Mistborn: The Hero of Ages Book Review

Written Review

"Vin fell from the sky". What a callback. Oh whoa, this was something spectacular. I'm very happy to have read this series! I love Brandon Sanderson, and Mistborn (at least Era 1 so far for me) is incredible! Although, if you've read the Stormlight Archive, this is almost as good as that, but I don't know if it could be. And maybe that is the story scope itself, Stormlight Archive is Epic Fantasy and Mistborn is not.

This was an incredible trilogy, I'll give you that, but I felt the pacing was stagnated. I wanted, seemingly, a lot more for this ending. I hear this story is something AMAZING, and yes it was, but I felt there was more to be told here in this world before we got to this ending. I think Brandon Sanderson had more to write here, and of course there is an Era 2 of Mistborn, but I think this story needed more time. Although, maybe that's me being such a sucker for Epic Fantasy that are tomes over 1,000 pages; maybe this needed more books.

I really enjoyed this series and there was such mystery to the magic system and the prophesies told, it is an awesome series for sure! Brandon Sanderson is a master of magic systems and the magic system of Mistborn is superb, with more to be told!

The characters and their arcs and their stories are deep in this series. There are questions that make you question your own reality. That might be a little much, but wow, this book in particular takes faith and religion into account. There have been an incredible amount of time taken for conversations between characters about their faith and how faith can be real - that leads to something spectacular in this book.

The Worldbuilding here in The Hero of Ages in particular feels too small for me. Maybe for me that was because I wanted more of an Epic Fantasy from this series, I'm hopeful for the rest of the series. We did get a few more cities in this novel and there were places we've visited before as well, but we also got a lot about the magic system and a complete flipping of the magic system so maybe there was a lot here.. But, still, I'm leaving this trilogy wanting just a little bit more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and trilogy, and I think you will too. Brandon Sanderson here has written something amazing. I will say, this was written before The Way of Kings was written and released if that gives you any idea where Brandon's writing was here.

Overall, I'm very excited to continue to Era 2!

Review Scores

4/5. Pacing struck me, there was so much information in this book - specifically the epigraphs that just got HUGE and slowed down the pacing for me. I loved this story, and it was a spectacular ending, but here we are.

Spoilers!

Be careful if you've not read this book! Don't click if you haven't read!

Spoiler Story Breakdown

The culmination of what's been building for three books now, the distruction of Scadrial. Ruin and Preservation, the Shards that are over Scadrial have been in conflict the entire time - from before the Lord Ruler to now. Is Vin the Hero of Ages? Is Elend the Hero of Ages? Nope.

Turns out, it's SAZED! On the last page of the last chapter of this book it is revealed that Sazed takes the power of both Preservation and Ruin to take on the mantel of Hero of All Ages and becomes Harmony, the connection between Ruin and Preservation; saving Scadrial.

Elend and Vin are dead, and that felt good. A good and solid ending for these two. Elend is amazing and awesome and smart and powerful. Vin is all of those, and impulsive. Vin takes on the Sliver of Preservation by taking in the Mists and takes on Ruin itself. Eventually, seeing Marsh (who was taken over by Ruin) kill Elend by chopping his head off, slams herself into Ruin and they both die because Ruin and Preservation don't mix. Until Sazed creates Harmony, and becomes God.

The Atium stash was stored in the Kandra Homeland, which was right next to the Pits of Hathsin. The Atium was actually Ruin's "body". Elend and his army took the Atium so that the Koloss and Ruin couldn't have the Atium.

Hemalurgy was introduced this book, by name. It is grusome and awesome, while still being a part of the Allomancy and Feruchemy magic system. It's just awesome. Ruin can touch and speak through all Hemalurgic spike that is in someone's body, including Vin and every single Inquisitor, Kandra, and Koloss.

The Terrismen that followed Alendi and Rashek to the Well of Ascension became the First Generation of the Kandra, being Mistwraiths. Which is how Sazed learned of all the Terris religion and was able to resolve the Hero of Ages prophesy and save the world.

A satisfying conclusion to this trilogy.

Ending

Watching the fight between Elend and Marsh, fueling the former with mist-power, Vin witnesses her husband die and, with nothing left to lose, she hurls herself at the form of Ruin, destroying them both and leaving Sazed to pick up the two Shards. As the new Shard of Harmony, he uses all of the knowledge from his copperminds to bring the world back to its pre-Rashek state -- the orbit is corrected and green plants and colorful flowers return. As Scadrial is now safe, Sazed, as Harmony, leaves Spook a note, explaining how Elend and Vin are happy together and he makes Spook a Mistborn.

Started Reading

I started reading December 4, 2023.

Weekly Update: December 4, 2023 (MISTBORN!)