30 January 2014

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
Series: Mistborn #1
Publication date: October 1st, 2009 (first published: July 17, 2006)
Publisher: Gollancz
Genres: Adult, High fantasy
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought on Amazon
Pages: 647

BookDepository (box set) | Amazon | Goodreads


A thousand years ago evil came to the land. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk labor as slaves in volcanic ash fields. A troublemaker arrives. A rumored revolt depends on an untrustworthy criminal and a young girl who must master Allomancy, metal magic.



That summary is kind of vague, don't you think? But it still sums up the story, without hinting the slightest about whats to come, and I love that!

The reason I wanted to read this book was that I thought the idea was so original. The evil guy has one, and this story takes place 1000 years after - seriously, the EVIL GUY WON! Also, instead of just plain old magic that originates nowhere. Magic is allomancy, and only certain people have powers and they only have powers if they have the right metals - that is genious!

It took me quite a while to get into this book, but that was mostly because I had no idea what they where talking about in the beginning. When I reached a 100 pages, pieces started to fit together and I started to understand the book.
I love the way Brandon Sanderson teaches you about the world and Allomancy. You get to learn about it with Vin, she has no clue about anything either, so you are kind of in the same boat. Also, Kelsier is an amazing teacher, I understood everything when he started to explain what Allomancy was.

The world building is amazing, Sanderson really knows how to build up a world and describe it just so you have enough information to know the world, but exactly the right amount to let your brain take over and figure some things out for yourself.
When I read The Final Empire, I felt like I was in the world and after about 200 pages, I felt like I knew everything about the world - even though it kept surprising me and let me learn new things.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the "missing" love-element. This was a very great book, and I find that great books can be ruined by the love element. This book had the love-element, but it did not matter that much. I loved every part of the book that Elend was in, but that was because thpse parts were short and cute - and that was fine!. Also, it is not insta-love. It takes quite a while before any of them realizes it!

I loved all the characters in this book, I feel like good vs. evil is not really a thing here. The "good" guys do some things, but the "bad" guys do some good things as well. In the end you understand the Lord Ruler, you know why he did certain things, and in a way you feel with him - but on the other hand you really do not like him.
Sazed is magnificent, I actually thought that he and Vin would get together, but no. I love how he is so serious but still have a sensitive and funny side. He would be the perfect friend. Kelsier and Vin are like father and daughter, I love that, normally the hero gets the girl, but this time they are like a family.
I loved seeing Vin turning from the skaa thief to Vin the mistborn. She has a hard time dealing with who she is, but in the end she just IS. No more thinking, she suddenly becomes the one she is supposed to be.
The "crew" is wonderful. I loved every single person, I even started liking Breeze! I really like how they were all friends instead of just partners in crime, that gave the story something. Normally I feel like the groups in books are together because they can each get something out of it. This time they are there because they trust each other and this is something they want to do. 

Since this is a high fantasy series, there is a bunch of things that you have to learn, because it is a completely new world you are reading about. I took notes whilst reading this, and I am so glad I did, because sometimes I had a hard time remembering certain things. 


Explanations:
But lets get on with it. In this book, people who can perfom allomancy are called Mistings or Mistborns. Mistings can burn (=use) one of the basic eight allomantic metals, and Mistborns can burn all eight. And there is nothing in between, so if a person can burn 2 of the basic metals, he or she is a Mistborn, and can actually burn all eight. 
There is also something calld Feruchemistry, and people who can "perfom" that, is called Feruchemists. They have a different way of using metals. 

Then there is the hierarchy of the people, there is "skaa" which is basically everybody. If you are a skaa, you are either a slave, a thief or you live on the street without a job. 
Then there is the lesser nobility and the higher nobility. The higher nobility is where everything political is, and the lesser nobility is, well you can say that they are just more fortunate that skaa, but not nearly as fortunate as the higher nobility.
There is also the Garrison, their primary duty is to maintain order in the city - so they are basically the police. 
There is also the Steel Ministry, which consists of obligators and Steel Inquisitors. Steel Inquisitors are quite a strange creature, they are fighting machines and very hard to kill. The obligators are Prelans, and the tattoo's they have around their eyes tells you where in the hierarchy they are. The Lord Prelan is head of the entire Steel Ministry.
Hazekillers are men who are trained to fight allomancers.


I have to give this book 5 hearts because OMG this book is wonderfully written, the world is amazing and the characters are just lovely. An Allomancy is just so fantastic and I have never read a book this intriguing - except from The Hunger Games and Harry Potter.




There actually is a wiki page for the Mistborn trilogy/series, check it out here.

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