was a gangly boy. Nice, after his own fashion—naive, if one who had grown up in the underworld could ever really be called “naive.” Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t betray her. Betrayal had nothing to do with friendship; it was a simple fact of survival. Life was harsh on the streets, and if a skaa thief wanted to keep from being caught and executed, he had to be practical.
And ruthlessness was the very most practical of emotions. Another of Reen’s sayings.
“Well?” Ulef asked. “You should go. Camon’s mad.”
When is he not? However, Vin nodded, scrambling out of the cramped—yet comforting—confines of the watch-hole. She brushed past Ulef and hopped out of the trapdoor, moving into a hallway, then a run-down pantry. The room was one of many at the back of the store that served as a front for the safe house. The crew’s lair itself was hidden in a tunneled stone cavern beneath the building.
She left the building through a back door, Ulef trailing behind her. The job would happen a few blocks away, in a richer section of town. It was an intricate job—one of the most complex Vin had ever seen. Assuming Camon wasn’t caught, the payoff would be great indeed. If he was caught . . . Well, scamming noblemen and obligators was a very dangerous profession—but it certainly beat working in the forges or the textile mills.
Vin exited the alleyway, moving out onto a dark, tenement-lined street in one of the city’s many skaa slums. Skaa too sick to work lay huddled in corners and gutters, ash drifting around them. Vin kept her head down and pulled up her cloak’s hood against the still falling flakes.
Free. No, I’ll never be free. Reen made certain of that when he left.
“There you are!” Camon lifted a squat, fat finger and jabbed it toward her face. “Where were you?”
Vin didn’t let hatred or rebellion show in her eyes. She simply looked down, giving Camon what he expected to see. There were other ways to be strong. That lesson she had learned on her own.
Camon growled slightly, then raised his hand and backhanded her across the face. The force of the blow threw Vin back against the wall, and her cheek blazed with pain. She slumped against the wood, but bore the punishment silently. Just another bruise. She was strong enough to deal with it. She’d done so before.
“Listen,” Camon hissed. “This is an important job. It’s worth thousands of boxings—worth more than you a hundred times over. I won’t have you fouling it up. Understand?”
Vin nodded.
Camon studied her for a moment, his pudgy face red with anger. Finally, he looked away, muttering to himself.
He was annoyed about something—something more than just Vin. Perhaps he had heard about the skaa rebellion several days to the north. One of the provincial lords, Themos Tresting, had apparently been murdered, his manor burned to the ground. Such disturbances were bad for business; they made the aristocracy more alert, and less gullible. That, in turn, could cut seriously into Camon’s profits.
He’s looking for someone to punish, Vin though. He always gets nervous before a job. She looked up at Camon, tasting blood on her lip. She must have let some of her confidence show, because he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and his expression darkened. He raised his hand, as if to strike her again.
Vin used up a bit of her Luck.
She expended just a smidgen; she’d need the rest for the job. She directed the Luck at Camon, calming his nervousness. The crewleader paused—oblivious of Vin’s touch, yet feeling its effects nonetheless. He stood for a moment; then he sighed, turning away and lowering his hand.
Vin wiped her lip as Camon waddled away. The thiefmaster looked very convincing in his nobleman’s suit. It was as rich a costume as Vin had ever seen—it had a white shirt overlaid by a deep green vest with engraved gold buttons. The black suit coat was long, after the current fashion, and he wore a matching black hat. His fingers sparkled with rings, and he even carried a fine dueling cane. Indeed, Camon did an excellent job of imitating a nobleman; when it came to playing a role, there were few thieves more competent than Camon. Assuming he could keep his temper under control.
The room itself was less impressive. Vin pulled herself to her feet as Camon began to snap at some of the other crewmembers. They had rented one of the suites at the top of a local hotel. Not too lavish—but that was the idea. Camon was going to be playing the part of “Lord Jedue,” a country nobleman who had hit upon hard financial times and come to Luthadel to get some final, desperate contracts.
The main room had been transformed into a sort of audience chamber, set with a large desk for Camon to sit behind, the walls decorated with cheap pieces of art. Two men stood beside the desk, dressed in formal stewards’ clothing; they would play the part of Camon’s manservants.
“What is this ruckus?” a man asked, entering the room. He was tall, dressed in a simple gray shirt and a pair of slacks, with a thin sword tied at his waist. Theron was the other crewleader—this particular scam was actually his. He’d brought in Camon as a partner; he’d needed someone to play Lord Jedue, and everyone knew that Camon was one of the best.
