Review: The Final Empire

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Imagine a world where the sky is perpetually gray, ash falls like snow, and a god-tyrant holds sway over the land. This is the beautiful yet bleak setting for The Final Empire, and from the first page, I was fully absorbed. Here, Brandon Sanderson proves himself a master storyteller, weaving a tale at once thrilling and profound.

At the centre of this compelling tale is Vin, a street urchin who unknowingly holds inside her the latent power of Allomancy — the ability to manipulate metals to superhuman effects. Her life is completely altered when she encounters Kelsier, a bold rebel with a tragic past. With him and a cast of characters that are outcasts, they concoct an elaborate scheme to take down the tyrannical Lord Ruler. The story is filled with multi-layered characters, and I found myself in awe of the depth of their development.

What I really enjoy about his writing is the detail with which he builds this world. The layered complexity of this whole society the author has built, mixed with the magic system, almost makes sense, but still in a very enchanting way. Well, this is because allomancy isn't a tool; it's ingrained in the roots of the world. So, Sanderson showed this system in bits and pieces that were easily digestible, whereby I managed to learn its intricacies without having the story get away from me. Watching the creative and unforeseen use of their powers was something new for me in every encounter.

Having read so many reviews for Sanderson's works, my expectations for this book were rather high. I was definitely not disappointed. Sanderson's style of writing is smooth, easy to read, and immersive; I was captivated by his story without much effort. There are shots of heart-stopping action juxtaposed with quiet, introspective scenes that make me feel so much for the characters.

One such instance which moved my heart was when Vin learnt her self-worth and her potential. It really rang a bell in my mind. The fight she had with self-doubt and grew to accept powers within her-a theme many readers will be able to relate to.

Without giving too much away and spoiling it, I must say the climax is so breathtaking—it tangles some thrilling action with deep revelations. The resolution at the very end not only tied most threads together but also set up some future instalments, to which I'm certainly keen to plunge back into this magical world.

In conclusion, I highly recommend The Final Empire, as this is a great start of The Mistborn Saga. This novel is an exemplary blend of adventure and elaborated characters, set in an incredibly well-imagined world that makes it unique in its fantasy genre. It is a wonder how he can think of such immersive and thought-provoking stories.

Content Warnings

Graphic - Violence, Slavery, Death

Moderate - Physical abuse, Torture, Child abuse

Minor - Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent

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