Book 3, The Hero of Ages: Mistborn

I've never written a review for a book before. Usually I don't care enough either way. This time I feel strongly enough to write one. I started off the Mistborn series feeling impressed by Sanderson's attention to detail and the complexity and originality of the magic system that he implemented. I mean sure, the characters were a little flat and the dialogue was a little inane, but hey, it was better than most of the things being published lately. I finished the first book in one sitting and rushed to purchase the second. About 1/4 of the way through the second book (Well of Ascension) I began to feel as if I had been cheated. The book was LONG, more importantly, it was UNNECESSARILY LONG. There was entirely too much introspection, too much repetition and almost no action. With all that introspection, the characters should have felt more developed, more real. They didn't. I found myself wanting to slap both Elend and Vin in the face and tell them to get over themselves. The most interesting characters in my opinion were Vin's kandra and Sazed (although in book three Sazed becomes just as whiny and self-absorbed as Elend is in both books). Book three was unfortunately more of the same. Much, much, much more of the same. It was actually excruciatingly painful to read. There were times that I put the book down and walked away for days. There were times that I skimmed through entire chapters looking for anything of interest in the story. The ONLY reason that I finished is because I have an obsessive need to finish any series that I start. It is my heartfelt opinion that if all of the filler were cut out, books two and three could have been combined into a story that was actually interesting. In my opinion, the only reason that these are two separate books is the fantasy world's current obsession with the trilogy. It's a freaking marketing gimmick and they got over on me. I honestly wasn't even satisfied with the way that the story ended. It left me with one eyebrow in the air and an incredibly sarcastic "really?!" on my lips. If you are thinking about starting the Mistborn trilogy, my advice to you is not to.

I habitually buy books and often don't end up reading them for an extended period of time. I bought Hero of Again along with the 1st and 2nd books of the trilogy and just started reading it. Surprisingly I found that the book is obviously a damaged printing straight from the publisher. This is one photo of content cut by the printers and there are multiple sections within the book with as damaged pages. It's a sad feeling to recieve a book and not actually be able to enjoy 100% of its contents.

I would hope that the store or whoever sells here would have product checks in place to screen this stuff.

Great Book. Need to read the first two in the Mistborn series first. Excellent series, excellent book. Sanderson does a wonderful job keeping you capatived through the whole series, waiting to see what will happen next.

My son got this as a Birthday present. He reads a lot of fantasy novels, and says that they sometimes become formulaic and predictable. He LOVED this series though, and was really impressed with this book. He couldn't recommend it any higher :)

Sanderson set up one of the most remarkable and memorable stories ever conceived in the first book of the Mistborn Trilogy, an enthralling story that drew me in, aided in no small amount by his top-class writing skills. It is uncontestedly a story of the ages, but the final book ultimately does not live up to its vast potential. If it weren't for Sanderson's incredible prose, dialogue, and characterization, this would be a one-star book.

Sanderson has a remarkable story loaded with revelations and complexity, no doubt about that, but after the first book he began to trip up in the structuring of it. Though an excellent storyteller and wordsmith, Sanderson is not good at pacing a story and never has been. THE FINAL EMPIRE was unharmed thanks to an excellent, action-driven plot loaded with excellent characters. Starting in THE WELL OF ASCENSION, however, things began to go downhill. Sanderson began to focus less on character relationships and interaction, less on the overall stories and plots, less on the stellar themes, and more on politicking and the happenings our heroes face as they go about the world. In both these two last books, the story is barely present in the narrative until the final 150 pages, which is inexcusable late. Why do we have to suffer through the rather boring first halves of the characters wandering about to get to the good stuff? I'm not interested in gratuitous political dilemmas: I want to read about Allomancers and Kandra and prophecy twists and Ruin, and Vin and Elend fighting back-to-back against hordes of koloss and Inquisitors. I want to read about the events at the end of the world and the twists and turns that drive it. I want more story and less filler, okay?

I absolutely loved the story, dialogue, and characterization. However, I hated the decreased focus on Vin and Elend's relationship in favor of a political struggle with Yomen, a faith crisis for Sazed, and a sub-plot involving Spook, the former two being as boring as an old bowl of prunes and the latter not getting good until its conclusion.

The final sections, "Beautiful Destroyer" and "Trust" were filled with action and saturated with the story, and unsurprisingly were my favorite parts. However, it is kind of depressing when in "Beautiful Destroyer" Vin realizes who the villain is and that she needs to stop him. I wanted to just shout, "OH, IT TOOK YOU THIS LONG TO GET STARTED?!"

The climax was filled with everything from battles, to koloss, to Kandra, to battles between GODS. Unfortunately, the ending proved to be the worst part of this book. What. The. Hell. Sanderson! Did Ruin get a hemalurgic spike in you and demand that you change the ending to something much more depressing?

Perhaps it's a curse, and I came to love the characters too much. Perhaps the poor pacing was supposed to Balance out the excellent story and writing. The Mistborn Trilogy, despite the horrendous pacing, has been one of my favorite series, but the ending took all of my joy from the whole series and just totally flushed it down the toilet.

By the end of the book, nearly all of the characters are senselessly dead, and Sazed (who spends this entire book sulking and generally being useless) steps over their corpses to claim all the glory and the power for himself. The "epilogue" if it could be called that, is unduly short, little more than a post-script to confirm that everything turned out okay for the maybe 3 minor characters who actually survived the hell of the plot. I was disappointed, greatly. I felt depressed for days afterward, as if a family member had been murdered in front of me. Sanderson is holding the axe. Strange for a series that has always championed perseverence, survival, hope, and prevailing against all odds as its themes.

The Mistborn series had the potential to be the best fantasy series ever, but it fails to live up to that, though bad pacing and a horrific, senselessly tragic ending, reducing what would be a spectacular series down to something much less.

P.S. Marsh's ending was a complete letdown as well, especially considering how Sanderson had set up his character all through THE HERO OF AGES. And the revelation of who the Hero really was totally sucked.

The "Mistborn Trilogy" are the first Brandon Sanderson novels I've read. I found the concept of creating magic through the use of various metals was unique and fascinating. I enjoyed all three of the Mistborn novels and plan to purchase more Sanderson's soon.

Thoroughly enjoyed all of the books in this series. I would have given this 5 stars but I never read the 5 star ratings so... The length of the series was great, character development was above average and the series lasted long enough to feel like you were getting to know the characters. :0) this is my favorite part, I hate enjoying a book and falling in love with the characters only to have the story end in a day or two.
Enjoy this series.

One must really give props to Brandon Sanderson, the man simply has a natural talent for writing very compelling fantasy. His first two Mistborn novels were proof of this, he created a fascinating world with an interesting mythology and an intriguing magic system. Above all else, he can make characters in a fantasy setting seem believably real, which is something many authors stumble with. While unfamiliar with his other works, his Mistborn novels, particularly The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension, escalated Sanderson to one of my most revered authors. Which is why it's so surprising that I dislike the finale, Hero of Ages to such a degree. It's not that the book itself is bad, its just such a drastic step down from the previous two in storytelling, characters, and overall design. Mistborn fans should definitely read it for closure on the trilogy, but it personally left me disappointed.

It's been a long and hard existence for Vin and the remainder of Kelsier's gang of thieves. They overthrew a tyrannical overlord who fancied himself a god. Then they faced down the vast armies of invading warlords while dealing with their own internal political conflicts. Now they face the greatest threat imaginable: Ruin, a malevolent supernatural being that seeks to destroy everything and everyone. Releasing him has done more than just ensure their demise, it has torn their very world apart. The once subtle ash rains now come in downpours, quenching any plant and wildlife while the mists attack and kill those less fortunate. If they are to survive this apocalypse, Emperor Elend Venture and his wife Vin Venture must rally their forces and secure as many alliances and supplies as they can. All the while searching for any last hope of ending Ruin from the Lord Ruler's ancient research, while Ruin himself manipulates everything from behind the scenes.

I'll begin with what Hero of Ages does right, though the pros unfortunately don't outweigh the cons. For one, as the final act in a trilogy, Hero of Ages does exactly what a conclusion should do, which is provide closure to the story and its various characters. Every mysterious oddity in the world is thoroughly explained in a believable manner that'll leave you satisfied, such as the planet's unnatural state, particularly explanations for the ashmounts and a red sun. The various creatures like the kandra, the kolloss, the inquisitors, and the mysterious origin of all three mystic arts: Allomancy, Feruchemistry, and the newly introduced Hemalurgy, these are all elaborated upon. While everything is explained, Sanderson wisely left a few small tidbits which will indefinitely be brought to light in the upcoming sequels. But Sanderson doesn't cheat the reader, this is the definitive ending of the Mistborn trilogy, you won't find any cheap cliffhanger ending to force you into the next book.

Props must also be given to the story FINALLY LEAVING LUTHADEL! That metropolitan city was a fantastic setting for the high-flying stunts and political intrigue that made the previous novels so entertaining to read, but after over a thousand pages taking place there it's very refreshing to stretch our legs and see the rest of the world. It's here that Sanderson once again pulls the reader into his world with such intricate details that would have made for otherwise inconceivable imagery. The world is being suffocated by a never-ending rain of ash, yet with Sanderson's knack for detail, he creates a mesmerizing sense of beauty to the destruction. There's an oddly welcoming sense of poetic bliss to the eternal blackness, if this would be the way we die, then it would be a peaceful way to see the end of all things.

Yet these were the only real positives I could muster about this book. Perhaps my disapproval is due to just how incredible the first two were, especially The Well of Ascension, a book I claimed to be one of the best fantasy novels that I've ever read. My critiques are an amalgam of various issues, ones that The Final Empire and even more so with The Well of Ascension didn't suffer from at all, which makes their appearance in Hero of Ages all the more jarring. These malefactors focus on the use of characters and the book's structure which differs greatly from the establish formula that Sanderson had utilized to this point. In the previous Mistborn novels, Sanderson created a truly absorbing narrative that felt like a roller coaster ride that pulled the reader in and wouldn't let go to the very end. This was accompanied by a very strong group dynamic from several very well-realized characters, each with differing personalities which created compelling discourse among the group. The problem in Hero of Ages is the group's separation due to the book's second issue: the split nature of the overall structure. Where The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension had a single cohesive narrative that involved every individual, the layout of The Hero of Ages is quite different. The story arcs merge, separate, and then some are dropped while others continue. There is a positive side to this, for it broadens the scope of the story and shows us the stakes are unimaginably high. Yet this shift in direction didn't have the same pull that invested me in the previous two novels. Where they each had masterfully illustrated storylines that kept the reader on the edge of their seat, Hero of Ages is very slow-paced with several uneven story arcs that create a very disjointed overall feel. It's quite ironic really that the previous entry which was about a city under siege had more immediacy than a book about the entire world ending.

For the majority of the book there are two major story arcs that the narrative hops back and forth between along with a few minor ones. In order to properly summarize the pros and cons of this book I will need to paraphrase the two major arcs without spoiling anything. Keep in mind, this isn't covering the two minor story arcs involving Marsh and his psychological battle against Ruin and Tensoon's conviction for breaking the kandra pact.

The first story arc involves Elend and Vin attempting to conquer Fadrex City, which is kept under the sovereign rule of the obligator King Yomen. This story arc had both its ups and downs but ultimately was disappointing. What it does right is finally place Elend and Vin on the offensive. In The Final Empire and especially The Well of Ascension, the heroes had always had their backs to the wall from a vastly superior force. Placing them in a position of power raises some very interesting moral questions for the characters. They now have the initiative, but will they use it dishonorably and become the new Lord Ruler? This story arc also perfectly highlights Elend's character development that occurred between books. Through the lessons he learned from The Well of Ascension, Elend has become the Machiavellian ruler that his empire requires him to be. Honest intentions and fair legislation aren't enough to rule a monarchy, a king must be forceful with an iron resolve, even if this means doing some truly unpleasant things for the purpose of maintaining proper leadership. Unfortunately, this arc is painfully slow and the eventual outcome is rather disappointing given its pacing.

The second story arc is vastly superior and is easily the highlight of the book. It involves Spook, Breeze, Allrianne, and Sazed trying to undermine the oppressive dictatorship of the city Urteau. Its regime is led by Quellion, a man who has perverted the actions of Kelsier and used it to create his own personal holocaust targeting anyone possessing a noble heritage. What made this story arc interesting was its focus on the dark side of revolutions, how a single individual can twist the charismatic words of another into creating atrocities. The cycle repeats itself and now the oppressed are now the oppressors. Spook was the star of this story arc and was easily the most interesting character in this book. He's a startlingly relatable character, the ordeals and the personal questions he faced made for a very compelling narrative; one that was only brought to grinding halt by the other story arcs. The biggest flaw of Hero of Ages is that it tries to be so much more than it should be. Instead of shifting to several story arcs that range from good to lackluster, Sanderson should have stuck to his established formula which had a very strong single narrative that involved every character. Splitting the narrative in this manner resulted in less interesting character interactions and a much less compelling plot.

I also must comment on Ruin himself, he's a decent villain but he's not as compelling as the previous ones. He lacks the build-up and mystery of the Lord Ruler and the menace of Thrask and Zane Venture. He's not terrible per say, but like Hero of Ages itself Ruin simply pales in comparison to his predecessors, making his shortcomings all the more noticeable. Yet perhaps my biggest disappointment is the lack of action. Sanderson has established himself in my eyes as the best writer of action scenes in the fantasy genre. With Allomancy, characters would zoom across buildings at incredible speeds, use unorthodox methods and objects, and overall create fight scenes that even Hollywood would have trouble replicating. With the exception of the book's opening, there are very few fight scenes, and what's there didn't captivate me the way the previous ones had. Due to the book's length and slow pace, I merely slogged through the finale.

Let's make this very clear, Hero of Ages is not a bad book. However, I felt that it was quite a large step down from the previous two books in the series and thus I don't feel comfortable giving it a higher score. It did accomplish what it set out to do in that it answered every question that fans were clamoring to uncover. But it didn't have the same sense of awe that pulled me into the other two novels. It simply tried to do to much and strayed away from the winning framework that made the others so incredible. In this case, less is more.

First off, I'm rating the entire series rather than just the final book, and trying not to include spoilers, but just in case SPOILER ALERT. My feelings are mixed. The books struck me as written for the twelve to sixteen year old crowd . . . very cautious love affair, almost platonic and over the top magical abilities that smack of the Matrix, only using metals. Others have pointed out how book three left them asking where the wonder was. In my opinion, it was lost because too much improbable power and deux in the machina was displayed in the other two books. I ended up skimming the fight scenes because they blended into one another so much it felt like all were the same. Now I know this would appeal to young adults, which is why I believe they are Sanderson's target audience.

The religious aspect also bothered me. I mean how more blatant could Sanderson be, with the devil controlling minds and whispering over one's shoulder to get them to commit evil but himself having no real power. And Sazed was an absolute bore. I skipped every one of his chapters. (as well as a few others that were repetitive writing, just endless filler to me)

The bad: Too much preaching about the wonders of faith for my tastes. Too much perfect god-like power, characters I didn't care at all about (except OreSur), poor pacing and repetition, deux in the machina and an unsatisfying ending.

The good: I did find certain aspects of the world building interesting and I think he tied everything together in a unique way which few authors do. He has potential.

But when religious preaching overshadows fantasy, it belongs in a Christian (or Mormon) bookstore, not on mainstream fantasy shelves. If I hear that he's stopped preaching, I'll likely pick up other books of his. If not, there are other authors I'd much prefer to read.

What can I say...I'm a little disappointed.

The first book in the series was fantastic, one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long long time. It was so gripping I couldn't put it down. The world was carefully crafted and introduced to you in a way that made it came alive, and Sanderson skillfully created a memorable, fearsome antagonist who you badly wanted to see defeated. But then Sanderson killed off the Lord Ruler and one of the most compelling main characters (Kelsier) at the end of the first book in the series. The remaining two books -- especially this one -- suffer from the lack of a compelling antagonist and a main character who can keep our interest. Vin and Elend have changed so much since the first book it's difficult to see them as characters any more; they seem more like the author's pawns than real people at this point. And the same is true of many of the other characters, especially the kandra and Spook. The author keeps making them do things they would never do if they were still the same people they'd been in the first book. But he has a twist ending in mind...and he's got to make the characters do certain things to get there...so they're going to do what he wants them to do, whether it makes sense for them to behave in that way or not. Unfortunately, nearly all of the characters become totally unbelievable in the process. Elend in the first book, for example, was an interesting character who played a key role in the plot. By the third book he's morphed into a Jedi badass who behaves in ways that make no sense in light of his personality and inclinations, becoming completely unbelievable in the process.

And don't get me started on the constant exposition. We spend half of the book learning about this ever-more-complicated back story involving gods and Powers and crazy magic. The worst part of all was the ending. No spoilers here, but this is definitely one case where the phrase "deus ex machina" applies.

It's kind of sad this last book is so ho-hum, because the first book was SOOOOO....GOOD!!! One of the best fantasy novels I've ever read. Why did it have to end like this? I almost feel like Sanderson carefully crafted the first book, then the publisher made him rush through two poorly thought-out sequels.

Oh well, it happens. At least the first book was awesome.

I initially had stopped after The Final Empire after reading reviews warning that it's all downhill from there, and I wish my curiosity hadn't gotten the better of me. I slogged through the mess that was The Well of Ascension and thought for sure this would have to be better. I cared less about the characters in the end of book 2 than I had in the beginning, but this one made me care even less. The first quarter alone is just a rehash of the first two books! I know authors are supposed to do some recapping, but this was overkill. By the time I got to Yet Another Meaningless, Drawn-out Council scene (so rampant in book 2), I started to lose hope.

Instead of rehashing what other readers have pointed out, you'll either want to skim this book (endless meaningless, unnecessary repetition I can't believe wasn't edited out) or read some of the longer negative reviews to see if you *really* want to spend this much time on such a long book to find out what happens (which may or may not disappoint you). I wish I had. Seriously don't understand how Sanderson's editor doesn't hack out half his word count...after all, this is a writer who graciously tries to teach others how to tell stories more effectively.

In a trilogy of admittedly excellent writing, I fell for the characters and rooted for their success in overcoming their graphically unforgiving enemies. They are smart,brave, and heroic. Sanderson contrives an ending that turned me off to ever letting him do that to me again.

I loved the first two books and would give them both 4 stars each. However, this 3rd book of the series deserves one star, and I was extremely disappointed in who turned out be the Hero of Ages. I was also disappointed in the killing of the two main characters in the series.

I was a HUGE fan of the Mistborn series. I could hardly wait for the third book and when i finally got it I read it in one sitting. The first part of it actually kinda slow. Not that it lacks action, just as some other reviewer said, character charisma and interaction.

The main problem I had with it was that unlike the other two books which dealt with politics and a little supernatural mistique, Hero of Ages takes it, in my opinion, WAY too far with the whole end of the world scenario. That whole idea of wars between gods and whatnot was SO overpowering and consuming that it left hardly ANY screen time for good old conversations and jokes between the characters. Ham makes 2 maybe 3 jokes in the entire book, and Breeze is even more distant.

Vin and Elend CONTINUE to act as freaking brother and sister with a couple of RARE kisses intermingles here and there at the strangest times.

And FINALLY....SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

Vin and Elend die! What the hell? After everything they went through to be together, to save the planet, to be able to establish a fair goverment, etc etc...they die. Sure they saved the planet, but they never got to see it. Elend never got to creat his Utopia he strived so hard for. Vin never stopped being a knife, in this case for Preservation and Ruin. It's like even though they saved the planet and EVERYONE ELSE lived happily ever after, the two characters, whom we really want to see succeed, don't get to achieve their dreams and die before they can even see what they helped happen. The two who really deserved a happy ending get nothing.

That was the true downfall of this book. The only character who had any spice at all was Ten Soon. Sazed spent way too much time depressed and mopig around, and Spook got old with his whole Kelsier complex. Ten soon was really a breath of fresh air in the whole mess.

All in all, I give the book a 3.5-4 star rating because although it had many character flaws, it still explained EVERYTHING and demonstrated immense forethought, which just can't be knocked down. The story was also really good, it was just too heavy and dramatic compared to the previous two books. Had Vin and Elend survived or brought back to life it would've lightened it up a whole lot.

Brandon Sanderson completes the series that put him on the map with The Hero of the Ages, book 3 in his Mistborn trilogy. To my mind, the Mistborn trilogy represents Sanderson’s best work, exceeding his more ambitious efforts in The Stormlight Archive.

The Hero of the Ages starts with Vin and Elend using instructions left by the Lord Ruler to track down massive supply caches while Ruin, her, ruins the world around them. They start to notice patterns in the world, among a lot of other worldbuilding. Especially notable is explanation of the world’s third magic system, hemalurgy.

The Well of Ascension has a lot in common with The Last Jedi. The setup in both puts a lot of pressure on the third act in the story. The jury remains out on Star Wars Episode IX, but Sanderson absolutely comes through here. You can break your protagonist all the way down, get so bleak that the protag’s own actions make things much worse, but you have to come back and fix it.

I haven’t talked yet about the snippets that Sanderson adds at the beginning of each chapter in all three books. The snippets in the first two books are abstruse and only make sense after things are revealed at the end of the book. Sanderson drops that convention here in favor of pure infodumps. It works, because Sanderson knows his business, and worldbuilding is a large part of why we’re here, innit?

I picked up the Mistborn trilogy for a few reasons. One was to learn more about Sandersons’ Cosmere—his shared universe in which many of his series are set. Another, closely related, was to better acquaint myself with the Cosmere prior to reading Oathbringer. After reading both, Warbreaker would have been the better Cosmere book to read. The third and final reason was because I already read the next two Mistborn books, The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self, and I thought I needed to go back and read the first trilogy before continuing on. Two out of three ain’t bad.

The conclusion to the epic fantasy picks up speed thankfully from what I felt was a sagging middle portion that was Book 2: “Well of Ascension”. That book dealt with the siege of Luthadel and presented several (to me) cloying moments in the would-be-love-triangle involving Vin, Elend and his darker half-brother, Zane.

Book 3 presents quite a few clever plot twists and breathtaking action right from the grisly prologue. The alternating chapters detail the trajectories of Elend, Vin, Sazed, TenSoon the Kandra, and Spook, the former a Skaa Misting who is given a refreshingly prominent role in the narrative, as they battle the Koloss armies and Inquisitors under the divine power of Ruin, whom we realise was released by Vin at the Well of Ascension, by his trickery.

What struck me most about this last of the series was the prominence of religiosity woven into Sanderson’s intricate and self-contained universe (literally the state of the Final Empire on the planet Scadriel in Cosmere, so detailed is his universe). Seen primarily through Sazed, the Keeper’s eyes as he stores the history of the religions and prophecies in his metalminds, literally making him a walking encyclopaedia. His crisis of faith as he becomes disillusioned with false religions centres the story even though he has not thus far been the main character, as much as his position as a leading character has risen over the second book.

The details of the plot are too overwhelming for me to pen down but suffice to say that it captures the essence of what it means to be human, the fulfilment of one’s destiny, and the need for courage and hope in the fight for the salvation of mankind, even if it means ultimately sacrificing yourself for the larger good. I was late coming to this series but am glad for the thrilling journey with the Mistborn.

I wasn't the biggest fan of The Well of Ascension, including its ending. With The Hero of Ages, however, I thought the ending was vastly better. It took twists and turns that made sense, didn't feel contrived (mostly), and made me want to keep reading.

Much of the book deals with the consequences of the end of book 2. I felt the book had a bit of a slow start, but once everything was set in motion, the action picked up tremendously.

In terms of characterization, I'm not sure what to think of Ham. Throughout the series, he spoken of as though he's a major character. However, nothing about him stuck out to me. He felt entirely flat to me: the thug...the commander of the armies. Elend's character appeared to do a complete 180 in the 3rd book. It was like he was a completely different person. He was becoming that person in book 2, but then in book 3, from the very beginning, he conveniently has managed to practically change personalities? With the actual writing, one thing I also wasn't a fan of was being told that Elend's personality had changed. I think a casual mention would've been fine. However, being told about the new Elend vs. the old Elend felt unnecessary in a book like this. In general, I wasn't a big fan of Elend in this book.

I also don't know what to make of Sazed. In my eyes, he's more rounded than Ham but not really so fleshed out as someone like Spook (who ended up being one of my favorite characters). He also had a near 180 turn in personality, albeit his was more understandable. The comments and thoughts about his change in behavior also felt more natural than in Elend's case. I especially liked the scenes with Sazed and Breeze. On the other hand, his characterization seemed to rely too heavily on the "once-believer who has lost faith" trope. I didn't dislike Sazed, but I wouldn't consider him a favorite. His contributions towards the end of the book were some of my favorite. However, that has more to do with the actions themselves, rather than with his character or personality.

Overall, I did like this book. Maybe not as much as I would've hoped but enough to continue on in the Cosmere. It was action-packed with a slow start but a terrific middle and ending. Some of the characters/characterizations weren't the best, but others took me by surprise in a good way. In the end, I'm happy I've finally read this lauded book.

Wraps up most of the questions, but there's still huuuuge problems.

This was a very un-satisfying completion to the trilogy. The problems that plagued the first two books remain. the vast majority of the book is filler. political scheming that means nothing in the long run. Though, it is less obvious, annoying, and overall boring in this book.

My main problem here is the grand scheme of the main characters. They F#&$ed EVERYTHING UP. if they had been a little more rational in the beginning, they could have solved the world's problems and saved thousands, maybe millions of lives (people that aren't main characters are utterly disposable). Nearly every single plotline that is satisfyingly solved, if you think about it, isn't satisfying at all because the character directly caused the catastrophe in the first place.

I kept expecting this book to redeem the trilogy, because it is so highly regarded. Besides the majority of the book being irrelevant, it was overall a complete letdown of a conclusion. There was so much potential too...

TLDR: The Lord Ruler was the good guy, and the protagonists proceed to F% things up more and more until they salvage... something? at the end?

I wasn't able to get through this book when I first tried reading it several years ago. I had just finished slogging through the second one, and wasn't that eager to get through the third but I gave it a try regardless. Due to my boredom, I missed a lot of big clues and didn't get the plot so I gave up the second something that seemed totally impossible happened. However I did read Brandon Sanderson's online annotations just to find out how it ended. Then a few months ago, I heard that a new trilogy was being published. However I may feel about Books 2 and 3 in this trilogy, I still love Book 1 because of the innovative and unique magic system that Brandon Sanderson came up with, and the awesome fight scenes. I also just loved the concept of a "heist film" crossing into the fantasy genre. So I was intrigued by a new story with fresh characters that takes place in the same world . . . but with a sinking spirit, I knew I'd have to re-read the original trilogy first, just in case there was something I needed to know. And that meant finally finishing this book.

The good news is that the book was slightly better once I paid attention to the clues. In fact, after re-reading the first two books fairly quickly before rolling my sleeves up and starting back in on this one, some of them were even glaringly obvious. But the book has the exact same weaknesses that plagued "The Well of Ascension."

For one thing, there's more sitting and waiting than there are fights and battles. Elend Venture in particular is a really boring character who'd rather mope about his ideals than make a damn decision. After he spent the last book getting trained and wrestling with political theory vs. harsh reality, it would have been a lot better to see him finally take charge and just lead instead of whining all the time. His relationship with Vin continues to be a weak point because they never had any chemistry (The lack of it is the worst part of Book 1; Brandon Sanderson apparently is just no good at writing romance.) and in this book they still don't. They were never believable as being a couple at all, much less being in love. But since they spend most of the book apart, it doesn't matter this time, and mercifully no more time is wasted with the two of them whining about their wooden relationship.

For another thing, I simply could not get on board with the whole "Ruin vs. Preservation"/Clash of the Titans thing Brandon Sanderson decided to ultimately build his climax around. It never stopped seeming silly, possibly because of the names he chose for his gods but mostly because of their powers. If gods made the world then they also made metal, so why would metal hinder them in any way? I can't get into too many more things I disliked without spoiling major plot points, but there were a lot of plot points which were clearly meant to be epic, and just came off as goofy instead. One big downer in this book was every single chapter involving Sazed. On his website, Brandon Sanderson says in his annotations that he rewrote the Sazed chapters several times because he thought they were too boring. Sorry Brandon but they are STILL incredibly boring! Not to mention repetitive. All he does is whine (Sound familiar?) about different religions. Finally, the interludes with Spook were not that interesting either, aside from the plot clues they provided for the reader. Spook constantly whines (a common character trait, you'll notice) about not being a real part of Kelsier's original crew from Book 1 and how he wants more power (an outburst he suddenly had at the end of Book 2 as Brandon Sanderson attempted to bring him to the reader's attention) but when he gets it, it doesn't change the fact that I as a reader don't know or care much about his character. The fact that he was given up as a child for being a Misting doesn't suddenly make me like him enough to explore his inner thoughts, and in the end an act of god (literally in the book, I also refer to the author) seems to stop his entire storyline from having the slightest impact on the big finale. (Edit: Something in the new series clued me in to go back read that part again so I get now what he was going for with Marsh getting the message instead of Vin. However, it wasn't the payoff I was expecting at the time, so I was too disappointed to catch that upon the first reading.)

On the plus side, the big finale delivers the epic fight I was hoping for, between Vin and at least 13 Steel Inquisitors. Sadly, these creepy guys have lost a lot of the terrifying allure they had in the first book, now that we understand how they're controlled and what makes them tick. It's that old adage about how explaining a villain ruins the villain (pun intended), proven true. Another plus is that Sazed's boring journey does end with a rather beautiful realization about the connections between different religions -- a simple truth that I've never considered before, despite studying different religions over the years. It's really a great idea, and I'll never forget it. For that reason alone, I'm glad I made it to the end of this book.

Once I start reading the new trilogy, I'm hoping that a final plus of this book will be setting me up with all I need to know for the next three. That way my time spent slogging through won't have been wasted.

The first book was by far the best in the trilogy, everything was fresh and original. Everything was downhill from there.

This book felt very rushed and not well thought out. I'm not going to go into to spoilers but there's a plot hole the size of China near the end that a literal first grade student could have caught. There were countless conversations and inner monologues that did nothing but full up pages not to mention the tons of pages dedicated to recounting points and issues either told or easily guessed from the previous book.

The ending was conclusive but It was far less impacting than the ending of the first novel in the series. All in all this book just felt directionless, like the Author said, "okay here's the beginning and here's how I want it to end, let's just have the characters running back and fourth from points A,B,C,D,E and F in between and since that still isn't enough let's throw in some other character view points to rack up the page count.

2.75/5 is my final score.

Reader thoughts:
Curiously, I loved the end but hated the conclusion. Or is it the other way around? Some important people died, which upset me, and yet the ending was satisfying, if not happy.

I am confused as to how the mists could ever have been a threat, or Preservation let them be the deepness and kill the plants. All the other troubles only came from the Lord Ruler's actions to stop the mists. And yet, if he could move planets and change human physiology, why couldn't he just block the mists?

Sazed has to be my favorite character. One reason is for that moment in book 2 when he stands up too fast and gets dizzy. Random of me to pick that moment? Not really. Oh, and Tensoon is another favorite. Vin grew too dull.

16. Ha. Although this made me expect that one person at a time could not be affected by the mists since 0/1 was closer to 16% than 1/1. As a math person, I know that percentages are only important to base 10 societies, and I wonder why the mistborn world would also use base ten. Base 12 makes so much more sense.

Writer thoughts:
I thought the dilemmas were too long in this book. Elend spends at least three conversations worrying about whether he's good for causing deaths, and is he turning into the Lord Ruler? It didn't feel like any progress, except one convo was with Vin, and the others with other characters.

Sazed spends several conversations stressed about why he doesn't carry his metal minds anymore, why he can't believe in a god if bad things happen and so forth. He also doesn't seem to get anywhere, although I love the response from one person who says something like, "You don't want a faith, then, you just want science." Yep. That's what he was looking for.

I don't know if this issue came because the books are so long, and therefore their inner journeys have to be long, or if Sanderson was trying to remind us who this character was and what their inner issues were. Maybe I'm too used to reading short books with short inner journeys, or maybe I'm impatient, or maybe I'd just rather see plotting, fighting, and winning rather than talking. I don't know, but it did bother me.

After overthrowing and killing the Lord Ruler and then defending Luthadel against superior armies Elend and Vin are beginning to realise that that was the easy part.
Vin released something that had been trapped in the Well of Ascension, something very powerful that has been plotting and planning for the end of the world.
Elend and Vin now must figure out how to stop this destructive force called Ruin before it is too late.

I very much enjoyed this book, but I have to say not quite as much as the first two books though.
I really like how the characters have grown from book one, they have gone from con-artists, criminals and noblemen to heroes risking everything for the empire and its people.
I also liked uncovering the secrets of the Mistborn-world and its creatures that we finally get in this book.
And the plot was exciting and I didn’t know how it would all be resolved in the end.
Over all I was still very satisfied with this conclusion and think that the ending was exactly how it should have been.

I had to sit on this for a couple of days to process how I felt about the conclusion to this trilogy and to Elend and Vin's story.

Here's what I liked: Sanderson had me in his clutches from the first chapter setting in the first book. I couldn't pull my imagination away from this story and how it reached across each book and into this one. The character arcs, the intricate magic systems, the laws of the magic systems, and the world building were all astounding. He weaves a story of the ages and you can easily see it reach back and leap forth in time and tie everything together. I loved the characters, even the ones that I weren't supposed to like, I thought that were created well. They all came to life. Everything comes together and tied up nicely with a beautiful bow.

Here's why I docked a star: Sanderson evoked strong emotions in me about Elend and Vin and those are not emotions that I enjoy having. I can be .... a little petty I suppose. Had this happened earlier in the book, I would have thrown it across the room and left it there.

Overall, the journey Sanderson takes you on is epic and you shouldn't miss out on it. I recommend this series to anyone who wants to read his best work ever completed.

This book, in my opinion, was actually the best of a ll the books in the Mistborn series. The characters where them most distinct and highly developed the plot came together in fascinating and astonishing ways, the world creation the most extensive. Even the smallest occurrences and details in the earliest parts of the series came into importance. I particularly connected with Sazed's struggle with religion and faith, and his pitfalls and discoveries, put into the clearest of words my own.

“How did men believe in something that preached love on one hand, yet taught destruction of unbelievers on the other? How did one rationalize belief with no proof? How could they honestly expect him to have faith in something that taught of miracles and wonders in the far past, but carefully gave excuses for why such things didn’t occur in the present day?”
...
It wasn't the grand doctrines or the sweeping ideals that seemed to make believers out of men. It was the simple magic in the world around them.”
...
“The religions in my portfolio weren't useless after all, he thought, the power flowing from him and remaking the world. None of them were. They weren't all true. But they all had truth.”
...
“To believe, it seemed, one had to want to believe.”

“We create things to watch them grow, Ruin," she said. "To take pleasure in seeing that which we love become more than it was before.” (chapter 81)

This final volume of the Mistborn Trilogy (see reviews of book one and book two) brings its world to the brink of Ruin. Ruin being the god-like conscious elemental force that Vin released from the Well of Ascension at the conclusion of the second book. Ruin, as its name implies, seeks the destruction of the world. In ancient times, Ruin and its opposite, the god-like conscious elemental force called Preservation, made a deal where they worked together to create the world. Preservation wanted a special creation, man, so it gave extra of itself to create human beings with the freedom to conserve or destroy. Ruin wanted something extra as well--to destroy the world they had created. They agreed in ancient times but later on Preservation trapped Ruin at the Well of Ascension so that mankind could live perpetually. Preservation gave up almost all of its consciousness to accomplish this imprisonment. Now that Ruin is free, the end of the world seems at hand. The ashmounts are throwing more ash in the air, blocking out the sun and covering up plants so the people can't grow crops. Earthquakes are unnaturally frequent. The mists come out earlier in the evenings and stay later in the mornings, also causing problems for crops and for people afraid of the mist-sickness that has been killing a few and leaving many sick for weeks.

Vin and her husband, Emperor Elend Venture, fight to stop all the havoc. They've discovered secret messages from the Lord Ruler in special caverns he stocked with supplies for just such an occasion as the end of the world. It turns out the Lord Ruler (who certainly seemed like a villain in the first two books) was preparing for his eventual fall and the release of Ruin. He wanted to give the world a chance to fight back. He created the koloss as powerful fighters and the inquisitors as religious leaders. Ruin has been secretly undermining that plan and uses the koloss and the inquisitors to bring about the end of the world. Ruin has been literally rewriting history--anything written on paper can be changed by Ruin to read differently (that's how Vin was tricked into releasing Ruin at the Well). Only words written on metal (such as those left in the special caverns) can't be changed. How can our heroes win out against such a powerful and nefarious foe?

The book justifies the five hundred or so pages of world building I complained about in the second book. The different creatures (koloss, inquisitors, kandra) and the larger world are all brought into context and significance in this final volume. Seemingly insignificant details help to explain the larger story and bring about a satisfying if not very upbeat ending. I enjoyed this book and the trilogy thoroughly.

The world is dying and everyone is looking for "The Hero of Ages" to save it and them in the conclusion of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. As Vin and Elend attempt to save as many people as possible, they also are racing to find answers left behind by Rashek, the Lord Ruler, to battle the god Ruin and preserve their world as best they can, the rest of the survivors of Kelsier's crew do their best to help throughout the Final Empire.

A year after Vin released Ruin from the Well of Ascension, Elend and she race around the Empire in search of cache's left by the Lord Ruler in the event of his failure to keep Ruin imprisoned. While besieging Fadrex City, Vin gets captured by it's obligator-king only to find herself also confronting Ruin himself and learning her place in his 'plans'. Meanwhile Spook, Breeze, and Sazed attempt to gain control of another cache in Urteau ruled by a Church of the Survivor zealot as both Spook and Sazed deal with major psychological conflicts that has a profound impact on the world itself. And interweaving is the struggle of Kelsier's brother turned Inquistor Marsh, the chief pawn of the god Ruin who alternatively desires the destruction of the world and himself.

"The Hero of Ages" successes in getting all the interwoven story arcs, of both the book itself and the trilogy as a whole, to a successful conclusion at the end of the book unlike it's predecessor "The Well of Ascension" which struggled with it's internal story arcs at the end. The complexity and brilliance of the system-of-magic created by Sanderson is in full display as well as the fantastic battle scenes using it. Sanderson also successes in writing a classic misdirection of prophetic fulfillment that doesn't taking away from the whole of the trilogy, but fits perfectly together at the end when looking back over everything in hindsight. If there is one flaw, it is the unfortunate rehashing of events numerous times usually in internal monologue. While a certain character's internal monologue of rehashing events or things, it was unnecessary to be done by others on a repeated basis.

While some of the internal monologues are drag in the middle of the book, it can not take too much away from a fantastically written conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy. "The Hero of Ages" brings culmination to a series of events to the Mistborn world not just over a five year period, but of a thousand and of an infinity of length. This book and the series as a whole is highly recommended.

This is an enjoyable read for sure, the entire trilogy is. The most annoying weakness, which surfaces in the second book and worsens in the third, is the lack of a cohesive plot throughout the trilogy. You get the sense that the author has changed his mind ( or never thought until now) about the plot direction. He re-explains with a fair amount of plausibility, but it is a noticable weakness. For example, the mists... You get a real sense that the author never really decided what to do with the mists,(They're mysterious..., they're really The Deepness super evil..., they're really the essence of the good god.... It feels a little forced with the narration giving pat explanations of things he couldn't figure out how to resolve. Still it's a lot better than garbage like game of thrones.

4.5 Allomantic Stars

So a few months back I was lucky enough to meet Brandon Sanderson at an event and subsequent book signing. He signed my book with the following: For Robin "There is always another secret."

I thought while reading Mistborn that he put that inscription in the wrong book. Boy was I wrong because The Hero of Ages had more secrets revealed than the other two books. In true Sanderson fashion this story builds slowly until it bursts and all you can do is hold on for the ride. I laughed and cried and loved so many moments. My heart might be a little battered by the journey but it is all the better for it as well.

There are some fantasy series you read and you know that the author is just sorta making it all up as he goes along. Later in the series stuff from earlier books starts to fall apart and holes in prior world building become a little obvious. I never feel that way in a Sanderson book. I always feel like he had every part of the magic system and world building figured out before he ever started the first book. That with every layer he adds it is like a picture coming more fully into focus until you can see all the details more clearly and at the end of Hero of Ages I thought OF COURSE how could it have ended any differently. He is for the fantasy reader that loves all the details and respects the world building as well as the story. Sure some parts might seem a little slower at times but that is just because the world is so rich and it takes time to line everything up so you can knock it down perfectly.

There are so many characters that I loved throughout the entire series and thankfully I got to spend time with all of them. I thought that all of the magic had been explained and talked about in the other two books but that wasn’t the case at all and in this one Hemelurgy was at the forefront of the story. It made perfect sense once explained and fit in with the other magic’s of this world. Everything that has been put for about this world is action and consequence or push and pull. Balance has been the driving factor and this remained true to the very end. With Ruin released a new balance had to be found to counteract his destruction and the possible end of the world. Ruin has been waiting millennia for this chance and is a master manipulator of men. Vin, Elend and the gang have their work cut out for them if they have a chance to win this war.

-- “Why can't you see? This isn't about good or evil. Morality doesn't even enter into it. Good men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil men—only the things they want are different.”

Vin, she has come so far from the first book. She has grown into a great hero and woman she has become more than Kelsier every thought she could be. I loved her and Elend in this book. They overcame their histories and became such a strong pair together. They have become more comfortable with the people they are and accept themselves. They had difficult times with the enemy but I enjoyed the tender moments when they were just together being the young couple in love that they are.

-- “Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin, and a cat. Plus, you've managed - in our short three years together - to kill not only my god, but my father, my brother, and my fiancée. That's kind of like a homicidal hat trick.”

All the side charaters and other POV add so much depth and understanding to the story. My favorite PoV was TenSoon. The Kandra culture was such an interesting addition to the story just one more in depth facet. Spook also played such an interesting role as he has grown up and now plays a much bigger part. Sazed is always of interest and I didn’t see the significance of his role until it hit me upside the head and I felt stupid that I didn’t see it sooner. Sazed is a little lost and still in morning after losing the woman he loved and has lost faith. In searching through all the religions he has carried all these years he hopes to find answers but it seems that not one of them is perfect. Some of his ponderings of religions and faith were so interesting. I usually zone out at stuff like this as it can sometimes be preachy but I never felt like that and some of his discussions about religions and faith were the parts I loved in this book.

-- “It sounds to me, young one," Haddek said, "that you are searching for something that cannot be found."
"The truth?" Sazed said.
"No," Haddek replied. "A religion that requires no faith of its believers.”

Marsh wow Marsh’s fate was one that was difficult. The struggles that he had with himself and what he has become. The battles between Marsh and Vin were epic and heartbreaking as once they saved each other’s lives and now are enemies.

Everything came full circle and the ending was emotional, as I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to many of the characters in this. Now at the end looking back I don’t see how it could have ended any other way and been right.

The Shakespearean adage that "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them" springs readily to mind at the beginning of THE HERO OF AGES, the spectacular and moving culmination of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. Having had greatness thrust upon them, Vin and Elend have managed to claw their way to competence in their leadership roles, but will that be enough to save their rapidly dying world? This mission seems to be on very shaky ground at the beginning of the book, and our heroes seem to be at somewhat of a loss as to how to even begin on the road to salvation. There is a certain desperate aimlessness to their actions and goals throughout a substantial proportion of the book, which actually feels entirely authentic in light of the situation with which they are faced and the modest pool of knowledge and experience that is theirs to draw upon. Uncertainty and fear of making the wrong choices is perhaps the most dominant theme throughout the book, a theme that is not only appropriate to the story but had real emotional impact on me as a reader, since it is also so eminently applicable to the lives of any and all human beings.

This uncertainty manifests in various ways in THE HERO OF AGES, but the most enthralling and thought-provoking for me was its manifestation in questions about faith, religion, and the nature of divinity. If there are many religions to choose from, does that mean one is right and all the others are wrong? How can a religion teach both love and violence against the unbelievers? How can a benevolent god let horrific things happen to good people? Is belief in a great human being enough to deify them? Is our desire to believe in SOMETHING enough justification for ignoring the self-contradictions embedded in every religion? These are obviously questions that not only work as part of the story but are also highly relevant to our own world. In fact, they are asked so pointedly that I got the feeling they were questions that were close to the author's heart, as they are to mine.

Vin, Elend, and their crew have to try to find answers to these seemingly unanswerable questions and many others in order to save their people and their world from ultimate destruction. This monumental task makes for a suitably monumental conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy, and while much attention is given to matters of the mind and heart, THE HERO OF AGES is also every bit as action-packed as the other books in the series, achieving great balance between the physical, the mental, and the emotional. It provides a conclusion both cerebral and visceral which, in true Brandon Sanderson style, leaves the reader's mind reeling as the plot twists and turns upon itself to finally reveal that nothing is ever quite what it seems. In fact, it fulfills with great flair what I believe to be one of the most important functions of stories: It reminds us that anything is possible.

This review has SPOILERS FOR FIRST TWO BOOKS although I will try to give nothing away of this book.

Writing a review for this book seems impossible. For one, I cannot contain what I felt for this book in one post. Or two. I would need to have a very long conversation that stretched days in order to really get across what I felt. For another, it seems like a lie to say this series is over. Technically, I know it's not. There are the Wax & Wayne books, the first of which is already released, and two more series planned in this world. But the original Mistborn trilogy is all done, everything tied up nicely with a bow. After spending about three months living in this world with these characters I feel empty. Yes, I have a book hangover.

This book picks up not too long after the last one. Elend is emperor and Vin is empress. They must try and unite all the world in preparation for the end of said world. For the god (entity?) Ruin has been released and this is the purpose of his existence. With a creature that can do all but read thoughts, our heroes must find a way to prevail or watch as their world is buried in ash.

The strangest thing about this one is that, barring a chapter or two, takes place exclusively outside Luthadel. Luthadel is a city I have come to know so well I feel I could give guided tours of it. Suddenly, spending time in Fadrex and Urtea I felt out of place. It didn't take long, though, to realize that rather than location-driven (as I think there may be a case for this in the first two) it is completely character-driven. It didn't matter where they were; I would follow them anywhere.

Speaking of characters, I came to grow very fond of one in particular- Spook. He's always been a minor character when compared to the rest of the cast. Here he's clearly one of the main characters. And I loved it. It's as if Brandon Sanderson was growing him in a garden, waiting for him to bloom, before showcasing him in such a way. I also felt very able to connect with him, more so than any other character in the series. If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my many posts about needing to give Spook a hug.

As for the rest of the characters, I still think fondly of them all. Each character had a satisfying (and sometimes too satisfying) conclusion. Over the course of the whole series, though, Sanderson has done a great job of not dragging a character out or not using enough of them. He really knows how to get the best of each character.

The ending of this one has left me reeling. I think about it every day since finishing (I finished it earlier this week but wasn't coherent enough to write a review) and will think of it more still. It's one that is bittersweet. Good in many ways, but also sad in many ways. It's haunting and resonating- a beautiful feat for any huge-sized series.

I once heard someone say that if they had one wish, it would be to see their favorite movie again as if for the first time. Go into it without expecting anything and coming out with everything. That's how I feel about these books. I want to keep enjoying them again and again, with a fresh mind so that I can take everything in.

Thank you, Mr. Sanderson, for writing such an amazing trilogy.

Wow! Just wow! I have thought since the first book that this was some of the most creative writing and imaginative story I have ever read. Hero of Ages did not disappoint in the least. What started out as a fantastic series ended in a flaring array of allomantic power. Brandon Sanderson is a genius.

So why do I think so highly of this series? There are a few reasons. The first is the shear breadth of world building. I've been reading fantasy for years, but what Sanderson does is astounding. Each layer of the world, each character created, each religion and history is so entwined with each other. There is a reason for everything but these are only revealed when appropriate.

The scope of the world and the detail the author crafts does not bog down the story. Sanderson gives the reader just enough detail to describe the scene but doesn't clog the writing. I never once felt like there was too much. His command of colorful description is excellent. I never got bored with the writing. Once I started the book it was as if I traveled on a fasted paced roller coaster to the very end.

It was just great. I feel like I'm gushing and repeating myself but this series has quickly become my favorite fantasy series. Ever since I finished I've mulled the events in my head. I'll miss the characters. That tells me the quality of the writing is of the highest.

The Hero of Ages is the last book in Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. The first book was great, the second book was mediocre, and the third book never quite reaches the heights of the first book, but is significantly better than the second.

Like the other books, this novel has two intertwining narratives, and one of the games the reader is supposed to guess is to figure out who the narrator of the opening portion of each chapter is. The book also does a good job of tying up all the loose ends in the series, and also providing explanations for various events that had happened in the past. In particular, I thought the reveal about Vin's earrings was very well done --- it was fair, had clearly been plotted far in advance, and explained much.

The reveal about the nature of the mists, the mythology behind the actual creation of the world, and the use and role of religions in the world are all decent, but you can feel the gears of the authors' mind working behind the scenes. Everything fits neatly, but the exposition is a bit obvious.

Alas, the action sequences seem to have taken a big dip in this latest novel, while the character development hasn't been much better. The magic system gets developed further, but not all of its mysteries are solved, providing room for a sequel (though given how this series has developed, I'm not sure I'd pursue any sequels).

Having read the entire trilogy, do I think it's worth the effort? Barely. The whole series would make for a good summer read, but I wouldn't go out of the way to find it.

Mildly recommended.

WARNING: THIS IS THE THIRD BOOK IN THE MISTBORN TRILOGY. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FIRST ONE, GO CHECK OUT MY REVIEW AND READ IT. THIS REVIEW–AND THE SUMMARY–CONTAINS SPOILERS.

I usually think of Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy, concluded in The Hero of Ages (HoA), as a single unit, split into three parts, much like Lord of the Rings. This is, I think, partly because of how Sanderson wrote the books, all back-to-back, and had therefore finished the first draft of HoA before The Final Empire went off for copyedits, and so he was able to tweak thematic things to make them fit and flow through all three books. And they flow quite well. The overarching story is nicely continuous, and built up magnificently.

That’s not to say that HoA picks up exactly where Well of Ascension left off. Rather, it starts with a bang, throwing the reader into new and exciting mysteries, and answering questions much more quickly than you would have thought. Sanderson does not save all of his secrets for the big finish, and HoA is an exciting book throughout. If you found Well of Ascension a little boring, do not fear, HoA remedies that and more. The set-up in the first two books begins to pay off in droves, and it is glorious.

It also starts off with the excellent epigraph, “I am, unfortunately, the Hero of Ages.” Remember that as you read it. (If you’ve already read it, I’m sorry—kinda—for doing that to you.)

Sanderson does not give everything away just to keep the book going, though. He saves his best tricks for the end. And what an end it is. The first two books really were just warm-up exercises, all set-up for the climax of HoA. The battles are epic on a scale rarely seen, the stakes are incredible, and the twists are marvelous. And then, just when you think it’s over, Sanderson gives you an epilogue that will make you tear up. Guaranteed, no matter how little you usually tear up at books. If you get even slightly emotional at the end of books, have chocolate and/or ice cream ready. Probably best to have a box of tissues and a friend as well. (If none are available in person, poke me or Nikki on Twitter, and we’ll assemble a support group for you. It may be wise to do this even before you reach the ending.)

I think he can manage this, in large part, because of the characters to whom we have become so deeply connected over the series. Elend and Vin, now married and fully-powered Mistborn, make an excellent kick-butt couple. Vin, in particular, has come so far from the little street urchin who doesn’t trust anyone, and I love how her journey continues here.

Sazed’s quest continues, and it is, in my opinion, the best character arc in the series. Sanderson is a deeply religious man, but that does not show in the slightest in his writing. Sazed’s belief, or lack thereof, is pulled off so convincingly, that it makes me question what it really means to believe, every time I read through the trilogy.

Spook’s arc also has a fitting conclusion, one I feel is fully justified and deserved, given how the other characters have treated him throughout the series. I feel perhaps most like him—shunted to the side, used as an errand boy, and always, always, wanting to do more to help. I do not, in any way, blame him for anything that happens.

Ruin. Ruin is the perfect villain. Simultaneously nebulous and concrete, yet utterly nefarious and evil, Ruin plays his cards so brilliantly that I’m not even disappointed that, at the end of Well of Ascension, we learn that our characters have been doing what he wanted/expected all along. Plots like this usually annoy me, but Ruin is just so… Disgusting and excellent that I have no problems with it here.

In summary, the capstone to Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Trilogy is a brilliant, feels-inducing, climax that ties up all the right threads and gives us satisfying—if unexpected—conclusions for all of our beloved characters, complete with an epic Sanderson Avalanche. Thought of as a single unit, the Mistborn Trilogy is one of my favorites of all time, and as Hero of Ages is, I feel, the best in the trilogy, I give it Five of Five stars without blinking. Go. Get it. Read it. You’ll thank me when you’re done crying.

Review originally from my blog, Mental Megalodon.

*The Original Mistborn Trilogy* is one of my favorite fantasy works, one which I have read through this a couple of times now since my first time a few years ago. I just recently finished re-reading the third book and conclusion of the story, *The Hero of Ages*. Really good stuff and I enjoyed it greatly once again.

As this story begins, it has been over a year since the ending of the previous book, *The Well of Ascension*. At the end of that volume, Vin, believing herself to be the fabled “Hero of Ages”, took the power of the Well of Ascension, and released it, as the prophecies say that she should. Then she sensed a force screaming in delight that it was free. Sazed, who had realized the truth, was too late to get to Vin in time to prevent her mistake.

Now a dark force, a god calling himself/itself Ruin, is loosed upon the world, and is going about doing what it's nature calls for, causing “ruin”, or entropy, to set in on an incredibly fast scale, trying to end the world. There is a power that can oppose Ruin, that of his polar opposite, Preservation, but how do the heroes harness this entity's power, and will it be enough. Also, how do they handle the truth that the Lord Ruler, while having done so much evil during thousand year reign, was not truly quite as evil the whole time, and was a flawed man driven insane by Ruin's influence? Can they trust the Lord Ruler's posthumous plans to help them defeat Ruin? It will take all of the skills of the heroes, including Vin's and Elend's (his gained a the end of the previous book) Mistborn powers, as well as the powers and skills of the rest of the crew, to defeat this dark god, while saving as many people as possible. If they don't succeed, the world will literally be destroyed in a few weeks.

This book was quite a roller-coaster emotionally and in terms of tone and plot. I mean, every time things seemed to be hopelessly down, they seemed to get better, and vice-versa. It seemed that nothing could go well for very long, and that in the end, the heroes would lose, despite their small victories. Would the end be averted? Well, it was, and when it was, the downers on the way to victory were major, and should have made me hate the book.

The thing is that it did not make me dislike the book at all. I found the end of the story to be quite a bittersweet, and yet this made the book all the more satisfying when the resolution came, as the victory over evil was costly, but it was an impressive and hard-fought victory. It wasn't easy, and the events leading up to it were riveting. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat watching an engrossing thriller at a movie theater. Such was the power of Brandon Sanderson's narrative and story-telling skills.

As for what I didn't like, well, that would be the downers. It really was hard to take the deaths and the sadness, except for the assurance that they don't regret their actions, and that, in a spoiler, they did it on purpose to die for the sake of others. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Brandon Sanderson (I'm not debating the issues of the LDS doctrine here, as that isn't the point of the review), brought forth in the narrative many ideas and characters that are evocative Biblical concepts. Vin and Elend are Christ-like in many ways. In fact, you can see one key point where Elend makes a momentous choice that saves the day. I won't spoil it too much, you have to be careful to see it.

As well, Spook's struggle against Ruin mirrors the struggle against a tempting demon, and the truths in many other religions mirroring the actual truth in the prophecies of the Terris people are reminiscent of the "One True Myth" argument made by CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and others of their acquaintance. This argument was the statement that so many elements of pagan and other myths are similar to Christianity because God has sown elements of the “One True Myth of Christianity” within them, and thus they "point back to" the True Myth of the Christian faith.

I really enjoyed the various character arcs, but especially those of Spook (already alluded to) and Sazed. I know that Sazed in this book was annoying to many readers, who found him to be a “whiner”, but he wasn't annoying to me. Oh, to be sure, he could be somewhat aggravating at first, but once the story placed me more in his head, if you will, his thoughts really did make sense. I have struggled with faith before, and wondered why bad things happen, to various degrees, throughout my life. I think that all believers have. Sazed reflected that quite well, and his finding of faith at the end, touched me. There were several sections of the book that appealed to me. One short one I quote here one is of Sazed talking to older members of his faith.

"This is the truth," one of the kandra said.

"That's what *every* religion teaches, Sazed said, frustration mounting. "Yet, in each of them I find inconsistencies, logical leaps, and demands of faith I find impossible to accept."

"It sounds to me, young one," Haddek said, "that you're searching for something that cannot be found."

"The truth?" Sazed said.

"No," Haddek replies. "A religion that requires no faith of its believers."

I also loved the the twist ending. The prophecies end up being true, but have a result that some may see, and others not see, coming. Everyone will find it a satisfying, surprising conclusion. Or at least I did. I knew ahead of time from spoilers about it, but even then, I found the surprise on the prophecies to be unique, and in context, they even explain the reason behind what I thought was a pretty useless scene and reference from the first book. I won't say what scene and reference so as not to spoil the book too much.

To express how much I enjoyed and was engrossed by this book when I read several years ago, I'll describe how I did so. I read the first hundred or so pages in a few days, and then read the last nearly 550 pages in just two days. This is a superbly written, superbly paced, terrific read.

Highly Recommended.

5/5 Stars.

The final book in the Mistborn trilogy has Vin and Emperor Elend in a worse situation than they were while the Lord Ruler was still alive, as the encroaching Deepness slowly kills of the land and earthquakes and ashfalls are doing their part as well.
Ruin is now free, and the nascent empire of the Central Dominance is desperately following the clues left behind by the Lord Ruler in his caches of supplies, prepared for just such an eventuality, and I did love how they gradually acknowledged that, harsh as he was, the Lord Ruler was never as evil as they once thought, and in fact began with noble intentions. In a sense, he did better than they did in fighting against Ruin.
Unlike the suspense of the second book, there is a pervading air of desperation in this book, as people begin to give up hope as they face an enemy they cannot defeat and a future that seems inescapably bleak.
One of my favourite plotlines in the book was the story of TenSoon and the Kandra, and I did love the twists involved in that part of the story.
The ending was a little quick, but I think it was very well balanced and a satisfying conclusion to such an epic trilogy. I can't wait for the second Mistborn trilogy to be released later this year.

Brandon Sanderson completes the series that put him on the map with The Hero of the Ages, book 3 in his Mistborn trilogy. To my mind, the Mistborn trilogy represents Sanderson’s best work, exceeding his more ambitious efforts in The Stormlight Archive.

The Hero of the Ages starts with Vin and Elend using instructions left by the Lord Ruler to track down massive supply caches while Ruin, her, ruins the world around them. They start to notice patterns in the world, among a lot of other worldbuilding. Especially notable is explanation of the world’s third magic system, hemalurgy.

The Well of Ascension has a lot in common with The Last Jedi. The setup in both puts a lot of pressure on the third act in the story. The jury remains out on Star Wars Episode IX, but Sanderson absolutely comes through here. You can break your protagonist all the way down, get so bleak that the protag’s own actions make things much worse, but you have to come back and fix it.

I haven’t talked yet about the snippets that Sanderson adds at the beginning of each chapter in all three books. The snippets in the first two books are abstruse and only make sense after things are revealed at the end of the book. Sanderson drops that convention here in favor of pure infodumps. It works, because Sanderson knows his business, and worldbuilding is a large part of why we’re here, innit?

I picked up the Mistborn trilogy for a few reasons. One was to learn more about Sandersons’ Cosmere—his shared universe in which many of his series are set. Another, closely related, was to better acquaint myself with the Cosmere prior to reading Oathbringer. After reading both, Warbreaker would have been the better Cosmere book to read. The third and final reason was because I already read the next two Mistborn books, The Alloy of Law and Shadows of Self, and I thought I needed to go back and read the first trilogy before continuing on. Two out of three ain’t bad.

The conclusion to the epic fantasy picks up speed thankfully from what I felt was a sagging middle portion that was Book 2: “Well of Ascension”. That book dealt with the siege of Luthadel and presented several (to me) cloying moments in the would-be-love-triangle involving Vin, Elend and his darker half-brother, Zane.

Book 3 presents quite a few clever plot twists and breathtaking action right from the grisly prologue. The alternating chapters detail the trajectories of Elend, Vin, Sazed, TenSoon the Kandra, and Spook, the former a Skaa Misting who is given a refreshingly prominent role in the narrative, as they battle the Koloss armies and Inquisitors under the divine power of Ruin, whom we realise was released by Vin at the Well of Ascension, by his trickery.

What struck me most about this last of the series was the prominence of religiosity woven into Sanderson’s intricate and self-contained universe (literally the state of the Final Empire on the planet Scadriel in Cosmere, so detailed is his universe). Seen primarily through Sazed, the Keeper’s eyes as he stores the history of the religions and prophecies in his metalminds, literally making him a walking encyclopaedia. His crisis of faith as he becomes disillusioned with false religions centres the story even though he has not thus far been the main character, as much as his position as a leading character has risen over the second book.

The details of the plot are too overwhelming for me to pen down but suffice to say that it captures the essence of what it means to be human, the fulfilment of one’s destiny, and the need for courage and hope in the fight for the salvation of mankind, even if it means ultimately sacrificing yourself for the larger good. I was late coming to this series but am glad for the thrilling journey with the Mistborn.

I wasn't the biggest fan of The Well of Ascension, including its ending. With The Hero of Ages, however, I thought the ending was vastly better. It took twists and turns that made sense, didn't feel contrived (mostly), and made me want to keep reading.

Much of the book deals with the consequences of the end of book 2. I felt the book had a bit of a slow start, but once everything was set in motion, the action picked up tremendously.

In terms of characterization, I'm not sure what to think of Ham. Throughout the series, he spoken of as though he's a major character. However, nothing about him stuck out to me. He felt entirely flat to me: the thug...the commander of the armies. Elend's character appeared to do a complete 180 in the 3rd book. It was like he was a completely different person. He was becoming that person in book 2, but then in book 3, from the very beginning, he conveniently has managed to practically change personalities? With the actual writing, one thing I also wasn't a fan of was being told that Elend's personality had changed. I think a casual mention would've been fine. However, being told about the new Elend vs. the old Elend felt unnecessary in a book like this. In general, I wasn't a big fan of Elend in this book.

I also don't know what to make of Sazed. In my eyes, he's more rounded than Ham but not really so fleshed out as someone like Spook (who ended up being one of my favorite characters). He also had a near 180 turn in personality, albeit his was more understandable. The comments and thoughts about his change in behavior also felt more natural than in Elend's case. I especially liked the scenes with Sazed and Breeze. On the other hand, his characterization seemed to rely too heavily on the "once-believer who has lost faith" trope. I didn't dislike Sazed, but I wouldn't consider him a favorite. His contributions towards the end of the book were some of my favorite. However, that has more to do with the actions themselves, rather than with his character or personality.

Overall, I did like this book. Maybe not as much as I would've hoped but enough to continue on in the Cosmere. It was action-packed with a slow start but a terrific middle and ending. Some of the characters/characterizations weren't the best, but others took me by surprise in a good way. In the end, I'm happy I've finally read this lauded book.

Wraps up most of the questions, but there's still huuuuge problems.

This was a very un-satisfying completion to the trilogy. The problems that plagued the first two books remain. the vast majority of the book is filler. political scheming that means nothing in the long run. Though, it is less obvious, annoying, and overall boring in this book.

My main problem here is the grand scheme of the main characters. They F#&$ed EVERYTHING UP. if they had been a little more rational in the beginning, they could have solved the world's problems and saved thousands, maybe millions of lives (people that aren't main characters are utterly disposable). Nearly every single plotline that is satisfyingly solved, if you think about it, isn't satisfying at all because the character directly caused the catastrophe in the first place.

I kept expecting this book to redeem the trilogy, because it is so highly regarded. Besides the majority of the book being irrelevant, it was overall a complete letdown of a conclusion. There was so much potential too...

TLDR: The Lord Ruler was the good guy, and the protagonists proceed to F% things up more and more until they salvage... something? at the end?

I wasn't able to get through this book when I first tried reading it several years ago. I had just finished slogging through the second one, and wasn't that eager to get through the third but I gave it a try regardless. Due to my boredom, I missed a lot of big clues and didn't get the plot so I gave up the second something that seemed totally impossible happened. However I did read Brandon Sanderson's online annotations just to find out how it ended. Then a few months ago, I heard that a new trilogy was being published. However I may feel about Books 2 and 3 in this trilogy, I still love Book 1 because of the innovative and unique magic system that Brandon Sanderson came up with, and the awesome fight scenes. I also just loved the concept of a "heist film" crossing into the fantasy genre. So I was intrigued by a new story with fresh characters that takes place in the same world . . . but with a sinking spirit, I knew I'd have to re-read the original trilogy first, just in case there was something I needed to know. And that meant finally finishing this book.

The good news is that the book was slightly better once I paid attention to the clues. In fact, after re-reading the first two books fairly quickly before rolling my sleeves up and starting back in on this one, some of them were even glaringly obvious. But the book has the exact same weaknesses that plagued "The Well of Ascension."

For one thing, there's more sitting and waiting than there are fights and battles. Elend Venture in particular is a really boring character who'd rather mope about his ideals than make a damn decision. After he spent the last book getting trained and wrestling with political theory vs. harsh reality, it would have been a lot better to see him finally take charge and just lead instead of whining all the time. His relationship with Vin continues to be a weak point because they never had any chemistry (The lack of it is the worst part of Book 1; Brandon Sanderson apparently is just no good at writing romance.) and in this book they still don't. They were never believable as being a couple at all, much less being in love. But since they spend most of the book apart, it doesn't matter this time, and mercifully no more time is wasted with the two of them whining about their wooden relationship.

For another thing, I simply could not get on board with the whole "Ruin vs. Preservation"/Clash of the Titans thing Brandon Sanderson decided to ultimately build his climax around. It never stopped seeming silly, possibly because of the names he chose for his gods but mostly because of their powers. If gods made the world then they also made metal, so why would metal hinder them in any way? I can't get into too many more things I disliked without spoiling major plot points, but there were a lot of plot points which were clearly meant to be epic, and just came off as goofy instead. One big downer in this book was every single chapter involving Sazed. On his website, Brandon Sanderson says in his annotations that he rewrote the Sazed chapters several times because he thought they were too boring. Sorry Brandon but they are STILL incredibly boring! Not to mention repetitive. All he does is whine (Sound familiar?) about different religions. Finally, the interludes with Spook were not that interesting either, aside from the plot clues they provided for the reader. Spook constantly whines (a common character trait, you'll notice) about not being a real part of Kelsier's original crew from Book 1 and how he wants more power (an outburst he suddenly had at the end of Book 2 as Brandon Sanderson attempted to bring him to the reader's attention) but when he gets it, it doesn't change the fact that I as a reader don't know or care much about his character. The fact that he was given up as a child for being a Misting doesn't suddenly make me like him enough to explore his inner thoughts, and in the end an act of god (literally in the book, I also refer to the author) seems to stop his entire storyline from having the slightest impact on the big finale. (Edit: Something in the new series clued me in to go back read that part again so I get now what he was going for with Marsh getting the message instead of Vin. However, it wasn't the payoff I was expecting at the time, so I was too disappointed to catch that upon the first reading.)

On the plus side, the big finale delivers the epic fight I was hoping for, between Vin and at least 13 Steel Inquisitors. Sadly, these creepy guys have lost a lot of the terrifying allure they had in the first book, now that we understand how they're controlled and what makes them tick. It's that old adage about how explaining a villain ruins the villain (pun intended), proven true. Another plus is that Sazed's boring journey does end with a rather beautiful realization about the connections between different religions -- a simple truth that I've never considered before, despite studying different religions over the years. It's really a great idea, and I'll never forget it. For that reason alone, I'm glad I made it to the end of this book.

Once I start reading the new trilogy, I'm hoping that a final plus of this book will be setting me up with all I need to know for the next three. That way my time spent slogging through won't have been wasted.

I'm sure this is spoilery, so if you haven't read it, steer clear of this review.

Never, in all the years that I have been reading, have I seen a trilogy come together quite so beautifully. I laughed, I cried, I struggled, I felt everything these characters did. The chapters are constructed in such a way that I could empathize with each narrator. I felt like I was in The Final Empire fighting alongside Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the others.

TenSoon manages to become one of my favorite book characters of all time. He stands up to his elders, he becomes a loyal companion--as I do not think servant is the correct word to use here--to Vin. He helps to save the Final Empire. He helps The Hero of Ages arrive. He is a strong asset to this book and to the Survivor's crew. Despite how he became part of the crew, he remains one of the best side characters I have ever met.

Serious spoiler coming up, so I'm going to hide it. I hope!

Sazed. Oh, Sazed. How could you have known? This was my big surprise. This is the ending that I never saw coming.

Vin and Elend Venture. This is probably the most unique and intriguing love story that I have ever read. A relationship founded on lies and deception turn into true love, power, and something so beautiful that there are hardly words to describe it. This relationship should withstand time. You know, if things could have been different.

Breeze and Allriane. Please tell me they live HEA?!

Spook. I'm impressed with his ability to figure out that the metal spikes can be any size when dealing with hemalurgy (my spelling is junk here, since I listened to the audio). He became very important in the final days of the Final Empire and all that Elend and Vin were trying to accomplish.

Ruin. Ugh. Manipulative Bastard.

MARSH!!!! Marsh. Oh. Marsh. What can I say, Marsh's realization that the stupid earring was being used as a way for Ruin to control Vin is what saved the Empire. I really missed Marsh despite his appearances in the later books. He just wasn't the same and Ruin's control of him caused my heart to break each time he graced the pages.

Umm, I feel as if I am missing someone, but I'm not sure what else there is to say. The books are amazing. Absolutely beautiful and I cannot wait to delve further into this series. I also canNOT wait to read more of Sanderson. He is truly a master of words.

The first book was by far the best in the trilogy, everything was fresh and original. Everything was downhill from there.

This book felt very rushed and not well thought out. I'm not going to go into to spoilers but there's a plot hole the size of China near the end that a literal first grade student could have caught. There were countless conversations and inner monologues that did nothing but full up pages not to mention the tons of pages dedicated to recounting points and issues either told or easily guessed from the previous book.

The ending was conclusive but It was far less impacting than the ending of the first novel in the series. All in all this book just felt directionless, like the Author said, "okay here's the beginning and here's how I want it to end, let's just have the characters running back and fourth from points A,B,C,D,E and F in between and since that still isn't enough let's throw in some other character view points to rack up the page count.

2.75/5 is my final score.

Reader thoughts:
Curiously, I loved the end but hated the conclusion. Or is it the other way around? Some important people died, which upset me, and yet the ending was satisfying, if not happy.

I am confused as to how the mists could ever have been a threat, or Preservation let them be the deepness and kill the plants. All the other troubles only came from the Lord Ruler's actions to stop the mists. And yet, if he could move planets and change human physiology, why couldn't he just block the mists?

Sazed has to be my favorite character. One reason is for that moment in book 2 when he stands up too fast and gets dizzy. Random of me to pick that moment? Not really. Oh, and Tensoon is another favorite. Vin grew too dull.

16. Ha. Although this made me expect that one person at a time could not be affected by the mists since 0/1 was closer to 16% than 1/1. As a math person, I know that percentages are only important to base 10 societies, and I wonder why the mistborn world would also use base ten. Base 12 makes so much more sense.

Writer thoughts:
I thought the dilemmas were too long in this book. Elend spends at least three conversations worrying about whether he's good for causing deaths, and is he turning into the Lord Ruler? It didn't feel like any progress, except one convo was with Vin, and the others with other characters.

Sazed spends several conversations stressed about why he doesn't carry his metal minds anymore, why he can't believe in a god if bad things happen and so forth. He also doesn't seem to get anywhere, although I love the response from one person who says something like, "You don't want a faith, then, you just want science." Yep. That's what he was looking for.

I don't know if this issue came because the books are so long, and therefore their inner journeys have to be long, or if Sanderson was trying to remind us who this character was and what their inner issues were. Maybe I'm too used to reading short books with short inner journeys, or maybe I'm impatient, or maybe I'd just rather see plotting, fighting, and winning rather than talking. I don't know, but it did bother me.

I initially had stopped after The Final Empire after reading reviews warning that it's all downhill from there, and I wish my curiosity hadn't gotten the better of me. I slogged through the mess that was The Well of Ascension and thought for sure this would have to be better. I cared less about the characters in the end of book 2 than I had in the beginning, but this one made me care even less. The first quarter alone is just a rehash of the first two books! I know authors are supposed to do some recapping, but this was overkill. By the time I got to Yet Another Meaningless, Drawn-out Council scene (so rampant in book 2), I started to lose hope.

Instead of rehashing what other readers have pointed out, you'll either want to skim this book (endless meaningless, unnecessary repetition I can't believe wasn't edited out) or read some of the longer negative reviews to see if you *really* want to spend this much time on such a long book to find out what happens (which may or may not disappoint you). I wish I had. Seriously don't understand how Sanderson's editor doesn't hack out half his word count...after all, this is a writer who graciously tries to teach others how to tell stories more effectively.

Elend is now mistborn and leading the Empire. It's been discovered that since the Lord Ruler was murdered, the deepness has started to creep back in. Mists are murdering and staying around longer. Plants cannot survive. Food is scarce. Elend and the gang are on a mission following clues left by the Lord Ruler to discover how to push the deepness back. If they can't, will The Empire be able to survive?
This book has broken my soul. After three books I finally have all the answers. Brandon created a world unlike any other. The depths that he goes to, to create this world and story is astonishing. The last 100 pages gave me so much anxiety as I was reading it was ridiculous. I feel this book was a little slow compared to the other two, but the needed to be to give us a full understanding of what was happening. The need to know who the Hero of the Ages was killing me throughout the entire book. Well played at keeping me on my toes Brandon. The ending has crushed me, but it's not really a good book if it doesn't, is it?

After overthrowing and killing the Lord Ruler and then defending Luthadel against superior armies Elend and Vin are beginning to realise that that was the easy part.
Vin released something that had been trapped in the Well of Ascension, something very powerful that has been plotting and planning for the end of the world.
Elend and Vin now must figure out how to stop this destructive force called Ruin before it is too late.

I very much enjoyed this book, but I have to say not quite as much as the first two books though.
I really like how the characters have grown from book one, they have gone from con-artists, criminals and noblemen to heroes risking everything for the empire and its people.
I also liked uncovering the secrets of the Mistborn-world and its creatures that we finally get in this book.
And the plot was exciting and I didn’t know how it would all be resolved in the end.
Over all I was still very satisfied with this conclusion and think that the ending was exactly how it should have been.

I had to sit on this for a couple of days to process how I felt about the conclusion to this trilogy and to Elend and Vin's story.

Here's what I liked: Sanderson had me in his clutches from the first chapter setting in the first book. I couldn't pull my imagination away from this story and how it reached across each book and into this one. The character arcs, the intricate magic systems, the laws of the magic systems, and the world building were all astounding. He weaves a story of the ages and you can easily see it reach back and leap forth in time and tie everything together. I loved the characters, even the ones that I weren't supposed to like, I thought that were created well. They all came to life. Everything comes together and tied up nicely with a beautiful bow.

Here's why I docked a star: Sanderson evoked strong emotions in me about Elend and Vin and those are not emotions that I enjoy having. I can be .... a little petty I suppose. Had this happened earlier in the book, I would have thrown it across the room and left it there.

Overall, the journey Sanderson takes you on is epic and you shouldn't miss out on it. I recommend this series to anyone who wants to read his best work ever completed.

This book, in my opinion, was actually the best of a ll the books in the Mistborn series. The characters where them most distinct and highly developed the plot came together in fascinating and astonishing ways, the world creation the most extensive. Even the smallest occurrences and details in the earliest parts of the series came into importance. I particularly connected with Sazed's struggle with religion and faith, and his pitfalls and discoveries, put into the clearest of words my own.

“How did men believe in something that preached love on one hand, yet taught destruction of unbelievers on the other? How did one rationalize belief with no proof? How could they honestly expect him to have faith in something that taught of miracles and wonders in the far past, but carefully gave excuses for why such things didn’t occur in the present day?”
...
It wasn't the grand doctrines or the sweeping ideals that seemed to make believers out of men. It was the simple magic in the world around them.”
...
“The religions in my portfolio weren't useless after all, he thought, the power flowing from him and remaking the world. None of them were. They weren't all true. But they all had truth.”
...
“To believe, it seemed, one had to want to believe.”

“We create things to watch them grow, Ruin," she said. "To take pleasure in seeing that which we love become more than it was before.” (chapter 81)

This final volume of the Mistborn Trilogy (see reviews of book one and book two) brings its world to the brink of Ruin. Ruin being the god-like conscious elemental force that Vin released from the Well of Ascension at the conclusion of the second book. Ruin, as its name implies, seeks the destruction of the world. In ancient times, Ruin and its opposite, the god-like conscious elemental force called Preservation, made a deal where they worked together to create the world. Preservation wanted a special creation, man, so it gave extra of itself to create human beings with the freedom to conserve or destroy. Ruin wanted something extra as well--to destroy the world they had created. They agreed in ancient times but later on Preservation trapped Ruin at the Well of Ascension so that mankind could live perpetually. Preservation gave up almost all of its consciousness to accomplish this imprisonment. Now that Ruin is free, the end of the world seems at hand. The ashmounts are throwing more ash in the air, blocking out the sun and covering up plants so the people can't grow crops. Earthquakes are unnaturally frequent. The mists come out earlier in the evenings and stay later in the mornings, also causing problems for crops and for people afraid of the mist-sickness that has been killing a few and leaving many sick for weeks.

Vin and her husband, Emperor Elend Venture, fight to stop all the havoc. They've discovered secret messages from the Lord Ruler in special caverns he stocked with supplies for just such an occasion as the end of the world. It turns out the Lord Ruler (who certainly seemed like a villain in the first two books) was preparing for his eventual fall and the release of Ruin. He wanted to give the world a chance to fight back. He created the koloss as powerful fighters and the inquisitors as religious leaders. Ruin has been secretly undermining that plan and uses the koloss and the inquisitors to bring about the end of the world. Ruin has been literally rewriting history--anything written on paper can be changed by Ruin to read differently (that's how Vin was tricked into releasing Ruin at the Well). Only words written on metal (such as those left in the special caverns) can't be changed. How can our heroes win out against such a powerful and nefarious foe?

The book justifies the five hundred or so pages of world building I complained about in the second book. The different creatures (koloss, inquisitors, kandra) and the larger world are all brought into context and significance in this final volume. Seemingly insignificant details help to explain the larger story and bring about a satisfying if not very upbeat ending. I enjoyed this book and the trilogy thoroughly.

The world is dying and everyone is looking for "The Hero of Ages" to save it and them in the conclusion of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. As Vin and Elend attempt to save as many people as possible, they also are racing to find answers left behind by Rashek, the Lord Ruler, to battle the god Ruin and preserve their world as best they can, the rest of the survivors of Kelsier's crew do their best to help throughout the Final Empire.

A year after Vin released Ruin from the Well of Ascension, Elend and she race around the Empire in search of cache's left by the Lord Ruler in the event of his failure to keep Ruin imprisoned. While besieging Fadrex City, Vin gets captured by it's obligator-king only to find herself also confronting Ruin himself and learning her place in his 'plans'. Meanwhile Spook, Breeze, and Sazed attempt to gain control of another cache in Urteau ruled by a Church of the Survivor zealot as both Spook and Sazed deal with major psychological conflicts that has a profound impact on the world itself. And interweaving is the struggle of Kelsier's brother turned Inquistor Marsh, the chief pawn of the god Ruin who alternatively desires the destruction of the world and himself.

"The Hero of Ages" successes in getting all the interwoven story arcs, of both the book itself and the trilogy as a whole, to a successful conclusion at the end of the book unlike it's predecessor "The Well of Ascension" which struggled with it's internal story arcs at the end. The complexity and brilliance of the system-of-magic created by Sanderson is in full display as well as the fantastic battle scenes using it. Sanderson also successes in writing a classic misdirection of prophetic fulfillment that doesn't taking away from the whole of the trilogy, but fits perfectly together at the end when looking back over everything in hindsight. If there is one flaw, it is the unfortunate rehashing of events numerous times usually in internal monologue. While a certain character's internal monologue of rehashing events or things, it was unnecessary to be done by others on a repeated basis.

While some of the internal monologues are drag in the middle of the book, it can not take too much away from a fantastically written conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy. "The Hero of Ages" brings culmination to a series of events to the Mistborn world not just over a five year period, but of a thousand and of an infinity of length. This book and the series as a whole is highly recommended.

This is an enjoyable read for sure, the entire trilogy is. The most annoying weakness, which surfaces in the second book and worsens in the third, is the lack of a cohesive plot throughout the trilogy. You get the sense that the author has changed his mind ( or never thought until now) about the plot direction. He re-explains with a fair amount of plausibility, but it is a noticable weakness. For example, the mists... You get a real sense that the author never really decided what to do with the mists,(They're mysterious..., they're really The Deepness super evil..., they're really the essence of the good god.... It feels a little forced with the narration giving pat explanations of things he couldn't figure out how to resolve. Still it's a lot better than garbage like game of thrones.

4.5 Allomantic Stars

So a few months back I was lucky enough to meet Brandon Sanderson at an event and subsequent book signing. He signed my book with the following: For Robin "There is always another secret."

I thought while reading Mistborn that he put that inscription in the wrong book. Boy was I wrong because The Hero of Ages had more secrets revealed than the other two books. In true Sanderson fashion this story builds slowly until it bursts and all you can do is hold on for the ride. I laughed and cried and loved so many moments. My heart might be a little battered by the journey but it is all the better for it as well.

There are some fantasy series you read and you know that the author is just sorta making it all up as he goes along. Later in the series stuff from earlier books starts to fall apart and holes in prior world building become a little obvious. I never feel that way in a Sanderson book. I always feel like he had every part of the magic system and world building figured out before he ever started the first book. That with every layer he adds it is like a picture coming more fully into focus until you can see all the details more clearly and at the end of Hero of Ages I thought OF COURSE how could it have ended any differently. He is for the fantasy reader that loves all the details and respects the world building as well as the story. Sure some parts might seem a little slower at times but that is just because the world is so rich and it takes time to line everything up so you can knock it down perfectly.

There are so many characters that I loved throughout the entire series and thankfully I got to spend time with all of them. I thought that all of the magic had been explained and talked about in the other two books but that wasn’t the case at all and in this one Hemelurgy was at the forefront of the story. It made perfect sense once explained and fit in with the other magic’s of this world. Everything that has been put for about this world is action and consequence or push and pull. Balance has been the driving factor and this remained true to the very end. With Ruin released a new balance had to be found to counteract his destruction and the possible end of the world. Ruin has been waiting millennia for this chance and is a master manipulator of men. Vin, Elend and the gang have their work cut out for them if they have a chance to win this war.

-- “Why can't you see? This isn't about good or evil. Morality doesn't even enter into it. Good men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil men—only the things they want are different.”

Vin, she has come so far from the first book. She has grown into a great hero and woman she has become more than Kelsier every thought she could be. I loved her and Elend in this book. They overcame their histories and became such a strong pair together. They have become more comfortable with the people they are and accept themselves. They had difficult times with the enemy but I enjoyed the tender moments when they were just together being the young couple in love that they are.

-- “Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin, and a cat. Plus, you've managed - in our short three years together - to kill not only my god, but my father, my brother, and my fiancée. That's kind of like a homicidal hat trick.”

All the side charaters and other POV add so much depth and understanding to the story. My favorite PoV was TenSoon. The Kandra culture was such an interesting addition to the story just one more in depth facet. Spook also played such an interesting role as he has grown up and now plays a much bigger part. Sazed is always of interest and I didn’t see the significance of his role until it hit me upside the head and I felt stupid that I didn’t see it sooner. Sazed is a little lost and still in morning after losing the woman he loved and has lost faith. In searching through all the religions he has carried all these years he hopes to find answers but it seems that not one of them is perfect. Some of his ponderings of religions and faith were so interesting. I usually zone out at stuff like this as it can sometimes be preachy but I never felt like that and some of his discussions about religions and faith were the parts I loved in this book.

-- “It sounds to me, young one," Haddek said, "that you are searching for something that cannot be found."
"The truth?" Sazed said.
"No," Haddek replied. "A religion that requires no faith of its believers.”

Marsh wow Marsh’s fate was one that was difficult. The struggles that he had with himself and what he has become. The battles between Marsh and Vin were epic and heartbreaking as once they saved each other’s lives and now are enemies.

Everything came full circle and the ending was emotional, as I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to many of the characters in this. Now at the end looking back I don’t see how it could have ended any other way and been right.

The Shakespearean adage that "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them" springs readily to mind at the beginning of THE HERO OF AGES, the spectacular and moving culmination of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. Having had greatness thrust upon them, Vin and Elend have managed to claw their way to competence in their leadership roles, but will that be enough to save their rapidly dying world? This mission seems to be on very shaky ground at the beginning of the book, and our heroes seem to be at somewhat of a loss as to how to even begin on the road to salvation. There is a certain desperate aimlessness to their actions and goals throughout a substantial proportion of the book, which actually feels entirely authentic in light of the situation with which they are faced and the modest pool of knowledge and experience that is theirs to draw upon. Uncertainty and fear of making the wrong choices is perhaps the most dominant theme throughout the book, a theme that is not only appropriate to the story but had real emotional impact on me as a reader, since it is also so eminently applicable to the lives of any and all human beings.

This uncertainty manifests in various ways in THE HERO OF AGES, but the most enthralling and thought-provoking for me was its manifestation in questions about faith, religion, and the nature of divinity. If there are many religions to choose from, does that mean one is right and all the others are wrong? How can a religion teach both love and violence against the unbelievers? How can a benevolent god let horrific things happen to good people? Is belief in a great human being enough to deify them? Is our desire to believe in SOMETHING enough justification for ignoring the self-contradictions embedded in every religion? These are obviously questions that not only work as part of the story but are also highly relevant to our own world. In fact, they are asked so pointedly that I got the feeling they were questions that were close to the author's heart, as they are to mine.

Vin, Elend, and their crew have to try to find answers to these seemingly unanswerable questions and many others in order to save their people and their world from ultimate destruction. This monumental task makes for a suitably monumental conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy, and while much attention is given to matters of the mind and heart, THE HERO OF AGES is also every bit as action-packed as the other books in the series, achieving great balance between the physical, the mental, and the emotional. It provides a conclusion both cerebral and visceral which, in true Brandon Sanderson style, leaves the reader's mind reeling as the plot twists and turns upon itself to finally reveal that nothing is ever quite what it seems. In fact, it fulfills with great flair what I believe to be one of the most important functions of stories: It reminds us that anything is possible.

This review has SPOILERS FOR FIRST TWO BOOKS although I will try to give nothing away of this book.

Writing a review for this book seems impossible. For one, I cannot contain what I felt for this book in one post. Or two. I would need to have a very long conversation that stretched days in order to really get across what I felt. For another, it seems like a lie to say this series is over. Technically, I know it's not. There are the Wax & Wayne books, the first of which is already released, and two more series planned in this world. But the original Mistborn trilogy is all done, everything tied up nicely with a bow. After spending about three months living in this world with these characters I feel empty. Yes, I have a book hangover.

This book picks up not too long after the last one. Elend is emperor and Vin is empress. They must try and unite all the world in preparation for the end of said world. For the god (entity?) Ruin has been released and this is the purpose of his existence. With a creature that can do all but read thoughts, our heroes must find a way to prevail or watch as their world is buried in ash.

The strangest thing about this one is that, barring a chapter or two, takes place exclusively outside Luthadel. Luthadel is a city I have come to know so well I feel I could give guided tours of it. Suddenly, spending time in Fadrex and Urtea I felt out of place. It didn't take long, though, to realize that rather than location-driven (as I think there may be a case for this in the first two) it is completely character-driven. It didn't matter where they were; I would follow them anywhere.

Speaking of characters, I came to grow very fond of one in particular- Spook. He's always been a minor character when compared to the rest of the cast. Here he's clearly one of the main characters. And I loved it. It's as if Brandon Sanderson was growing him in a garden, waiting for him to bloom, before showcasing him in such a way. I also felt very able to connect with him, more so than any other character in the series. If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen my many posts about needing to give Spook a hug.

As for the rest of the characters, I still think fondly of them all. Each character had a satisfying (and sometimes too satisfying) conclusion. Over the course of the whole series, though, Sanderson has done a great job of not dragging a character out or not using enough of them. He really knows how to get the best of each character.

The ending of this one has left me reeling. I think about it every day since finishing (I finished it earlier this week but wasn't coherent enough to write a review) and will think of it more still. It's one that is bittersweet. Good in many ways, but also sad in many ways. It's haunting and resonating- a beautiful feat for any huge-sized series.

I once heard someone say that if they had one wish, it would be to see their favorite movie again as if for the first time. Go into it without expecting anything and coming out with everything. That's how I feel about these books. I want to keep enjoying them again and again, with a fresh mind so that I can take everything in.

Thank you, Mr. Sanderson, for writing such an amazing trilogy.

Wow! Just wow! I have thought since the first book that this was some of the most creative writing and imaginative story I have ever read. Hero of Ages did not disappoint in the least. What started out as a fantastic series ended in a flaring array of allomantic power. Brandon Sanderson is a genius.

