Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Misborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.

One of the best fantasy books I've ever read. The concept in this one is a fantasy world that is slightly different from our own with the inclusion of allomancers, people born with a special ability to manipulate the world (or themselves) in some way. These include things like being able to push/pull steel, refine your senses or incease your strength. “Mistborns” can use all of these abilities.

The characters and world drew me in with its mysteries and hints at epic problems rotating around our central players. The magical element for this world was the most memorable I can imagine, and I would highly recommend it. You could go with this one on your own, but books 2 & 3 expand on the world.

This book does a lot of heavy-lifting, world-building in the first third with massive exposition about things learned organically later in the book.

There are also a lot of named characters that disappear including Mr. Easter Egg himself, Hoid. Then, the the perspective shift from Kelsier to Vin eased me into the rest of the story.

I also really appreciated how well-fleshed out Vin was by the end. Men writing women in sci-fi can be a tough but Sanderson pulls it off. Vin's arc takes off as she matures and starts to confront her abandonment issues as the story goes on. I'm so very glad the Vin-Eland <spoiler>meet-cute </spoiler> didn't take away Vin's agency or take over the entire story too. Dress descriptions were a little overdone but forgivable as Vin settled into her role.

The court espionage was a fun yet sometimes slow runaway train as Kelsier's plan against the Lord Ruler spiraled. Kliss and Shan were especially a delight. I didn't see the ending coming and was able to just enjoy the reveals.

I'm not generally a high fanatsy or hardcore sci-fi reader, but this book was an easy and fun entry point into those genres. If anyone is on the fence, this is your sign to give Mistborn a try.

Eu sempre tive receio de começar Mistborn, mesmo tendo quase certeza de que amaria, e sempre dizia pra mim mesma que tinha que esperar o “momento certo” e bla bla bla. Bom, o momento certo demorou quase 3 anos após minha compra do box, mas finalmente veio aí. Menção honrosa à leitura conjunta do catarse do Victor Almeida (GF), em que estamos fazendo a leitura de toda a cosmere (sim, tem muito chão pela frente ainda...)

“O Império Final” em sua essência tem uma premissa bem simples e que já vimos mil vezes: O grupo dos bonzinhos (Kelsier, Vin & co.) tentam derrubar o vilão (Senhor Soberano) que deixa a nobreza reinar e oprime grupos de pessoas menos privilegiadas. Porém em cima dessa premissa simples o Sanderson começa a jogar vários elementos, detalhes, mistérios e reviravoltas que faz com que o livro seja impossível de largar.

O sistema de magia da alomancia e feruquemia são incríveis e o Sanderson fez um ótimo trabalho na criação de um sistema tão intricado e que torna as cenas de confrontos muito emocionantes.

Gostei que muitos dos personagens do livro tiveram uma caracterização decente, ao invés dele só dar atenção para Kelsier e Vin. Óbvio, sabemos bem mais sobre o passado dos dois personagens principais do livro, mas os personagens secundários possuem personalidades bem diferentes e as decisões e reações deles na história condizem com o que esperaríamos depois que conhecemos eles um pouco.

A parte do livro onde a gangue está tramando se infiltrar entre os nobres me lembrou muito os plots de Locke Lamora. De certo modo, o Kelsier também me lembra o Locke (um Locke que não tem medo de matar...) e isso ganhou muitos pontos positivos comigo. Adoro essas tramas de infiltração, guerras entre nobres, etc.

De algum jeito eu consegui evitar spoilers de Mistborn toda minha vida então não fazia NENHUMA idéia dos maiores acontecimentos do livro, em especial tudo que acontece lá pro final. Os 90% pra frente são arrebatadores, é soco no estômago e revelação pra tudo que é lado. O homem não tem piedade do leitor!

O número de páginas da trilogia assusta, mas eu achei a leitura incrivelmente fluída. Se contar só o tempo que sentei pra ler mesmo, passou num piscar de olhos (demorei mais porque tinha dias que eu não lia nada ou lia outros livros). Se calhamaços te intimidam, fique tranquilo porque esse aqui não é uma leitura demorada. Na verdade, apesar do monte de violência descrita, a escrita é bem jovem, o que eu acho que contribui com a fluidez da leitura. O que mais empaca de primeira são as regras da alomancia, os diversos metais e seus respectivos poderes e como usá-los. Mas simplesmente siga lendo pois eles usam alomancia extensivamente, principalemente durante o treinamento da Vin, onde personagem e leitor aprendem cada metal em detalhe juntos.

