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A review by xcrissy67x
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
5.0
Okay, wow wow wow is what I can say about this book. This is one of the best epic fantasies I have read in a while. From the world building, to the plot and the characters; everything was so carefully crafted and it has honestly stolen my heart.
This book takes place in the Final Empire, an empire where ash falls instead of rain, a thick, swirling mist appears at night, and everyone must follow and worship their dictator, the Lord Ruler. Many noblemen are Mistings, meaning they have a power that only their ancestors managed to be granted by the Lord Ruler, and a lucky few are Mistborn who are even more powerful. The Skaa are slaves to these noblemen, but a few are starting to rebel and fight for freedom from the misery.
Brandon Sanderson did an absolutely amazing job at bringing this world to life. His writing, though simple, is very direct. Some people don't like simple writing, however I find it much easier to digest a book that don't use excessively difficult words. With a world and plot this complex, I feel that any complicated writing would have made the book incredibly hard to read.
Another thing about Sanderson, though he uses simple language, can really write a freaking amazing action scene and you see him excel at this throughout the book. There is tension during those scenes and the description is amazing, though it doesn't go overboard with gore and those sort of details. Every time an action scene cropped up, my eyes were moving faster than I wanted and I was hooked, which meant that the last few chapters of the book had me absolutely gripped. I did not put that book down until I finished it.
The world building was absolutely amazing. There are so many layers; from the Skaa, noblemen, obligatory, inquisitors etc. there is a lot to wrap your head around. The actual concept of allomancy (which is what Mistings and Mistborn use for their power) was very unique. I had never read something of that nature before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The plot had me on the edge of my seat. Though slightly slower at the beginning, it didn't bore me. But as you got deeper into the plot, you get some really shocking twists. I had to stop myself from shouting out a few times out of shock. Just a warning, if you get emotional during books, maybe keep a pack of tissues handy.
One of the biggest things that affect how much I love a book are the characters. I have put down books because I despised the characters. This was not the case with this book. From the very first chapter, I knew I would love the characters and I was absolutely right. I felt so connected with the characters, especially Vin and Kelsier who you tend to follow more throughout the book. Even the smaller characters had me smitten. I love that you get to see the characters interact with each other often, it helps you build a relationship not only with them, but with the group as a whole.
Speaking of relationships, if you're wanting a fantasy romance this book isn't for you. There was a little but not much and I wasn't overly impressed with the small amount of romance in this book. I loved the characters and I was rooting for it, however, I wasn't a fan of the execution. I found myself rolling my eyes a few times and even thinking “You hardly know him!!!”. It was frustrating at times but overall, I didn't feel against it; I just thought it could have been executed much better.
I absolutely adored this book. The world, the characters, everything just gripped me. This book can absolutely be read as a standalone if you did not enjoy it, however, I am obsessed and will definitely be reading the second book as soon as I can!
This book takes place in the Final Empire, an empire where ash falls instead of rain, a thick, swirling mist appears at night, and everyone must follow and worship their dictator, the Lord Ruler. Many noblemen are Mistings, meaning they have a power that only their ancestors managed to be granted by the Lord Ruler, and a lucky few are Mistborn who are even more powerful. The Skaa are slaves to these noblemen, but a few are starting to rebel and fight for freedom from the misery.
Brandon Sanderson did an absolutely amazing job at bringing this world to life. His writing, though simple, is very direct. Some people don't like simple writing, however I find it much easier to digest a book that don't use excessively difficult words. With a world and plot this complex, I feel that any complicated writing would have made the book incredibly hard to read.
Another thing about Sanderson, though he uses simple language, can really write a freaking amazing action scene and you see him excel at this throughout the book. There is tension during those scenes and the description is amazing, though it doesn't go overboard with gore and those sort of details. Every time an action scene cropped up, my eyes were moving faster than I wanted and I was hooked, which meant that the last few chapters of the book had me absolutely gripped. I did not put that book down until I finished it.
The world building was absolutely amazing. There are so many layers; from the Skaa, noblemen, obligatory, inquisitors etc. there is a lot to wrap your head around. The actual concept of allomancy (which is what Mistings and Mistborn use for their power) was very unique. I had never read something of that nature before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The plot had me on the edge of my seat. Though slightly slower at the beginning, it didn't bore me. But as you got deeper into the plot, you get some really shocking twists. I had to stop myself from shouting out a few times out of shock. Just a warning, if you get emotional during books, maybe keep a pack of tissues handy.
One of the biggest things that affect how much I love a book are the characters. I have put down books because I despised the characters. This was not the case with this book. From the very first chapter, I knew I would love the characters and I was absolutely right. I felt so connected with the characters, especially Vin and Kelsier who you tend to follow more throughout the book. Even the smaller characters had me smitten. I love that you get to see the characters interact with each other often, it helps you build a relationship not only with them, but with the group as a whole.
Speaking of relationships, if you're wanting a fantasy romance this book isn't for you. There was a little but not much and I wasn't overly impressed with the small amount of romance in this book. I loved the characters and I was rooting for it, however, I wasn't a fan of the execution. I found myself rolling my eyes a few times and even thinking “You hardly know him!!!”. It was frustrating at times but overall, I didn't feel against it; I just thought it could have been executed much better.
I absolutely adored this book. The world, the characters, everything just gripped me. This book can absolutely be read as a standalone if you did not enjoy it, however, I am obsessed and will definitely be reading the second book as soon as I can!