The Hero of Ages

The Mistborn Saga #3

by Brandon Sanderson

Who is the Hero of Ages?

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness---the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists---is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.

Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!

The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight. It all leads up to a finale unmatched for originality and audacity that will leave readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Adult, Magic

893 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2008

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net · Rating 3 out of 5]

See this review and more like it on www.bookbastion.net!
________


I've been avoiding writing this review for a week or so now, both because I know it's going to be difficult to write, and difficult to share what I recognize is an unpopular opinion.

We all can agree that Brandon Sanderson is magic. I can't even bring myself to finish one work in progress, yet he's constantly in the middle of multiple projects at the same time and is slowly building a greater shared universe for his novels that will probably one day equal the book equivalent of Marvel and DC's own universes of heroes. I also recognize that he has slowly and deservedly amassed a very vocal fanbase who absolutely adore the way he writes and the stories he tells.

Also, I can't argue against his creativity. I've read 4 books by Sanderson at this point (this series, and The Way of Kings) and each has managed to surprise me and astound me in the way Sanderson showcases his ability to craft worlds that feel real, alive and full of history. His magic systems are wildly creative and well thought out and are exactly what the best of fantasy should be.

So why didn't I love this book?



Maybe this was a case of too much of a good thing? Yes, the worldbuilding and magic is creative, but the amount of information Sanderson packs into this trilogy was more than a little bit exhausting, especially when reading all three books pretty much in a row. I think if I had put a year between reading each book, I might have enjoyed it a little bit more because if I'm being totally honest, Brandon Sanderson has a habit of over-delivering information that drives me crazy.

Sanderson opens each chapter in all 3 books with italicized passages that are essentially his worldbuilding notes. In books 1 and 2 I didn't so much mind them as they directly connect to research Sazed and Vin were conducting over the course of the story. In this book, they're straight up infodumps, pertaining to a new magic system that he clearly couldn't find another way to work into the story.

I was left wondering what the point of all this information was, and like an english major taking a math course, wondering why I needed to know it.



Each chapter starts with a character performing a simple action. Vin Pushing and Pulling herself through the mists. Sazed arriving at a town. Spook or another ancillary character entering a building. This sets the scene for action the characters will get to... eventually...

The characters endlessly ruminate over past events in what I became certain was an attempt to pad the page count to ensure each of these books reached epic proportions. If you take out all of the pointless trips down memory lane, this 700+ page book could have achieved the same ends in probably 300 pages. Vin's inner monologue was still revisiting when she first met Kelsier, or when she dressed as Valette in numerous chapters - and those events happened over 5 years ago in book time!



Elend's inner monologue reminds us constantly that he used to be a scholar, and is now a king. Oh, and in case you've forgotten what metal does what, it's repeated basically in every chapter too. You seriously could play a drinking game based on the repeated information alone - though I hope you have a hearty liver and an ability to hold your alcohol if you try.

The story finally creeps forward in slowly increasing steps until the final 20% of the book or so, when Sanderson abandons the earlier slow pace in favor of a frenetic end. If I was rating this book on the last chunk of the story, it would get all the stars. The ending was spectacular and appropriately epic for fantasy. However, a novel is a sum of its parts and there's about 500 pages in this book that I had hoped to enjoy a lot more than I did.

Also, I'm just going to say it:

Elend and Vin are boring. They're boring characters. They're an even more boring couple. They're too powerful when they're together, and Sanderson doesn't so much show them in love and romantically connected as he does tell the audience repeatedly that they're husband and wife, and in love.

Their connection to each other seemed another casualty of Sanderson's compulsive need to sanitize this story of any sort of adult element that might arise. There is even a scene where Sanderson goes out of his way to explain that Kandra remove their visible genitals, so when a few of them are walking around naked they're walking like barbie dolls or crewmembers of the USS Callister.



It doesn't make sense. They're not even human - though they use human form. So why would they worry about removing their genitals? It's stuff like this that pulled me out of the story and honestly, makes me cringe a little.

Furthermore, 3 books in and the only decent female character Sanderson bothered to put in this trilogy was Vin. There are more than a half dozen supporting male characters in this series, and the majority of them all survive to the end of the story. Surely one or two other awesome female characters could have found something important to do in this book?



Don't even get me started on Beldre, who I think was a terrible character with unrealistic motivations from start to finish. She only exists to ensure that every character gets neatly paired off with a romantic (and heterosexual) interest of their own at the end of the book.

Before I started this series, I had plans on prioritizing Words of Radiance and Oathbringer this year, but after this experience I've moved them to the bottom of my to-be-read list. I enjoyed The Way of Kings when I read it, but I've also read 100+ great books since then and I think my standards might be a bit higher than they used to be, and I'm no longer sure I'd enjoy the sequels.

3 out of 5 stars
___________


Thank you to my buddy read partners, href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4... Humphrey and Scrill! These ladies are wonderful, and if you're not following them - you should be!

[Petrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a review. This is a story, a story about a man who opened the first pages of Mistborn: The Final Empire.

Back in August 2016, there was a man who lived in emptiness. He was probably clinically depressed, but he would never know; he didn’t get himself checked. His heart didn’t ache, his smile was freely given, but he was never happy; he felt empty every day. Damages were added when he realized his hobbies didn’t interest him that much anymore, which resulted in reluctant social interaction with his friends. His insomnia was so acute that he couldn’t sleep without alcohol so he drowned in it every night. These symptoms were most likely the aftermath of cumulative mental damage afflicted by those closest to him. His best friend spread lies about him, his closest cousin stole tons of money from him, and then he lost his job and his then girlfriend dumped him. He was alone. He told himself, this can’t be it. There’s always a way to come back stronger. He decided to do something new; he decided to fully immerse himself in reading novels. There were countless choices out there and he didn’t know what to choose first, but on the 1st of September 2016, he dived into the mist and hope was born.

He was completely addicted. By the end of the trilogy, reading fiction, especially fantasy, became a drug for him. Amazed by the five-year struggle, the characters in the book became incredibly real to him and he lived through every single event with them. He knew that the end of this trilogy was the beginning of what he hoped would be an everlasting adventure. He knew that he had become deeply entrenched by the power of words.

This is not a review; this is a story. A story about a renewed man who closed the last page on The Hero of Ages as a different person from the one who first picked up the book. A story about me, rising out of the mist a better man.

“I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages.”

Picture: The Hero of Ages by breath-art



I’ve read and reviewed more than 200 novels within the past two and a half years. I won’t lie; during that journey, I’ve read series that I think are better than this trilogy. However, when it comes to a matter of importance, this trilogy stands at the utmost top and there will never exist another that could change that situation for me. Finishing this trilogy watered the flower of hope in my garden. I found a lot of friends who have the same hobby as me, I found a new job, I found a new girlfriend who loves to read and understand my passions; I’m not empty anymore.

