Tabitha Tomala
The Skaa have been beaten into obedience, serving the nobles as slaves and seen as less than human. Rebellions have come and gone, snuffed out by fear and brutality. Until Kelsier rises from the pits, surviving what everyone knows as a death sentence. Having snapped under heartache and abuse, Kelsier has become a Mistborn allomancer. Able to give himself enhanced powers over his mind and body by ingesting metal. And he’s ready to recruit a crew of Skaa to rise up against the Lord Ruler.
The Final Empire spends much of its time developing the world and metal magical system called allomancy. While this slows down the plot, there is a lot of information needed to paint the world in the reader's mind. Each piece of worldbuilding is easy to understand and enhances the reader's experience as they are drawn into the story. And when Brandon Sanderson flips the switch, bringing the characters into the climax of the story, it will be challenging to put it down.
Character dynamics are integral to the story. Kelsier is a complicated character, one who wants what’s best for the Skaa and has a burning hatred for the Nobility and the Lord Ruler. He takes a huge amount of risk, yet has an intricate plan for how the current rebellion can succeed. But he isn’t perfect, and some mistakes will cost him dearly. There are times he’ll overplay his hand, and unforeseen circumstances will startle even Kel.
Then there is Vin, a fellow mistborn discovered by Kel. While she starts off as a meek girl hiding in the shadows to survive, Kel and the crew’s influence allows her to blossom. Seeing how far along Vin develops by the end of the novel is amazing. Vin counters Kel’s risky behavior by questioning everything. As the two interact readers will see how they each help the other grow into a better person.
Given the amount of twists and turns the first book in Mistborn revealed by the end, I am eager to see where else this story goes. There is so much left for the crew to accomplish. I can’t wait to see how they further develop and the new challenges ahead. I highly recommend this for fans of high fantasy.
Originally posted at www.behindthepages.org.
The Skaa have been beaten into obedience, serving the nobles as slaves and seen as less than human. Rebellions have come and gone, snuffed out by fear and brutality. Until Kelsier rises from the pits, surviving what everyone knows as a death sentence. Having snapped under heartache and abuse, Kelsier has become a Mistborn allomancer. Able to give himself enhanced powers over his mind and body by ingesting metal. And he’s ready to recruit a crew of Skaa to rise up against the Lord Ruler.
The Final Empire spends much of its time developing the world and metal magical system called allomancy. While this slows down the plot, there is a lot of information needed to paint the world in the reader's mind. Each piece of worldbuilding is easy to understand and enhances the reader's experience as they are drawn into the story. And when Brandon Sanderson flips the switch, bringing the characters into the climax of the story, it will be challenging to put it down.
Character dynamics are integral to the story. Kelsier is a complicated character, one who wants what’s best for the Skaa and has a burning hatred for the Nobility and the Lord Ruler. He takes a huge amount of risk, yet has an intricate plan for how the current rebellion can succeed. But he isn’t perfect, and some mistakes will cost him dearly. There are times he’ll overplay his hand, and unforeseen circumstances will startle even Kel.
Then there is Vin, a fellow mistborn discovered by Kel. While she starts off as a meek girl hiding in the shadows to survive, Kel and the crew’s influence allows her to blossom. Seeing how far along Vin develops by the end of the novel is amazing. Vin counters Kel’s risky behavior by questioning everything. As the two interact readers will see how they each help the other grow into a better person.
Given the amount of twists and turns the first book in Mistborn revealed by the end, I am eager to see where else this story goes. There is so much left for the crew to accomplish. I can’t wait to see how they further develop and the new challenges ahead. I highly recommend this for fans of high fantasy.
Originally posted at www.behindthepages.org.