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rikuson1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
-★★★★✭- (4.75/5.00)
My Grading Score = 95% (A+)
Mistborn: The Hero of Ages, I am so glad it won me over by the very end. Coming off of The Well of Ascension and The Final Empire, I struggled a lot in regard to which one I liked more favorably and critically. With both of them settling within me, I came to the conclusion on accounts of favorability and criticality that I'm putting The Well of Ascension over The Final Empire. Now, when it came to The Hero of Ages, I'm going, to be honest, that I was not feeling it from the start. The tone was extremely melodramatic and overwhelmingly depressing because, for the most part, we are following the depressed and broken state of Sazed. And mind, this is just the feeling of depression, hopelessness, and dread that Sazed was giving off and it latched onto me making me feel his dread to some degree which probably was tough to read for me. As someone going through something similar (losing someone you invested and cared about), I guess it hit really close to home for me. Nonetheless, critically speaking, the portrayal of it all was extremely accurate and well done and has my highest praise. Brando said that writing Sazed in this book was one of the hardest things he's done in his writing career, and it shows.
Another thing that I wasn't fond of during the time of my reading this was that the second portion of the majority of this book was mainly focused on, and that was Spook. A character that in both The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension I did not care for to any degree. I did not like him as a character, I did not like his annoying accent and he just felt like a waste of space anytime he was present, additionally, he had this snarky attitude in book 2 that only made me dislike him more. So when I come to find out that he is one of the main focuses in this book, I was not ready and very reluctant to get through the "spook-focused" portions. I can tell that Brando probably knew that the readers did not care for Spook so he really really had to try and make us understand where Spook is coming from and try to make us like him and make him more important in the overall story. Now I feel it did accomplish making me understand where he is coming from and additionally the message he sends off which Marsch finds did make him extremely important to the overall story but he did not sell me on liking him by the end, but at the very least I can say I don't hate or dislike Spook anymore so that counts for something.
The other points of view it focused on were Vin, Ellend, and TenSoon. I felt all of these points of view were great or, at the very least, satisfactory. I was entertained and engaged for the most part on all of them. I have no complaints or critiques on any of them.
The action in The Hero of Ages really held off longer than any of the three books. And that's something I love, action. The build-up in this book was also something that was a lot more than in any of the previous books. It was to the point where I was almost afraid that it could not deliver on all of its build-up and additionally the surplus of the build-up of being the final book in this trilogy. But man, basically every chapter after chapter 71 really paid off on everything this trilogy was building up to in all categories, action, character development, plot reveal after plot reveals, after plot reveals, it was a great sanderlanche that I will never forget.
Verdict
The Hero of Ages and by proxy the Mistborn Era 1 has lived up to its hype. This is now my favorite fantasy trilogy, and I'm glad I went through it.
I Really Liked it.
Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Stalking, and War
Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
teyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism and Classism
futureofmydays's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
moonbunny34's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
mkaiww's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Body horror and Blood
lakinglaze's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
insomniacsun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Con le rivelazioni in questo libro, rileggere il primo volume sarà una delizia e un'avventura completamente nuova, in cui mi cimenterò a breve di sicuro.
Il tono di questo libro era senz'altro più miserabile e cupo. Ripensandoci, he c'era da aspettarsi dal volume incentrato sull'Hemalurgy? Niente di buono poteva uscire dall'arte che ha dato origine agli Inquisitors, ma di certo non mi aspettavo l'estensione ad altre specie: quello sì mi ha preso alla sprovvista.
Sazed è partito da subito come tra i miei preferiti, ma raggiuntasi la conclusione dello sviluppo di questo meraviglioso personaggio, devo ammettere che sarà uno di quelli che rimarrà nel mio cuore per un bel po'. Sanderson avrà finito con te, ma rimarrai sempre nei miei pensieri, Sazed.
Finalmente un po' di meritato focus su Spook! I suoi POV sono stati tra i più coinvolgenti, e il vederlo crescere e maturare durante questa missione mi ha lasciato senza fiato e zittita mordendomi le unghie in più di un momento,
Unica pecca, che ripensandoci è un problema in tutta la trilogia, è la mancanza di personaggi femminili rilevanti fuori dalla sfera romantica: con tutta la frenesia nel primo volume, devo ammettere di non averci fatto caso subito, ma la cosa ha iniziato a pesare quando ogni entusiasmo per l'introduzione di una potenziale stella emergente femminile finiva inevitabilmente smorzato da un plateau nella personalità del personaggio, relegato ad essere semplicemente la nuova fiamma di uno dei personaggi principali. Decisamente deludente a lungo andare e mi preclude dal dare il massimo. So di non essere sola a sostenere la cosa e spero che la carenza non prosegui nelle prossime letture e che Sanderson abbia ascoltato e dato peso adeguato a queste critiche.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
giulianasbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
No puedo expresar con palabras lo que acabo de leer, estoy flipando.
Desde que descubrí a Sanderson en noviembre del año pasado, me puse como objetivo leer todos sus libros y, cómo no, compré el primer tomo de la saga “El Imperio Final” que no sólo me encantó, sino que me marcó de una manera indescriptible. Después leí el segundo libro y también obviamente me encantó ¿pero este? Estoy sin palabras. Creo que es el libro más denso y complicado de los tres pero me ha atrapado y me lo he leído en cuatro días, cosa que nunca hago porque es un libro de casi 800 páginas y me suele llevar más tiempo.