Some readers will consider Brandon Sanderson a weak author who doesn’t deserve his success. Some will consider his books or characters to be poorly written. Some will envy Sanderson because he’s more successful than their favorite authors. All of these are views they have every right to hold; after all, we’re all entitled to our opinions. For me, he’s none of these things. Sometimes I wonder if I would have become the man I am today if I had picked a different series to start my literary adventure. Maybe I wouldn’t have fallen in love with fantasy novels so deeply; maybe all the blessings I mentioned before would not have aligned with my stars. However, that’s a question I can’t answer.

I know that I haven’t talked about this concluding installment and what made the book superb. But thinking about it, when a book has managed to change the core of my lifestyle, I doubt I need to fully explain what made this trilogy amazing. Like I said, I won’t claim this trilogy is the best series out there, because it’s not. It’s one of my favorites but I’ve encountered plenty that are definitely better. However, nothing can change the fact that the Mistborn trilogy will always be the most important novels in my life. It sparked my love for reading fantasy novels; it’s an alpha in my endless journey to find omega. I haven’t met Sanderson and I don’t know if I ever will; he most likely won’t ever read these words and that’s okay. A reader and author are connected most of the time by a monetary relationship. I pay to read their story, and they need money to keep on making stories; I’m content with doing that. It’s time for me to put an end to this portion of my story; more adventure awaits. Brandon Sanderson, here are my closing sentences for you:

No matter what anyone else says about you, your works are responsible for changing my life for the better. For that, no words will ever be enough to express my gratitude.

This is not a review; this is a story. A story about me, and I’d like to thank Brandon Sanderson for sparking my love for reading novels.

“You are, fortunately, my hero of ages.” - Petrik

Picture: Mistborn trilogy by Marc Simonetti



Series Review:

Mistborn: The Final Empire: 5/5 stars
The Well of Ascension: 5/5 stars
The Hero of Ages: 5/5 stars

Mistborn trilogy: 15/15 stars

You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[Benjamin Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I finish this trilogy, I feel like addressing this book on two levels: on its own strengths and weaknesses as a novel; and as the capstone of the series and as an exposition of the Mistborn world and mythology. I’ll start with the latter of the two.

The overwhelming impression I get from the Mistborn books is that they were written by someone who is a fantasy fan first, a fantasy author second. A pedantic geek, if you will. And I mean that as the highest praise – Sanderson clearly has a fanboy’s love of internal consistency, and distaste for discontinuity, and is writing the kind of books that he would like to read. In essence, he is both the author, and the slightly Aspergian fan at the fantasy convention asking that author some annoyingly penetrating questions. This is a man with a proper appreciation for words like canon and retcon.

Because of these qualities, Sanderson is without a doubt the most consistent, airtight world-builder I have ever read. As the series builds, slowly revealing more and more of the world, the various types of magic, and the overarching mythology, everything snaps into place perfectly. And what’s more, it becomes obvious that everything has been perfectly laid out behind the scenes from the very start. Completely absent is any feeling that the author was making things up as he went along; I never once found myself having that “Sure Luke and Leia were always supposed to be siblings, George” feeling, nor even that “You know, Jo, when Hagrid got out of Azkaban prison at the end of your second book, he acted as though it was no big deal” feeling.

And this is great for me, because I’m a pedantic geek myself when I read fantasy and sci-fi; it’s naturally difficult for me to suspend disbelief, and I’m constantly mentally peeking around corners and poking at curtains. And here, in the place of that nagging skepticism was an actual sense of wonder, as every big reveal sent me scrambling back mentally, trying to figure out how I didn’t see that coming. This is definitely a series that would reward a second reading. (That Sanderson was the one tapped to finish the late Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series now makes all kinds of sense, as he is the closest living thing to a guarantee that fans of that famously deep and involved fantasy universe will not be disappointed.)

What’s better is that this magnificent world is paired with an excellent story. There’s little of the slow — though, in retrospect, necessary — build that made up much of the first part of the first book. Instead, The Hero of Ages comes out guns blazing (not literally, though firearms are mentioned in passing). The plot is fast-moving, yet everything builds towards a monstrous climax that ends up taking up the last full quarter of the book. The resolution of the plot is mind-blowing, moving, satisfying, and it ties the entire three-book story up elegantly. It’s impressive that Brandon Sanderson can put this neat a bow on such an epic tale, when far more experienced writers like Neal Stephenson and Stephen King still occasionally hit-or-miss.

It seems to me that Sanderson improved as a writer over the course of this series – unsurprising, given how young, prolific, and obviously dedicated to the craft he is. That is not to imply he’s a great writer just yet, as his chops continue to catch up to his impressive imagination. There are still some jarring lexical choices: words like guy and tsunami, and terms like “hat trick,” feel out of place even in the context of Sanderson’s straightforward modern American English. And dialogue is still not a strong point; group conversations in particular still come off kind of stilted and awkward. But there is obvious, measurable improvement in the writing from the first book to the third in this series, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Sanderson’s work.

Postscript: Wow, I'm surprised by the number of "likes" on this review. If you enjoyed it, please feel free to check out my reviews of the first and second books in the trilogy. Cheers!

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I CANT FORM WORDS

[Viburnum (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

no mistborn spoilers but

i am a changed person

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a migraine from crying. Brandon Sanderson you are a genius, a mastermind, an artist. You ruined my life in the most beautifully heart breaking way. This trilogy and characters will stay will me forever. I have no idea when the tears will stop but they are so worth it. I honestly don’t even have words. I’ve never been so blinded sided and shocked by a series in my life. Perfection in every way possible.

[Clace · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Billion Stars!

“Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”

I can read this book a thousand times and I would still be at a loss of words. Brando is a mastermind, there is not denying that. The way his books make me feel unexplainable emotions and those emotions are so addictive and are basically like drugs for me and I find myself wanting more and more and to my satisfaction he always provides and delivers. That man knows how to write good, fast and consistently. The Hero of Ages was probably one of the best conclusions to a trilogy ever and this book marked this whole trilogy as my all time favorite trilogy, I have so much to say that even a 10k pages essay wouldn't be enough, I would actually have to write a book to describe my love for this book. If this paragraph has not convinced you to read it, read it again

Brandon Sanderson aced potentially everything in this book, the way he was juggling four arcs effortlessly and had me hooked me through all of them is very outstanding, the way he created a balance between the foundation of this series with action, politics, plot and romance with philosophical dialogues and a poetic yet heavenly ending. I must say rereading this gave me such a wide glance at this series and the intense foreshadowing that Brandon did and how he created threads which would even span till the third era!! I cannot stress enough on how much this series means to me and how much joy it has brought me. I love how it started off with a battle like right in the second chapter you get hit with a battle and that was such an intense battle. What a perfect way to start a book, the stakes from the first page was high, the whole scheming and the plot twists and WITH the chapter headers fucking with our minds, it was like standing in a room encompassed by threads and your trying to find out it origin and the whole number 16 was such a brilliant move.

