Rebels, Rogues, and Revolution: Reviewing Brandon Sanderson's 'The Final Empire'

Summary

‘The Final Empire’ is the first novel in the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. It is a fantasy novel that is set in Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. He has multiple series that take place in this world, but there are no crossovers at this point. This novel takes place in The Final Empire. A fragile society that is on the brink of rebellion due to the oppressive regime overseen by the Lord Ruler. The story revolves around Vin, a street urchin who is used to fending for herself and Kelsier, a well-established vigilante who plans to take revenge on the Lord Ruler.

First Impressions

I was hesitant to start this series as I thought there were far more novels in this particular series than there are. Sanderson has a reputation for the amount of novels he publishes each year, so this is a very real concern. If you want to get into the Mistborn trilogy, let me break it down for you. There is the main trilogy that follows the characters in ‘The Final Empire’. The trilogy consists of this novel, ‘The Well of Ascension’ and ‘The Hero of Ages’. There are a number of spin-off novels that take place many years after the events of this trilogy as well as some that focus on the lore. Another thing that put me off starting this novel was that I’m still relatively new to fantasy as a genre, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to immerse myself into the world.

Characters and Structure

As mentioned, the novel follows the POVs of Vin and Kelsier. They have very different outlooks on life. Vin is very naive and distrustful of people while Kelsier is her complete opposite. Kelsier is far more aware of the greater issues that face the people of The Final Empire. There are many secondary characters in the novel and that may seem intimidating, but do not fear, it was far easier to follow than you would think. I loved the way the characters interacted with each other. Their bond felt natural, which made it easy to get caught up in the camaraderie. The characters, both main and secondary, have wonderful development throughout the novel.

The Magic System

The magic system is introduced early on in the novel. I found it difficult to understand at first, but it does get explained as the novel progresses. Once I fully understood how it worked, I found it interesting and innovative. In The Final Empire, the aristocrats are born with the power to use various metals to enhance their abilities. Typically, they are known as Mistings and they are only limited to only using one metal. On the other hand, there are Mistborns who can use every type of metal to enhance their abilities. The magic system was interesting and you kept learning about it as you work your way through the novel. The magic system was subtle, but it is well-executed, which makes it impressive.

Who Should Read This?

‘The Final Empire’ is a good book for anyone who loves fantasy novels. I think it is a great way to introduce yourself to fantasy if you are still new to the genre, but even if you are a seasoned fantasy reader, it is still worth the read.

Age-wise, this book is versatile. I think it is a good book for Young Adult readers as well as Adults. The POVs alternate between Vin, who is sixteen years old, and Kelsier, who is around thirty-eight. So you can see why this would make the book appealing to multiple age groups. One thing I would say is that there is a lot of violence. However, the descriptions of the fight scenes are not extremely graphic.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this novel and will definitely be continuing with the rest of the trilogy. The plot was fleshed out well and Sanderson has a way of giving you enough details to submerse you into the universe he has created without overwhelming the reader or having it become boring. For anyone considering reading ‘The Final Empire’, go for it. You won’t regret it.