Los personajes siempre los voy a llevar en mi corazón. Sazed, Kelsier y Vin me han marcado de por vida y sólo puedo darle las gracias a este magnífico escritor por abrirme las puertas a su increíble universo llamado Cosmere y no puedo esperar más a seguir leyendo los otros libros.
Sigo sin entender cómo una persona puede tener tan magnífica imaginación y plasmarlo en unos libros TAN buenos. Cada libro que leo suyo me gusta más y más y me declaro fan incondicional de Brandon Sanderson con todas las putas letras.
Me duele mucho despedirme de estos personajes tan queridos pero siempre los llevaré conmigo. No voy a mentir: he llorado con el final, pero me he quedado completa, no sabría ni cómo lo explicarlo.
Y ¿qué más puedo decir? Esta saga de fantasía es increíble y se la recomiendo a todo el mundo, pero he de decir que es bastante densa así que no la escogería como la primera saga para leer si te estás introduciendo en la fantasía.
Todo en este libro ha sido perfecto, no tengo ninguna pega. Menuda puta locura.
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Gore, and Grief
Minor: Ableism
vereadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rating ★★★★★
“The nature of the world is that when we create something, we often destroy something else in the process.”
Sometimes I don’t know what else to say apart from:
“Somehow, we'll find it. The balance between whom we wish to be and whom we need to be. But for now, we simply have to be satisfied with who we are.”
Reading the Mistborn trilogy was the best decision I ever made. When I started this trilogy, I had no idea how involved I would be in the story. I also didn't know how attached I would feel to these characters.
“If you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you'll end up miserable.”
I had one of those existential crises you have after finishing a long series or TV show. I feel like I have lost something. I already miss these characters and this world.
Sanderson is fantastic. He crafts a spectacular ending for this trilogy. Every word and every twist was thought out since book one. The book felt a little slow, but I have to admit that it was because I was passing a reading slump. This might have affected my perception of the pace.
“Lately, I feel like my life is a book written in a language I don't know how to read.”
The book is narrated from various perspectives (Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, Marsh, and TeaSoon) that enrich this marvelous world. The book touches on topics such as colonialism, politics, war, and religion. Hero of the ages is heavily centered in theology and myths.
“Faith means that it doesn't matter what happens. You can trust that somebody is watching. Trust that somebody will make it all right.”
It was interesting to follow Sazed on his journey. He was the one that always had hope and faith. In the book, we see him having a theological crisis and losing his essence. I loved his character arc.
“She remembered timidly standing atop the Luthadel city wall, afraid to use her Allomancy to jump off, despite Kelsier's coaxing. Now she could step off a cliff and muse thoughtfully to herself on the way down.”
Vin is extraordinary. She grew a lot during these three books. Over time she learned to trust the people around her, and knowing how difficult it was for her to get to this point is laudable. Seeing her open up and trust Elend so blindly is so beautiful.
“I'm an amalgamation of what I've needed to be. Part scholar, part rebel, part nobleman, part Mistborn, and part soldier. Sometimes I don't even know myself. I had a devil of a time getting all those pieces to work together. And, just when I'm starting to get it figured out, the world up and ends on me.”
Elend is the other character that has astounding development. Elend is still an idealist scholar. But also, he learned to balance his new identity as a Mistborn, a conqueror, a husband, and a warrior. He becomes an incredible leader without losing his essence.
“Sometimes, you have to destroy something in order to build something better.”
I also enjoy following TeaSoon and Marsh and learning about their people.
I was heartbroken not only because this was the end of this journey but because I had to save goodbye to these characters. I am sad because of what happened as well. I hate and love Brandon Sanderson for making me love this group of outcasts so much.
The Final Empire★★★★★
The Well of Ascension★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★★
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Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Slavery and Religious bigotry
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What do you mean I read this book the first time exactly 2 years ago? What a coincidence.
Even though I skimmed some fight scenes and think the plot is a little too full, I very much enjoyed the reread. And after looking at my review from two years ago, I still stand by every word of it. There were some twists I had totally forgotten, and they blew my mind all over again. And the ending is just perfect. I cried again reading the last chapter and epilogue. Because of all the puzzle pieces fitting together, but also because it is just such a fitting ending for the story and the characters.
1. Read: 20.11.2022
PERFECTION! This is the definition of perfection. At least for me.
I know this book or series is probably not for everyone, but it is perfect for me.
And the sole reason for this is how well plotted this story is, from the very first sentence of book one to the very last sentence of book 3. I have a lot of respect for Brandon Sanderson now.
And as much as I loved the characters, the story (especially this third book) is mostly plot driven. Therefore, I think people who prefer character driven stories won't love it as much as I do.
For example: I didn't cry when characters died. But I cried rivers of tears when all the tiny little puzzle pieces fit together perfectly at the end. This is my favorite thing in books and I finally found one... well three... that do it masterfully.
There are also some really cool themes discussed in the series. One of them is religion/faith/belief, and this is another aspect that might put some readers off. I personally loved the way this topic was explored, and I also really liked the conclusion in the end. But I guess some might find it too preachy.
I really want to read more from Sanderson, and I definitely will work my way through his whole bibliography. But he writes SO many books, and they are all SO big. I think need a little break from epic fantasy first.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail