Mistborn : Final Empire Series (Book #1) (Mistborn, Book 1) (edition 2007)

Holy shit balls of awesomesauce, I cannot even handle the feels of this book. Gah, my emotions are in a right state, okay, because this book is one of the very best I have ever read. It's not every epic fantasy novel that I can read in little more than a day without it feeling like torture. In fact, the torture was any time not spent reading. Brandon Sanderson does everything right here: the world building, the characters, the writing, and the plotting.

In epic fantasy, it is so rare to find a book that's good from the very beginning. There is just so much world building to be established, that it's sort of a given to have to sit through quite a lot of world building. This generally is totally worth it in the end, but makes the read a bit slow. Sanderson, however, manages to keep the pace quick from the very start. Rather than overwhelming the reader with the way this world works, he unravels the information bit by bit, following the arc of Vin's training, keeping everything manageable.

In my experience from The Way of Kings, I already knew that Sanderson is a marvelous writer, though I do think Mistborn: The Final Empire is much stronger. Sanderson devises such original magical systems, so unlike any I've read before, and he makes them come alive. He also has a real knack for description, one almost unparalleled by any author I've read. Not being a very visual reader, I often have difficulty picturing battle scenes, but Sanderson's burst off the page, leaving me breathless with worry. There's so much movement in Mistborn, but all of it was so well-described that I never felt lost or confused.

Then there are the characters. I love them all. SO HARD. Kelsier is a serious BAMF, and he's full of swagger and cleverness, and always deeper than you think he is. Actually, that's true of every single character, I think. You suspect you know what they're capable of and then they do something to surprise you. The feels are insane. Right, Kelsier. Anyway, he is a Mistborn, which means that he can manipulate metal to give himself powers, and that's as much as I'm going to explain that, because just read the book. Kelsier has big plans, like overthrowing the immortal ruler of the empire.

The other main character is Vin, a skaa (essentially serfs) thief has a power she thinks of as Luck. She lives her life in fear, trusting no one, abandoned even by her brother. Kelsier finds Vin and teaches her what she is, and how to be a Mistborn. Watching this girl find friendship and love for the first time in her life gave me all of the happy feels. I love Kelsier and Vin's relationship, the way he mentors her is so touching. Also, it makes my heart so happy to see a female character not always being weaker than her male counterpart. Vin's still learning, but girl has some serious power. She grows so much through the course of Mistborn, but she's obviously not done yet.

The supporting cast is just as well-drawn as Kelsier and Vin. Every single member of Kelsier's crew, the one trying to overthrow the despotic Lord Ruler, is dear to me: the philosophizing Thug, Ham, the insouciant Breeze, the dialect-spouting Spook, the grumpy Clubs. Then there's Elend, the heir to the wealthiest noble family. Let's just say that he's the kind of guy who would rather read than dance at a party, and that I am kind of in love with him.

Top off all of that awesomeness, Sanderson also knocked me for a loop with that last two hundred pages. He set everything up so well that, once it happened, I knew it was just as it had to be, but I also hadn't believed he could possibly go there. Sanderson got me right in the feels, and oh my how I loved it. I never expected the way the book would end or that final twist, which is just what I needed after a stretch of predictable books.

Without a doubt, Mistborn is one of the finest epic fantasy novels out there. I say this confidently, even though I've still read relatively few. Every aspect of this book was well done, and I can't think of a single thing to criticize. Basically, I urge each and every one of you to read this book. ( )

My favourite of the Final Empire Series, a good setting, good characters and excellent reading. After a few slow reads I picked this up off my bookshelf in desperate need of something to draw me in and surround me in a new world and Brandon Sanderson hasn't disappointed.

While the main character of Vin is a little too much (too quick to do everything perfectly), I enjoyed the rest of the characters and the scenario that is built. ( )

I cannot believe it took me almost six years to get around to reading this book, it was absolutely fantastic! One of the best fantasy novels I've read in recent years. You can read my full review of the novel on my blog: http://www.rulethewaves.net/blog/?p=3294 ( )

I had a hard time at first with this book.... As in I dropped it twice about a third of the way through. But I'm so glad I stuck it out this time! Fantastic book! Brandon Sanderson is a much better writer than Robert Jordan. he might even be as great as George rr Martin, but much cleaner. ( )

Wow. I'll start with that. Wow.

There is just something about a good, or great, fantasy that gets me really excited. Sanderson exquisitely delivers some incredible world building skills in the first installment of the Mistborn series. I was thoroughly transported into Luthadel during each read.

I loved Vin. Actually, I disliked much about her but I think her small character flaws made me love her even more. She starts off so quiet and small and ends up as this bigger than life young woman ready to take on so much. Maybe not everything, but still so so much.

All the characters were wonderful and each so richly distinct. Some caring and humorous, some snobby and cruel, others all too arrogant but all were interesting.

"You should try not to talk so much, friend. You'll sound far less stupid that way.."

Beneath a wealth of wonderful world building and amazing character development is an outstanding story. It's not just a tale of a young girl's journey to becoming a hero. It is that, of course. But there is so much more. It's a tale of friendship and love and lost love and pain and oppression and religion and oh hell, so much. There are some very endearing moments followed promptly by some epic fights, then some profound learning experience.

"Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days...What is belief - what is faith - if you don't continue in it after failure?...Anyone can believe in someone, or something that always succeeds...But failure...ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly. Difficult enough to have value. Sometimes we just have to wait long enough...then we find out why exactly it was that we kept believing...There's always another secret."

I won't spend much time going into too many of the details, this is a large book. A 26+ hour audio. Needless to say, we would be here all day if I gave a thorough synopsis. However, for any fantasy lover it is well worth the time spent. There is a new take on magic that blew my mind, it involves metals and is so exquisitely developed that I actually feel smarter for having read it. Yes, I'm a dork - what? There were action scenes and plot twists that stole my breath, and just a sprinkle of a heart tingling romance...what more could you ask for? Brandon Sanderson is to younger readers what George R.R. Martin is to adult readers, a master of fantasy. ( )