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diazona's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Hero of Ages might be one of the most intense endings to an epic fantasy that I've ever read. I mean, they're always about saving the world in some form or another, but this is the first one I've seen where a planet was literally on the verge of falling apart. It makes for a very powerful reading experience, but it also makes the story kind of bleak on the way there.
Most of the book is about the struggles that Vin and Elend and their friends undergo in order to protect the people of the Final Empire from the evil (ish) deity (ish) that got released (ish) at the end of the previous book, while also dealing with the continual onset of the daytime mists. Humanity struggling against what is essentially a force of nature is always going to be a bit unsettling to read, and that's part of a good story, but there needs to be some hope, a vision of a path toward making everything okay at the end, and I felt like that was missing here. Given the events of the book and everything we learn about the powers of the destructive force they're up against, I wound up feeling like they really don't have a chance, and the only reason the book doesn't end with (spoiler alert?) the whole planet destroyed and everyone dead is a series of cosmic coincidences. I think the main issue is that, as much as the magic system has been very well fleshed out in terms of how it interacts with humans and the other creatures of the world, it's not well established how it works it comes to otherworldly beings and these abstract forces, and so all the interactions with Ruin feel like they're being made up as needed to drive the plot along. Much of the last part of the book, where these interactions take center stage, felt like it came out of nowhere, and (as with The Well of Ascension) I would have liked it better if there was more groundwork laid for that stuff earlier in the book so it didn't seem as arbitrary.
Despite my complaints, this was still definitely an enjoyable book to read. (Maybe I complain only because I find it worthy of complaining about - it lives up to my high expectations in so many other respects.) Like, even though the world is falling apart throughout the story, there are successes. The main characters have some good insights about Allomancy and the other metallurgical arts (i.e. magic), and there's a good amount of solid detective work, diplomacy, and military strategy that lays the groundwork for the final world-saving series of coincidences. And to be fair, some of these things that happen at the end are very much not arbitrary at all, like what gets revealed about the mists, and the history of the kandra - that was really well set up throughout the whole trilogy. The characters are well-written people with understandable motivations and personalities (except that I really don't understand Ruin's propensity for gloating), which made it easy to care about them and get emotionally invested in their quest, and in the end that's what I'm really looking for.
Despite my complaints, this was still definitely an enjoyable book to read. (Maybe I complain only because I find it worthy of complaining about - it lives up to my high expectations in so many other respects.) Like, even though the world is falling apart throughout the story, there are successes. The main characters have some good insights about Allomancy and the other metallurgical arts (i.e. magic), and there's a good amount of solid detective work, diplomacy, and military strategy that lays the groundwork for the final world-saving series of coincidences. And to be fair, some of these things that happen at the end are very much not arbitrary at all, like what gets revealed about the mists, and the history of the kandra - that was really well set up throughout the whole trilogy. The characters are well-written people with understandable motivations and personalities (except that I really don't understand Ruin's propensity for gloating), which made it easy to care about them and get emotionally invested in their quest, and in the end that's what I'm really looking for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
dkamada's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
futureofmydays's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
mkaiww's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book starts going at 90 miles an hour and doesn't stop accelerating
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Body horror and Blood
stephaniemcuervo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt
lakinglaze's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
This book was a wild ride and I was here for it! I loved the story and how dramatic and chaotic it was. I’ve really grown to love these characters and this ending was a roller coaster that really fit the tone of the series. I can’t wait to continue my Cosmere adventure!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
insomniacsun's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Con le rivelazioni in questo libro, rileggere il primo volume sarà una delizia e un'avventura completamente nuova, in cui mi cimenterò a breve di sicuro.
Il tono di questo libro era senz'altro più miserabile e cupo. Ripensandoci, he c'era da aspettarsi dal volume incentrato sull'Hemalurgy? Niente di buono poteva uscire dall'arte che ha dato origine agli Inquisitors, ma di certo non mi aspettavo l'estensione ad altre specie: quello sì mi ha preso alla sprovvista.
Sazed è partito da subito come tra i miei preferiti, ma raggiuntasi la conclusione dello sviluppo di questo meraviglioso personaggio, devo ammettere che sarà uno di quelli che rimarrà nel mio cuore per un bel po'. Sanderson avrà finito con te, ma rimarrai sempre nei miei pensieri, Sazed.
