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Brandon Sanderson: The Final Empire (2006, Tor) 4 stars

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years …

Review of 'The Final Empire' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I enjoyed this first Mistborn book quite a lot. Brandon Sanderson has created a very interesting world where the Skaa are repressed by the Emperor (who is acclaimed a god) and the hierarchy of noblemen, inquisitors, and obligators. The magic system has good logic and a good economic basis. The world-building is well done.

Not discussing specifics about the plot, but I did enjoy how uncertainty and layered aims were preserved until the end of the story. The secrets within secrets of Kelsier is great foreshadowing.

There are two areas where I think it could have been improved:

(1) Vin doesn't seem like a girl sometimes. Also, she is the only feminine character besides the rivals for Venture, so she is very much in masculine roles.
(2) I don't like the 3rd person omniscient pov that sometimes borders on head hopping. Why introduce tension and distrust if you are just going to unmake it a few pages later?

Still, this is a very good beginning to the series. I am looking forward to the other books.