One of the things about this book that would always stay close with me would be how it delivers the message of hope, how it shows the side of the oppressed, their condition and the way they are treated and on the side it shows the way the noblemen, the elites are living and how they are the oppressors and with a flip of a coin, one man with his message of hope can start a revolt, a revolution that changed everything! It had overthrown empires, made new kings and if you've read the following books built cities named after them and I loved how it showcased that, the way the whole story throughout the three books was followed closely with this had me so happy!

“If you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you'll end up miserable.”

The characters are Brando's strongest part, they were so well written and this is one of the finest character developments out there because ig you look at the character in the first book and compare them to this book you'll be surprised at how much they've changed.

Vin, is my favourite character when it comes to the series Mistborn, its the way she does things, she's blunt but she's also very caring. I love how she depicted her love and how driven she was. How much she pushed herself and tried to carry a message, tried everything in her power to accomplish the one goal that they had. I loved that her mystic aura, her willingness to depend on Elend and letting others depend on her. I love how she was willing to sacrifice herself and I love her determination. Her character is shaped in such a strong way that you would honestly feel it, in terms of their actions, the way they talk, present themselves and act and that could be seen with Vin from book 1, 2 and 3. I love seeing books where development is so prominent that you actually notice it!! Vin was such a badass and I love when the main character is powerful and skilled and knows how to fight because the scenes that we got of her were amazing!! I honestly didn't get enough of her and I actually wanted more but I also know that their story had the perfect end.

“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin, and a cat. Plus, you've mangaged - in our short three years together - to kill not only my god, but my father, my brother, and my fiancée. That's kind of like a homicidal hat trick.”<3

Elend, he underwent through the best development of all time because omg the way he was shaped up to take the role that he was destined for and honestly after book 2 I didn't know what to think considering how the events unfolded but I loved how it showed the change and difficulty in his morality, his ability to assess and question himself and go to a red line but never crossing it. It made him look dangerous but also as a mastermind. I love the way his brain worked and I loved his ability to understand and let Vin rely on him, to let her feel comfortable and be vulnerable around him, and I loved how Brandon portrayed it!! Also the way he plotted and took charge was definitely something new for his character and so likeable.

“Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.”

Sazed, is the complex character that everyone loves, he was so full of knowledge and his conflict with his beliefs was so well done, his trauma and the after effect of it were beautifully highlighted, I didn't think I could feel this much for him but I did, my heart broke for him and it also healed for him, there was so much potential for his character and Brandon definitely delivered fully on it which made me so proud because Sazed deserved a well written arc for himself!! I also like how this book is a pinnacle for his character because the evolve and go more complex as we move further and it's so fun to read.

“Faith means that it doesn't matter what happens. You can trust that somebody is watching. Trust that somebody will make it all right.”

Spook, omgg I couldn't even recognize his character!!!! In book 1 im not gonna lie he used to annoy me at times, he was so shy, talked in a weird manner and was a little but useless but he shined in this novel because he was so confident, strong, used words of passion an they were so revolutionary and seeing this side of him shocked me to my core and the way he used allomancy to a newer extent was certainly fascinating to look at, one of my favorite side characters for sure. It was honestly felt like a breath of fresh air, reading about his character.

Tensoon, had one of the most surprising arcs in this book. I dont even know how but I was so invested in his whole arc, it was more political and it was so well done honestly. The way everything unraveled and the fucking plot twist?? I did not expect that at all but he definitely had one of the most enjoyable arcs.

Ruin and Preservation our first two shards, balance. I loved reading about them. More about preservation in the novella after this book but Ruin was such a well written antagonist. I honestly was so freaked out by him him, he was so smart. The way he had everything planned and had it sprawled out and like had everyone fooled. It was like a big chess board where he knew how and which moves to make and how he had some tricks up his sleeves, it was brilliant and the whole preservation and vin connection was so beautiful.

“It sounds to me, young one," Haddek said, "that you are searching for something that cannot be found."
"The truth?" Sazed said.
"No," Haddek replied. "A religion that requires no faith of its believers.”

Plot/worldbuilding- This one had the best plot, it took what the last two books offered and expanded it into a much wider and bigger set. I honestly was so in love with how things were unravelling. The plot twists were done perfectly, the way Ruins tricks were unfolding and how my head was going in a spiral thinking this would happen and then the exact opposite thing would happen. At one point I just wanted to SCREAM and the last chapters?? I was furious, angry, sad, depressed that I literally threw my book on the wall. It's damaged and whenever I look at it I cry because it reminds me why its in the condition. The worldbuilding and magic system are Brandons finest aspects and the whole Cosmere is a proof of that + the whole concept of allomancy with cause and consequence was explored in such depth that its one of the finest magic systems ever created.

“For now, I only wish to make a simple acknowledgement of the woman who held the power just before me.
Of all of us who touched it, I feel she was the most worthy.”

Romance + Action, Im so glad we got more than one, Spooks romantic interest was certainly interesting and the forbidden aspect of it made it so much more better and Vin and Elend....a tragedy in the making. One of the most poetic romantic stories, with the most poetic end, they managed to capture my heart and I sobbed so much reading that end. I loved them sm. The action sequences were soooo good. I have so many annotated scenes in the book based on the action parts because there were so many battles amd all of them were done soooooo well!!

So many quotes to drop here:
“I ask of you your lives,” Elend said, voice echoing, “and your courage. I ask of you your faith, and your honor—your strength, and your compassion. For today, I lead you to die. I will not ask you to welcome this event. I will not insult you by calling it well, or just, or even glorious. But I will say this.
“Each moment you fight is a gift to those in this cavern. Each second we fight is a second longer that thousands of people can draw breath. Each stroke of the sword, each koloss felled, each breath earned is a victory! It is a person protected for a moment longer, a life extended, an enemy frustrated!”
There was a brief pause.
“In the end, they will kill us,” Elend said, voice loud, ringing in the cavern. “But first, they shall fear us!”
.
“Ham smiled. "Cett's going to be furious."
Elend shrugged. "He's a paraplegic. What's he going to do? Bite us?”
.
“I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages.”
.
“I'm an amalgamation of what I've needed to be. Part scholar, part rebel, part nobleman, part Mistborn, and part soldier. Sometimes I don't even know myself. I had a devil of a time getting all those pieces to work together. And, just when I'm starting to get it figured out, the world up and ends on me.”
.
“A thing of nature.
For every Push, there is a Pull. A consequence.”
.
“To believe, it seemed, one had to want to believe.”
.
“Elend started. "Vin!" Then, he smiled. "What took you so long?"
"I got delayed by an Inquistor and a dark god," she said. "Now hustle.”
.
“Spook smiled. "Elend is a forgetful scholar - twice as bad as Sazed ever was. He gets lost in his books and forgets about meeting he himself called. He only dresses with any sense of fashion because a Terriswoman bought him a new wardrobe. War has change him some, but on the inside, I think he's still just a dreamer caught in a world with too much violence.”
.
“People with passion are people who will destroy—for a man's passion is not true until he proves how much he's willing to sacrifice for it. Will he kill? Will he go to war? Will he break and discard that which he has, all in the name of what he needs?”
.
“How did men believe in something that preached love on one hand, yet taught destruction of unbelievers on the other? How did one rationalize belief with no proof? How could they honestly expect him to have faith in something that taught of miracles and wonders in the far past, but carefully gave excuses for why such things didn't occur in the present day?”
.
“I am mountains that crush. I am waves that crash. I am storms that shatter. I am the end.”
.
“You hate change. I hate it too. But things can't stay the same- and that's well, for when nothing changes in your life, it's as good as being dead”
.
“In the end, I stopped worrying about how strange you seemed. I realized that it didn't really matter if I understood you, because I trusted you.”
.
“Never let your life depend on the competence of someone whose life isn’t also on the line.”
.
“The life of a person is more than the chaos of its passing. Emotion, Ruin. This is your defeat.”
.
“Faith isn't about logic, son," Haddek said. "Perhaps that's your problem. You cannot 'disprove' the things you study, any more than we can prove to you that the Hero will save us. We simply must believe it, and accept the things Preservation has taught us.”
.
“That's it. It's all going to end.
The realization wasn't crushing. It was gentle, like a final tendril of smoke from a dying candle.”

