Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson - A Flights of Fantasy Book Review

In Mistborn: The Final Empire, the first novel in the Mistborn trilogy written by Brandon Sanderson, The Lord Ruler controls the Final Empire, a kingdom wrought with slavery and political strife. This kingdom is a land where constant ashfalls have blackened the color and greenery of life, leaving everything covered in soot, and where the mist rules over the night.

It's been lifetimes since the last skaa (slave) rebellion rose up against the Lord Ruler and the noble families who support him. He crushed this rebellion easily, like he did those that came before it. Many believe the Lord Ruler is invincible, that he is a god. Slowly, the common people have lost hope. All they seem to know now is work and death. They live to work until they die.

However, a new rebellion is brewing. Kelsier, formerly the best thief guild leader in the kingdom, now one of the most powerful Mistborn Allomancers of all time, is gathering his most trusted men for a new contract--perhaps an impossible contract--overthrowing the Final Empire.

Kelsier's newest recruit is Vin, a thief guild member who is discovered to be a Mistborn. She becomes his apprentice and begins training in Allomancy. Here is a tale of politics, war, friendship, love, and, of course, magic!

What I Liked:

Brandon Sanderson introduces to readers one of the most interesting magic systems in modern fantasy literature in Mistborn: The Final Empire. Iron, steel, tin, pewter, brass, zinc, copper, and bronze. Each of these metals give Allomancers different abilities, from enhancing physical abilities to soothing emotions. People who can utilize a single type of metal are called Mistings, but the Mistborn have the ability to use all these metals, and more.

Reading the magic system of Allomancy in action is indescribably amazing. It's less about magical and physical strength and more about dexterity: pushing, pulling, running, and leaping around the battlefield. It's also about intelligence, knowing which metals to use, and how and when to use them. Mistborn versus mistborn battles (as well as Mistborn versus Steel Inquisitor ones) are especially entertaining.

I enjoyed how each member of Kelsier's crew had an essential and different role in the group. Most of the members were Mistings, who had their own abilities. For example, Clubs was a Smoker who could shield the crew's presence from enemies, while Breeze was a Soother who could manipulate the emotions of large crowds of people. With everything technically working well in the crew, Sanderson was able to focus more on developing his main characters: Kelsier, Vin, and the Lord Ruler.

I love Vin as the story's protagonist. As she learned more about her powers and about herself in the story, I felt like I was growing with her. This allowed me to learn about Allomancy, the Final Kingdom, Kelsier's crew, and so on, at the same pace Vin was learning, which was amazing. I love how the nobleman's balls she went to (for spying purposes) served as a break from all the action. I can imagine how beautiful the keeps and the nobles would be in reality: the dresses, the food, the stained glass windows, and the dancing...

I also love the Lord Ruler as the story's antagonist (but is he really an antagonist?). The diary entries in italics before each chapter paint a picture of an intelligent and virtuous young man going on a mission to save the world, despite all the hardships he is facing from without and within. As I learned more and more about him, I began to question how such a good man could turn so evil.

I also appreciated how the book got so intense at the near the end, and all the way to the very end. Once you reach the last hundred pages or so, YOU WILL NOT STOP READING! After the gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, head-aching feeling the book left me with after I finished reading Mistborn: The Final Empire, there is no doubt in my mind that this may be the best fantasy novel I have ever read! Imagine reading Harry Potter as a child for the first time, and absolutely loving it. That's how I felt when reading this novel.

I was close to doing so before, but now I have no reservations about elevating Brandon Sanderson to my list of all-time favorite authors, together with Haruki Murakami and Stephen King. I will now preach about his literary greatness to anyone willing to listen, for years and years to come.

My Rating:


If I could give it a 6 out of 5, I would. You can also read my review of Mistborn: The Well of Ascension.

Flights of Fantasy is a reading challenge hosted by book bloggers Alexa Loves Books and Hello Chelly. Here are my goals for the Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2015.