Book Review – Mistborn: The Final Empire

The first time I heard of Brandon Sanderson, it was through a press announcement about Robert Jordan’s infamous Wheel of Time series.  For many fans of science fantasy, you know that the author, Robert Jordan, passed away.  Mr. Jordan’s wife chose Brandon Sanderson as the author to complete the series.  In the announcement, she cited this book as the reason for choosing Mr. Sanderson as the author to complete the series.

I immediately ordered a copy of Mistborn: The Final Empire.  After all, what author could possibly be trusted to finish Mr. Jordan’s beloved series.

Brandon Sanderson can.

One of the great things about this book is the total lack of convention.  The story begins in a world where, at some time in the distant past, the prophesied Hero of Ages — lost, and for thousands of years, the world has been ruled by an evil overlord.  The Lord Ruler.  The population is suppressed, the world is in shambles, and the Lord Ruler still survives to this day.  He is their ruler, their god, their tormentor, and their savior.  It is a world without hope.

He rules, in part, by the power of Allomancy, which is a seemingly magical ability that many possess, although none can begin to match the Lord Ruler ability, either in strength or skill.  Allomancy is the ability to “burn” metals to affect one’s environment.  It is flashy, fancy, and unlike “magic,” is governed by the rules of physics.  Allomancers “push” and “pull” on their environment to impact it.  Allomancers not nobly born are also hunted ruthlessly by the Lord Ruler.

Enter Kelsier, the leader of a thieving band, and Allomancer.  Having lost his wife at the hands of the Lord Ruler, he escaped the most hideous of the Lord Ruler’s prisons, and begins plotting the downfall and death of the Lord Ruler.  He assembles a band of thieves, and takes on an apprentice named Vin; a street urchin who is also an Allomancer.  Together, the group attempts to bring down the Final Empire.  As Kelsier plots the Lord Ruler’s downfall, Vin comes into her own power — and begins to wonder if Kelsier enjoys the adulation of leadership a little too much.

This story is filled with plot twists, intrigue, and surprises.  Even in a world where hope is gone, the characters find laughter and pleasure amongst the simplest of circumstances.  It highlights to the reader that, even amongst the worst of circumstances, people seek for and find happiness in small ways.  If you’re a fan of science fantasy, you should consider giving Mistborn: The Final Empire a read.  I’ve introduced several friends to this book and they’ve all agreed.  It’s one of the best books we’ve ever read.