Overall, the perfect conclusion to the best trilogy out there! you guys have to read this book.
~~~
This is the only Sanderson book I have never reread, It's my third favorite from him but it hurts so much! Finally doing it!! and brought along Hoda to share this pain with 🙂‍↕️

(reading this as a part of my cosmere reread before Wind and Truth comes out!)

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read on Audio

Well, that ending . . . I cried =(



I finally got to find out all of the mysteries behind the mysteries in the book.

I loved how Spook's character grew so much in this book, although some of it wasn't from a good place. But sometimes you have to go to a bad place to get to the good place. I fell in love with his character a lot in this book.

I got to find out more about TenSoon and the Kandra. I loved learning about that, although I wanted to vaporize some of them. TenSoon won my heart in the second book, but more so in this book.

I still love Sazed and he had such an important part in all the books. I'm so happy for his ending in the book.

That's all, short and sweet. I love Brandon Sanderson, even though he breaks my heart!

Vin & Elend. I will always love you both ♥

"You've led us to die!" Fatren yelled. He was covered in koloss blood, though a patch on his shoulder looked to be his own. "Why?" Fatren demanded.

Elend simply pointed as the speck grew larger.

"What is is?" Fatren asked over the chaos of battle.

Elend smiled. "The first of those armies I promised you."

Vin fell from the sky in a tempest of horseshoes, landing directly at the center of the koloss army.

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most perfect series finale I can remember reading... I cannot... I just........ A review will be on my channel when I can form words.

[Tweebs ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Grabs mic*

*Clears throat and begins to scream*


FUCK YOU

FUCK ME

FUCK THIS

FUCK THAT

FUCK EVERYTHING

I SALUTE YOU, BRANDON SANDERSON!!

I'm just going to go kindly check myself into the hospital. I suffered multiple cardiac arrests over these endless plot twists. Sanderson has ZERO mercy.

Let me repeat that:

ZERO

MOTHERFUCKING

MERCY.

*Drops Mic*

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3

[Warda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not that I’m an expert here but no one writes fantasy like Brandon Sanderson does.

The Hero of Ages was so worthy of the title.
The ending was heavenly.

It’ll always remain my favourite trilogy.

1st read: Nov 2014
2nd read: April 2015
3rd read: April/May 2016
4th read: November 2017
5th read: September 2020

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages."

Books like this are the reason I am so harsh on shitty books, is all i have to say right now

Review to come.

[Erica (storybookend) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ‘review’ is not a review of the book, but more of my emotional journey through reading it and upon finishing. For those of you who have read the Mistborn trilogy, I think you can empathize with what I felt. For those of you who haven’t, I ask that you do yourself a favor, and feast upon these books. For they are truly the most amazing books I’ve ever read.

Before the end, I was going to write an absolutely glowing review full of caps lock and exclamations points and gifs and pictures and my singing glorious praising to high heaven to clearly show my ultimate love and devotion for this book. But I just can’t, I can’t.

I am hurting. I’m in so much pain. Never before has a book put me through such emotional turmoil, rendering me to a sobbing, terrible mess, with my heart ripped to pieces, bleeding on the floor, my chest aching, my mind, near in shock. I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t even consider something like this, especially of this magnitude, happening. Sanderson put me through hell. But I cannot hate him. I cannot hate his prowess in making me go through all of this pain, and yet leaving me with feelings of indescribable joy and breathless wonder. I closed the book with such a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and completion, not wanting in anything save for that I didn’t want it to end. It was a difficult journey, yes, but any journey worth making is worth the trials. And this particular journey, was most possibly, the most rewarding journey I’ve ever been on in the literary world I thrive on.

When a novel really makes me feel, it becomes more dear and precious to me than any other book. It shines brighter, dark as the tale may be, tearful as it may make me. But that is what readers are looking for. A story that speaks to their heart and soul, pours emotion into them, making them feel everything the characters are feeling, and lingers well after the last page. And this is what I treasure. Any novel that can do this to me, even though it may not be the best written or executed, is one to be cherished dearly. This novel stands out though. Not only does it make you feel deeply, it has outstanding world building, an incredible cast of characters that you love dearly, and a brilliant execution of a story that leaves you in breathless awe.

I knew this series wasn’t all happy endings and rainbows and light. It is a terrible, dying world with an unknown force beating upon it. Horrible ramifications will happen, there is no escaping them. There is no hope of creating a happily ever after for everyone, and creating a world anew without some type of destruction and loss. People die, thousands of people. People you care about. My heart was torn out and trampled on. And it’s still trying to put itself together again. This is a dark tale. Sanderson doesn’t paint it light. He shows you what becomes of a world destroyed, what happens after its thousand years of relentless abuse. But, even then, even through all those dark moments, there are moments of light, of love and joy and laughter. And hope. Faith and hope, I believe, is the core of the novel, what makes all the characters press onward in hopes of a brighter future. The mists, the darkness are ever pressing on them, but they never give up hope. They never stop believing that all could be well if they but fight to secure it.

I can’t write this review and not talk about the characters. I can’t talk specifically about what they did that I loved, or their personal thoughts and journey, lest I spoil the book. But I can say that I adore these people with every fiber of my being. They are not just characters moving a story forward, they live and breathe and are REAL. When they were in pain, I was in pain. When something terrible happened to someone I loved, I cried, my heart raging inside, aching and furious at what was happening. But oh how wonderful they are, how glorious their stalwartness and love and self-discovery over the course of their lives.

One such person, whom I love and respect and praise, was Sazed. Dear Sazed. Your soul searching quest was perhaps the most riveting and saddening. I ached watching you despair and lose your hope that you had held onto the whole of your life until something devastating sent your doubts flying, your faith failing. But it all paid off! Everything you learned, discovered about your life’s devotion of studying religions. Therein was the faith you needed, you just had to look at them with a new light, a different perspective. And I loved what you became. It was so perfect for you, and made my soul soar with happiness.

And then Vin and Elend. Their characters were brilliant. Their outcome, their destiny, jaw dropping, and… I cannot say more on them. You need to discover this on your own. You will come to love them, and you will ache deeply when terrible things happen to them. But the pain is not all for naught. You have to feel pain for them to connect you to them, to make them real, to make the story and their characters believable and entrancing. The ending was heartbreaking, but so perfect, it couldn’t- shouldn’t- have happened any other way. And even though thinking that disheartens me, it was remarkable in its execution, and ended with a perfect brush of the light and new found joy that I was so desperate to find. With the ever present mist and ash and red sunlight, I yearned for the characters to find their blue sky, and yellow sun, and green grass. They never knew of those things. With a thousand years of red sky and brown landscape, such things were preposterous, laughable. Vin believed in it though, because Kelsier did. And this vague image of a better, brighter, lively world full of color, brought them a measure of hope and desire that fueled them in their desperate actions to find this better world, where Inquisitors and Ruin cannot abound, and where peace and light reign.

One last character whom I thought was brilliantly crafted, even more so after his death, was The Lord Ruler. I never could have imagined his role in the story, his true intentions that were misunderstood by those seeking to overthrow him. Sanderson created the most unbelievably cruel, good villian. He is not what he seems, and is only a pawn of something even more devious and cunning and ruthless than he ever could be. The whole plot, how everything came together, the realization of what certain things meant, was utterly brilliant. It’s mindboggling to think that someone could concoct such a story, such a world, being so attentive to every single little last detail that is essential in making the world work and have no problems in its making and telling. Sanderson is a mastermind genius. I could never be as superb as he is, but I hope I could be half, or a fourth, or a hundredth so brilliant with storytelling and drawing people in.

I almost forgot Spook. Erica, what are you thinking? Ah, Spook, you captured my heart. You became the man I was hoping you would be. You never lost yourself, but you became so much more. And I loved it. I loved your growth and love you had and strength. You, with Elend and Sazed, are my hero.