Camon looked up. “Hum? Ruckus? Oh, that was just a minor discipline problem. Don’t bother yourself, Theron.” Camon punctuated his remark with a dismissive wave of the hand—there was a reason he played such a good aristocrat. He was arrogant enough that he could have been from one of the Great Houses.
Theron’s eyes narrowed. Vin knew what the man was probably thinking: He was deciding how risky it would be to put a knife in Camon’s fat back once the scam was over. Eventually, the taller crewleader looked away from Camon, glancing at Vin. “Who’s this?” he asked.
“Just a member of my crew,” Camon said.
“I thought we didn’t need anyone else.”
“Well, we need her,” Camon said. “Ignore her. My end of the operation is none of your concern.”
Theron eyed Vin, obviously noting her bloodied lip. She glanced away. Theron’s eyes lingered on her, however, running down the length of her body. She wore a simple white buttoned shirt and a pair of overalls. Indeed, she was hardly enticing; scrawny with a youthful face, she supposedly didn’t even look her sixteen years. Some men preferred such women, however.
She considered using a bit of Luck on him, but eventually he turned away. “The obligator is nearly here,” Theron said. “Are you ready?”
Camon rolled his eyes, settling his bulk down into the chair behind the desk. “Everything is perfect. Leave me be, Theron! Go back to your room and wait.”
Theron frowned, then spun and walked from the room, muttering to himself.
Vin scanned the room, studying the decor, the servants, the atmosphere. Finally, she made her way to Camon’s desk. The crewleader sat rifling through a stack of papers, apparently trying to decide which ones to put out on the desktop.
“Camon,” Vin said quietly, “the servants are too fine.”
Camon frowned, looking up. “What is that you’re babbling?”
“The servants,” Vin repeated, still speaking in a soft whisper. “Lord Jedue is supposed to be desperate. He’d have rich clothing left over from before, but he wouldn’t be able to afford such rich servants. He’d use skaa.”
Camon glared at her, but he paused. Physically, there was little difference between noblemen and skaa. The servants Camon had appointed, however, were dressed as minor noblemen—they were allowed to wear colorful vests, and they stood a little confidently.
“The obligator has to think that you’re nearly impoverished,” Vin said. “Pack the room with a lot of skaa servants instead.”
“What do you know?” Camon said, scowling at her.
“Enough.” She immediately regretted the word; it sounded too rebellious. Camon raised a bejeweled hand, and Vin braced herself for another slap. She couldn’t afford to use up any more Luck. She had precious little remaining anyway.
However, Camon didn’t hit her. Instead, he sighed and rested a pudgy hand on her shoulder. “Why do you insist on provoking me, Vin? You know the debts your brother left when he ran away. Do you realize that a less merciful man than myself would have sold you to the whoremasters long ago? How would you like that, serving in some nobleman’s bed until he grew tired of you and had you executed?”
Vin looked down at her feet.
Camon’s grip grew tight, his fingers pinching her skin where neck met shoulder, and she gasped in pain despite herself. He grinned at the reaction.
“Honestly, I don’t know why I keep you, Vin,” he said, increasing the pressure of his grip. “I should have gotten rid of you months ago, when your brother betrayed me. I suppose I just have too kindly a heart.”
He finally released her, then pointed for her to stand over by the side of the room, next to a tall indoor plant. She did as ordered, orienting herself so she had a good view of the entire room. As soon as Camon looked away, she rubbed her shoulder. Just another pain. I can deal with pain.
Camon sat for a few moments. Then, as expected, he waved to the two “servants” at his side.
“You two!” he said. “You’re dressed too richly. Go put on something that makes you look like skaa servants instead—and bring back six more men with you when you come.”
Soon, the room was filled as Vin had suggested. The obligator arrived a short time later.
Vin watched Prelan Laird step haughtily into the room. Shaved bald like all obligators, he wore a set of dark gray robes. The Ministry tattoos around his eyes identified him as a prelan, a senior bureaucrat in the Ministry’s Canton of Finance. A set of lesser obligators trailed behind him, their eye tattoos far less intricate.
Camon rose as the prelan entered, a sign of respect—something even the highest of Great House noblemen would show to an obligator of Laird’s rank. Laird gave no bow or acknowledgment of his own, instead striding forward and taking the seat in front of Camon’s desk. One of the crewmen impersonating a servant rushed forward, bringing chilled wine and fruit for the obligator.
Laird picked at the fruit, letting the servant stand obediently, holding the platter of food as if he were a piece of furniture. “Lord Jedue,” Laird finally said. “I am glad we finally have the opportunity to meet.”
“As am I, Your Grace,” Camon said.
“Why is it, again, that you were unable to come to the Canton building, instead requiring that I visit you here?”
“My knees, Your Grace,” Camon said. “My physicians recommend that I travel as little as possible.”
And you were rightly apprehensive about being drawn into a Ministry stronghold, Vin thought.
“I see,” Laird said. “Bad knees. An unfortunate attribute in a man who deals in transportation.”
“I don’t have to go on the trips, Your Grace,” Camon said, bowing his head. “Just organize them.”
Good, Vin thought. Make sure you remain subservient, Camon. You need to seem desperate.
Vin needed this scam to succeed. Camon threatened her and he beat her—but he considered her a good-luck charm. She wasn’t sure if he knew why his plans went better when she was in the room, but he had apparently made the connection. That made her valuable—and Reen had always said that the surest way to stay alive in the underworld was to make yourself indispensable.
“I see,” Laird said again. “Well, I fear that our meeting has come too late for your purposes. The Canton of Finance has already voted on your proposal.”
“So soon?” Camon asked with genuine surprise.
“Yes,” Laird replied, taking a sip of his wine, still not dismissing the servant. “We have decided not to accept your contract.”
Camon sat for a moment, stunned. “I’m sorry to hear that, Your Grace.”
Laird came to meet you, Vin thought. That means he’s still in a position to negotiate.
“Indeed,” Camon continued, seeing what Vin had. “That is especially unfortunate, as I was ready to make the Ministry an even better offer.”
Laird raised a tattooed eyebrow. “I doubt it will matter. There is an element of the Council who feels that the Canton would receive better service if we found a more stable house to transport our people.”
“That would be a grave mistake,” Camon said smoothly. “Let us be frank, Your Grace. We both know that this contract is House Jedue’s last chance. Now that we’ve lost the Farwan deal, we cannot afford to run our canal boats to Luthadel anymore. Without the Ministry’s patronage, my house is financially doomed.”
“This is doing very little to persuade me, Your Lordship,” the obligator said.
“Isn’t it?” Camon asked. “Ask yourself this, Your Grace—who will serve you better? Will it be the house that has dozens of contracts to divide its attention, or the house that views your contract as its last hope? The Canton of Finance will not find a more accommodating partner than a desperate one. Let my boats be the ones that bring your acolytes down from the north—let my soldiers escort them—and you will not be disappointed.”
Good, Vin thought.
“I . . . see,” the obligator said, now troubled.
“I would be willing to give you an extended contract, locked in at the price of fifty boxings a head per trip, Your Grace. Your acolytes would be able to travel our boats at their leisure, and would always have the escorts they need.”
The obligator raised an eyebrow. “That’s half the former fee.”
“I told you,” Camon said. “We’re desperate. My house needs to keep its boats running. Fifty boxings will not make us a profit, but that doesn’t matter. Once we have the Ministry contract to bring us stability, we can find other contracts to fill our coffers.”
Laird looked thoughtful. It was a fabulous deal—one that might ordinarily have been suspicious. However, Camon’s presentation created the image of a house on the brink of financial collapse. The other crewleader, Theron, had spent five years building, scamming, and finagling to create this moment. The Ministry would be remiss not to consider the opportunity.
Laird was realizing just that. The Steel Ministry was not just the force of bureaucracy and legal authority in the Final Empire—it was like a noble house unto itself. The more wealth it had, the better its own mercantile contracts, the more leverage the various Ministry Cantons had with each other—and with the noble houses.
Laird was still obviously hesitant, however. Vin could see the look in his eyes, the suspicion she knew well. He was not going to take the contract.
Now, Vin thought. It’s my turn.
Vin used her Luck on Laird. She reached out tentatively—not even really sure what she was doing, or why she could even do it. Yet her touch was instinctive, trained through years of subtle practice. She’d been ten years old before she’d realized that other people couldn’t do what she could.
She pressed against Laird’s emotions, dampening them. He became less suspicious, less afraid. Docile. His worries melted away, and Vin could see a calm sense of control begin to assert itself in his eyes.
Yet, Laird still seemed slightly uncertain. Vin pushed harder. He cocked his head, looking thoughtful. He opened his mouth to speak, but she pushed against him again, desperately using up her last pinch of Luck.
He paused again. “Very well,” he finally said. “I will take this new proposal to the Council. Perhaps an agreement can still be reached.”
If men read these words, let them know that power is a heavy burden. Seek not to be bound by its chains. The Terris prophecies say that I will have the power to save the world.
They hint, however, that I will have the power to destroy it as well.
Copyright © 2006 by Brandon Sanderson
Continues...
Excerpted from Mistborn by Sanderson, Brandon Copyright ©2006 by Sanderson, Brandon. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Product details
- Publisher : Tor Books; First Edition (July 25, 2006)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 544 pages
- ISBN-10 : 076531178X
- ISBN-13 : 978-0765311788
- Item Weight : 1.65 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.55 x 1.65 x 9.6 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #6,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #265 in Sword & Sorcery Fantasy (Books)
- #416 in Fantasy Action & Adventure
- #715 in Epic Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Mistborn: The Final Empire
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About the author
I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.
Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, comes out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that will see the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and Secret Project Four (with its official title reveal coming October 2023). These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.
November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. The third era of Mistborn is slated to be written after the first arc of the Stormlight Archive wraps up.
In November 2020 we saw the release of Rhythm of War—the fourth massive book in the New York Times #1 bestselling Stormlight Archive series that began with The Way of Kings—and Dawnshard (book 3.5), a novella set in the same world that bridges the gaps between the main releases. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. The fifth volume, Wind and Truth, is set for release in fall 2024.
Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, and various novellas available on Amazon, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.
I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, come out in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.
Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the Legion series, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. There’s a lot of material to go around!
Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart,The Emperor’s Soul, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.
I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.
Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.
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Going through Mistborn: The Final Empire, Mistborn: The Well of Ascension, and Mistborn: The Hero of Ages is worth it. There are several great reading orders with graphs on Reddit, or even websites suggesting what books to read when and I can't recommend these enough. I've convinced many of my friends to grab up all of these and listen to audio books or read them. The best thing about the cosmere is that the more you read, it only gets better. I've read 23 of these books so far, and it is still blowing my mind. People call the big lore bombs and surprises "Sandersavalanches" (combination of Sanderson and Avalanche) and I couldn't agree more. There is so much excitement and interesting stuff going on that it really does feel overwhelmingly positive and exciting at times.
By far my favorite series in the Cosmere is the Stormlight Archive series, but Mistborn Era 2 comes right after that, and this book is the start of all of mistborn. Era 1 Book 1! This book has a sort of heist feel to it, and the next two that come after it only improve and expound upon everything in this book. It's great, check it out.
I bought the kindle edition, so to rate the product as I received it, it was very easy to read. Kindle allows great customization so the experience was solid, and the book itself is fantastic. The start to the best series I've ever encountered anywhere, an easy 5 star for me.
Against most opinions, I still think Elantris is a better book. However, I did enjoy this one very much.
“Plots behind plots, plans behind plans. There was always another secret.”
Brandon Sanderson created a very interesting world and I was particularly impressed with the magic system. Allomancy and Feruchemy felt very original and will probably stay as one of my favourite magic systems. His writing style is simple but engaging and creates a story that is coherent and feels complete.
Mistborn trilogy was written straight through, and it notices. It's refreshing to start reading a fantasy trilogy where you can tell the story has been thought through and will remain consistent.
What I loved about the book:
- The characters. This book has a lot of strong and interesting characters and I loved all of them. I enjoyed the banter between the group, especially Breeze and Ham but my favourite characters, so far, are Sazed and Marsh and I can’t wait to learn more about them.
- I think it is something quite special to have characters whose magic is focused on preserving knowledge to teach future generations.
- I liked to read the epigraphs and see its parallelism with bits of the story
- How the story slowly builds to reach its climax in the last part. I said it on Elantris and it still applies to this case. I’m very impressed how Sanderson is able to make so many things happen in the story and still tie those ends, completing the book with no cliff-hangers. Mistborn is indeed a trilogy, but you can easily read The Final Empire as a standalone and not commit to the series if you find it is not for you.
What I think it could have been done better:
- Vin and Elend's connection does not feel very profound/ strong / believable. I hope it develops further in the next book.
- Sanderson could have included more female characters in the central group of characters. However, he did include strong female characters in the story and I don’t think it is really fair to complaint on this issue when so many writers still don’t do it.
- To some, this book might feel too slow paced as the action is condensed in the end of the book. Not to me however, I do love Sanderlanches.
Overall 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
Top reviews from other countries
Amidst the dystopian world in which the Final Empire sets itself, we get to experience the introduction of the outstanding cast of revolutionary thieves. They are solidly built from the get-go, but that is further deepened with the amount of attention put into their development throughout the story. The character development is so subtle and justifiable that I caught myself exiting from the immersive read solely to inwardly praise how well it is conducted by Sanderson. There are clear arcs of progression regarding Vin’s psyche and how it affects her interaction with the harsh world around her as well as the people living in it. The other characters react to the changes in her behavior in a way that makes the story presented feel organic and realistic to an astonishing degree, while distinctively not losing the magical atmosphere of the setting. If you have also read this book, I can not leave Kelsier unmentioned. He was the most captivating character that I have had the pleasure of reading as of yet, possessing mysterious depth in motivation, supernatural charisma, and personality that is just downright enjoyable to read.
The plot revolves around the massive undertaking of overthrowing an empire that has been ruling the lands for over one thousand years, and the way it is executed is just brilliant. The main band of thieves is resourceful, cunning, adaptative, and charismatic, but even with all those qualities, few things go according to their idealistic plan—as often happens in real life. That makes up for constant plot twists and the introduction of new threats that must be dealt with—if Kelsier’s group wants to succeed in their endeavor—which naturally translates into an unpredictable yet clever story that always has the reader on their toes. The final lengths of the revolutionaries’ plan are executed in a beautifully sad way that is sure to leave bittersweet memories. In a way, if you are attentive enough, it is possible to speculate how the majority of the event may play out, but that only serves to demonstrate how nuanced and thoughtful the plot of The Final Empire really is.
If there is an area that I found lacking, it would be how little detail the fauna receives. Besides the people and the occasional supernatural and magical beings, there is little to no mention of animals and how they are affected by such harsh environments. Perhaps all the animals died and, given the circumstances, I would not be contrary to that idea, but the lack of mention still makes it a somewhat dissatisfying aspect in this book. That, however, is literally the only criticism I can give this book. Everything else—plot, characters, prose, worldbuilding—is as good as I could expect.
The Final Empire was my introduction to Sanderson’s universe, and I can safely say it became my absolute favorite Epic Fantasy book. Though I confess to not having read such an extensive list of books as some of the more experienced readers out there, I don’t see how a fantasy book can get any better than this. I will be continuing to read more of Brandon Sanderson, and I seriously can not describe how much I anticipate the eventual re-read of the Mistborn trilogy. Trying out his other highly regarded series are also things that make me look forward to this year's readings.
Celebro el día en que me compré este libro. Desde entonces el autor (Brandon Sanderson) es sin duda mi favorito.
WHAT I LIKED :
First up , Goodreads has tagged it as a YA fantasy , and i seriously question if it really is YA , the level pf gore , death , grim content in this book is not YA appropriate, that out of the way There was so much i loved in this book , The world although grim is very much unique , and i could see the inspiration taken from Wheel of time , on which Sanderson worked upon , in fact i was fascinated with the "what If" scenario of Wheel of time and the resulting world though grim , was fascinating .
Said world and the power structure involing a God Ruler , a Ministry , Oblogators , Nobels , Thieving crew and finally oppressed skaa , it was all so well planned out. Meanwhile the world was further enhanced by the creatures and characters living in it . Meanwhile the magic system is superb and so unique , I can't even start to process the fact that there are people put there who can think of such systems and even incorporate some physics in them . Oh and talking of characters , while Vin is one of the best female lead i have come across in fantasy ( yeah Screw Egwene ! i hate her ) Kelsier as a character was one of best character i have read . I could feel his confidence and reading him inspired me into putting faith upon him , something the character was trying to do all book to his fellows and the skaa .
Kel aside the side characters , Dox , Ham , Club , spook , Breeze all come across really likable and for a change we even have Elend who swaps in for the usually tower trapped lady in distress to become a lord , in fact Elend often arrives to muddle the scenario and makes a mess of them .
But hey the plot is the real selling point , and i really dug into the plot. I mean this is a fantasy book with a heist for premise , and i have always loved my heist stories , even Ocean 12 . (There ! I said it ! And i am sticking to it !). There were many a scenario where the author could have bought in an ex-machina element but he resists the temptation and from the beginning keeps things well organised and it all makes sense like the pieces of a puzzle completing a portrait .
The book was well paced , with almost no dull moments in the story and many absolutely stand-up-and-shout-coz-its-so-damn-cool moments . I also The final two parts of the book really stunned me with the twists just keep coming one after another , and i was all eager for more .
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE :
I am stretching things , but i think there were a few plot convenience points throught out the book for Kelsier's plan to work out and i guess some people have pointed put that a few dialogue interchanges were a bit tacky.
CONCLUSION :
There's awesome magic , Super character , Grim and thought provoking premise , and just overall fun throughout the book . I simply can't gush more about this book , i love it . It's not perfect but it's entertainment at it's best
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