A review by asipofcozy
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous fast-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

What would they think if they knew that their champion - the Hero of Ages, their savior - doubted himself?

If you were to look at my book after reading it, there are hundreds of tabs marked throughout the book. Each color represents something different, but the dominating color green (World Building) would be what you see most. I found the world-building and the magic system to be intriguing. Whenever a background to the magic system came up, I underlined, put some notes, and added a green tab. Any time a Mistborn power was explained, I marked it. I loved learning more and more about Lord Ruler, and I loved the snippets into his life before each chapter. I think it tied into the book well, and it gave you a context into the history.

This world fascinated me, but then for Sanderson to not only be a superb world builder, but his characters also came alive. I don’t know if this is an Adult Fantasy phenomenon, but when I read adult fantasy, it’s like the authors know how to world build and develop their characters simultaneously. However, in Young Adult/New Adult literature, the authors feel like they have to compromise one over the other. It drives me insane! I want to know why this logic is because I am finding that’s not the case for Adult Fantasy literature.

Brandon Sanderson introduces a fantasy world that avoids the many tropes we have come to find nowadays. He has paved his way with such a unique world where to gain power and specific abilities, you have to “burn” elemental metals like iron, copper, bronze, gold, etc. I found this fascinating and would continuously highlight and underline the parts that explained the history and magic behind each metal. Sanderson blew it out of the ballpark, not overwhelming us with information but giving us what is most necessary. It’s like we were learning what a Mistborn meant along with Vin being. Once you reach the end, you are given a chart that explains each of the metals, which I found helpful. Not that my notes didn’t help, but I always love it when an author takes the time to give charts, explanations, definitions, or word pronunciations when the fantasy world is so vast. Scadrial is a vast world, and The Final Empire only touched a brief piece of the big picture. 

“But you can't kill me, Lord Tyrant. I represent that one thing you've never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope.”

The characters were a diverse cast, which brought me much excitement. We have a younger female MC, Vin, and an older male MC, Kelsier, and I loved their interactions with each other. Vin is much more reserved, quiet, and a shadow, whereas Kelsier, is boisterous, reckless, and takings things into his own hands to get the job done.

The Final Empire centers around two characters - Vin and Kelsier. Vin was a street urchin who was abused most of her life and lived in the slums. Kelsier is a man who believes that the world needs to change for the better; he is the hero that everyone wants but refuses to put too much hope in. Following these two characters and watching them grow as each page turned was thrilling.

For Vin trusting someone is a death sentence, in her eyes. Growing up, she had a brother who beat her and convinced her that everyone would eventually turn on her. So to be pulled into a crew that seemed to have a lot of respect for each other was bothersome to her. As you further progress into the story, Vin comes to terms with who she is, and maybe some can be trusted. After all, what is a life without risks? Her growth was stunning. A young woman was broken, yet she learned to pick up the pieces and become stronger. She showed that even though you are broken, you can still be loved and deserve to be cared for.

Kelsier is a man who has been beaten to the point of death yet continues to smile and be optimistic. Many characters considered him crazy, yet I think that makes him so much more likable. He believed in something that no one else believed in and convinced others that there might be hope in the darkness of the final empire. What I loved the most about Kelsier was his faults - precisely his utter hatred for the nobility and Lord Ruler. At times, he made decisions selfishly based on his contempt for the aristocratic society. However, those moments showed growth and understanding that maybe not every nobleman and woman is as evil as himself. Kelsier would consistently point out their narrow-minded thinking to others yet wouldn’t realize he was narrow-minded due to his grief and rage. So seeing him come to an understanding of his own emotions was powerful.

And of course, we have all the wonderful side characters like Ham, Breeze, Scooter, Marsh, Sazed, and more. Sanderson puts as much love and attention into his side characters as he does his main characters. After finishing this book, I came away with almost all characters feeling 3D and realistic. Each had their own emotions and backstories that played an essential role in the plot.

Throughout The Final Empire, I came across multiple themes and ideas that connected with our society.

Themes:
Enslaved person and Master
Religious themes - faith, belief, ideals
Trust and loyalty
Free-will vs. manipulation
Everything is a fact of life vs. restricted thinking
Propaganda
+ More

I have many more listed, but I wouldn’t want this to turn into an analysis or anything! However, I did want to explain one of the themes I found that intrigued me. That is the fact of life vs. restricted thinking.

There are so many examples of this, but in the book, everyone has accepted that the Lord Ruler is god, the skaa deserve to be enslaved (even the skaa think they deserve to be enslaved), and that everything is supposed to be grey, brown, and lifeless. The skaa and even noblemen honestly believe this. So when a man like Kelsier comes in and says he wants to overthrow the empire, everyone thinks he is nuts because of why change has always been. Even Vin thinks it’s silly because if this is how it’s been since the beginning of all things, why does it need to be overthrown.

Another excellent example of this is when Ham, one of the crewmembers, makes the statement “We claim to be doing good, but the Lord Ruler - as God - defines what is good. So, by opposing him, we’re actually evil.” His thought process would be correct. However, that’s where the whole restricted thinking comes in, which Kelsier points out to his crew many times. Because the Lord Ruler has beaten out the disobedience in the skaa and noblemen for literally a thousand years, I can see how going against the Lord Ruler would be crazy because this is how it’s been. They have been made to believe this for a thousand years and have been made to have restricted thinking so that they won’t think to overthrow or start a rebellion.

It’s themes like this that fascinate me and drive me to read more books like this one.

I loved this book and silly me for sitting around and pushing off ever picking it up. I already have the following two books sitting in my cart ready for purchase.

REASONS YOU SHOULD READ THIS:
The world-building is amazing
You will fall in love with the various characters
Jedi meets fancy metal magic
Epic heists that have you intrigued
Fight scenes that keep you on the edge of your seats
Political Intrigue
A magic system that is unique and intricate
Balls and Fancy Parties 
Amazing character development 

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