I sincerely urge you, plead you, to read the Mistborn Trilogy. It is so outstanding and perfect and thrilling, you will find you cannot stay away from the world once you enter, and will dread leaving it. What truly, is more amazing than these books? Though I have read them just this year, and there are still thousands of books out there to read, I have a feeling I will not find another read more brilliant. And though I don’t read much epic fantasy (which I think will change soon), I believe the Mistborn trilogy stands out in this genre, and is more than worth reading and loving. They have become my favorite books ever; nothing I’ve read comes even close. And this is why I wish everyone on earth would read these books. I will recommend it to everyone I can. When I love a book so deeply and desperately, I can’t not tell everyone of its brilliance, and that they MUST read it. And you must. You must if you want a book that arrests you completely, and leaves you with such deep emotion and love and wanting more. I can’t praise these books enough, and I hope I have been able to sway you to read them. You will not regret it, trust me.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heart wrenching, but beautiful ending to this fantastic series.😭

[✨ A ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am The Crier of Ages. Yes, you read that right. I cried through so many parts of this book because it suddenly dawned on me that I'd have to say goodbye to these beloved characters. Reading this series was one of the best decisions I've made and I'm glad my friends (you know who you are) convinced me to give these books a try.


“There has to be a balance, Vin,” he said. “Somehow, we’ll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be.” He sighed. “But for now,” he said, nodding to the side, “we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”

SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 & 2 👇


The entity that was trapped inside the Well of Ascension is now loose. Ruin is free to end the world. But how do you defeat an enemy that can use the forces of nature against you?

It seems that the Lord Ruler, evil tyrant that he was, prepared for the worst and took precautions. He left provisions to help the Final Empire survive should the end of the world come about.

Vin and Elend journey across the empire following the Lord Ruler's clues hoping that he left them some way to defeat Ruin.

The deliverance and plot twists were as expected: mind-blowing.

The character development in this book was ‘A grade’. We see parts of main and side characters that were not explored before.

So, she no longer fought out of fear for the man she loved. Instead, she fought with an understanding. She was a knife—Elend’s knife, the Final Empire’s knife. She didn’t fight to protect one man, but to protect the way of life he had created, and the people he struggled so hard to defend.
Peace gave her strength.

Vin is dealing with the guilt of the events that occurred at the Well of Ascension. And Elend comes to terms with the type of ruler he needs to be instead of the one he wish he could be.

“You are an . . . interesting man, Elend Venture,” Yomen finally said.
“I’m a bastard,” Elend said.
Yomen raised an eyebrow.
“In composition, not in temperament or by birth,” Elend said with a smile. “I’m an amalgamation of what I’ve needed to be. Part scholar, part rebel, part nobleman, part Mistborn, and part soldier. Sometimes, I don’t even know myself. I had a devil of a time getting all those pieces to work together. And, just when I’m starting to get it figured out, the world up and ends on me.”

Spook's story line was phenomenal. His chapters were of my favourite. My boy finally got the POV he deserved. We dive into his life and thoughts and find out exactly what he's been through ever since he joined the crew so young. His desire to be someone of importance and to actually make a difference tugged at my heartstrings.


Sazed is grieving Tindwyl, loses his faith and starts to question his purpose. Even though he had such a short time with her, he feels her loss like a wound. For most of the book he sets himself the task of finding the one true religion, the one that will tell him for sure that Tindwyl is okay wherever she may be.

Throughout the series he has been the rock, the person everyone turns to for advice. So to see him lost and without direction was heartbreaking.

I also really loved TenSoon's chapters (*weeps*) as well as Breeze's.


Too many times have I read a last book in a trilogy to be utterly disappointed. Thank goodness this was not the case. I loved how it all tied together and the ending. Sanderson did not fail to deliver a brilliant finale to one of the best series I've ever read.

Many thanks to my buddy Mary for putting up with my slow reading 😂. We had the best time theorising though ♥

____
My reviews for:

Era One

0.5 (short story): The Eleventh Metal
Book 1: The Final Empire
Book 2: The Well of Ascension

Book 3.5: The Secret History


Era Two
Book 4: The Alloy of Law
Book 5: Shadows of Self
Book 6: The Bands of Mourning

[jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg. this series ends exactly the way ‘lost’ did and you cant convince me otherwise.

vin = jack
preservation = jacob
ruin = the man in black
sazed = hurley

that epilogue is basically when everyone meets at the church in the final episode. i teared up when i watched it then and i teared up as i read it now.

what made ‘lost’ such a great show was being able to follow how the characters found a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives and thats exactly what this series does.

i love the first book for the plot and world-building, the second for the characters, and i love this final installment for how it all comes together. its such a great mix of prophesy and free agency, legend and reality, hope and despair. kelsier taught vin that there is a consequence for every action, every push has a pull, and i think BS not only shows this balance in the physical aspect of allomancy, but also in the desires and development of the characters. what a rewarding feeling finally seeing how each characters journey concludes compared to how they first saw themselves and then how they finally accepted their role in everything.

overall, an amazing ending to a really unique and immersive series.

PS. on a completely unrelated side note, i hate how my brain sees taylor swift every single time i look at this cover. lol.

↠ 4.5 stars

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It’s been a while since I’ve been to a ball."

From the magnificent outset of The Final Empire, then the masterful re-alignment of plotlines in The Well of Ascension, it’s time for the big finale of Mistborn Era 1. I had thought that I might end up expecting too much from The Hero of Ages, but who am I kidding… Sanderson ALWAYS delivers!

"An easy life taught one very little."

The author’s consistency in world building, character development, story-telling, and everything else is unbelievable. Usually, it is somewhat expected for a reader to feel the repetitive nature of these elements by the time they arrive at the end of a trilogy, but not so with Mistborn. There is always something new, and mysterious that will keep you fully immersed. But to keep things short, I’ll not repeat the lengthy praise I did for the first two books.

"Koloss sighted!"

Most readers will start this third book with the anticipation of the big battle that had been in the making during The Well of Ascension… and you will experience it, from the beginning to the end, distributed among a series of small battles, each getting more and more thrilling. Sanderson’s vivid narrative continuously bombards us with a non-stop sequence of action-packed, fast-paced, and entertaining encounters among multiple parties, working slowly its way towards a final battle.

"Belief isn’t simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. What is belief - what is faith - if you don’t continue in it after failure."

Sanderson still manages to narrate the events in multiple fronts with different POVs, while not letting the reader get too distracted from the happenings of one particular sequence. This is something I’m always worried about, because when one is invested in one particular plotline, it is easy to skim over the next chapters until you are back at your favorite. But each thread here was equally entertaining and immersive, which kept me equally engaged throughout the entire book.

”I have delved and searched, and have only been able to come up with a single name: Adonasium. Who, or what, it was, I do not yet know.”

And that’s not all! In addition to all the battles, a major part of the book is devoted to finally explaining the underlying principles behind Hemalurgy, Feruchemy, Inquisitors, Koloss, and Kandra. Most of the things that went unsaid with the first two books finally began to make sense by the end of this final book. The post-climax chapters and the epilogue did a nice job of making sure most of the unexplained elements were properly explained.

”There’s always another secret.”

For me, Mistborn has been the perfect fantasy series. It’s no wonder that so many readers have come to love this series, becoming completely invested in all the characters and the world. It doesn’t happen often, but I think I have a new measuring-stick to evaluate all my future fantasy reads. Time for a small detour to Elantris, before I resume the Era 2.

"In the end, they will kill us. But first, they shall fear us."

I actually think everything is going to be all right. Finally.

[Adina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hero of Ages is undeniably a satisfying ending to the Mistborn series which answered all my questions and more. I was left with a bitter sweet feeling after I swiped to the last page but satisfied that it could not have ended any other way. I loved the first volume, the 2nd was a decent transition to this big boy which almost was as excellent as the first.

I expected most of the plot twists so I wasn’t mind blown like other readers but, in the same time, I was awed by Sanderson’s imagination and his word building capabilities. He really is a master in this respect.

I also enjoyed the way the characters grew and the development of Spook, who was almost inexistent in the other two books. Tensoon and Sazed remained my favorite heroes and I am delighted with the way their storyline developed. The development of the main two characters, Vin and Elend, seemed less important that some of the secondary characters which I am not sure it was the intended result. I do not want to spoil anything so I’m not going to go into details.

Why only 4 stars? Please do not be mad at me but I have to admit that Sanderson’s writing is not that amazing. It is definitely not bad but I’ve read better written fantasy. Also, the dialogues were a bit flat and I love powerful words exchanges. Even the thought battle between Ruin and Vin seemed lifeless. Lastly, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of humor in the mix although I understand why Sanderson might have thought that it wouldn’t go well with the depressing atmosphere. I missed Kelsier’s wit, though.

"How did men believe in something that preached love on one hand, yet taught destruction of unbelievers on the other? How did one rationalize belief with no proof? How could they honestly expect him to have faith in something that taught of miracles and wonders in the far past, but carefully gave excuses for why such things didn’t occur in the present day?"

One of the most interesting themes for me was Sazed's search for the true religion and for the meaning of faith. he does try to answer some of the questions and doubts many of us have regarding a supreme being. Food for thought.

It is a series worth reading, I loved most of it and I will definitely read more Sanderson in the near future.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

Well, that ending was both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I am in mourning for so many of the characters I came to love over the many pages of this series, but I feel at peace as well.

There are already SO many reviews out there for this and I am sure I have nothing original or all that thought-provoking to add...but I will say that I am amazed at Sanderson's skill and planning in crafting this series.

I can't wait to tackle Stormlight once my heart has recovered a bit.

PS…It's reading books like this that make me want to be stingier with my star ratings in general. Because THIS and some of the trash I've 5-starred are just not in the same league. Thank God for the smut scale so I feel better smashing the stars on my smut books; however, another good reminder for me to be a little more discerning with my non-smut ratings and not feel bad about it.

[♛ may · Rating 5 out of 5]

📂 files
└📁 rare
└📁 very rare
└📁 vin and elend finding true love and happiness and being content and seeing the world restored and beautiful and getting more dances and balls and being cute and sassing each other

guys. . . i think sanderson broke me

5 stars!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

brandon sanderson is an evil man who creates the most intricate and detailed worlds and gives me the most precious and perfect characters and then he ruins me with his fricken plot twists

so, basically im here for pain

[Emily (Books with Emily Fox on Youtube) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how everything tied in at the end - I'm usually good at guessing everything but I kept being shocked by this book. The characters' growth was enjoyable to watch, the magic system and the world building became more and more complex which I adored!

I didn't 100% love the ending but I still loved this book.

I can't wait to continue with the next ones!

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cry but I'm also so happy. WHAT AN ENDING. I've never been so happy to be so sad.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The downside of these books (for me) is all the detailed battle scenes. Every move - every swing, dodge, & feint - are all written down and played out in front of your (imagination's) eyes like a choreographed dance.
Which, for some people will put them right in the middle of the action and add to the overall immersive feeling of the story.
For me? It got to be a bit much.



However, I'm only mentioning it so that other readers like myself can go into this forewarned. It's not too much in the general sense, and the rest of the story is pretty fascinating. Overall, I'd say it's definitely worth it to wade through a few too many (IMHO) chop, pow, ping, whack fight scenes.



I liked the way it gradually showed you the truth about the past. There were a lot of gray areas and you do end up changing your mind about some of the characters you thought were maybe strictly evil or fully good. Were they? It's not so simple. But it rarely is, you know?

Oh, Mr. Sanderson.
Again. I did not see that twist in the ending. It was there. Staring me in the face.
The entire time! And yet, you got me again.
I loved it.




I felt like the conclusion was hopeful and sweet, and makes me want to jump into the next series.
I have one true gripe.
My boy, ‎TenSoon the Kondra, got completely fucked over in this story. All of his people did and I was kind of pissed. So. Yeah. NOT COOL.
Big thank you to all the Sandersonites out there that kept pushing the Mistborn series at me over and over again throughout the years. I get it now.
Really, I do.


Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Edition: Unabridged
Michael Kramer - Narrator

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Sanderson is a really impressive author of the fantasy genre. It must be incredibly hard to insert originality into books of this type; so much has been done before and then done again. With Sanderson it feels like I’m reading something completely new and completely exciting. His books and his characters are, simply put, cool. He just knows what his readership wants to see, and he gives it to them. The action scenes have an almost cinematic quality too them; they remind me of the combat from The Matrix and Resident Evil movie franchises. The images of people flying through the air and kicking arse are vivid and plain awesome. I’d love to see this on the big screen.

Spectacular fighting



There is, of course, so much more to this story that Sanderson’s awe inspiring combat scenes; he has created an entire fantasy mythos around what originally appeared to be nothing but a rather basic story. It’s just so good. Well, anyway, this book takes place a year after the previous one, and Elend is forced to take upon the role of Emperor. Previously, he has an idealistic approach to ruling; he was soft and morally righteous. But, there’s no time for sentimentalists in this world. Elend has hardened his heart and become what necessity demanded him to be. The situation calls for a ruler not a diplomat; he has opened his eyes and seen the approaching threat of destruction. He’s become a badass like his girlfriend.

It was just in time too because his weakness could have got everyone killed. His personality is now drastically different. He is now Vin’s equal rather than something she must protect. The threat to the Final Empire transcends the capabilities of a normal man; he had to become much more. Together, him and Vin can reap destruction on their countless enemies. So, essentially, he has become the leader he needed to be form the start. A doubt inevitably begins to burn within his soul (see what I did there?) and that is whether or not he becoming like the Lord Ruler himself. I love the way Sanderson does this; he captures internal conflict really well, as Elend questions morality and the necessary nature of being a strong leader.

Exciting new point of view chracters

Initially, I thought his was a bad idea. I though adding new point of views in such a late stage of a trilogy would be quite detrimental. But, I’m glad to say it wasn’t. Spook and Ken-Soon had some of the most exciting chapters in the book. It can become a bit tiresome reading, “Vin burned Pewter” so it was fresh to see part of the story from these characters who in the end had a massive part to play in the final confrontations; it broke the story up and drove it into a more impactful ending. It also allowed for character development in characters that have been relatively ignored. Spook went on a massive personal journey.

If I was to rate this book just on its action then I would give it five stars. I think the ending of the series was superb, but there was also another six hundred or pages or so to contend with. There were a few pacing issues. I felt like unnecessary things were drawn out, and what I considered to be important was rushed over. The ending was too fast; it needed more build up. The conflict at the beginning of the book had much more time devoted to it than the crux of the plot. However, these are minor issues, which make me sound very picky. The ending was superb and sad. This series has so much going for it. Go read it!


The Mistborn Series
1. The Final Empire - A misty four stars
2. The Well of Acsension- A suprising four stars
3. The Hero of Ages - An awesome four stars

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars? AHHH how I wish I could give this book a higher rating!

WARNING: little spoilers below, you’ve been warned :)

Sanderson sure knows how to capture the reader when writing fast-paced action scenes, but damn were some of the earlier scenes rambly and boring. The first 500 or so pages took me FOREVER to read since it just wasn’t captivating to me at all.

In ALL three books, the main problem I had was how slow the start was - IN EACH ONE. BS better stop with this bs or I’ll stop reading these chunky books he keeps shoving out each year... (calm down that’s not gonna happen, they’re too addictive.)