Finalmente un po' di meritato focus su Spook! I suoi POV sono stati tra i più coinvolgenti, e il vederlo crescere e maturare durante questa missione mi ha lasciato senza fiato e zittita mordendomi le unghie in più di un momento,
Unica pecca, che ripensandoci è un problema in tutta la trilogia, è la mancanza di personaggi femminili rilevanti fuori dalla sfera romantica: con tutta la frenesia nel primo volume, devo ammettere di non averci fatto caso subito, ma la cosa ha iniziato a pesare quando ogni entusiasmo per l'introduzione di una potenziale stella emergente femminile finiva inevitabilmente smorzato da un plateau nella personalità del personaggio, relegato ad essere semplicemente la nuova fiamma di uno dei personaggi principali. Decisamente deludente a lungo andare e mi preclude dal dare il massimo. So di non essere sola a sostenere la cosa e spero che la carenza non prosegui nelle prossime letture e che Sanderson abbia ascoltato e dato peso adeguato a queste critiche.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
vereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
C/TW: Violence, death, gore, blood, murder, mental illness, classism, suicide thoughts, war themes, animal death, torture, grief, fire, confinement, genocide, religious bigotry, and hostage
Rating ★★★★★
“The nature of the world is that when we create something, we often destroy something else in the process.”
Sometimes I don’t know what else to say apart from:
“Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”
Reading the Mistborn trilogy was the best decision I ever made. When I started this trilogy, I had no idea how involved I would be in the story. I also didn't know how attached I would feel to these characters.
“If you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you'll end up miserable.”
I had one of those existential crises you have after finishing a long series or TV show. I feel like I have lost something. I already miss these characters and this world.
Sanderson is fantastic. He crafts a spectacular ending for this trilogy. Every word and every twist was thought out since book one. The book felt a little slow, but I have to admit that it was because I was passing a reading slump. This might have affected my perception of the pace.
“Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.”
The book is narrated from various perspectives (Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, Marsh, and TeaSoon) that enrich this marvelous world. The book touches on topics such as colonialism, politics, war, and religion. Hero of the ages is heavily centered in theology and myths.
“Faith means that it doesn't matter what happens. You can trust that somebody is watching. Trust that somebody will make it all right.”
It was interesting to follow Sazed on his journey. He was the one that always had hope and faith. In the book, we see him having a theological crisis and losing his essence. I loved his character arc.
“She remembered timidly standing atop the Luthadel city wall, afraid to use her Allomancy to jump off, despite Kelsier's coaxing. Now she could step off a cliff and muse thoughtfully to herself on the way down.”
Vin is extraordinary. She grew a lot during these three books. Over time she learned to trust the people around her, and knowing how difficult it was for her to get to this point is laudable. Seeing her open up and trust Elend so blindly is so beautiful.
“I'm an amalgamation of what I've needed to be. Part scholar, part rebel, part nobleman, part Mistborn, and part soldier. Sometimes I don't even know myself. I had a devil of a time getting all those pieces to work together. And, just when I'm starting to get it figured out, the world up and ends on me.”
Elend is the other character that has astounding development. Elend is still an idealist scholar. But also, he learned to balance his new identity as a Mistborn, a conqueror, a husband, and a warrior. He becomes an incredible leader without losing his essence.
“Sometimes, you have to destroy something in order to build something better.”
I also enjoy following TeaSoon and Marsh and learning about their people.
I was heartbroken not only because this was the end of this journey but because I had to save goodbye to these characters. I am sad because of what happened as well. I hate and love Brandon Sanderson for making me love this group of outcasts so much.
The Final Empire★★★★★
The Well of Ascension★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★★
Storygraph | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Rating ★★★★★
“The nature of the world is that when we create something, we often destroy something else in the process.”
Sometimes I don’t know what else to say apart from:
“Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”
Reading the Mistborn trilogy was the best decision I ever made. When I started this trilogy, I had no idea how involved I would be in the story. I also didn't know how attached I would feel to these characters.
“If you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you'll end up miserable.”
I had one of those existential crises you have after finishing a long series or TV show. I feel like I have lost something. I already miss these characters and this world.
Sanderson is fantastic. He crafts a spectacular ending for this trilogy. Every word and every twist was thought out since book one. The book felt a little slow, but I have to admit that it was because I was passing a reading slump. This might have affected my perception of the pace.
“Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.”
The book is narrated from various perspectives (Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, Marsh, and TeaSoon) that enrich this marvelous world. The book touches on topics such as colonialism, politics, war, and religion. Hero of the ages is heavily centered in theology and myths.
“Faith means that it doesn't matter what happens. You can trust that somebody is watching. Trust that somebody will make it all right.”
It was interesting to follow Sazed on his journey. He was the one that always had hope and faith. In the book, we see him having a theological crisis and losing his essence. I loved his character arc.
“She remembered timidly standing atop the Luthadel city wall, afraid to use her Allomancy to jump off, despite Kelsier's coaxing. Now she could step off a cliff and muse thoughtfully to herself on the way down.”
Vin is extraordinary. She grew a lot during these three books. Over time she learned to trust the people around her, and knowing how difficult it was for her to get to this point is laudable. Seeing her open up and trust Elend so blindly is so beautiful.
“I'm an amalgamation of what I've needed to be. Part scholar, part rebel, part nobleman, part Mistborn, and part soldier. Sometimes I don't even know myself. I had a devil of a time getting all those pieces to work together. And, just when I'm starting to get it figured out, the world up and ends on me.”
