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A review by oxfordcommas91
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My first foray into the universe of Sanderson novels and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
As with any high fantasy series, this book had a good amount of world building with a fairly large cast of characters with a variety of roles to get to know. That part can feel like a bit of a slog, even in the best of novels, but Sanderson does it well. It feels natural and he builds on the information in a way that is digestible and intriguing.
I really like the magic system - it doesn’t feel too overdone - and the flaws of our heroes feel “real” instead of manufactured as they sometimes do.
I was kept fairly on my toes about what would come next and appreciate the fact that Sanderson doesn’t shy away from putting his characters in tough situations - or killing then when necessary (I love an author unafraid of hurting his audiences heart with a good murder, what can I say?).
I was seriously hooked the last 40% especially where I found it hard to put down as I waited to see if our band of rebels would be successful in pulling off this huge feat. While the writing is nothing spectacular, Sanderson can keep his readers hooked and the writing style worked for me surprisingly well.
It was a satisfying ending and I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the Mistborn series!
As with any high fantasy series, this book had a good amount of world building with a fairly large cast of characters with a variety of roles to get to know. That part can feel like a bit of a slog, even in the best of novels, but Sanderson does it well. It feels natural and he builds on the information in a way that is digestible and intriguing.
I really like the magic system - it doesn’t feel too overdone - and the flaws of our heroes feel “real” instead of manufactured as they sometimes do.
I was kept fairly on my toes about what would come next and appreciate the fact that Sanderson doesn’t shy away from putting his characters in tough situations - or killing then when necessary (I love an author unafraid of hurting his audiences heart with a good murder, what can I say?).
I was seriously hooked the last 40% especially where I found it hard to put down as I waited to see if our band of rebels would be successful in pulling off this huge feat. While the writing is nothing spectacular, Sanderson can keep his readers hooked and the writing style worked for me surprisingly well.
It was a satisfying ending and I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the Mistborn series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent