Mistborn: The Final Empire

What an amazing book! The twists and turns are amazing and I loved it! I highly recommend to read this book.

Some background, I have read this book multiple times before. Or, the very beginning of it that is. My dad has read all the Mistborn books multiple times so, naturally, he wanted me to read them too. But I could never get into them for some reason. After I read Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians I regained my long lost love for reading. So I gave Mistborn another shot without stopping before finishing the first chapter. And man do I wish I did that sooner. It is a fantastic book!

Spoiler warning for Mistborn: The Final Empire

Worldbuilding

The worldbuilding is amazing, most things are not really explained explicitly but can be inferred by the reader. I can’t recall exactly if this is true but I don’t remember reading an explanation about the Lord Ruler being the most powerful, highest authority. But to be honest, with a name like Lord Ruler, what else could he have been? People are called by their names and that is your introduction to them. Some characters are sometimes mentioned and given names, like Kelsier’s trainer, but never appear as “full” characters.

The world seems incredibly full and intricate, we are figuring stuff out alongside one of the characters or we’re expected to know these things. It is an amazing way to tell a story I think, it’s almost as if you’re a member of this world. As if you are there, fighting and wondering and courting right alongside the characters.

Allomancy

Allomancy is a very well-thought-out system. There are basically these people that can burn specific types of metal. For example, “burning” (using up) brass can allow the Allomancer to soothe people, or suppress certain emotions that they might feel. All of the metals and everything are all classified but that is in a chart that has spoilers because not all the metals on that chart have been used or even mentioned in the first book, so I’m trying to ignore all of that.

Anyway, people that are specialized in one type of metal, because they can only burn one type of metal, are called Mistings. Those who can burn all metals are called Mistborn. Mistborn are really, really powerful. Being able to burn pewter to become stronger and tin to enhance your senses together is already quite powerful. But adding to that Pushing and Pulling metals and people’s emotions and using copper to hide or bronze to find other Allomancers is kind of crazy.

Main characters

Kelsier

The main character at the start is Kelsier, he is introduced from the perspective of a plantation skaa that returns later in the book. He is the one that starts of the entire book, basically the one that drives the entire plot forward.

Kelsier walking in the mists

He survived the Pits of Hathsin, a place where the Lord Ruler sends people to die. He is half-skaa, meaning he had noble blood in him and he Snapped in those Pits, becoming a Mistborn. He plans to overthrow the Lord Ruler and destroy him. He does this by, and this is a major spoiler so beware. He dies by the Lord Ruler’s hand after becoming incredibly famous among the skaa and after killing one of the Lord Ruler’s Steel Inquisitors. These Steel Inquisitors are Mistborn that are made from Mistings using some terrifying process as they have multiple spikes hammered through their body, including their eyes.

Vin

Vin

After a little bit we’re introduced to Vin, a street urchin that lived her entire life going from criminal crew to crew. She was thought by her brother Reen who told her that everyone would betray her, don’t trust anybody. Reen beat Vin too, it wasn’t the greatest relationship and during the book Reens whispers haunt Vin. When Kelsier finds out that Vin is a Mistborn he recruits her to help overthrow the Lord Ruler and during this time she has trouble grasping the concept of trust because of Reens teachings. After a while she does learn to trust though.

The crew

The crew consists of a few Mistings that are the boss of some Mistings that serve them. They all know Kelsier well and are good people, after a lot of problems arise Kelsier tells them he chose them because they are noble and not just selfish bastards like most criminals in Luthadel. We have Breeze, a Soother that is very good at his job and is accustomed to wealth and comfort. We have Ham, a Pewterarm or Thug, that likes to have philosophical discussions. Then there is Clubs, a Smoker that can make other Allomancers undetectable who is very gruff. Also there’s Dockson who is very good at actually making the plans come together. And then there’s Vin and Kelsier of course. And there’s the skaa rebellion leader, Yeden that hired this crew to help him. This is the main crew that is in the entire book (except for Yeden, poor, foolish person he is) and eventually succeeds in overthrowing the Lord Ruler.

Conclusion

I loved the book, it was very fun to read and has just enough that you are surprised each time something happens. Like, big spoilers again, the Lord Ruler being Rashek?? That was a crazy revelation. The journal they had was of the Hero of Ages but not of the Lord Ruler. During the entirety of the book I kept wondering: “What happened that caused the Lord Ruler to become what he is?”. And then it clicked after that revelation, he didn’t. The Hero of Ages never became the Lord Ruler.

Another question I still have is: “Where did Allomancy come from?”. They mention that it doesn’t occur in the journal. I think that the Lord Ruler became the first Allomancer and then passed his genes on, but I don’t particularly know if this is true because this way there could be some dormant genes that allowed someone to be a Allomancer and Ferruchemist at once because he is both and both are genetic. And because the Lord Ruler oppresses his own people for the sole reason of not creating a child that could challenge him I assume that he wouldn’t take the risk by having children himself.

Anyway, many questions still unanswered, but I’ve already started reading the Well of Ascension and I hope some of the questions are answered but I also hope more questions are raised because then I have more reasons to keep reading and I like reading this series!