Elend is the other character that has astounding development. Elend is still an idealist scholar. But also, he learned to balance his new identity as a Mistborn, a conqueror, a husband, and a warrior. He becomes an incredible leader without losing his essence.
“Sometimes, you have to destroy something in order to build something better.”
I also enjoy following TeaSoon and Marsh and learning about their people.
I was heartbroken not only because this was the end of this journey but because I had to save goodbye to these characters. I am sad because of what happened as well. I hate and love Brandon Sanderson for making me love this group of outcasts so much.
The Final Empire★★★★★
The Well of Ascension★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★★
Storygraph | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Slavery and Religious bigotry
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
2. Read: 17.11.2023
What do you mean I read this book the first time exactly 2 years ago? What a coincidence.
Even though I skimmed some fight scenes and think the plot is a little too full, I very much enjoyed the reread. And after looking at my review from two years ago, I still stand by every word of it. There were some twists I had totally forgotten, and they blew my mind all over again. And the ending is just perfect. I cried again reading the last chapter and epilogue. Because of all the puzzle pieces fitting together, but also because it is just such a fitting ending for the story and the characters.
1. Read: 20.11.2022
PERFECTION! This is the definition of perfection. At least for me.
I know this book or series is probably not for everyone, but it is perfect for me.
And the sole reason for this is how well plotted this story is, from the very first sentence of book one to the very last sentence of book 3. I have a lot of respect for Brandon Sanderson now.
And as much as I loved the characters, the story (especially this third book) is mostly plot driven. Therefore, I think people who prefer character driven stories won't love it as much as I do.
For example: I didn't cry when characters died. But I cried rivers of tears when all the tiny little puzzle pieces fit together perfectly at the end. This is my favorite thing in books and I finally found one... well three... that do it masterfully.
There are also some really cool themes discussed in the series. One of them is religion/faith/belief, and this is another aspect that might put some readers off. I personally loved the way this topic was explored, and I also really liked the conclusion in the end. But I guess some might find it too preachy.
I really want to read more from Sanderson, and I definitely will work my way through his whole bibliography. But he writes SO many books, and they are all SO big. I think need a little break from epic fantasy first.
What do you mean I read this book the first time exactly 2 years ago? What a coincidence.
Even though I skimmed some fight scenes and think the plot is a little too full, I very much enjoyed the reread. And after looking at my review from two years ago, I still stand by every word of it. There were some twists I had totally forgotten, and they blew my mind all over again. And the ending is just perfect. I cried again reading the last chapter and epilogue. Because of all the puzzle pieces fitting together, but also because it is just such a fitting ending for the story and the characters.
1. Read: 20.11.2022
PERFECTION! This is the definition of perfection. At least for me.
I know this book or series is probably not for everyone, but it is perfect for me.
And the sole reason for this is how well plotted this story is, from the very first sentence of book one to the very last sentence of book 3. I have a lot of respect for Brandon Sanderson now.
And as much as I loved the characters, the story (especially this third book) is mostly plot driven. Therefore, I think people who prefer character driven stories won't love it as much as I do.
For example: I didn't cry when characters died. But I cried rivers of tears when all the tiny little puzzle pieces fit together perfectly at the end. This is my favorite thing in books and I finally found one... well three... that do it masterfully.
There are also some really cool themes discussed in the series. One of them is religion/faith/belief, and this is another aspect that might put some readers off. I personally loved the way this topic was explored, and I also really liked the conclusion in the end. But I guess some might find it too preachy.
I really want to read more from Sanderson, and I definitely will work my way through his whole bibliography. But he writes SO many books, and they are all SO big. I think need a little break from epic fantasy first.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
Content Warnings: Gore, Body horror, Blood, Death, Murder, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Violence, War, Torture, and Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Classism, Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Child abuse, Racism, Slavery, Mental illness, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Finally got the courage to read this book so I could say I read the entire Mistborn trilogy…and wow what a journey! From the start, of the series, I connected to and loved Vin and with this conclusion, I'm just in awe of the person she grew into. From a skittish street kid who thought trusting others was stupid...to a selfless and loving role model.
This trilogy only takes place over a few short years but the amount of character growth, from all the characters, is fantastic and had me cheering for them every step of the way.
Overall a fantastic and epic fantasy that I highly recommend giving a go, if you haven't already. 💜
Finally got the courage to read this book so I could say I read the entire Mistborn trilogy…and wow what a journey! From the start, of the series, I connected to and loved Vin and with this conclusion, I'm just in awe of the person she grew into. From a skittish street kid who thought trusting others was stupid...to a selfless and loving role model.
This trilogy only takes place over a few short years but the amount of character growth, from all the characters, is fantastic and had me cheering for them every step of the way.
Overall a fantastic and epic fantasy that I highly recommend giving a go, if you haven't already. 💜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Classism