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A review by nienora
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
There's a reason why these books have such high ratings.
There's so many twists and turns. Their plans fell through, they've lost people when maybe they shouldn't have. People made stupid, impulsive decisions not for the plot, but because they're flawed and they believed in a cause that, in their eyes, was doomed to fail from the start.
When you finally think you've got it all figured out, there's something more. Like Kelsier likes to say "There's always another secret".
I wasn't utterly confused for the first 100 pages, which practically never happens in any high fantasy setting. Sanderson occasionally stops in the middle of the story to offer explanation about lore and history. But it feels very natural and it's a big help in understanding the world and makes it that much easier to read.
Vin has grown so much. I found her very annoying in the first part. It's all very understandable considering what she went through, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. But she did get better.
Kell is chaotic and it works. I love him. He's not a hero, and he definitely isn't a good person, but he tries in his own (twisted) way. I really liked his inner conflict, especially how Vin starts to question just how much of his plans and behavior is absolutely necessary.
Elend is a strange mixture of Christopher Lightwood and Nikolai Lantsov and it doesn't get much better than that. He's cute and a little bit dumb and definitely too idealistic for someone in his position.
There's so many twists and turns. Their plans fell through, they've lost people when maybe they shouldn't have. People made stupid, impulsive decisions not for the plot, but because they're flawed and they believed in a cause that, in their eyes, was doomed to fail from the start.
When you finally think you've got it all figured out, there's something more. Like Kelsier likes to say "There's always another secret".
I wasn't utterly confused for the first 100 pages, which practically never happens in any high fantasy setting. Sanderson occasionally stops in the middle of the story to offer explanation about lore and history. But it feels very natural and it's a big help in understanding the world and makes it that much easier to read.
Vin has grown so much. I found her very annoying in the first part. It's all very understandable considering what she went through, but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. But she did get better.
Kell is chaotic and it works. I love him. He's not a hero, and he definitely isn't a good person, but he tries in his own (twisted) way. I really liked his inner conflict, especially how Vin starts to question just how much of his plans and behavior is absolutely necessary.
Elend is a strange mixture of Christopher Lightwood and Nikolai Lantsov and it doesn't get much better than that. He's cute and a little bit dumb and definitely too idealistic for someone in his position.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore