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Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)

Brandon Sanderson

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What Members Thought

Nov 23, 2010 Mike (the Paladin) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

There were times throughout this book when I was sure it would get no higher than a 3 star rating. We have a glut of long epic fantasy tomes and usually they are one part of an epic fantasy series made up of multiple 800 page volumes. Too often, they are 2400 plus page stories that could have been told in less than 1000 pages. Here also there were times when the book developed....umm, shall we say word "runnage"..."excessive wordage" ? I even skipped through part of it.

In any story I suppose tas There were times throughout this book when I was sure it would get no higher than a 3 star rating. We have a glut of long epic fantasy tomes and usually they are one part of an epic fantasy series made up of multiple 800 page volumes. Too often, they are 2400 plus page stories that could have been told in less than 1000 pages. Here also there were times when the book developed....umm, shall we say word "runnage"..."excessive wordage" ? I even skipped through part of it.

In any story I suppose tastes will be different. Some readers will love the extra conversations, details, or descriptions that really don't add much to the plot or the characters, things that aren't actually germane to the novel. To some they are simply annoying. The main thing that had me sure I'd go no higher than 3 stars here was the fact that when I was away from this book, I wasn't concerned about getting back to it. Sometimes I went days without getting back to it. I finished it today because it goes back to the library tomorrow.

Now the positive. About the last quarter to third of the book picks up, becomes absorbing and tells a good story. It "buckles down" pulls all the divergent threads it's been spinning out in all directions together and finishes very well. I think a reliable editor with a slightly "heavier" blue pen might have helped some...just me. But, bottom line aside from the complaints I gave above, the book picked back up and finished strong. It finished strong enough for me to go 4 stars.

There are more things I considered saying here, trying to give some detail with no spoilers. I found the "overall" story line a good one. Rebellion against tyranny is usually a good background if handled well. The characters themselves are fairly interesting (and the author takes time to be sure you know them, that's good...and bad in some ways). I found some traits in a couple of the characters annoying, a bit "overdone" in some ways, but I assume Mr. Sanderson was going for what he got. The world and magic system hold together well, with only a few oddities (a few times there were "why didn't you do that earlier" situations, you'll see what I mean if you read the book), but in general as magic systems go (and they get a lot of scrutiny now) this one works well and hangs together.

I could say more...but if I do, I'll need a spoiler warning, so 4 stars, pretty good read. ...more

37 likes · Like · see review

May 07, 2011 Jason rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2011, e-books

5 Stars ++++

Wow, how did I wait so long to read this...I have really been missing out...

There are tons and tons of great reviews that speak about all that makes this such a fabulous read. These reviews speak of the fabulous characterizations, plot twists, world building, and an amazing system of magic. They talk about the quality of the writing, the prose, and the art of this story. It truly is a gem and really stands out in a genre that is filled with a plethora of spectacular pieces of fantas ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Nov 24, 2010 Kevin Xu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read, favorites

This book could have been cut at least fifty pages about 60% into the book.

9 likes · Like · see review

Feb 07, 2011 [Name Redacted] rated it really liked it

Shelves: dark-fantasy, society, mystery, politics, romance, crime, war, philosophy, religion, post-quals

UPDATE 1: I'd been meaning to look into this for a while now, but my friend insisted that I read it as soon as I finished my qualifying exam gauntlet. I have finally begun doing so! I'm about 100 pages in, and I have a number of thoughts on the book. First, the setting and the "magic" system are both fascinating! Second, the writing is...unremarkable. This isn't a bad thing, because it means I am focusing more on the plot and the characters, and it means Sanderson isn't resorting to elaborate la UPDATE 1: I'd been meaning to look into this for a while now, but my friend insisted that I read it as soon as I finished my qualifying exam gauntlet. I have finally begun doing so! I'm about 100 pages in, and I have a number of thoughts on the book. First, the setting and the "magic" system are both fascinating! Second, the writing is...unremarkable. This isn't a bad thing, because it means I am focusing more on the plot and the characters, and it means Sanderson isn't resorting to elaborate language (which most writers cannot do without sounding overblown or clumsy). Sanderson is an author you aren't really aware of, because his actual writing isn't very memorable; I think that almost makes this book less "epic fantasy" and more "pulp". And i love me some good pulp! More thoughts to come...

UPDATE 2: I admire Sanderson's decision to have his characters speak in a modern American vernacular. He makes no attempt to have them speak in an "old-timey" dialect or throw in any unique curses (aside from the occasional "by the Lord Ruler"). It's a brave choice, perhaps because he knows he cannot pull it off consistently, but perhaps instead because he wants to maintain a sense of normalcy. It keeps the reader from feeling too distant from the characters and the world. The problem is, however, that it also keeps the world from feeling as alien as it truly should be to the reader -- though, again, that might be a conscious decision, grounded in a desire to have us feel about the world the way the characters do. Hmmm...

UPDATE 3: A lot of what Sanderson seems to be doing involves subverting common fantasy tropes. He doesn't subvert all of them, of course - the character Vin feels like she could be transplanted into just about any YA novel involving spunky girls who learn to love. But the ones he does subvert are delightful. The world is a post-apocalyptic wasteland precisely BECAUSE the prophesied hero of yore won; the organized rebellion is really just a way for the oppressed to vent their spleens, and is a horrible failure in which nobody really expects to win; the magic functions more or less the way Arthur C. Clarke described sufficiently-advanced technology; the stereotypical ballroom intrigue and snappy banter never reach our ears (eyes?) because the character listening to it doesn't care about it; and in a BOOK about a world in which loss of ancient knowledge is repeatedly eulogized and censorship abounds, the main POV character hates reading.

UPDATE 4: Finished the book! It's good, and the final 100 pages had some serious surprises (though i saw a few of them coming). I still dislike the character of Vin, and the shift of focus to all-Vin-all-the-time started wearing on me. I'll definitely read the next book in the series; I appreciate that Sanderson didn't tie up all the loose-ends and story threads, which he could easily have done through exposition... ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2009 Gregor Xane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Very interesting magic systems, interesting world, and fast-paced. Overall, i liked this very much. The only problem I had was that a lot of the powers/action too closely resembled Jedi "force" powers, even to the extent of referring to "pushing" and "pulling" objects. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 22, 2014 Krazykiwi rated it really liked it

Not much to say about this one that hasn't already been said, but it's very good. Appealing characters, a unique and well thought out magic system, and Sanderson's typically thorough worldbuilding.

Sanderson isn't the most lyrical of writers, but this isn't the kind of book that needs it. Instead it's got solid pacing (better, in fact, than Way of Kings, this is a lot tighter and always moving forwards), and plenty of action.

I'm not typically a big fan of heavy politics, my deep abiding love for ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 19, 2013 Franzi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, own

Mit etwas Abstand kann ich jetzt noch eine Review hinzufügen. Erstmal: wow. Ich habe mich etwas in Brandon Sandersons Biografie eingelesen und der Mann ist eine Maschine! Wie viele Bücher er in den letzten Jahren veröffentlicht hat ist Wahnsinn. Er ist direkt unter meine Lieblingsautoren gerutscht. Ich könnte im Moment wirklich nur Brandon Sanderson Bücher lesen, so sehr fasziniert mich der Mann und seine Fantasy Romane.
Mistborn zieht dich sofort hinein in die Story und hat viele tolle Charakte ...more

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