Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
Series: Mistborn #1
Published by Macmillan, Tom Doherty Associates, Tor Books on May 13th 2014
Genres: Epic, Fantasy, Fiction, High fantasy, Young Adult
Pages: 672
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's epic Mistborn Trilogy begins.Once, a hero rose to save the world. He failed.For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.Yet somehow, hope survives. Hope that dares to dream of ending the empire and defeating the Lord Ruler. A new kind of uprising is being planned--one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind and the determination of an unlikely heroine: a teenage street urchin named Vin.Once, a hero rose to save the world and failed. This time, can a young heroine succeed?

reading mistborn was like riding a roller-coaster when you signed up for the merry-go-round.

before starting this book, i was iffy about a few things: 1) this book is so big; 2) THIS BOOK IS SO BIG. after too many good reviews, i decided to give it a try. i’m eternally grateful for the moment i picked it up. mistborn surpassed my expectations and blew my mind. it deserves all the hype.

the story is told in third-person, mainly following a girl named vin who is a “street urchin,” and occasionally following kelsier, a skilled mistborn. these people have abilities to burn specific types of metals for powers. it’s hard to explain, but SO COOL. the world is set in what seems to be the far future (the sun is red?!), and it’s under the control of an immortal tyrant. that’s all you really need to know of the story. most fantasies are hard to grasp, but brandon sanderson made everything east to visualize and smooth. the world building was tremendously executed.

the writing was so good. so so so so good. reading sanderson’s sentences were like watching a dance unfold. it made words more than just combinations of letters; words became works of art. everything had a hidden meaning. you knew all the words were deliberately chosen and thoughtfully placed. the metaphors and quotes hidden in paragraphs made my want to gasp and cry. speaking of tears, i did cry while reading this book. but i also laughed. i was frustrated too. it brought out all my emotions. it was so beautifully put together. (i also liked how the little paragraphs were incorporated into the story! these little things in his writing make all the difference.)

although the writing was good, it wasn’t very demanding – meaning i wasn’t eager to finish the book in one sitting. it was a slow read. i didn’t want to finish it.. that sort of just happened. it was only after about four hundred pages when i became really engaged with the story. when that did happen though.. PLOT PLOT PLOT TWISTS.

“our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. that is the nature of hope.”

– sazed, pg. 510

the characters were authentic. everyone had their own distinct qualities and everyone developed. you grew connected to the entire crew and understood their sorrow and joy. but the thing is, it’s so unexpected. when we’re first introduced to them, i thought they were mediocre and mysterious. but as we slowly got to know each individual person – their small habits, powers, and personality – they really grow on you. *happy tears* their relationships were also incredibly smooth and natural. they fit together perfectly, but they were also flawlessly flawed as individuals. it was acknowledged that they were not invincible and they each had weaknesses.

the most difficult part of the book is the size. i’m not very familiar with reading books with nearly 600+ pages, and it can be very daunting. don’t let the size scare you! it might take a while to finish it, but i promise it will be worth it.

conclusion, my thoughts in a gif:

[rating-report]

have you read this masterpiece? let me know your thoughts!

xoxo,

alexandra

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