A review by accusatori
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious fast-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

Still love this book, and I think it's the best of the series. The series is also a masterclass in controlling the flow of information to your reader and keeping them hooked with mysteries--though I think the 2nd book is frustrating in how little information it gives out (a side effect, I think, of the mood that Sanderson wanted the reader to be in... frustrated, tense, scared for the characters, just like the mood in the world). It is better than 90% of fantasy books by male authors, but reading now, as an adult, I do find it lacking in some areas. Mostly regarding diversity; I still love the book, but the series as a whole has elements that frustrate me greatly, when it comes to non-white characters (are there any?), Vin's character arc (and Elend's), the depiction of relationships and gender roles (mostly about marriage), the age of the characters (the women are all so young, except for Tindwyl, and the men are a wide variety of ages. Did Vin need to be 16? She could've easily started off as 18, 20, 22... I think this was a choice to make Mistborn YA, and it's not damning by any means, but it is unsettling to me now).