So why do I think so highly of this series? There are a few reasons. The first is the shear breadth of world building. I've been reading fantasy for years, but what Sanderson does is astounding. Each layer of the world, each character created, each religion and history is so entwined with each other. There is a reason for everything but these are only revealed when appropriate.

The scope of the world and the detail the author crafts does not bog down the story. Sanderson gives the reader just enough detail to describe the scene but doesn't clog the writing. I never once felt like there was too much. His command of colorful description is excellent. I never got bored with the writing. Once I started the book it was as if I traveled on a fasted paced roller coaster to the very end.

It was just great. I feel like I'm gushing and repeating myself but this series has quickly become my favorite fantasy series. Ever since I finished I've mulled the events in my head. I'll miss the characters. That tells me the quality of the writing is of the highest.

In Sanderson's thrilling and resounding conclusion to his Mistborn trilogy, he doesn't hold back, skillfully bringing all the different pieces, sub-plots, and characters together in a fitting end to the series. While Sanderson has admitted that he may return to the mistborn world one day, it will be set hundreds of years in the future or past. Nevertheless The Hero of Ages weighs in at almost six hundred pages and offers a very satisfying finish for its complex and powerful characters.

The Well of Ascension has been found by the supposed Hero of Ages, Vin, and the power has been released, except it is an evil spirit, Ruin, who seeks to end the world with the help of its deadly inquisitors. The ash from the ashmount is falling thicker and stronger, choking the lands, preventing life from growing or surviving, while the great volcanoes are beginning to thunder to life, and the mists continue to terrify everyone, leaving some dead, others deathly ill, perpetuating the mystery.

Elend Venture, now emperor of the realm has two kingdoms to ally with in preparation for the end and the oncoming battle. Leaving with Vin, he heads to Fadrex City which was formerly Cett's kingdom, but is now under the control of the obligator Lord Yomen, along with his army of koloss. Spook, Ham, Breeze and others head for Urteau under the control of the maniacal Quellion. But Ruin is somehow able to control both Yomen and Quellion, as well as stealing control over the koloss, outweighing the odds against Emperor Venture and his people.

Then there are the mysterious kandra race who are in a crisis of faith, for their sole existence is based upon the Contract which was written by the Lord Ruler, who is no longer; does the Contract therefore no longer apply? There is the trial of TenSoon who has slain one of their own. The First Generation of kandra sit silent and undecided, while the later generations are anxious and impatient, unsure whether to adhere to the Contract or rebel.

Finally there is the great Sazed, the scholar who has lost his faith and will having researched every religion but one and finding nothing but lies and obfuscation. It is with this last religion, the religion of his Terris people that is somehow tied to that of the kandra, that he holds on with a sliver of hope, seeking some final answers to the meaning behind the world, its gods, its peoples.

In The Hero of Ages, Sanderson ratchets everything up to its highest point, with the end times approaching and all hope dwindling. The reader is hooked to the very last page, unsure of what will happen, who will survive, and wondering if this might really be the end of everything?

Check out the BookBanter podcast for an interview with Brandon Sanderson at: [...]

This is the third and final book in the Mistborn Trilogy. It was a wonderful conclusion to this epic fantasy and I really enjoyed it.

Elend and Vin have left the city of Luthadel to find the remaining hidden caches of the Lord Ruler in hopes that these caches will give some hints as to how to save the land. The mists that have been consuming the land are getting worse and claiming more lives every day. But it is the falling Ash that will be the end of the people, as it covers the land and blocks out the sun things are getting more and more desperate. Elend, Vin, and their crew are up for their greatest challenge yet...how do you stop a God of Ruin from destroying your world?

If you liked the first two books you will enjoy this one. Many of the small events that didn't quite make sense in the first books are all drawn together in this book. There is a lot of war, strategy, and explanation behind the origins of the metal based magics. We also get a lot of explanation into how the different races were created. The theme that seems to underlay this book is one of faith; faith in each other and in our beliefs.

There is significantly less characterization in this book and the reader is switched between four or five different points of view throughout the story. This doesn't detract from the story though, although the book does get a bit slow mid-way through it quickly picks up pace again. In the end this book features Spook and Sazed more than Vin and Elend, although Vin and Elend still play prominent roles throughout.

All in all it tied up the series nicely. The plot kept me guessing and took twists and turns that were unexpected, which was refreshing. The way everything tied together was masterful and intricate. Sanderson is an excellent writer and this book shows that. The ending was definitely bittersweet and may bring on a few tears and sniffles.

Overall another exceptional book by Sanderson. I look forward to reading more books from him in the future! I have The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive) on my shelf waiting for me to pick it up.

Fantasy lovers looking for something a little different, but still solid, cannot go wrong with this series. All three books were masterfully done, and Sanderson is a genius world builder. The thought and science behind the magic of "Allomancy" is as well-crafted as the intricate languages that Tolkien brought to the Lord of the Rings.

One of my problems with the second book, the mildly annoying romance between Elend and Vin, vanished in this book. For one, there was just no time for miscommunication and young love (what with the world ending and all). For two, the couple had grown beyond that point into something much better.

I was worried that the "twists" promised to me and "seemingly insignificant details from the first books coming into play" would be lame or letdowns, but they were not...not at all. You will never guess what any of the little signs or seeming inconsistencies will lead to. This book really did have me guessing until the end, something so often promised and so rarely delivered.

I'm crossing my fingers this gets picked up by a production company. With ash-spewing volcanoes, sentient mists and a barren, dying landscape, it will be a visual director's dream. And I don't want to give away any spoilers, but oh-my-god the ending! Squee!

Sometimes I felt the story buckled a bit under the weight of its own intricacies and complications. Metal spikes, mind control, who controls who through what power based on who is insane and who has strong sense of will but is impaled by too many spikes but not enough Bronze to the power of pi. I mean, it all makes /sense/ in the end, but it's arguably a bit much at times.

The themes of the book: faith, trust, and the power of love and humanity vs. the power of hate and destruction, are not new, but I appreciated Sanderson's take on faith especially. I am not, whatsoever, a religious person, so I'm a hard sell on books that rely on faith as a plot device, but it works here because Sanderson has the intelligence to use it subtly. This might seem an odd thing to say since, as I pointed out, it is a theme of the books and is discussed extensively in this one, but it's the questioning of faith and the debate of different faiths versus the absolute "truth" that fuels the voyage to the end, not a character's 500-page fanatical, fundamentalist insistence that "something" would take care of him, and that /his/ version of that something is the only something.

There was very little left up in the air at the end, save for one specific detail. I wonder if that was just an eternal question left for readers, or if it means Sanderson plans to return to this world again. Whatever his plans for the future, I look forward to his next novel.

I'm extremely impressed with Brandon Sanderson's first fantasy trilogy. The entire story was carefully thought out, well-plotted, and well-paced. What impresses me most is that in this last installment, The Hero of Ages, there are plenty of wonderful surprises left.

But these surprises aren't little add-ons that Sanderson lately thought up and decided to throw in just to keep up the interest and excitement. These are major pieces of the puzzle that have purposely been left for the characters (and therefore the readers) to discover. Back in The Final Empire, the first book of the Mistborn trilogy, I thought Brandon Sanderson had created a unique and really cool magic system. That was nothin' -- it gets even better!

Finally, we understand the origin and purpose of the koloss, kandra, and inquisitors. Now we know what the Lord Ruler has been about for his 1000 year reign, what the mists are doing, and how people get allomantic powers. All of our questions are answered in fact, and you probably will have guessed some of the answers, but others will surprise you, I think. The end of The Hero of Ages is bittersweet, just as I like my fantasy. We are left with hope and light, not in despair, but there was a high cost to what was achieved.

One thing I particularly liked about this series is the way that the "bad guys" are not universally and one-dimensionally evil (except for one, who is an evil "force"). Some of them aren't really "bad guys" at all. In addition, most of the characters are logical, no matter which "side" they're on. The "enemies" are just as reasonable, intelligent, and well-spoken as our heroes. Vin, Elend, Spook, Sazed (etc.) don't blow anyone away with superior plans, arguments, or bravery -- they find that their antagonists are just as well prepared.

As usual, the audio version of this novel is high quality. The narrator, Michael Kramer, is excellent, though he was inconsistent with Spook's voice. Mr. Sanderson has drastically cut back on the number of times a character "paused," so that was no longer an irritation.

I heartily recommend the Mistborn series for anyone looking for an original, well constructed epic which is satisfyingly finished in three volumes. If you listen to audiobooks, that's a great format for this series. If you have not read Mistborn, put it at the top of your list.

The Mistborn Trilogy makes complete sense. Sanderson never changes the rules that he started out with in the first book which is very refreshing. This is a book of answers, rarely have I read a book with so much answers explaining and tying loose ends. When you finish the book, You really felt like Sanderson really knew where he was going with this story from book one chapter 1.

This book has everything that the first two books had in it, humor, twist and turns, and a lot of surprising deaths.

Sazed really steps up in this story and has a interesting arc as does Elend. Spook goes from minor character to Major character in this. Vin show all the things that she has learned from the first two books, she reminds me a lot of Luke Skywalker in return of the Jedi.

The Last Two hundred pages are great as aways, This book has three really great chapters at the beginning then begins to slow down until it starts building up to the end. The reason this book gets for stars is there's a lot of repetition throughout, If you've read the first two books it's overkill and because the book had that lull that was hard for me to get through.

As A Trilogy I give this series hands down 5 stars and one that I would highly recommend to some one wanting to get in to fantasy.

The great volcanoes are gradually covering the world in ash and the cloying mists are lasting longer with each passing day. Crops are failing, humanity is divided and the world is dying. Elend Venture, the emperor of humanity, and his Mistborn wife Vin are doing their best to repair the damage caused by events at the Well of Ascension, but their efforts seem in vain. An ancient destructive force has been unleashed upon the world, and many of their allies have been struck down.

Sazed, last of the Terris Keepers, has lost his faith and now struggles to find a reason to live. The kandra TenSoon has been declared a traitor to his people and put on trial. The Steel Inquisitors and the monstrous koloss have found a new master and now prey on the weaker cities of humanity. As unthinkable as it sounds, it appears that removing the Lord Ruler may not have been the wisest of ideas...

The Hero of Ages opens with the world in a pretty apocalyptic state. Things are, as we are told in great detail, very bad indeed and our heroes' struggles to survive without becoming as brutal as the Lord Ruler are testing them to their limits. Sanderson successfully lays on the gloom and darkness throughout the book, creating an oppressive, backs-against-the-wall atmosphere that frequently has the reader scratching their heads and wondering how their heroes are going to get out this mess. The answer comes in a lengthy series of revelations (sometimes skirting perilously close to info-dumps, but Sanderson manages to just about avoid that pitfall) that are stunning, impressive and extremely logical given what has come before.

The characters continue to develop nicely, with some characters who were only in supporting roles in earlier books coming to the fore here, particularly Marsh and Spook. As with the previous book, there is definitely a lessening of the focus on Vin, who becomes just one more member (albeit frequently the most important) of the ensemble cast here rather than the out-and-out heroine. Oddly, this is actually works very well, since Vin's character has been explored and developed in the previous two volumes to the point where there isn't much more to be done with her.

The gloom that fills the book occasionally threatens to make events too bleak, with the wit and humour of the previous books reduced somewhat, but the pace is definitely turned up a notch from the second book and at around the three-quarters mark events explode into motion, carrying us through the hugely ambitious finale. Epic fantasies often collapse during their finale chapters and if Mistborn falters (some events in the Kandra Homeland during the final few chapters don't seem to make much sense given events at the start of the book), it is to a considerably less-pronounced degree than others. The ending is consistent with what has come before, features some excellent twists on the established characters and magic systems, and leaves clear hints of there being more to come, as well as clues for those readers interested in the greater cosmology and universe which Mistborn shares with Elantris, Warbreaker and the forthcoming Stormlight Archive series.

The Hero of Ages (****½) is a ferocious and satisfying conclusion to the Mistborn Trilogy, confirming Sanderson's status as one of the most promising writers to emerge in the field recently. The book is available now in the USA and will be published by Gollancz on 11 February 2010 in the UK.

With THE HERO OF AGES (THOA), Brandon Sanderson completes his intricate Mistborn trilogy.

On the positive side, first of all, there are many more positive things to say about this book than the longer and slower middle-man, WELL OF ASCENSION (WOA).

--There is more variety in the settings and locales where the plot unfolds.
--Considerably more action mixed in with the balls, political, philosophical and religious musings. All the axes and Allomancy flying around remind me of the god-mode frenzies of old.
--Some of the lesser characters become more developed.
--In general, the characters and the decisions they make aren't as simple as choosing between black or white, yes or no.
--A great many revelations and puzzle pieces fall into place, confirming my belief that Sanderson had this whole series VERY well plotted out from the get-go.

The only negative I have is this: Good novels depend on the reader and the characters having a relationship together. The more human the characters are, the higher the chance the reader is going to be engrossed in them and the story. However, here, as some of the best characters became more god-like, I found that it became harder to relate to them as a human.

And that's it. I'm sure there could have been a few other tweaks and edits Sanderson could have done, but overall this last volume was a great conclusion to the trilogy.

You could say that it has renewed my FAITH that there is still hope for the fantasy genre, that not all authors are trying to walk in the paths of Tolkien.

Words. Need to form... words. Wh-what... just happened.

First of all, to all those wondering, yes, Sanderson ties together all the dropped plot threads throughout the entire series. Of course, to us Sanderson fans, that's not necessarily enough because we could spend lives just meandering through this universe that he's created. I digress.

Like the two books before this, the tension just builds forever in this book and is FINALLY release within the last hundred pages. My brother always complains about this, but I say it keeps the momentum going. Yes, the last book is a lot less of a rollercoaster (PLOTWISE) than the other books, but EMOTIONALLY, it KILLED me. I wasn't really surprised at what happened, but the last few pages of this book was so so so beautiful and so well crafted and immensely satisfying.

Perhaps what I liked most about THA is how all the pieces started coming together. SO many mini-explosions in my head every time we figure something out. I can understand why Sanderson is churning out more books within this universe. It's because there's so much more to be explored! You can't finally just figure something out and then end the series! Anyways, if you have any doubts about whether or not to pick up this fantastic series, forget them right now. It has given me a rollercoaster of a ride that I haven't experienced in a LONG time. Ok, now onto some spoilers.

Now, character development. I was really interested to see how Elend being a Mistborn would change his and Vin's relationship. And change Elend in general. But it looks like neither of them underwent much change in this book. Vin was still the most powerful. Elend was still very smart. It was enjoyable to see how their relationship developed into this strong, trustworthy thing though.

I think Sazed and Spook had the most interesting character developments throughout this book. Sazed, mostly because he grapples with such a heavy concept! It was almost--ALMOST--out of place in this world. Basically, he loses faith after what happened in the second book and grapples with whether it should or should not exist. Spook, on the other hand, throws himself into his faith, and grows into a strapping young lad. So different from where we all started in the first book.

******** SPOILER ***********************
I'm just going to go in the order of things that I can't stop thinking about:

First, NO, THE KANDRA! This was probably one of my favorite storylines to follow, especially when I realized that the kandra actually was one of the key components to the Alendi storyline. It was heartbreaking when they all followed the First Contract and end up these floating mistwraiths in the caves. So so sad. I was also upset that Vin didn't get to talk to TenSoon before everyone DIED. I love love love TenSoon.

Second, I love the part where the koloss get to the atium stash and Elend reveals that he had all his soldiers use it up. THAT FATE PUT ALL THESE ATIUM MISTINGS IN THE SAME PLACE. RUIN DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, DID HE?? That was super cool. Mathematical! (Adventure Time reference)

That one passage where it says how Elend was the last to talk to Preservation as he died. So sad.

Sazed being GOD?? Like what? But super cool that he used the truths found in each religion WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THESE RELIGIONS ARE NONSENSICAL has the ability to NOT alienate an atheist like me. This part was possibly the coolest part in the entire book; watching Sazed rebuild the world we all know and love(?). Also, I think this part is the first time that I realized that these "humans" actually looked differently than actual humans. What were they supposed to look like then? I've been picturing them basically the same as us.

Also THE EARRING!!!! TAKE IT OFF, VIN. TAKE IT OFF. This and Marsh was just so hard to watch. Marsh, hiding, biding his time in the only little corner of his mind he can afford while Ruin has him under control. I can't believe Ruin has been so present in her entire life... that he MANUFACTURED SO THAT VIN HAS A TINY TINY SPIKE IN HER THIS WHOLE TIME. Man, Sanderson.

***************************** END SPOILER *****************************

What a way to end the trilogy. I look forward to diving into more of his work.

(Note: Spoilers for the first two books in the series).

The "Mistborn" trilogy comes to a close in "The Hero Of Ages". While Sanderson does tend to resolve his plots more than many series fantasy authors, there's still a lot of payoff here. It's well-planned payoff - it answers questions and points out connections you missed; there's no sense of retconning or hurried rewriting. That said, he doesn't really have enough characters to hang his plot on.

Spook and Tensoon get a lot of welcome page time; they're good characters (particularly Tensoon) as well as good drivers for the plot, although Spook seems slightly superfluous in some ways. But the rest of the time the book's focus is on Elend, Vin, and Sazed again; with the amount of exploration these characters have already had, this isn't 100% a good thing. Vin has rather a lot to do, and Elend has an Empire to run. But we linger with Sazed a little more than his character, my favorite in the first book, supports. The challenges to his faith are understandable, but Sanderson drags them out too long.

Sanderson continues with his organized and systematic magic systems playing important roles. Hemalurgy - the magic of the Inquisitors - plays a key role in a number of respects, and is used in a nicely subtle manner at points. And there's a few surprises left in Allomancy, without feeling gratuitous.

The main thrust of the plot is the world slowly dying in the aftermath of the events of "Well of Ascension", where the malign force of Ruin was let loose. Vin and Elend chase the hints left behind by the Lord Ruler, securing buried storage caches. Spook is sent alone to spy on a city sitting on one of these caches, where rule-by-Skaa has descended into Soviet-style thuggery; it runs mostly as a side story, though it ties together in the end.

Indeed, though the book has some pacing problems the payoff is remarkably good in general. Sanderson is excellent as ever with his foreshadowing and reveals; things make perfect sense even if you don't see them coming. The ultimate fates of a couple key characters are oddly left out of the book, but apart from that Sanderson pulls it off. By the end, "The Hero of Ages" is a fitting capstone to the Mistborn trilogy.

I confess I have a very, very hard time finishing things I love because I don't want them to end. I mean, it took me seven years to read the last Harry Potter book, if that tells you anything. So, I knew this series was going to be a favorite when I started putting off finishing it (although that's kind of contradictory). I just didn't want to let go of the world or the characters. But I did and it was singlehandedly the most epic finale I've ever experienced.

This series ranks in my top books of all time. This is my adult Harry Potter. If that's not enough of a recommendation, I don't know what is.

"The Hero of Ages" is a great end to the "Mistborn" trilogy. It has a right balance of action and philosophy, just a little bit of romance and enough surprising plot twists to keep the reader constantly on the edge. As expected, in this novel Brandon Sanderson explains all the mysteries and ties all the knots. Well, almost all. The reader is left with just enough to ponder and think about future fate of the heroes. Even though the ending was not the one I anticipated, I liked it, as it is the most plausible and realistic. Anyway, as realistic, as fantasy gets.

By the end of the second book, the world of mists looked doomed. Constantly falling ashes, mists that kill people, dark forces that were getting more and more powerful... I felt the depression and frustration of the heroes and wondered with them, whether there is any hope. And I am glad, that Brandon Sanderson found the way out of "gloom and doom". "The Hero of Ages" is a good reading, and not only because it takes your mind of current affairs. But when you eventually get back to the reality, finishing the last page, you should be able to put current affairs into right perspective.

For the fantasy fans who haven't read the first two books, I highly recommend picking up "Final Empire" and then "Well of Ascension". This trilogy is one of the best fantasy series that were published lately.
Till recently, I was unaware that Brandon Sanderson was asked to complete the last book in "Wheel of time" enlogy by R. Jordan. However, after reading "Mistborn", I have no doubt that he is up to this task.

The Final Empire, the first volume of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy kicked my ass (in a good way). A great blend of original ideas, charming characters a nicely self-contained story (no real cliffhangers to speak of), and good ol' fashioned '80's style fantasy. It brought me back to my roots, reminded me of when I first discovered the genre through the likes of Terry Brooks, Raymond E. Feist and R.A. Salvatore. Maybe not for everyone, in the age of Joe Abercrombies and Hal Duncans, but an accessible novel that left me wanting more.

Sanderson followed that up with The Well of Ascension, which turned out to be a massive disappointment. Instead of delivering on the promises of the first novel, Sanderson left his characters at a stalemate, giving them time to evolve, sure, but grinding the plot and world development to a halt. Gone were most of the most interesting elements of The Final Empire (the forbidding Steel Inquisitors, most notably) and in their place were insipid, weak characters dealing with politics and love stories that I just didn't give a damn about. Elend, in particular, regressed from a confident paramour to a self-doubting child thrust into a position of rule. It felt false, and, even worse, pointless.

So, home-run in his first at-bat, flaming strikeout in his second, how was Sanderson to fare with his third (and final) attempt? Let's call it a ground-rule-double. The Hero of Ages succeeds, but doesn't quite hit it out of the park like the first volume.

Sanderson's an exhaustive outliner, so it's frustrating to wade through so much useless plot (the Siege of Luthadel in The Well of Ascension, the stale retread of bringing down a corrupt leader (two, actually) in The Hero of Ages) and self-indulgent character development at the cost of telling a fast, interesting story. It's somewhat fitting that Sanderson was chosen to finish Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, considering how strongly the Mistborn `trilogy' screams to be a duology. Sanderson is known for his breakneck endings (and Hero of Ages is no exception), but one has to wonder how the series could have succeeded if he had simply taken the plotting, action and revelations from the second and third volumes and worked it into one novel, cutting out all the fat that bloats down the first half of each.

Still, Sanderson should be lauded for his endings, and his labyrinthine plotting. Once the revelations start rolling in, it's clear that Sanderson had things under control from the very beginning. Seemingly small elements from the early pages of The Final Empire fall into place and have cataclysmic effects on the outcome of the series. The final 200 pages of the novel fly by as Sanderson brings the series to a satisfying, shocking conclusion. And, hell, he leaves a body count of major players that would make even George R.R. Martin blush.

Despite my grumblings about Sanderson spending so many of the early pages on philosophical/religious/political ramblings and theories, it was nice to see him using these to expand the roles of some of the minor characters from earlier in the series. We finally see Sazed come into his own, as he struggles with inner demons. Marsh continues to kick ass and treads the thin line between villain and saviour, with the reader never quite knowing which side he is truly on. And TenSoon gives a unique perspective of the events, as well as being a key to many of the series secrets. It may have been unnecessary, but that constant internal monologuing of all the Point-of-View characters certainly leaves the series with a strong, memorable cast of characters.

Sanderson tries to avoid the dreaded infodump by doling out a lot of information and history through the `epigraphs' before each chapter. These short snippets of text (a sentence to a couple of paragraphs long) were always a highlight, something I was constantly eager to get to, for they held many secrets, but also seemed like a bit of a cop-out. He wanted to avoid infodumps in the text, but, you know... `A rose called by any other name is still a rose.'

Sanderson's prose and dialogue continues along the same course set by the first two volumes. It's serviceable, and his description is never too much, but often feels mechanical and over-polished, like Sanderson's forcing the pieces together to make a point, rather than letting it all fall into place naturally. He also paints his characters with a rather modern brush, and it doesn't always work.

In all, Hero of Ages is a marked improvement on The Well of Ascension, but can't quite live up to the promises made by The Final Empire. The plot twists are strong, the characters well-realized and the action is frenetic, but the politicking is wearying, the love stories are forced and the pacing is, at times, scattered and slow as watching grass grow. In an age where Fantasy series often fall off the tracks, hit double-digits in number of volumes and putter out towards the end, Sanderson manages to tie off a compelling story in only three volumes... it's just too bad he couldn't have done it in two.

This was incredible. Sanderson carried the action from The Well of Ascension and brought it to bear in Hero of Ages. While it moved slow at times in the early going, it was great to see some new point of view perspectives and many new twists to the magic system of Allomancy.

There is much more exploration of history and the old religions, and how it all ties into what's going on in the modern times. It is very tough to avoid spoilers here, as Sanderson does a remarkable job of tying up all of his loose ends, even some that I didn't realize were loose ends early on in the first books.

A surprise ending. While I was able to piece some of it together as I was reading and make a few decent predictions, I was still pretty far off the big picture of that finale. Again, I have to be vague so that the effect won't be spoiled by those reading this review. I read it with no hints other than what Sanderson himself was weaving into the text, and the overall impact of the ending was fantastic. It was satisfying, pulling on several emotions all at once. And that's all I'll say about that.

But I will say this. If the Mistborn series is any indication to the quality of work that Brandon Sanderson is giving to the final Wheel of Time books, Jordan fans and Sanderson fans alike are in for a serious treat. Luckily, I count myself as both......

Summary:
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The Hero of Ages is a satisfying conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The battle between Preservation and Ruin come to a very dramatic conclusion and a very interesting beginning for what will hopefully be a new series.
The novel wraps up all the lose ends but it takes a long time to get there. My only issue with the novel is that it could have been editted down by 150 to 200 pages without losing anything in the condensation.

World Setting:
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The world is very well developed with some very interesting concepts. The classic battle between good and evil is switched to a battle between Preservation and Ruin/chaos. Creation is not possible without some part Preservation and Ruin which is the crux of the conflict. It is a good point played out very well.

Characters:
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The characters are well developed and make for very enjoyable reading. Most of the main characters do not survive which just feels right considering the world is just about to be destroyed. The author respects the scale of destruction/chaos very well.

Prose:
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The writing style is very effective and enjoyable. The only issue is that the amount of writing could be condensed without sacraficing anything. The descriptions are quite affective.

While The Hero of Ages lacks some of the strong character performances of Mistborn and The Well of Ascension, author Brandon Sanderson redeems the novel with an operatic finale worthy of the series. The novel's strength is the meticulous plot; Sanderson clearly and carefully structured the scope and storyline of the three novels well before he wrote a single word of Mistborn. The plot twists impress me the most. Not only are they shocking, they are supported by the precision of Sanderson's text. This is what I like most about Sanderson: He is as concerned with HOW he writes as much as with WHAT he writes.

I am a little dissatisfied with the good versus evil storyline. Although Sanderson (through his characters) insists that the story is not "good versus evil," it feels like it is, namely because Ruin is written as a villain. Much of what he says makes sense, however because he is unsympathetic, it is difficult to identify with him.

Overall, the joy of Sanderson's series has been experiencing and solving the puzzles of the Final Empire. He populates his world with original, mysterious creations--Allomancy, koloss, kandra, etc.--and in The Hero of Ages he ties everything together. The various themes--the importance of religion, the dichotomy of life and death, the grim realities of leadership--also show Sanderson to be a writer of substance and not just style. I eagerly await his next novel, even if it is the end of Robert Jordan's plodding Wheel of Time series.

The back book cover appropriately summarizes the story.
It’s interesting that the characters question if the evil emperor they killed was in fact so evil, or was he trying to do what was in the overall best interest of the county. Sanderson makes us see even the struggles that a dictator must go through to try to rule.
Again, there are wars and killing and a very thought-provoking statement from the villain of the story. “Vin, Vin. Why can’t you see? This isn’t about good or evil. Morality doesn’t enter into it. Good men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil men—only the things they want are different.”
Vin fell silent. “
The reader will continue to ponder these and other thoughts as this great story plays out.
You should read all three books in the Mistborn series, in order, to appreciate the great writing and story-telling of author Sanderson.

The final book in a trilogy really makes it, and I have to say this book lifts the Mistborn trilogy into the category of "brilliant". Everything is flawlessly pulled together in a way that make you realise how carefully structured the trilogy is as a whole. It's rare that a fantasy novel can give me an ending that is both unexpected and satisfying (usually it's one or the other) but this does both.

I love where Sanderson has taken this trilogy - from destroying the Lord Ruler to realising that maybe that wasn't such a great idea, to believing the Well of Ascension would solve everything, to realising maybe that wasn't such a great idea also. Consequences seem to be the main theme driving this trilogy - happy endings don't just happen magically because you slew the bad guy. The characters have grown since the first book, especially the minor characters. Sazed and Spook feature as major characters in this book alongside Elend and Vin. Elend and Vin's trust in each other is a note of light in a world that appears to be ending around them. Sazed's soul-searching journey to find 'truth' fleshes him out as a character.

Definitely read the first two first, and definitely finish this series if you start it. It's totally worth it.

The epic conclusion of the Mistborn Trilogy, The Hero of Ages, by Brandon Sanderson does not disappoint. This novel was filled with so many twists and turns and grand revelations, which had be thinking, "Well played, Mr. Sanderson," as I read it. The well-written characters have become some of my all-time favorites, particularly Vin and Sazed. I think Spook grew the most of all the characters, and I felt for Sazed, who struggled to find himself again. The plot and world-building were phenomenal. The pace slowed a little with some overwriting and repetition, but it wasn't bothersome enough to knock this book down a star. Brandon Sanderson's The Hero of Ages is now my favorite book of the series, and I can't wait to read more from this extraordinary author.

A great ending to the Mistborn Trilogy. As usual, Sanderson starts off slowly and picks up the pace near the middle/end. Within the book, we see how the team and world has coped with the increasing mists and ash, after the release of a very dark force in book 2. One year has gone by since book 2 and the team has been slowly getting clues about who and what Ruin is. The main viewpoint characters continue to be Vin, Elend, and Sazed, but with an interesting addition...Spook. In book three we see him come into his own through a rebellion in a Western city.

I won't say that the book will have you gripped right away; that just isn't how Sanderson works. But once you get immersed, it'll be hard to stop reading. The epigraphs of each chapter are very telling, unlike the ones in book 2, and you will have many of your questions that you've had since book 1 answered. The story is more or less wrapped up in a nice little bow, but has also been left open enough for additional Mistborn stories later on (which, I might add, Sanderson has said one will come out sometime next year). All in all, if you are a fan of Sanderson and Mistborn, you'll enjoy this conclusion.

Easily the most epic ending I have ever read. This book is inspiring and has made me love Brandon Sanderson even more. The entire series is the most spectacular journey and the ending does not disappoint, in fact it surpassed my high expectations. I love Vin. I love Elend, especially after his tremendous growth in this book. Sazed's arc is the calmest and least exciting, but it payed off. Sanderson is a master at foreshadowing. He was dropping hints everywhere and the entire time I was thinking "I really hope this pays off. He's dropped a hint that this thing is important fifteen times now - I hope it pays off." I can tell you this: It payed off.

Brandon Sanderson, unlike so many others, finished a trilogy with flying colors ("The Hero of Ages" (Tor, $27.95, 576 pages)). Too often, the epic trilogy's strong setup is ruined by a weak payoff - but Sanderson slays that dragon in the satisfying conclusion of the Mistborn series.

Even better, there aren't any dragons on Sanderson's saga, though there are plenty of unusual characters, and a carefully worked-out magical system. Those who have read the first two books ("Mistborn" and "The Well of the Ascension") should definitely get on board for volume three, and now that the trilogy is complete, I can confidently recommend it to those who are wary of such substantial investments (both financial and time).

Things are a little grim in "The Hero of Ages", as Sanderson doesn't avoid the trap of constant struggle and pain that drags so many trilogies down. It would have been much more pleasant to have had a little joy and light along the way (you'd think more fantasy writers would emulate Tolkien and Christopher Paolini, in that regard), and it would also have developed the characters a little more fully.

Nonetheless, the Mistborn series is one of the best trilogies in recent years, and Sanderson, unlike so many, manages to deliver on the promise of the first two volumes with a worthy, and page-turning, conclusion.

Below is an excerpt of my full review of the Mistborn trilogy:

I believe that the true genius behind a great story is in its simplicity in execution, and Sanderson did that with his characters, the magic system he created and in unfolding the many secrets that kept me asking questions. I love a good mystery, and while the Mistborn trilogy is a fantasy/science fiction book, it has a good level of mystery intertwined that does not get in the way of the plot and further enhances the story. You can walk away from the books with concise, well thought reasons to how it all played out. I had several questions after finishing The Final Empire, but at my friend's suggestion, I continued reading so as to prevent spoiling myself. This is how I believed Lost would have ended, with answers truly being answered and not simply thrown into place for the sake of things. It goes back to deus ex machine, or the lack thereof. This book delivers in so many ways.

There are many characters in the book and initially I thought that perhaps I would become inundated with character overload, but that did not happen. The interaction between characters is believable. No one says the right thing at the right time all of the time, mistakes are made, facts are proven wrong, and secrets reveal a greater wisdom than one could have imagined. It takes a great story teller to have their audience sympathize with a tyrant and become attached with so many characters. The trilogy even has a love story involved, and much like everything else, it is believable and fits.

Words such as hate, love, and epic are grandiosely used in society and on the web so much that they have greatly lost their value and significance. When I called this story epic, I sincerely mean that it is one of the best stories I have ever read.

The Hero of Ages, the third installment of the Mistborn saga is a tome clocking in at 724 pages. At about the halfway point I started to feel the length of the book, from halfway to about 3/4 I was starting to wish for it to end. Finally, the last 10 - 25% it all became worth it for me.

Sanderson exhibits many of the same flaws he did in The Final Empire. Both books deal with discoveries about the world in with the Mistborns live. In each case he uses a formula of foreshadowing the revelation, showing the setup, showing several examples of similar setups and how they relate to the foreshadow, then finally tying the foreshadow into the setup. In both cases there were a few too many examples. The foreshadow and setup were linked closely enough to make the pairing obvious.

Where this book redeemed itself for me is in the conclusion. There are quite a few examples of mysteries throughout the book where we've been told the answer, then quietly misdirected away from it. When Sanderson does wrap it all up he does so in a very nice package that is in no way incongruous with the world. That's what I love to see in epic fantasy.

If you choose to read Hero of Ages, and I would encourage you to, know that it's some work and there is a lull but the pay-off is there.

Fantastic ending to a thrilling trilogy. I want to talk about my thoughts for the trilogy as a whole in this review, but first - a few things about the book itself.

Sanderson takes about half the book to build up for what is bound to be a spectacular finish. This is something that actually started to bother me a bit in this book because it's hard work to restrain the impulse to look ahead in the book and figure out how it all works out!

As I read this third installment of the Mistborn trilogy I could hear the clicks in my mind, checking off each confusing element, fusing together bits and pieces given in the first two books - basically making the story one that was very plausible and fantastic. The ONLY real complaint I had was I thought it was completely unnecessary to give a name to the final being - especially a name that holds so many meanings for many people. But in a way, I guess it makes sense. It just took away the fantasy element for me and made me go "hrm". Read the book - you'll understand (possibly!). If not, then just ignore this!

So on the trilogy as a whole - it's fantastic. I'd heard of Sanderson only when I learned he was to finish the Wheel of Time series started by Robert Jordan. So I decided to check him out. I now know that those final two books should be pretty damn good and.. dangit I'm going to have to go through some of the boring ones again and get caught up when they come out.

Sanderson creates a very intricate, very believable and VERY fascinating set of magic rules. His world is incredibly immersive - to the point where I felt as if I was watching a movie; my imagination was stimulated that much. I blew through these books and was unable to put them down, I even walked around the house with my nose buried in them.

I am already making plans to own the trilogy and I plan to recommend it to fellow fantasy lovers - my dad included. If you are a fantasy lover and have not read these books put them on your list!

"The Hero of Ages" is the conclusion to Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn" trilogy, following "The Final Empire" and "The Well of Ascension". Of the three volumes, "The Hero of Ages" is the weakest, though it serves as a decent conclusion to an excellent trilogy.

At the end of "The Well of Ascension", the young Mistborn Vin was tricked into freeing the malevolent godlike being known as Ruin. True to its name, Ruin has been busy spreading death, destruction and despair with gleeful abandon in the year since, while Vin and her husband, Emperor Elend Venture, desperately seek some way to stop it. They are following a series of clues and secret supply caches built by the old Lord Ruler, who was killed by Vin in "The Final Empire". The Lord Ruler had struggled with Ruin for a thousand years, and hid these resources for his followers to use in the event of his death. Other surviving members of Kelsier's crew have split up to confront the most powerful remaining warlords, hoping to convince them to join with Elend and try to deal with the ever-present mists and choking rains of ash that Ruin is using to destroy the world.

The conflict with Ruin, the associated backstory involving Ruin's counterpart Preservation, and the apocalyptic situation all give "The Hero of Ages" a much more mythological and cosmological atmosphere than "The Final Empire" and "The Well of Ascension". The wide-ranging conflict, which scatters groups of characters to distant locations, also contrasts with the earlier books' focus on relatively few characters in a single city. Sanderson seems more comfortable writing stories with cozier settings, and the broader scope also weakens what character development he attempts, which focuses on Sazed and Spook. The story culminates in a conclusion that is far too "deus" for my tastes, and toes the line of what I can stand.

At the same time, "The Hero of Ages" also lacks the compelling hooks that help make the other "Mistborn" books more interesting than standard fantasy fare. "The Final Empire" has the "heist story" framework as well as the backstory of a world in which the Dark Lord had (apparently) defeated the hero of prophesy. "The Well of Ascension" considers what exactly happens after tyranny is overthrown and victory declared. In contrast, "The Hero of Ages" may be Sanderson's most conventional fantasy yet: the world is threatened by a powerful destructive force that the heroes must outwit and overcome.

Even Sanderson's elaborate magic system becomes problematic as the ever-expanding details of the tripartite allomancy-feruchemy-hemalurgy construction multiply to a somewhat unwieldy size. Many of the blurbs that introduce each chapter, which were used to great effect in the other volumes, now need to be omniscient explanations of just what exactly is going on.

"The Hero of Ages" is a decent conclusion to an excellent trilogy, which manages to tie together all three books, and even hints at yet "another secret" lurking beneath the surface. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite rise to the level of its predecessors, the level we've come to expect from Sanderson. I hope the chapter-by-chapter annotations that Sanderson is currently posting on his Web site will shed some light on the reasons why.

In Sanderson's thrilling and resounding conclusion to his Mistborn trilogy, he doesn't hold back, skillfully bringing all the different pieces, sub-plots, and characters together in a fitting end to the series. While Sanderson has admitted that he may return to the mistborn world one day, it will be set hundreds of years in the future or past. Nevertheless The Hero of Ages weighs in at almost six hundred pages and offers a very satisfying finish for its complex and powerful characters.

The Well of Ascension has been found by the supposed Hero of Ages, Vin, and the power has been released, except it is an evil spirit, Ruin, who seeks to end the world with the help of its deadly inquisitors. The ash from the ashmount is falling thicker and stronger, choking the lands, preventing life from growing or surviving, while the great volcanoes are beginning to thunder to life, and the mists continue to terrify everyone, leaving some dead, others deathly ill, perpetuating the mystery.

Elend Venture, now emperor of the realm has two kingdoms to ally with in preparation for the end and the oncoming battle. Leaving with Vin, he heads to Fadrex City which was formerly Cett's kingdom, but is now under the control of the obligator Lord Yomen, along with his army of koloss. Spook, Ham, Breeze and others head for Urteau under the control of the maniacal Quellion. But Ruin is somehow able to control both Yomen and Quellion, as well as stealing control over the koloss, outweighing the odds against Emperor Venture and his people.

Then there are the mysterious kandra race who are in a crisis of faith, for their sole existence is based upon the Contract which was written by the Lord Ruler, who is no longer; does the Contract therefore no longer apply? There is the trial of TenSoon who has slain one of their own. The First Generation of kandra sit silent and undecided, while the later generations are anxious and impatient, unsure whether to adhere to the Contract or rebel.

Finally there is the great Sazed, the scholar who has lost his faith and will having researched every religion but one and finding nothing but lies and obfuscation. It is with this last religion, the religion of his Terris people that is somehow tied to that of the kandra, that he holds on with a sliver of hope, seeking some final answers to the meaning behind the world, its gods, its peoples.

In The Hero of Ages, Sanderson ratchets everything up to its highest point, with the end times approaching and all hope dwindling. The reader is hooked to the very last page, unsure of what will happen, who will survive, and wondering if this might really be the end of everything?

Check out the BookBanter podcast for an interview with Brandon Sanderson at: [...]

This is the third and final book in the Mistborn Trilogy. It was a wonderful conclusion to this epic fantasy and I really enjoyed it.

Elend and Vin have left the city of Luthadel to find the remaining hidden caches of the Lord Ruler in hopes that these caches will give some hints as to how to save the land. The mists that have been consuming the land are getting worse and claiming more lives every day. But it is the falling Ash that will be the end of the people, as it covers the land and blocks out the sun things are getting more and more desperate. Elend, Vin, and their crew are up for their greatest challenge yet...how do you stop a God of Ruin from destroying your world?

If you liked the first two books you will enjoy this one. Many of the small events that didn't quite make sense in the first books are all drawn together in this book. There is a lot of war, strategy, and explanation behind the origins of the metal based magics. We also get a lot of explanation into how the different races were created. The theme that seems to underlay this book is one of faith; faith in each other and in our beliefs.

There is significantly less characterization in this book and the reader is switched between four or five different points of view throughout the story. This doesn't detract from the story though, although the book does get a bit slow mid-way through it quickly picks up pace again. In the end this book features Spook and Sazed more than Vin and Elend, although Vin and Elend still play prominent roles throughout.

All in all it tied up the series nicely. The plot kept me guessing and took twists and turns that were unexpected, which was refreshing. The way everything tied together was masterful and intricate. Sanderson is an excellent writer and this book shows that. The ending was definitely bittersweet and may bring on a few tears and sniffles.

Overall another exceptional book by Sanderson. I look forward to reading more books from him in the future! I have The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive) on my shelf waiting for me to pick it up.

Fantasy lovers looking for something a little different, but still solid, cannot go wrong with this series. All three books were masterfully done, and Sanderson is a genius world builder. The thought and science behind the magic of "Allomancy" is as well-crafted as the intricate languages that Tolkien brought to the Lord of the Rings.

One of my problems with the second book, the mildly annoying romance between Elend and Vin, vanished in this book. For one, there was just no time for miscommunication and young love (what with the world ending and all). For two, the couple had grown beyond that point into something much better.

I was worried that the "twists" promised to me and "seemingly insignificant details from the first books coming into play" would be lame or letdowns, but they were not...not at all. You will never guess what any of the little signs or seeming inconsistencies will lead to. This book really did have me guessing until the end, something so often promised and so rarely delivered.

I'm crossing my fingers this gets picked up by a production company. With ash-spewing volcanoes, sentient mists and a barren, dying landscape, it will be a visual director's dream. And I don't want to give away any spoilers, but oh-my-god the ending! Squee!

Sometimes I felt the story buckled a bit under the weight of its own intricacies and complications. Metal spikes, mind control, who controls who through what power based on who is insane and who has strong sense of will but is impaled by too many spikes but not enough Bronze to the power of pi. I mean, it all makes /sense/ in the end, but it's arguably a bit much at times.

The themes of the book: faith, trust, and the power of love and humanity vs. the power of hate and destruction, are not new, but I appreciated Sanderson's take on faith especially. I am not, whatsoever, a religious person, so I'm a hard sell on books that rely on faith as a plot device, but it works here because Sanderson has the intelligence to use it subtly. This might seem an odd thing to say since, as I pointed out, it is a theme of the books and is discussed extensively in this one, but it's the questioning of faith and the debate of different faiths versus the absolute "truth" that fuels the voyage to the end, not a character's 500-page fanatical, fundamentalist insistence that "something" would take care of him, and that /his/ version of that something is the only something.

There was very little left up in the air at the end, save for one specific detail. I wonder if that was just an eternal question left for readers, or if it means Sanderson plans to return to this world again. Whatever his plans for the future, I look forward to his next novel.

I'm extremely impressed with Brandon Sanderson's first fantasy trilogy. The entire story was carefully thought out, well-plotted, and well-paced. What impresses me most is that in this last installment, The Hero of Ages, there are plenty of wonderful surprises left.

But these surprises aren't little add-ons that Sanderson lately thought up and decided to throw in just to keep up the interest and excitement. These are major pieces of the puzzle that have purposely been left for the characters (and therefore the readers) to discover. Back in The Final Empire, the first book of the Mistborn trilogy, I thought Brandon Sanderson had created a unique and really cool magic system. That was nothin' -- it gets even better!

Finally, we understand the origin and purpose of the koloss, kandra, and inquisitors. Now we know what the Lord Ruler has been about for his 1000 year reign, what the mists are doing, and how people get allomantic powers. All of our questions are answered in fact, and you probably will have guessed some of the answers, but others will surprise you, I think. The end of The Hero of Ages is bittersweet, just as I like my fantasy. We are left with hope and light, not in despair, but there was a high cost to what was achieved.

One thing I particularly liked about this series is the way that the "bad guys" are not universally and one-dimensionally evil (except for one, who is an evil "force"). Some of them aren't really "bad guys" at all. In addition, most of the characters are logical, no matter which "side" they're on. The "enemies" are just as reasonable, intelligent, and well-spoken as our heroes. Vin, Elend, Spook, Sazed (etc.) don't blow anyone away with superior plans, arguments, or bravery -- they find that their antagonists are just as well prepared.

As usual, the audio version of this novel is high quality. The narrator, Michael Kramer, is excellent, though he was inconsistent with Spook's voice. Mr. Sanderson has drastically cut back on the number of times a character "paused," so that was no longer an irritation.

I heartily recommend the Mistborn series for anyone looking for an original, well constructed epic which is satisfyingly finished in three volumes. If you listen to audiobooks, that's a great format for this series. If you have not read Mistborn, put it at the top of your list.

The Mistborn Trilogy makes complete sense. Sanderson never changes the rules that he started out with in the first book which is very refreshing. This is a book of answers, rarely have I read a book with so much answers explaining and tying loose ends. When you finish the book, You really felt like Sanderson really knew where he was going with this story from book one chapter 1.

This book has everything that the first two books had in it, humor, twist and turns, and a lot of surprising deaths.

Sazed really steps up in this story and has a interesting arc as does Elend. Spook goes from minor character to Major character in this. Vin show all the things that she has learned from the first two books, she reminds me a lot of Luke Skywalker in return of the Jedi.

The Last Two hundred pages are great as aways, This book has three really great chapters at the beginning then begins to slow down until it starts building up to the end. The reason this book gets for stars is there's a lot of repetition throughout, If you've read the first two books it's overkill and because the book had that lull that was hard for me to get through.

As A Trilogy I give this series hands down 5 stars and one that I would highly recommend to some one wanting to get in to fantasy.

The great volcanoes are gradually covering the world in ash and the cloying mists are lasting longer with each passing day. Crops are failing, humanity is divided and the world is dying. Elend Venture, the emperor of humanity, and his Mistborn wife Vin are doing their best to repair the damage caused by events at the Well of Ascension, but their efforts seem in vain. An ancient destructive force has been unleashed upon the world, and many of their allies have been struck down.

Sazed, last of the Terris Keepers, has lost his faith and now struggles to find a reason to live. The kandra TenSoon has been declared a traitor to his people and put on trial. The Steel Inquisitors and the monstrous koloss have found a new master and now prey on the weaker cities of humanity. As unthinkable as it sounds, it appears that removing the Lord Ruler may not have been the wisest of ideas...

The Hero of Ages opens with the world in a pretty apocalyptic state. Things are, as we are told in great detail, very bad indeed and our heroes' struggles to survive without becoming as brutal as the Lord Ruler are testing them to their limits. Sanderson successfully lays on the gloom and darkness throughout the book, creating an oppressive, backs-against-the-wall atmosphere that frequently has the reader scratching their heads and wondering how their heroes are going to get out this mess. The answer comes in a lengthy series of revelations (sometimes skirting perilously close to info-dumps, but Sanderson manages to just about avoid that pitfall) that are stunning, impressive and extremely logical given what has come before.

The characters continue to develop nicely, with some characters who were only in supporting roles in earlier books coming to the fore here, particularly Marsh and Spook. As with the previous book, there is definitely a lessening of the focus on Vin, who becomes just one more member (albeit frequently the most important) of the ensemble cast here rather than the out-and-out heroine. Oddly, this is actually works very well, since Vin's character has been explored and developed in the previous two volumes to the point where there isn't much more to be done with her.

The gloom that fills the book occasionally threatens to make events too bleak, with the wit and humour of the previous books reduced somewhat, but the pace is definitely turned up a notch from the second book and at around the three-quarters mark events explode into motion, carrying us through the hugely ambitious finale. Epic fantasies often collapse during their finale chapters and if Mistborn falters (some events in the Kandra Homeland during the final few chapters don't seem to make much sense given events at the start of the book), it is to a considerably less-pronounced degree than others. The ending is consistent with what has come before, features some excellent twists on the established characters and magic systems, and leaves clear hints of there being more to come, as well as clues for those readers interested in the greater cosmology and universe which Mistborn shares with Elantris, Warbreaker and the forthcoming Stormlight Archive series.

The Hero of Ages (****½) is a ferocious and satisfying conclusion to the Mistborn Trilogy, confirming Sanderson's status as one of the most promising writers to emerge in the field recently. The book is available now in the USA and will be published by Gollancz on 11 February 2010 in the UK.

With THE HERO OF AGES (THOA), Brandon Sanderson completes his intricate Mistborn trilogy.

On the positive side, first of all, there are many more positive things to say about this book than the longer and slower middle-man, WELL OF ASCENSION (WOA).

--There is more variety in the settings and locales where the plot unfolds.
--Considerably more action mixed in with the balls, political, philosophical and religious musings. All the axes and Allomancy flying around remind me of the god-mode frenzies of old.
--Some of the lesser characters become more developed.
--In general, the characters and the decisions they make aren't as simple as choosing between black or white, yes or no.
--A great many revelations and puzzle pieces fall into place, confirming my belief that Sanderson had this whole series VERY well plotted out from the get-go.

The only negative I have is this: Good novels depend on the reader and the characters having a relationship together. The more human the characters are, the higher the chance the reader is going to be engrossed in them and the story. However, here, as some of the best characters became more god-like, I found that it became harder to relate to them as a human.

And that's it. I'm sure there could have been a few other tweaks and edits Sanderson could have done, but overall this last volume was a great conclusion to the trilogy.

You could say that it has renewed my FAITH that there is still hope for the fantasy genre, that not all authors are trying to walk in the paths of Tolkien.

Words. Need to form... words. Wh-what... just happened.

First of all, to all those wondering, yes, Sanderson ties together all the dropped plot threads throughout the entire series. Of course, to us Sanderson fans, that's not necessarily enough because we could spend lives just meandering through this universe that he's created. I digress.

Like the two books before this, the tension just builds forever in this book and is FINALLY release within the last hundred pages. My brother always complains about this, but I say it keeps the momentum going. Yes, the last book is a lot less of a rollercoaster (PLOTWISE) than the other books, but EMOTIONALLY, it KILLED me. I wasn't really surprised at what happened, but the last few pages of this book was so so so beautiful and so well crafted and immensely satisfying.

Perhaps what I liked most about THA is how all the pieces started coming together. SO many mini-explosions in my head every time we figure something out. I can understand why Sanderson is churning out more books within this universe. It's because there's so much more to be explored! You can't finally just figure something out and then end the series! Anyways, if you have any doubts about whether or not to pick up this fantastic series, forget them right now. It has given me a rollercoaster of a ride that I haven't experienced in a LONG time. Ok, now onto some spoilers.

Now, character development. I was really interested to see how Elend being a Mistborn would change his and Vin's relationship. And change Elend in general. But it looks like neither of them underwent much change in this book. Vin was still the most powerful. Elend was still very smart. It was enjoyable to see how their relationship developed into this strong, trustworthy thing though.

I think Sazed and Spook had the most interesting character developments throughout this book. Sazed, mostly because he grapples with such a heavy concept! It was almost--ALMOST--out of place in this world. Basically, he loses faith after what happened in the second book and grapples with whether it should or should not exist. Spook, on the other hand, throws himself into his faith, and grows into a strapping young lad. So different from where we all started in the first book.

******** SPOILER ***********************
I'm just going to go in the order of things that I can't stop thinking about:

First, NO, THE KANDRA! This was probably one of my favorite storylines to follow, especially when I realized that the kandra actually was one of the key components to the Alendi storyline. It was heartbreaking when they all followed the First Contract and end up these floating mistwraiths in the caves. So so sad. I was also upset that Vin didn't get to talk to TenSoon before everyone DIED. I love love love TenSoon.

Second, I love the part where the koloss get to the atium stash and Elend reveals that he had all his soldiers use it up. THAT FATE PUT ALL THESE ATIUM MISTINGS IN THE SAME PLACE. RUIN DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING, DID HE?? That was super cool. Mathematical! (Adventure Time reference)

That one passage where it says how Elend was the last to talk to Preservation as he died. So sad.

Sazed being GOD?? Like what? But super cool that he used the truths found in each religion WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THESE RELIGIONS ARE NONSENSICAL has the ability to NOT alienate an atheist like me. This part was possibly the coolest part in the entire book; watching Sazed rebuild the world we all know and love(?). Also, I think this part is the first time that I realized that these "humans" actually looked differently than actual humans. What were they supposed to look like then? I've been picturing them basically the same as us.

Also THE EARRING!!!! TAKE IT OFF, VIN. TAKE IT OFF. This and Marsh was just so hard to watch. Marsh, hiding, biding his time in the only little corner of his mind he can afford while Ruin has him under control. I can't believe Ruin has been so present in her entire life... that he MANUFACTURED SO THAT VIN HAS A TINY TINY SPIKE IN HER THIS WHOLE TIME. Man, Sanderson.

***************************** END SPOILER *****************************

What a way to end the trilogy. I look forward to diving into more of his work.

(Note: Spoilers for the first two books in the series).

The "Mistborn" trilogy comes to a close in "The Hero Of Ages". While Sanderson does tend to resolve his plots more than many series fantasy authors, there's still a lot of payoff here. It's well-planned payoff - it answers questions and points out connections you missed; there's no sense of retconning or hurried rewriting. That said, he doesn't really have enough characters to hang his plot on.

Spook and Tensoon get a lot of welcome page time; they're good characters (particularly Tensoon) as well as good drivers for the plot, although Spook seems slightly superfluous in some ways. But the rest of the time the book's focus is on Elend, Vin, and Sazed again; with the amount of exploration these characters have already had, this isn't 100% a good thing. Vin has rather a lot to do, and Elend has an Empire to run. But we linger with Sazed a little more than his character, my favorite in the first book, supports. The challenges to his faith are understandable, but Sanderson drags them out too long.

Sanderson continues with his organized and systematic magic systems playing important roles. Hemalurgy - the magic of the Inquisitors - plays a key role in a number of respects, and is used in a nicely subtle manner at points. And there's a few surprises left in Allomancy, without feeling gratuitous.

The main thrust of the plot is the world slowly dying in the aftermath of the events of "Well of Ascension", where the malign force of Ruin was let loose. Vin and Elend chase the hints left behind by the Lord Ruler, securing buried storage caches. Spook is sent alone to spy on a city sitting on one of these caches, where rule-by-Skaa has descended into Soviet-style thuggery; it runs mostly as a side story, though it ties together in the end.

Indeed, though the book has some pacing problems the payoff is remarkably good in general. Sanderson is excellent as ever with his foreshadowing and reveals; things make perfect sense even if you don't see them coming. The ultimate fates of a couple key characters are oddly left out of the book, but apart from that Sanderson pulls it off. By the end, "The Hero of Ages" is a fitting capstone to the Mistborn trilogy.

I confess I have a very, very hard time finishing things I love because I don't want them to end. I mean, it took me seven years to read the last Harry Potter book, if that tells you anything. So, I knew this series was going to be a favorite when I started putting off finishing it (although that's kind of contradictory). I just didn't want to let go of the world or the characters. But I did and it was singlehandedly the most epic finale I've ever experienced.

This series ranks in my top books of all time. This is my adult Harry Potter. If that's not enough of a recommendation, I don't know what is.

"The Hero of Ages" is a great end to the "Mistborn" trilogy. It has a right balance of action and philosophy, just a little bit of romance and enough surprising plot twists to keep the reader constantly on the edge. As expected, in this novel Brandon Sanderson explains all the mysteries and ties all the knots. Well, almost all. The reader is left with just enough to ponder and think about future fate of the heroes. Even though the ending was not the one I anticipated, I liked it, as it is the most plausible and realistic. Anyway, as realistic, as fantasy gets.

By the end of the second book, the world of mists looked doomed. Constantly falling ashes, mists that kill people, dark forces that were getting more and more powerful... I felt the depression and frustration of the heroes and wondered with them, whether there is any hope. And I am glad, that Brandon Sanderson found the way out of "gloom and doom". "The Hero of Ages" is a good reading, and not only because it takes your mind of current affairs. But when you eventually get back to the reality, finishing the last page, you should be able to put current affairs into right perspective.

For the fantasy fans who haven't read the first two books, I highly recommend picking up "Final Empire" and then "Well of Ascension". This trilogy is one of the best fantasy series that were published lately.
Till recently, I was unaware that Brandon Sanderson was asked to complete the last book in "Wheel of time" enlogy by R. Jordan. However, after reading "Mistborn", I have no doubt that he is up to this task.

The Final Empire, the first volume of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy kicked my ass (in a good way). A great blend of original ideas, charming characters a nicely self-contained story (no real cliffhangers to speak of), and good ol' fashioned '80's style fantasy. It brought me back to my roots, reminded me of when I first discovered the genre through the likes of Terry Brooks, Raymond E. Feist and R.A. Salvatore. Maybe not for everyone, in the age of Joe Abercrombies and Hal Duncans, but an accessible novel that left me wanting more.

Sanderson followed that up with The Well of Ascension, which turned out to be a massive disappointment. Instead of delivering on the promises of the first novel, Sanderson left his characters at a stalemate, giving them time to evolve, sure, but grinding the plot and world development to a halt. Gone were most of the most interesting elements of The Final Empire (the forbidding Steel Inquisitors, most notably) and in their place were insipid, weak characters dealing with politics and love stories that I just didn't give a damn about. Elend, in particular, regressed from a confident paramour to a self-doubting child thrust into a position of rule. It felt false, and, even worse, pointless.

So, home-run in his first at-bat, flaming strikeout in his second, how was Sanderson to fare with his third (and final) attempt? Let's call it a ground-rule-double. The Hero of Ages succeeds, but doesn't quite hit it out of the park like the first volume.

Sanderson's an exhaustive outliner, so it's frustrating to wade through so much useless plot (the Siege of Luthadel in The Well of Ascension, the stale retread of bringing down a corrupt leader (two, actually) in The Hero of Ages) and self-indulgent character development at the cost of telling a fast, interesting story. It's somewhat fitting that Sanderson was chosen to finish Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, considering how strongly the Mistborn `trilogy' screams to be a duology. Sanderson is known for his breakneck endings (and Hero of Ages is no exception), but one has to wonder how the series could have succeeded if he had simply taken the plotting, action and revelations from the second and third volumes and worked it into one novel, cutting out all the fat that bloats down the first half of each.

Still, Sanderson should be lauded for his endings, and his labyrinthine plotting. Once the revelations start rolling in, it's clear that Sanderson had things under control from the very beginning. Seemingly small elements from the early pages of The Final Empire fall into place and have cataclysmic effects on the outcome of the series. The final 200 pages of the novel fly by as Sanderson brings the series to a satisfying, shocking conclusion. And, hell, he leaves a body count of major players that would make even George R.R. Martin blush.

Despite my grumblings about Sanderson spending so many of the early pages on philosophical/religious/political ramblings and theories, it was nice to see him using these to expand the roles of some of the minor characters from earlier in the series. We finally see Sazed come into his own, as he struggles with inner demons. Marsh continues to kick ass and treads the thin line between villain and saviour, with the reader never quite knowing which side he is truly on. And TenSoon gives a unique perspective of the events, as well as being a key to many of the series secrets. It may have been unnecessary, but that constant internal monologuing of all the Point-of-View characters certainly leaves the series with a strong, memorable cast of characters.

Sanderson tries to avoid the dreaded infodump by doling out a lot of information and history through the `epigraphs' before each chapter. These short snippets of text (a sentence to a couple of paragraphs long) were always a highlight, something I was constantly eager to get to, for they held many secrets, but also seemed like a bit of a cop-out. He wanted to avoid infodumps in the text, but, you know... `A rose called by any other name is still a rose.'

Sanderson's prose and dialogue continues along the same course set by the first two volumes. It's serviceable, and his description is never too much, but often feels mechanical and over-polished, like Sanderson's forcing the pieces together to make a point, rather than letting it all fall into place naturally. He also paints his characters with a rather modern brush, and it doesn't always work.

In all, Hero of Ages is a marked improvement on The Well of Ascension, but can't quite live up to the promises made by The Final Empire. The plot twists are strong, the characters well-realized and the action is frenetic, but the politicking is wearying, the love stories are forced and the pacing is, at times, scattered and slow as watching grass grow. In an age where Fantasy series often fall off the tracks, hit double-digits in number of volumes and putter out towards the end, Sanderson manages to tie off a compelling story in only three volumes... it's just too bad he couldn't have done it in two.

This was incredible. Sanderson carried the action from The Well of Ascension and brought it to bear in Hero of Ages. While it moved slow at times in the early going, it was great to see some new point of view perspectives and many new twists to the magic system of Allomancy.

There is much more exploration of history and the old religions, and how it all ties into what's going on in the modern times. It is very tough to avoid spoilers here, as Sanderson does a remarkable job of tying up all of his loose ends, even some that I didn't realize were loose ends early on in the first books.

A surprise ending. While I was able to piece some of it together as I was reading and make a few decent predictions, I was still pretty far off the big picture of that finale. Again, I have to be vague so that the effect won't be spoiled by those reading this review. I read it with no hints other than what Sanderson himself was weaving into the text, and the overall impact of the ending was fantastic. It was satisfying, pulling on several emotions all at once. And that's all I'll say about that.

But I will say this. If the Mistborn series is any indication to the quality of work that Brandon Sanderson is giving to the final Wheel of Time books, Jordan fans and Sanderson fans alike are in for a serious treat. Luckily, I count myself as both......

Summary:
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The Hero of Ages is a satisfying conclusion to the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The battle between Preservation and Ruin come to a very dramatic conclusion and a very interesting beginning for what will hopefully be a new series.
The novel wraps up all the lose ends but it takes a long time to get there. My only issue with the novel is that it could have been editted down by 150 to 200 pages without losing anything in the condensation.

World Setting:
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The world is very well developed with some very interesting concepts. The classic battle between good and evil is switched to a battle between Preservation and Ruin/chaos. Creation is not possible without some part Preservation and Ruin which is the crux of the conflict. It is a good point played out very well.

Characters:
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The characters are well developed and make for very enjoyable reading. Most of the main characters do not survive which just feels right considering the world is just about to be destroyed. The author respects the scale of destruction/chaos very well.

Prose:
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The writing style is very effective and enjoyable. The only issue is that the amount of writing could be condensed without sacraficing anything. The descriptions are quite affective.

While The Hero of Ages lacks some of the strong character performances of Mistborn and The Well of Ascension, author Brandon Sanderson redeems the novel with an operatic finale worthy of the series. The novel's strength is the meticulous plot; Sanderson clearly and carefully structured the scope and storyline of the three novels well before he wrote a single word of Mistborn. The plot twists impress me the most. Not only are they shocking, they are supported by the precision of Sanderson's text. This is what I like most about Sanderson: He is as concerned with HOW he writes as much as with WHAT he writes.

I am a little dissatisfied with the good versus evil storyline. Although Sanderson (through his characters) insists that the story is not "good versus evil," it feels like it is, namely because Ruin is written as a villain. Much of what he says makes sense, however because he is unsympathetic, it is difficult to identify with him.

Overall, the joy of Sanderson's series has been experiencing and solving the puzzles of the Final Empire. He populates his world with original, mysterious creations--Allomancy, koloss, kandra, etc.--and in The Hero of Ages he ties everything together. The various themes--the importance of religion, the dichotomy of life and death, the grim realities of leadership--also show Sanderson to be a writer of substance and not just style. I eagerly await his next novel, even if it is the end of Robert Jordan's plodding Wheel of Time series.

What to say? What to say? I feel strong ambivalence here.

Things I loved: Elend. Vin lost fights from time to time (in contrast to The Well of Ascension, in which she uninterestingly won every single fight and saved everyone always). The fulfillment of Sazed's quest for truth in religion. Marsh's struggle against external control. The Lord Ruler being a good guy after all! (That's not a spoiler, by the way. That's just my opinion.) Oh yes, and of course . . . Elend.

Things that made me want to pull my hair out: Hemalurgy everywhere. Everyone hears voices.

Hemalurgy, like Allomancy and Feruchemy, is a sort of magic involving metals. In Hemalurgy, a first being's Allomantic or Feruchemical power is transferred to a second being through the use of a metal spike by (1) killing the first being with said spike and then (2) embedding said spike into said second being. This is the method through which Inquisitors are created. It turns out that some other beings introduced in Mistborn and The Well of Ascension were also created through Hemalurgy. So now let's get to why Hemalurgy annoyed me so much: It was everywhere, and it large quantities, it became a little unbelievable. Spikes through eyes. Spikes through hearts. Spikes through shoulders. Spikes to grant sentience. Spikes of various metals. Spikes, spikes, spikes, blah, blah blah. Too many spikes!

So it turns out that the power Vin released at the Well of Ascension is called Ruin. Ruin is a god-like entity whose only desire is to destroy. Preservation, Ruin's opposite, was holding Ruin captive at the Well until Vin released Ruin. Unfortunately, creating Ruin's cage used up a great deal of Preservation's power, so Preservation needs assistance to stop Ruin. Throughout The Hero of Ages, Vin and her team seek to stop Ruin from destroying the world.

Before I go further into my critique, I must first state for the record that, despite my issues with The Hero of Ages, Brandon Sanderson remains a genius in my opinion. But . . . too many concepts in the The Hero of Ages were repeated over and over and over again. I got a little bored. Begin loop: (1) There is lots of ash. (2) Vin seeks her destiny. (3) Someone is hearing voices. (4) Elend is trying to do the right thing. (5) There is more ash than there was before. (6) Someone is being stabbed by a spike. (7) Sazed is having a religious crisis. (8) The koloss are coming. Repeat loop. That about sums it up.

The ending was great. Sanderson has a knack for writing great endings. I'm a little mad at myself that I didn't predict the ending. There were clues. I like an author who gives enough clues but still manages to surprise me.

I may (or may not) revisit this review after I've had time to think some more about how it all wrapped up. For now, I think I'm a little disappointed. But I have to give this book a relatively high star rating just because it was inventive, and it did wrap up a beautiful trilogy. I enjoyed it. But I wanted it to be better.

This is the last of the Mistborn series. The heroes are trying to save their world. It is a very original story of faith, hard work and sacrifice, a great addition to the world of fantasy writing. Sanderson's writings are all very original, and this one particularly so. He ties all the various ideas of the previous two novels together to a stunning and beautiful conclusion. There aren't that many books that make me simply say "wow!" at the end, but this was certainly one of them, and I will read it again and again.

The single distinguishing feature of Sanderson's Mistborn series:satisfying. Each book stands on its own as complete, consistent, and clever, and this final novel caps the trilogy admirably. No hiding behind lame literary tricks, such as revealing crucial information only at the end, in this story. And finally, a fantasy series, with a fully-realized and compelling world and characters, is wrapped up within three books.

Sanderson became more comfortable exercising his prose and perspective in this last book, and it is the strongest in the trilogy. Action-packed. Ties up all the loose endings, without lameness. Clever magic system. Interesting characters. Some modest political intrigue. Very few 'nuke the fridge' moments that defy plausible suspension of disbelief (within the fantasy setting).

Note to Brandon Sanderson and publishers: the hard-bound covers are beautiful, and I am proud to display them on my bookshelf, because they really do suit the stories within. I have, in fact, given two copies to non-fantasy-reader friends after they noticed the cover art and picked it off the shelf--both have been successfully converted to reading good fantasy fiction--something to be proud of! Meanwhile, the (new) paperback cover art lacks any unique style. Must be misguided marketing/differentiation reasons, too bad. If the goal was to blend in with the thousands of mediocre fantasy novels at the book store--mission (unfortunately) accomplished.

I have never been effected by any books the way I have been by this series. I lose sleep to reading them, ignore projects, friends, family members... thank god I don't own a goldfish 'cause that sucker'd be DEAD thanks to Brandon Sanderson's perfect world crafting abilities. I want my life back, you monster!

Anyway, this book once again gets a bit bogged down with a seige situation, but the meta story(?) I guess you'd call it, the paragraphs in italics that start each chapter, are by far the best of the three books, unloading morsel after juicy morcel of the "science" and consequences of Sanderson's fantastic magic system.

And a heck of a lot of questions get answered in this book, stuff that might have barely registered as weird to you all the way back in the first book. There has been an amazingly consistent plan the whole way through, unlike some fantasy series where the magic is conveniently all made up and the points don't matter.

So the technical, logical, world-building technique is impeccable. Unrivaled. Astounding. Yep. But what about the characters, the emotions, the bones of all stories?

Why, they're pretty spiffy too.
You care about these people, you laugh when they laugh, you cry when they cry, you get frustrated with them when you know more about the mechanics of their world than they do, thanks to the paralel story lines.

Speaking of which, all the seperate storylines were great, you really hate when every single chapter ends. You want to know what happens next!

So its a good book, you should read it.

Now I'm off to read everything Brandon Sanderson has ever written.

I was very well satisfied with the first book in the series. I wanted to see a little more of Vin's character but all in all, it was well-written and ended well. The second book in the series was all negative. I thought, well, this is like The Empire Strikes Back--everything is going to be dark and miserable so that it can all be triumphant in book 3. So, now, in Book 3, I read the expected misery and devastation. However, it kept getting worse and worse and going on and on with no end in sight. Finally, on page 714, both the heroes dead, there is finally some positive events (even if it is a pyrrhic victory). You get to enjoy the positive events for exactly 10 pages, then it's over. Not what I would call satisfying. I'm keeping the first book on my bookshelf for I shall read it again and I'll lend it to friends. But Book 2 and Book 3 are going to Goodwill.

Some series weakly drain away to their finish. Some are predictable to the point of eye-rolling frustration. This series is neither. You'll guess more or less how it's going to end because the author masterfully foreshadows and hints (with delightfully crafted suspense). But the details of the finale are still entertaining, and the world (which by this point you will have in your blood) remains true and robust. The author is heroic and keeps a firm and mighty hand to the final paragraph. And now that it's all over, I just want more. I miss the strength and elegance of this world's "physics" and all the amazement. Good stuff.

The Hero of Ages is probably one of the best fantasy books I've read in a long time. I recommend it to anyone who has read the first two and anyone else should read the first two books before proceeding to this one. As a whole, however, the series is incredibly satisfying and the final volume is probably the best of the lot.

As far as plotting goes, Sanderson is a master. Plotlines are incredibly compelling and progress at a reasonable pace. The main action is split into three or four different plotlines from the PoV of different characters throughout the world. Sometimes, I felt disappointed when the PoV would switch to a different character, as I would be so engrossed in one character or plotline that I did not want to leave that character. The tension and rising of dread is insane and it is impossible to know until the ending how things will resolve. There are plenty of revelations that answer most of the burning questions of the series, along with a number of twists that come out of nowhere. The ending was incredibly satisfying, even as it left with me with more questions.

One of Sanderson's greatest strengths is his ability to create unique and engaging worlds and the Mistborn trilogy is no different and this is easily the biggest strength. The world, its history, and its systems of magic are absolutely fascinating to explore. Especially engaging is the explanations provided for many of the secrets of the Mistborn world.

The characters are generally complex, well-plotted, and sympathetic. However, there are a few characters that get short shrift in this book that had the potential to blossom into more major characters, or at least into deeper ones. Allriane in particular is rather stagnant, which is unfortunate as I believed her to be one of the more interesting additions in Well of Ascension. There are some serious deaths in this book and you will almost certainly feel sad for their passing, which speaks to how Sanderson has built up these characters over the course of the novels.

Sanderson's writing is utilitarian and functional; it is the story and world that drive this novel forward, not his ability to write.

If you enjoyed the first two books, you will not be disappointed; Hero of Ages fulfills the promise of the Mistborn world and makes you sad to leave its misty, ash-ridden confines.

The "Mistborn" saga concludes one year later with "The Hero of Ages" as Vin and the remaining crew attempt to rescue the world from the deadly ash and mists. While Elend Venture and Vin are the focal characters, Sazed, Marsh, and even Spook and TenSoon the kandra have distinct opportunities. It thrills me finding a crafty storyteller who creates careful plots, twists character perceptions throughout, and successfully connects the entire series.

The ghastly spikes creating the extraordinary Inquisitors, involving the other magic form of Hemalurgy, is rather gruesome. The religious perspective of the opposing forces between Ruin and Preservation blends great with Sazed's life studies. The author could develop another series after displaying great talent with the finale.

The summaries of previous books are at the end, it better serves a reader placing them at the beginning.

Check out the author's web page at [...] for excellent inside information and deleted scenes (he provides warnings before any spoilers).

I highly recommend this series to any fan of the fantasy genre.

Thank you.

It is hard to find a writer who has a well-developed milieu, interesting storyline(s) AND sophisticated writing style. Branderson does. Yes, I did wonder how many times the "flat stare" appeared in the text, but the other primary criticism (occasional summaries of plot or character you needed to have absorbed from books 1&2) is unwarranted. These are in fact 3 separate volumes so why shouldn't they stand on their own? In any event, these are at most minor inconveniences. The final criticism, that (at least one element of) the ending is predictable, really does not bear out. If you are savvy enough to correctly pick up on one or two elements, you will do well. But you will not really understand "whodunnit."

This may well be the first trilogy where I have ever felt all three books solidly merited 5 stars (or whatever the top rating available happened to be). I was amazed by Brandon Sanderson's masterful world creation and story crafting. I sincerely feel that crafting a series that keeps things interesting and exciting at just the right level must be difficult, but Sanderson pulls it off seemingly with ease. I grew attached to the chracters and enjoyed their distinct personalities and how they grew and changed over the course of the three books. The various plot twists were well done; some with enough hints that I was able to figure them out in advance with others catching me completely off guard, but still making sense with the benefit of hindsight (rather than being shocking simply because the reader was not given enough information to possibly be able to predict what would occur). Some twists seemed to have been planned very carefully from the first book and had been set up so delicately that they were not obvious or contrived at all (if they were not planned in advance, still credit is due to Sanderson for being able to use seemingly minor elements of the story so cleverly to have greater reasons later on).

Even character deaths were well done (I won't say more for fear of spoiling things).

There were perhaps a couple moments where it felt things were getting repeated overly much in this particular book (largely some of Sazed's mopings or Spook's thoughts). In the context of their thoughts though, it makes sense... the topics seem like things people would mull over repeatedly. Perhaps you can tell I'm grasping for anything I can call a flaw here to try to make this a more critical review. Honestly though, this series simply blew me away. Many many thanks to Mr. Sanderson for an amazing read... I'll definitely be checking out more of his work. I highly recommend this novel to anyone remotely interested in fantasy. Absolutely, mind-bogglingly incredible series.

If you read and liked the first two books in the Mistborn series, Hero of Ages is a must read! However, prepare for a big emotional wallop. It has been a long time since a book affected me this much, and I have to admit I felt like I had been hit by a truck by the time I was finished. And, I would gladly do it again. But only because I felt that everything would be all right. Finally. :) It actually took me a few days to get to this point. I don't think anyone who reads HOA will be left unmoved. This one of the few books that I know I will enjoy picking up for a reread or two. (Probably as soon as I finish this review.) It is complex, intense, with no holes in the plot, and as realistic as fantasy gets. I absolutely loved the way Sanderson makes the characters come so vividly alive and easy to connect with. I know they aren't real but I'll miss them just the same. For me, the ending was brilliantly balanced between a sense of completion and a feeling that there is more to experience in that world. This is why I keep reading fantasy, every once in a while a story comes along that is fresh, well written, and takes me to a completely new and astonishing world that makes me look at my own in a new way. It's kind of like a vacation to a far off exotic place for under $30.

And my one big gripe, ............ After that, what am I going to read now??????

I've eagerly awaited each of these books after reading Sanderson's first novel, Elantris and absolutely loving it. I'll admit, the second book in the Mistborn trilogy was a little slow and uneventful (except of course for the end), but this final book in the trilogy completely made up for book two. Besides being incredibly well written and full of complex and realistic characters, the plot twists are mind-boggling. Though a few of the twists are easy to see coming, there are so many revelations that there was no way I could figure everything out. It was absolutely brilliant. The ending was pulled off spectacularly. I wasn't expecting to be content with it ending because I loved the characters so much that I wanted to continue reading about them, but it ended, and I was left feeling quite happy.

I would absolutely recommend reading this to anyone who read the first two books, even if you were put off somewhat by the second novel. I promise, this one makes up for that completely. For anyone who hasn't read anything by Brandon Sanderson... I recommend everything he has written. His characters are well developed, and he consistently reaches far beyond the traditional fantasy novel and comes up with something incredible. The barrier between good and evil is never absolute and there are enough secrets that you stay up at night simply coming up with theories that grow progressively more absurd as you try to figure them out. My friends would have needed a crowbar to pry the book from my hands to stop me from reading it... that is if they weren't just as glued to the book.

The only thing that I found frustrating was Sanderson's constant explanation and reminders of events I've just experienced with the characters. He should trust the intelligence of his readers. The writing itself is decent and fast paced.
Sanderson's strength is that he's an incredible storyteller. The conclusion of the Mistborn series is complelling and nothing short of epic on the grandest of stages. You can see how every bit of information is masterly woven into the fabric of the story. I highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers.

The Hero of Ages is the third book and the conclusion of the Mistborn series, by Brandon Sanderson.

This is an old-style fantasy series - the books tell a single long story and you must complete the trilogy to get any sense of closure. The initial Mistborn book was of a standard length but the second book was almost twice as long, which surprised me in a publishing culture focused on keeping books "a reasonable length". Sanderson commented on his blog: "When I'd turned in Mistborn 2 (revised and already trimmed) at 250k, production and marketing had nearly had a fit, complaining that the book would cost more to print than it would make." Personally, I was thrilled to see that the books told one long interwoven story (although Sanderson did repeat key elements in order to refresh the readers' memories) rather than a half-hearted attempt to make the novels stand alone.

As I was reading the second book, I wondered if the series could be shortened - subplots dropped out and the story streamlined. I'm pleased to say that when I reached the end of the trilogy, the Hero of Ages, I was not disappointed.

It is important to me that a fantasy world hangs together and there is no inexplicable magic without an explanation and basis. I will accept the most fantastical of elements but they must have a logic and once rules of the world are established, those rules need to hold true. Sanderson uses this to his advantages. Rules are broken and his fantasy physics act erratically but in every instance the characters are more shocked than the reader is, and there is a strong focus on finding out why the world isn't acting as it should. Never was anything dismissed with a wave of the hand and thus the author kept me reassured that he wasn't going to forget his own world-building for the sake of plot.

The magic system within the book is clever and incredibly detailed. My 14-year-old son (who has enjoyed the first two books of the series and is waiting for me to relinquish the third to him) was completely intrigued by the "science" of the magic and we enjoyed long discussions about the properties and effects of different metals and possibilities for taking advantage of them.

The ending to the story is surprising but Sanderson has been building up to his conclusion steadily throughout the series. The slow progression of separating the truth from the Lord Ruler's lies is skillfully shown and as reader, we learn to distinguish between witnessed information (what we've actually seen through the characters' eyes) and 3rd-party information (told to the characters without direct experience). Sanderson shows real talent by retaining our trust: the author remains completely reliable through-out a story filled with half-truths and misinformation. I shared in the frustration of the characters but at no point did I feel the rug was pulled out from under me.

More importantly, at the climax of the story, everything mattered. Perhaps there were threads that could, under duress, have been left out but at the end of the story, the strands came together and I think I must have said "Ohhhh..." out loud as the final pieces of the mystery of the Hero of Ages clicked into place. I think every major question that I had was answered. I can't help but suspect that Sanderson wrote twice as much as we have seen in order to bring these books so perfectly to a climax.

My only complaint is that I didn't feel the strong emotional connection to the characters as I had in the first book. I would go so far as to say that the promise of the first book, with its incredible heist driven by the exuberant personality of Kelsier, is not fulfilled by the rest of the trilogy. But by the time I realised that we were drifting away from the initial adventure, I was already so entranced by the world and its magic, I was willing to be led into a new direction. Unravelling the secrets of the Hero of Ages ending up being a mythic tale than a fantastical romp but I felt content and sated at the finale. Still, the only character I could imagine taking out for a beer was the one done away with at the end of the first book.

Brandon Sanderson has done detailed chapter annotations for Book 1 and 2 on his Mistborn Trilogy Portal which makes for a fascinating read of the story in progress as well as shed light onto Sanderson's thinking process.

I had previously read Firstborn, a novella by Sanderson which is available to read or download on Tor.com. I had glanced at the web page, planning to print out the story if it looked to be any good, and found myself riveted to the screen. I bought the initial Mistborn book as a result of this experience and went into it with high hopes. Having finally completed the trilogy, I can say that Brandon Sanderson did not disappoint.

I'm astonished. This book had an amazing ending, and it superbly brings the trilogy to an end. It ties the loose ends in the other books, while adding a new layer to the story. This book is on par with the first book, or even better... and I considered the first book as one of the best books I've read. Amazing characters. Spectacular action. Epic plot. A believable, dying world (you feel like you're actually there!). What more can you ask for? This book is a must read! Mark my words, this book has one of the most satisfying endings ever - it left me in a state of awe.

I came into this series slightly doubtful. For some reason I'd always been a little bit cautious of Sanderson's work, I'm not exactly sure why. However, one day I finally decided to see what this guy could do, after all, he had taken over for Robert Jordan in writing one of my favorite fantasy series' ever.

Wow, I am so glad that I gave these books a chance. Sanderson's writing is a welcome change from someone like Jordan. Although Jordan is incredible in his ways, Sanderson's efficient, rapid prose allows me to totally immerse myself in the books without losing suspension of disbelief. I didn't read these books as much as I lived them, if that makes any sense.

Some people have voiced criticisms about Sanderson's writings, namely how he wrote some characters and the pacing of the final book. I'd tend to agree with them. The relationship between Vin and Elend always struck me as a little weak. Additionally, characters like Ham and Breeze were very one dimensional, there didn't seem to be too much depth to them. However, not all of Sanderson's characters were weak. I actually found the Lord Ruler to be one of the more fascinating characters in the series, especially in this final book. Additionally, TenSoon, and both Vin and Elend were fleshed out well.

In any other book, that may have warranted a four star rating, but this isn't any other book. Sanderson's plot is simply incredible. I now have complete faith in him finishing the Wheel of Time, his plot-writing and imagination are simply of a caliber I have rarely seen before. Everything fit together so well at the end of this book, sliding together so neatly, but at the same time becoming something completely unexpected and surprising. It's just amazing. The ending is bittersweet, but it's not heartbreaking, which is something I appreciate (I get really tired of the Hollywood happy ending). Still, the last few pages will leave you with a sense of sorrow, both from what happens, and from the fact that there's no more pages left to read! Yeah, I can't say enough good things about the plot. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read the series, so I'll just say that you have to experience it. Anyone who appreciates a story that WORKS should buy this series now and start reading.

All in all, this book wraps everything up VERY well (except for one small question that I know is going to nag me for a long time) and truly makes the series a classic. Go read this book.

A year after the events in The Well of Ascension, the world is ending. Vin has accidentally released a hidden evil into the world, one that seems impossible to fight. Their only hope is to follow the Lord Ruler's instructions and trust that he has the answer, but as things get increasingly worse, Vin and Elend get desperate in their attempts to thwart this new evil as this trilogy ends in an unexpected crescendo.

I've been waiting months for this book. I read and loved The Well of Ascension way back in January; I bought it in hardcover because I didn't want to wait. Without question, Brandon Sanderson is the best new fantasy writer that I have read. He creates endearing, believable characters (I adore Vin), places them in a complex and unusual fantasy world, and has one of the most logical but still really awesome magical systems that I've ever come across. And he can certainly write. The story here is good and unpredictable. It feels like they must have the answers, and sometimes I could see them coming, but I could never work out what was going to happen next. The ending was similarly unexpected. I love how he picks up many threads from the beginning of the trilogy and weaves them in here. I can't wait to read all three in sequence to see what I've missed. I really enjoyed reading this book, as it's over 550 pages and I read it in about two days. I had to know what happened. At the same time, I'm a bit sad that it's over, but certainly looking forward to more from Sanderson.

That said, I cannot deny that I did have one problem with it. A portion of the book is taken up with religious questions, mainly Sazed's sections, and Sanderson draws conclusions in the book that I just can't agree with. I'm not a person of faith and I don't think faith is necessary to be happy; it does bother me that it's implied here. Not only that, but these parts of the book move more slowly than the rest. I did not want to get back to Sazed and his musings. I think this is a personal preference issue; perhaps if I was still religious it wouldn't bother me.

Obviously, I still loved the rest of the book. I thought about Vin and Elend while I was away from it and read it instead of doing my assignments. I'm waiting to get in the same country as the first two so I can reread them. As I said, there's no denying that Sanderson has ridiculous amounts of potential and I can't wait to see what he writes next. I just hope he keeps the slow religious musings out of it next time. This is definitely a series you shouldn't miss if you enjoy fantasy.

The Conclusion of the Mistborn Trilogy is interesting, but the book constantly breaks the "Show, Don't Tell Rule." As a result, the book reads like an encyclopedia, rather than an epic adventure.

Story:
All of the pieces of the puzzle come together in the fascinating Mistborn universe. It begins one year after The Well of Ascension and answers all of the questions raised by the first two books. If you were captivated by the Mistborn World and you enjoyed the first two books, this is a must read. But before you read, I need to warn you about a few things!

Issue #1:
The History, Clues, and Puzzle Pieces of the Story are presented to the reader `wikipedia style' in italicized text before each Chapter begins:
"The Lord Ruler created the Koloss because..."
This causes problems.
The reader gets ahead of the characters. If the book plainly tells you the answer to a riddle before the characters struggle through the riddle in the scene, it seems like the characters are bumbling around in the dark. It is frustrating to watch them struggle to solve a problem that the book just presented to you in a simple manner.

Example: The answer is 4. - pretend that was italicized.
Vin struggled to find out how many coins she needs to get from the rampart to the mess hall. She retraced her steps several times to calculate the exact distance from the mess hall to the rampart. It seemed as if it was 250 steps. After, she experimented with steel pushing against coins and discovered that one push could send her approximately 50 feet at a 45 degree angle. However, a tower was erected between the two points and was taller than the rampart. Vin pushed to the top of the tower and discovered that the roof was metal and if she pulled, she could reach the top! Vin started to experience self doubt, asking herself, "Can I figure this out? Do I have enough coins? Will Elend ever show any romantic interest in me at all?" After figuring out the distance and realizing she could use the tower, she would need four coins! - Pretend that was 12 pages long.

Issue #2
Rehashing
Creating an original fantasy world is incredibly difficult and there is always the risk of losing the reader. But this book constantly rehashes the first two books every step of the way. It becomes redundant and really slows down the pace of the book. This could have been done a lot more efficiently. It could also have been done in the italicized paragraphs before the actual Chapters!!!

Issue #3
Characters are less interesting
Because of the tedium and rehashing, the entertaining parts of the Chapters become few and far between. The scenes should be full of action, humor, romance, wit, character building dialogue... Because of the pacing, the characters all seem really flat. It's like watching a bunch of insecure people solve a problem when you already know the answer.

Issue #4
Some of the action is lost.
Elend nimbly ducked a sword slash from a rushing swordsman, and planted the obsidian dagger into the swordsman's throat. Another soldier charged Elend from behind. He quickly steel pushed the dying man's sword into the rushing soldier, impaling him through the chest.
BECOMES
"Elend killed two guys."

Issue #5
The world hasn't grown since Book 1.
The strength of the series is the original setting. But the setting is exactly the same as the first book. No new races, creatures, lands, or weather. It's all ashen skies and misty nights. What was captivating in Mistborn becomes a bit boring by this point.

Overall:
The Hero of Ages describes a very unique and interesting fantasy universe. However, the scenes are lacking emotion, and all of the important events are plainly told to you at the beginning of each Chapter. Because of this, you really feel a strong disconnect with the characters in the story and you may end up just flipping pages to see if anything interesting happens.

If you just want to appreciate an original, well thought out universe, then you will enjoy this book. If you want a strong epic adventure with great characters, stop reading after Book 1.

This was a very satisfying trilogy to read. Each book was excellent - advancing the story for all the characters through a variety of twists and the ending brought everything together. So often authors try to continue sagas that should end after 3 books - maybe they are unsure how to tie everything together for an ending that is satisfying to the readers who have invested so much in the story and characters. I believe that Sanderson accomplished this difficult task with the Mistborn Trilogy. Now that I am finished reading the books I will miss Vin, Elend, Sazed, TenSoon, Spook and the others but the ending left me with a smile on my face.

This third book is the best in the Mistborn trilogy. Hero of Ages has so many twists and turns and a magic system that is brilliant, inventive and extraordinary. I just adore the young heroine, Vin. I found her to be one of the best female fantasy character along the lines of Daenarys Targaryen and Kahlen Amnell.

I cannot adequately express my complete enjoyment of this series, Sanderson's world-building and characters took me to another world. The Hero of Ages is definitely a fitting and poignant ending to an outstanding series.