Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn Series #1)

a terrific coming of age epic fantasy t

The immortal Lord Ruler has brutally dominated the Great Houses for over a millennium. The ash that is everywhere symbolizes his Final Empire rule the lack of flowers anywhere represents the lack of hope. No one, purebred Skaa, hybrids, or otherwise, dares even think of rebellion in this vile wasteland if they want to survive another day out side the evil dungeons.-------------- That is none until a half-breed common thief Kelsier survives the ordeal of Lord Ruler¿s imprisonment by losing his mind. He begins to ¿develop¿ super skills that enable him to do the impossible. The thief plans to end the evil regime by overthrowing initially the sycophantic cowardly nobles and culminating with the death of the Lord Ruler. His charisma obtains followers, but his big break occurs when Kelsier meets Skaa street waif Vin, who has the same Mistborn powers that Kelsier learned to use in the torture chambers. Kelsier arranges for Vin to go undercover within the nobles¿ Great Houses. However, the rebel leader fails to comprehend emotions as his female mole falls in love with Prince Elend Venture.-------------- MISTBORN, the first book of the Final Empire series, is a terrific coming of age epic fantasy that uses a what if premise in which the Dark Lord killed the good guy hero (the Hobbit or Beowulf loses to the evil adversary), which leads to a fabulous world in which evil rules absolutely evilly. Vin holds much of the plot together, but Kelsier is the more fascinating character as a Hans Solo type in fantasy land. The Lord Ruler is out of Tolkien 101, but that is to be expected as the regime the malevolent one built pays homage to the foul sides of The Lord of the Rings.--------------- Harriet Klausner

8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

One Fantasy Heist to Rule Them All

Brandon Sanderson continues to amaze me with his in-depth and well thought out magic systems, all of which are unique. In this book, magic is hereditary and can only be accessed by swallowing and then "burning" metals. The differences in who can or can't use magic and who can burn one or all metals creates an intricate political and social system the compliments the plot superbly.

The plot itself is masterful. The story has the feeling of a heist with everything at stake. There are constant twists, problems arising (as always happens in real life), and a delicious ending.

Another thing I enjoyed about this Sanderson book in particular is that the characters seem more and more real as the book goes on. The more his characters react, the less they seem like stock character cutouts and the more they begin to walk off the page. He gives everyone both motivation and personality when too many authors seem to choose one or the other.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys solid fantasy or heist stories. It also comes at the epic fantasy from a different angle, since in this story the epic hero didn't quite save the world as he should have so many years before, and the world has become a dark and oppressive place. Highly entertaining. I would read this book again, if I didn't have the other two books in the trilogy to read first.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

this is how fantasy is supposed to be written.

A very original and believable magic system. Brandon Sanderson tells a very unique tale, and if you are like me and you enjoy dark, and action-stuffed fantasy? Then pick this book up! Love the philosophical perspective of the story...and it ends well for a first book of a trilogy. Im rambling i know--i just have alot of strong, good feelings about this book. Though the minor and dynamic characters in the story werent written with enough depth in this first book, book two is where they all come to life. The story is enjoyably unpredictable, the pace is perfect. A must read, he and Patrick Rothfuss--author of the name of the wind--have replinished my thirst for fantasy. They have saved it for me!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great ideas poorly executed

I really wanted to like this book and had high expectations after reading all the great reviews. I now cannot fathom its popularity. The book has an interesting premise, an interesting magical system, seemingly lots of good things going for it, but the writing is sub-par. It's like talking to someone with a bad stutter or facial tick: it isn't like you can't do it, but it is a constant distraction from the conversation. The same goes with Sanderson's writing. Kelsier smiled; his eyes twinkled - every couple pages repeats this odd characterization at completely inappropriate times, and it continuously drew me out of the narrative. Everything is laid out in uninteresting detail, leaving little to the reader's imagination - the writing is not the least bit evocative and, as mentioned, is highly repetitive. If you can overlook these flaws, perhaps there is something worthwhile in the series, but I could not get far enough to find it.

2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Yawn ...

Uninspiring characters in a shallow universe of monotonous activity. Really, there are just so much better out there, do not waste your time.

2 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

What a wonderful read.

This was my second read of Sanderson's work. The first was his continuation of Jordan's Wheel of Time Series, which I found well done. However, Jordan was prevalent throughout the piece. So, I wanted to see what Sanderson had done on his own. I have to say; I am impressed.

His writing is tight. You are thrown into the plot without any delay. He never monologues his history as many fantasy writers do. Instead, doling it out in bit-sized nuggets throughout the story.

A wonderful job by a man who has, with his first book, became one of my favorite story tellers.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Absolutely Enthralling

I started reading this book one day and almost immediately regretted it. I couldn't put it down. It caught me and held me captive to the point that eating became a chore, and sleeping seemed unimportant in comparison to turning to the next page. Dynamic characters, unpredictably complex plots, and a vast new world of wonder and imaginative concepts guaranteed it a spot on my shelf of favorite books. Very well done Mr. Sanderson. Very well done.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

One of the best stories around.

This book is wonderful. The author has put together a sort of fantasy oceans eleven, but this group has a much higher and more noble purpose than just greed. The world is aazingly rich as are the characters. Each one is well thought out and their motivations and histories are very well done. If you enjoy fantasy, and want a book that will have you feeling for the characters, check this one out. A wonderful story.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Enjoyable

To be truthful, when I read the reviews of this book at first, I was still skeptical of the ideas brought on by this series.

After reading the free sample, I didnt have a choice but to continue reading, I was so drawn to the likeable and relatible characters that I literally didnt sleep last night to finish the book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

It had potential...

Unfortunately the story falls apart shortly after Vins training is explained and described. The fact that there is actually a dictionary explaining the different roles of each allomancer at the end of the book should have been the authors first hint at reworking parts of the story. Having to read the personal mental narration of several characters distracts from the connection you should be making to the main characters. I did finish the book but it was while gritting my teeth and allowing anything to distract me. It had potenial... at one point I even felt enough for a movie but time after time the author changes his writing style and because of that the ambiance needed to truly fall into the story is never established. Reading this all the way through was like eating a steaming plate of artichokes. Also there is a character named Lestibourne... what kind of friggin name is that??

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommended!

Brandon Sanderson's outstnading world building and story telling skills are hard at work in this book. Just when I thought there isn't anything new that could be imagined in fantasy fiction -- here is something brand new! I highly recommend this book as great escape reading, especially if you need or want to lose yourself in a book for a weekend.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazingly Good Book

I just finished this book and I can't wait to go and buy the next two! Brandon Sanderson's writnig style is one thaat is able to grab readers from the first sentence and keep them enthralled far after they finish the boo. The character progression is quite interesting. To watch Vin, the main character, grow from a street urchin thief into a spy and allomancer of incredible power gives one a feeling that is incredibly hard to explain. I recommend this book with a huge amount of respect and awe for Mr. Sanderson.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Engaging book -- semi-cliffhangerish ending

I loved the book.

Especially the world, which is even better than the roller-coaster plot. The magic system is well thought out, consistent, and gives rise to amazing fight-sequences. Delicious.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great story about a captivating world.

I really enjoyed the entire "Mistborn" trilogy. Sanderson has an intriguing style for luring you along from one mystery to another, slowly expanding the unique world that this story takes place in. The characters are fun to read and most of their character development is well timed and believable. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I wanted to possess the type of abilities that Kelsier and Vin had; both Allomantic and other. Each character is whole and even though not everything is explained in the first book, behavior and traits of the characters are explained and expanded upon throughout the series. There are many twists and turns that I had not expected, and Sanderson is not shy about flipping everything on its head just to throw you off from how you thought events would unravel. I highly recommend this and the two following books.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Nice

Learned about Sanderson due to him being pegged to write the final Wheel of Time book following Robert Jordan's death. I was already impressed with his first book, Elantris, so I picked this one up. I think I like this young writer - not your same old, same old sci-fi or fantasy writing. Definitely recommended.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Strong first novel to a exciting Fantasy series

Brandon Sanderson's novel Mistborn is a well written fantasy novel that concludes with a real ending. He is still full of idea that seem fresh and not just recycling old ideas. The writing style is solid with characterization and plotting, more on the sparse side. The world has been in a holding pattern for a thousand years and then a young girl names Vin is recruited by a band of freedom fighters/thieves. Eventually it comes to saving the world or a least changing it for better because they have a plan.

I will be reading the second novel in the series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The mist has lifted, and the light is bright.

This is my first Brandon Sanderson read and I am hooked. I don't do five page book reports, I just tell you what I think. His characters are meaty with just enough magic,action and intrigue to make this a page turner you have trouble putting down. The magic format is unique,and refreshing for a change. The Skaa have been ruled for a thousand years by the Lord Ruler, a God like figure. Enter, a very talented street urchin, Vin, mastermind thief, Kelsier, and cast of others who decide to bring down the Lord Ruler. Vin's growth in magic talent and budding romance with a very unlikely partner is a fun understory as well. There are no slow parts to the plot, it takes you on a great ride. Get this book. TODAY!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

You are going to want to take a chance on this one

Mistborn book 1...where to begin. I was really leery about this book. It's a little different so I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. Personally I thought it started off a bit slow and I was worried because it's a long book. Boy am I glad I hung in there! Its a future world unlike anything we know today, ruled by a tyrant "Lord Ruler". A man who became God on earth (sound familiar) but he isn't the Savior you might imagine. He tortures his people by having a huge class division very rich and very poor. . . With no hope of improvement and very violent. You learn of a new skill, allomancing. This came about after the lord ruler took power thousands of years ago. Its interesting, how it works....utterly fascinating. The characters are so unique. Vin is the heroine who doesn't know she can be a hero. Kelsier is charming and heroic and their crew is a lovable bunch of miscreants. I wasn't sure about Venture but now I adore him. And Sazed....he is just pure awesome. So to sum it up. It's different, starts a little slow but becomes a whirlwind adventure of faith and rebellion with the slightest hint of a love story and characters you can't help but love or hate. Either way it's hard to put down once the adventure gets going. I can't wait to see where this goes. I totally didn't see that coming and am curious what will happen next!

Incredible read! EVERYONE MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Brandon Sanderson is in my opinion the greatest author of this generation. His writing style captures perfectly how love takes place, how unstable people act, how power corrupts, and he makes the story flow smoother then silk. Personally I have read this book at least 14 times. ANYONE AND EVERYONE MUST READ THIS BOOK AT LEAST ONCE!!!

Not Bad...

Interesting idea in fantasy. I was first turned on to Brandon Sanderson by his completion of the second to last book of the Wheel of Time Series. I actually prefer his writing to that of the series creator and author. That said, Mistborn explores fairly simple concepts and doesn't really develop characters or the fantasy environment as deeply as others I've read. A good light read.