Reviews with content warning for Slavery - The Hero of Ages

C/TW: Violence, death, gore, blood, murder, mental illness, classism, suicide thoughts, war themes, animal death, torture, grief, fire, confinement, genocide, religious bigotry, and hostage

Rating ★★★★★

“The nature of the world is that when we create something, we often destroy something else in the process.”

Sometimes I don’t know what else to say apart from:

“Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”

Reading the Mistborn trilogy was the best decision I ever made. When I started this trilogy, I had no idea how involved I would be in the story. I also didn't know how attached I would feel to these characters.

“If you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you'll end up miserable.”

I had one of those existential crises you have after finishing a long series or TV show. I feel like I have lost something. I already miss these characters and this world.

Sanderson is fantastic. He crafts a spectacular ending for this trilogy. Every word and every twist was thought out since book one. The book felt a little slow, but I have to admit that it was because I was passing a reading slump. This might have affected my perception of the pace.

“Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.”

The book is narrated from various perspectives (Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, Marsh, and TeaSoon) that enrich this marvelous world. The book touches on topics such as colonialism, politics, war, and religion. Hero of the ages is heavily centered in theology and myths.

“Faith means that it doesn't matter what happens. You can trust that somebody is watching. Trust that somebody will make it all right.”

It was interesting to follow Sazed on his journey. He was the one that always had hope and faith. In the book, we see him having a theological crisis and losing his essence. I loved his character arc.

“She remembered timidly standing atop the Luthadel city wall, afraid to use her Allomancy to jump off, despite Kelsier's coaxing. Now she could step off a cliff and muse thoughtfully to herself on the way down.”

Vin is extraordinary. She grew a lot during these three books. Over time she learned to trust the people around her, and knowing how difficult it was for her to get to this point is laudable. Seeing her open up and trust Elend so blindly is so beautiful.

“I'm an amalgamation of what I've needed to be. Part scholar, part rebel, part nobleman, part Mistborn, and part soldier. Sometimes I don't even know myself. I had a devil of a time getting all those pieces to work together. And, just when I'm starting to get it figured out, the world up and ends on me.”

Elend is the other character that has astounding development. Elend is still an idealist scholar. But also, he learned to balance his new identity as a Mistborn, a conqueror, a husband, and a warrior. He becomes an incredible leader without losing his essence.

“Sometimes, you have to destroy something in order to build something better.”

I also enjoy following TeaSoon and Marsh and learning about their people.

I was heartbroken not only because this was the end of this journey but because I had to save goodbye to these characters. I am sad because of what happened as well. I hate and love Brandon Sanderson for making me love this group of outcasts so much.

The Final Empire★★★★★
The Well of Ascension★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★★

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Content Warnings

lilifane's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

PERFECTION! This is the definition of perfection. At least for me.
I know this book or series is probably not for everyone, but it is perfect for me.
And the sole reason for this is how well plotted this story is, from the very first sentence of book one to the very last sentence of book 3. I have a lot of respect for Brandon Sanderson now.
And as much as I loved the characters, the story (especially this third book) is mostly plot driven. Therefore, I think people who prefer character driven stories won't love it as much as I do.
For example: I didn't cry when characters died. But I cried rivers of tears when all the tiny little puzzle pieces fit together perfectly at the end. This is my favorite thing in books and I finally found one... well three... that do it masterfully.
There are also some really cool themes discussed in the series. One of them is religion/faith/belief, and this is another aspect that might put some readers off. I personally loved the way this topic was explored, and I also really liked the conclusion in the end. But I guess some might find it too preachy.
I really want to read more from Sanderson, and I definitely will work my way through his whole bibliography. But he writes SO many books, and they are all SO big. I think need a little break from epic fantasy first.

Content Warnings

iono's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

Content Warnings

noellelovesbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

Content Warnings: Gore, Body horror, Blood, Death, Murder, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Violence, War, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Classism, Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Child abuse, Racism, Slavery, Mental illness, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Finally got the courage to read this book so I could say I read the entire Mistborn trilogy…and wow what a journey! From the start, of the series, I connected to and loved Vin and with this conclusion, I'm just in awe of the person she grew into. From a skittish street kid who thought trusting others was stupid...to a selfless and loving role model.

This trilogy only takes place over a few short years but the amount of character growth, from all the characters, is fantastic and had me cheering for them every step of the way.

Overall a fantastic and epic fantasy that I highly recommend giving a go, if you haven't already. 💜

Content Warnings

anelya's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Content Warnings

oldladysadie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

A masterpiece, and a beautiful ending to the Era 1 Trilogy. I found myself constantly flitting between being swept up in the narrative, and pulling back to marvel at the whole tapestry of the series as more and more mysteries became clear. I’ll be rereading this series for years to come, I’m sure.

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