A lot of what Vin and Elend said throughout the book was just repetition from the two previous books. Elend keeps bringing up how he used to be a scholar and now he’s a king blah blah blah and Vin doing the same thing but about being a street urchin to a warrior. I swear it comes up in every 4/5 chapters you read! Stop!

Take a shot every time either one is mentioned. You’d be dead not long after.

I was going to rate this 2.5/3 up until the last 30 or so pages where I was thinking 2 measly stars (you’re thinking what???) and then the ending came along and kicked me in the face. (A full 5 stars!) If only the whole book had that energy, I would’ve pressed that fifth star with the energy Vin had that violent night with Zane in Luthadel.

Sanderson why have you done this?????

This is a fantastic series, I can’t deny that and the ending absolutely blew my mind with that amazing epic fantasy conclusion I was anticipating. I wish I could say I enjoyed all three books in the series equally, but I certainly did not and it really sucks.

Book one easily remains my favourite.

The Final Empire: 4.5 stars
The Well of Ascension: 3.5 stars
The Hero of Ages: 3 stars

[Margaret M - (having a challenging time and on GR as much as I can) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hero of Ages which brings to a dramatic, unpredictable, and astonishing conclusion this tremendous Mistborn trilogy from the master writer that is Brandon Sanderson.

My GR friend Melissa warned that the 'Hero of Ages' would wreck me, and in my own words.

'This book and particular the ending did indeed wreck me',

.... to the point I had to reread the pages and kept reminding myself this is fiction and fantasy to the repetitive rant in my head that 'this is only a book, this is only a book, this is only a book'. Its fiction, it is only a book.

The Plot

There is so much to the story and conclusion that I could not do this justice. However, here it is a very rough summary.

A year has passed from where the story left off in last instalment, and Elend and Vin are now married. However, the evils from the unseen enemy, the remnants of the Lord Rulers power are still in play and menacing, and the mists have become unpredictable and unsettling.

Yet the most dangerous is ‘Ruin’ that Vin was tricked into releasing from the Well of Ascension when she defeated the Lord Ruler. Someone who could create ashfall, summon earthquakes and control entire koloss armies. To save their world, Elend and Vin must find the storage cache of atium, food and water that the Lord Ruler himself had stowed away for this final battle.

However, they have all been deceived and it would appear that Sanderson had plotted this final outcome from the beginning because when you see how the whole trilogy comes together then you will be amazed. It just takes a bit of time to get there.

“A man is what he has passion about,” Breeze said. “I’ve found that if you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you’ll just end up miserable.”

Review and Comments

Of course the book is amazing but I'm absolutely gob smacked at this ending, and I'm still trying to decide whether it was brilliant or too heart-breaking, but then it’s only a book, it’s only a book!!!!.

Storyline and Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Weaving three books, multiple time periods, plots and people into a story of this magnitude and this well done is nothing short of marvellous.

All three books took a bit too long to get into and I have questioned the importance of some of the detail and what they added to the overall story. In short, they could have been shorter!!!. However, with the sheer scope, twists, subplots, themes, and magnitude of the plots you cannot fail to love these books.

Main Characters ��⭐⭐⭐⭐ The character development is superb. All of the characters are more developed, matured and fascinating. I loved that although Elend and Vin still take certain stage, Sanderson provided so much more to the character development of others in the story, particularly Sazed. Taking the journey with him as he battled both moral dilemmas and religion was such a special extra to the book. In fact, I felt the themes, in general, were so much more evocative, relevant, and challenging, which added to much substance to these books.

Writing Style ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ simple, easy to read, captivating, atmospheric, haunting, suspenseful, and theatrical. What more could you ask for.

Book length and detail ⭐⭐⭐The downside, as I mentioned earlier is the size of these books and the time it takes for the story to get going. If you prepare yourself then it can be overlooked but I need to warn new readers about the need for patience and of course time. Most of the extra detail is worth it and adds to the story but some does not. So I do think all three of these books could be condensed somewhat.

However, none of this detracted from the 5-star rating and the feeling this book conjured up in me.

This is one of the few triliogies where I thought the author knew where he was going with this from the beginning, and each book was carefully crafted to build on, link and include details from the previous stories. At least that is how its came across now that I've read all three. The links, builds, and twists are amazing - which brings me to the author.

One of the 'heroes of this age' is Brandon Sanderson. An author who knows his art, with a wonderful imagination and gift for fantasy and storytelling.

‘The Hero of Ages’ - dramatic, intense, sensational – yes !!! and this time round the atmosphere and the characters added the most to the story. This book (and series) is so well conceived, imagined, written, and executed.

Simply brilliant.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh no, my Sanderson/Cosmere/Mistborn friends are probably not going to be very happy with me.

I liked this trilogy of books okay. I didn’t LOVE them . . . just liked. The third book was probably the best for me (3.5 to 4 stars). I have to say that I liked Elantris much better and that does not seem to be a common opinion among fans of this series.

The biggest thing for me is that Sanderson is world building on 12 shots of espresso. I do like world building overall, but with Sanderson, keeping up with what is happening, what has happened, what people can do, what people can’t do, who is dead, who is alive, who has transformed into who, who is possessed by who, who has magic, who doesn’t have magic, who has magic now (but didn’t before), who is where, who knows who, who is good, who is bad, who was bad and is now good (and visa versa), etc. etc. etc. requires a PhD in flow charting.

Seriously, go look up “Brandon Sanderson flow charts” in Google Images – it is a rabbit hole you may never escape.

All this to say, that while I have found the experience to be okay so far and will likely continue to see where things are going, it can be quite exhausting!

While Sanderson gets touted by many as great fantasy, after my experience so far, I don’t think it is something I would recommend to someone looking for a place to start with fantasy or who just likes to dabble in fantasy occasionally. This is for the hard core!

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

5th read. I think I need to read this once a year. 2020: “I tried to channel every bit of apocalyptical fantastical idea I’d had over the years, holding nothing back.” (Sanderson) No, you truly held nothing back: this series is just freaking brilliant, amazing, magnificent, mind-blowing, heart-stopping… *checks thesaurus and finds there are no words to better describe it*. So yes, Mr. Sanderson, you more than managed to “stick the landing with this book” (cf. preface).

It’s not just the complex world-building and mythology, the layered characters and the intricate plot I’ve praised before that leave me in awe of the author’s imagination and literary genius; it’s also how brilliantly the language fits this apocalyptic world – it’s not poetic, ornate, elaborate – it’s utilitarian, it’s stripped down. It’s bleak, it cuts to the core. It’s a knife to the heart. And it’s all done so freaking casually!

For those few of you keeping track, this has definitely made into into my special reading happy place, despite (or maybe because of?) the fact that it had me frequently quite HAPPILY UNHAPPY. And, by the way, the talented Michael Kramer reading the audiobooks is almost as magical as the great Stephen Fry reading HP.

My advice: If you haven’t read this series, you’re truly missing out on life!
Not convinced yet? Let me sway you 😊:
The Final Empire
The Well of Ascension.

PS: The only thing I would change is my horrible timing – I really should have saved this masterpiece for a time I’m not swamped with work. And yet, I will still read the next Mistborn book ASAP (set 300 years later and with different protagonists) despite it. I just can’t help myself and will most likely curse myself for it – again.

PPS: I'm still Anna, the Bran. San. Stan.

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this was BY FAR my favorite installment in the first Mistborn trilogy.

I cannot even begin to sum up how great this was. LIKE DAMN.

I've mentioned before how much I appreciate Sanderson's heavy inclusion of religion and religious characters in his work. He somehow is able to ask those big questions, taking his characters through hell and back, without making the reader feel at all criticized or alienated.

The character developments in this one (especially for my precious Spook) were just beyond anything I could've imagined. I am thrilled with how each character grew to be so much more than what they were when we began this journey in The Final Empire.

Now that I'm sitting at the end of this series, I believe wholeheartedly that this book is responsible for tying together the first two into what became this brilliant high fantasy epic.

A beautifully crafted ending.

Buddy read this with the wonderfully adorable & amazing Tweebie Bird!