Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - The Final Empire

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The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

16 reviews

caitlinkm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Lots of effort put into magic system and physics behind it. Story set up for some detailed world building likely in later books. Subplots fed into main plot nicely. Would be interested in more female characters (barely passed the Bechdel test) and a more well rounded protagonist.

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strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I loved this book. I have been scared to start Brandon Sanderson’s cosmere books but this was so good! I can’t wait to read the other two books in the trilogy. This book was written in a way that if you ignore the epilogue it could be a stand alone so there isn’t much pressure in starting it.

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dk00's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

What a ride. So many nights I made the grave mistake of reading this book “to fall asleep” and ended up still awake, heart pounding, on the edge of my seat (bed) until 2 AM.

The magic system? *chefs kiss* so unique and refreshing. The pacing was excellent and the story was wonderful. I have a lot of questions, but I suspect that’s because this is only the first of the series. I will definitely be continuing.

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hectoralvf_'s review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is the second time I've read The Final Empire (well, the third, but the second was an audiobook and I didn't get much out of it), and I enjoyed it even more than the first time. Although the plot isn't anything new, the characters and worldbuilding are excellent. Moreover, having read the entire Cosmere, I've found many references and foreshadowing both from the book itself and the universe in general that greatly enhance the reread.

The structure is very simple and clear, but I have some issues with the "Sanderlanche." The beginning of the book is too slow, and the climax could be faster. The "Sanderlanche" of the last 15-20% is something I really enjoy, but it leaves the rest of the novel hanging, with the focus solely on building up the ending without any major moments of tension.

The characters and worldbuilding are outstanding. You empathize a lot with the characters, and the different points of view are very well done. Although I wish I knew more about some characters like Dockson.

The world is very well constructed, both in terms of natural and cultural aspects. The decay of Scadrial is conveyed very well in the narration ("Ash fell from the sky"), and the magic system is very easy to understand without losing depth and establishing limits and costs. "Every action has consequences".

Sanderson's prose is simple and easy to read. This is something that is often criticized, but I don't agree. It makes the stories very accessible and immersive, especially in long novels. In my opinion, writing is fundamentally about delivery, about appropriately conveying a story, and Sanderson excels at this. His straightforward writing style helps the reader focus on the characters and the plot without being distracted by pretentious language. However, my only complaint is that he tends to repeat certain words or expressions too frequently.

As for the theme, I believe the story is about trust, in oneself but above all in others. I don't want to spoil anything, but this is very well represented.

In summary, it's a must-read. Despite some slow moments in the plot, the novel is very accessible, and the characters and world are wonderful.

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seanml's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

An enjoyable fantasy novel, and one that I understand the immense popularity of. Sanderson's writing feels fast paced and easily followable. The world is fleshed out and of course there is the magic system, which is the series' principal selling point. Much of the plot focuses on the interactions of this magic system though, and sometimes entire scenes will be dedicated to explaining why a sudden plan works. It means most of the plot is airtight, but the trade-off is that other things don't get the same attention. The setting is a familiar one that we've all seen before - the elite rule over the inferior masses, and only the special few can save them. It's a recognizable structure, but that doesn't at all mean it's bad or poorly done. I liked all of the characters, though I can't say I loved any one. Hopefully the sequels can fix that! 8/10.

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arytia's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My first glimpse into the cosmere and Sanderson‘s work in general and I absolutely loved it! I was a bit worried as it was my first high fantasy novel as well but I got right into the story. I can’t wait to see how the story will continue and how Sanderson, as an author, has grown over the years.

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