Podem ter havido coisas no livro que me incomodaram ou que achei mais ou menos, porém seriam reclamações minúsculas comparadas a todas as coisas que o Sanderson acertou na história.

Estou muito ansiosa pra partir pra “O Poço da Ascensão”, espero continuar em dia com a LC para conseguir concluir a trilogia esse ano :D

The skaa have been beaten into submission. They keep their heads down, work hard, and do their best to survive. Some dare to dream of something more in the Final Empire. Kelsier has begun to plan something larger than the Final Empire has seen in centuries - an uprising that will destroy the Lord Ruler and free the skaa from the meager existence that they are eking out.

While he begins to build his team, he has once again recruited several men that have worked with him before, but he is also looking to bring on another member - one that has hidden powers, that they do not fully understand themselves. As he brings Vin into the crew, her demeanor is one of distrusting and wariness. She does not trust these men, even though they appear to be a lot closer than most of the crews that she has dealt with in the past. Her last crew was one of pain, hunger and humiliation. Members would sell you out for the smallest offense. Vin learned early on to keep her head down and keep to herself as much as she could.

Kelsier has started a small rebellion, one that started with the killing of a nobleman on a plantation - while the skaa hid in their homes. He has built a name for himself. He is a survivor of the Pits. The pits of Hathsin are a desolate place, one where people are sent to die. The atium that the Lord Ruler hoards so closely is mined there, and it is worth a fortune. No one has ever returned from the pits before, so Kelsier has become a celebrity in the underground networks, a person who should not be alive but has defied all the odds so far. As talk of rebellion begins - Kelsier lays out a plan so daring, most think he has finally lost his mind and is wandering around insane. Death does not scare him, and yet he is willing to lead others into danger to accomplish the task that they have been asked to fulfill.

As Vin and Kelsier begin working on the powers that lay hidden within Vin, she learns that she can do so much more than soothe the people around her. While it is a good power to fall back on, there are so many other areas that she did not know she could access. She is a Mistborn, an allomancer. Allomancy is the mystical power held by the nobility, granted to them by the Lord Ruler some thousand years before as a reward for their loyalty. Skaa are not supposed to have these powers, and anyone who shows knowledge of them without being of noble birth is slated for execution. While there are some skaa who have these powers, they are few and far in between, and they have to be extremely careful, as they are hunted by the Obligators and the Inquisitors, who stifle any form of rebellion or security risk to the Lord Ruler quickly.

The plan? Draw the armies out of the city, put the major houses in a power struggle and war against each other, and then hopefully be able to defeat the Lord Ruler. The odds are definitely stacked against them, and the chance of actual success is slim. Vin is going to act the part of a noblewoman, and begin to infiltrate the noble houses, and begin to glean some information on the members within each household. Sazed, who is a keeper, begins to give her some pointers and tips on passing as a noblewoman from the countryside, the niece of a minor nobleman. As she debuts into society, she meets the heir of the highest house, but this young man is much different from much of the nobles in the city. He thinks differently, and prefers to spend his time with books instead of people. While she is not impressed with their first meeting, feelings quickly change and a small friendship begins to open between the two. But the tensions between the houses are rising, and nobleman are beginning to turn up dead. It is only a matter of time before the entire city erupts, and the plans that have been laid so carefully by Kelsier, Breeze, Clubs, Dockson, Ham, and Vin are about to be swept away like the ashes that rain down on the city....

Oh my! My friends over at Gamerati have been after me to read these books for a couple of years. I cannot believe I let these go as long as I did!!! THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! If you have not read this book before, you need to do so! I was immediately transported into the book, and hours would slip by before I realized, I should probably be sleeping or working. In my head I kept singing “Radioactive” by the Imagine Dragons as I was adventuring through this book. Brandon Sanderson draws you completely into the pages of his novel, and does not release the hold he has over you at all. This is the first book in a series of three - so be prepared for an epic journey! Pack your favorite treats and drinks and settle back on your couch for a vacation that will leave you breathless.

This is one book that honestly will make you sit on the edge of your seat and wonder what is going to happen next - the twists, the turns, the secrets.... they are all there waiting for you to discover them!!

Grab your copy today - and remember - There is always another secret....