Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

3 reviews

dragonbornsandwaffles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It lulls for the first third of the book or so while he's worldbuilding, but once things started to pick up, I quickly couldn't put it down. It's a very intense gritty fantasy (see content warnings for details - it's...a lot), and the characterization is so good that they feel like old friends. It does have a shock twist at the end, so if you don't like those, I'd stay away. It made me absolutely bawl like a baby for a good hour after I finished it. Fantastic book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Murder, Gore, Police brutality, Grief, Genocide, Violence, Abandonment, Death, Body horror, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Racism

Minor: Alcohol, Racial slurs, Rape, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Addiction, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Vomit, Torture, Cannibalism, Confinement, and Stalking

kirbylover16's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

After years of people telling me to read a Brandon Sanderson book and the whole Kickstarter fiasco, I have finally got around to it. Thus this is my first book ever by Sanderson; I don't know how this book score could change based on the rest of the series or the rest of the Cosmere. (yet) My overall feeling is mixed. It was a good read, and I did relate to the main character, Vin. Most of my problems are just nitpicks and my preferences for faster, more romantic, and shorter stories. However, the plot suffers from a very repetitive and slow style that can really be insufferable.
Vin is practically illiterate, as are most skaa, and it comes off quirky? Especially with Vin and Spook, and that rubs me wrong. The whole free will theme and religious tones are huge turnoffs. (apparently, Sanderson is a Mormon) Vin's mentor Kelsior is supposed to be charming, but he's not. He got worse as the story goes. Maybe I'm biased tho? Every mentor, grandfather/or father figure in media tends to be manipulative.

his fight dragged on way too long. When Vin and Elend showed up, I thought it would finally end, but nope it dragged some more.

I am more invested in all the other characters. Which there are too many. I kept going back and forth on if I liked Sazed but I think I warmed up to him. 
 What made me want to read this book was the idea that the prophetic hero fails and the evil rules, but that's all in the background. The bad guy won centuries ago! We slowly get the hero's journal, but the story would be the same without it. (shorter at least) The better description is a magical heist with politics and slavery thrown in. I enjoyed the romance and sexual tension, but I don't think he met latter.

even tho there are not many interactions between Elend and Vin or Spook. The sexual tension I meant with Ham and Bree. Perhaps he realized that in the editing phase, and that's why towards the end, they make Ham have an off-scene wife and kids he hasn't seen in months. :(

The world-building is the best part of the book. For example, the different ways metal and magic interact, the flying by dropping coins, and people looking like hellraisers walking around. The last 20% is fantastic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Abandonment, and Body horror

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, and War

Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

There isn't really any sex/skin, just one brief kiss described, some mentions of rape, whore houses, and underage sex. Vin does run around in boys' clothes and in her undergarments. Mostly for comic effect. Also, mental health/postpartum depression/suicide as Vin's mother kills her baby sibling and herself. Oh, and lots of murder, which we get to see very graphically. A shocking amount of beheading.

juliette_95's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Addiction