Rating: 9.5/10
Synopsis:
Who is the Hero of Ages?
To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness–the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists–is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.
Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!
Review:
I had mixed emotions going into this third and final installment of Mistborn Era 1. I was both excited to read how this would conclude but also sad that this phenomenal trilogy would come to an end. To no surprise, The Hero of Ages did not disappoint. One of my favorite aspects of the series was Sanderson’s imagination and that was on full display in this finale. And I felt like the writing got better with each book. Having only read Elantris before Mistborn, this series has propelled me to continue on in the Cosmere. This was an epic conclusion to a wonderful series. It was an emotional and thrilling ride. Here are my thoughts.
Worldbuilding:
- Sanderson once again showed that he is one of the best in the business at creating compelling and intriguing worlds
- I really enjoyed how the world was revealed slowly, book by book – right up until the end
- I loved learning even more about the history and lore of the Kandra and Koloss
- The increased prominence of the mists, the ashfalls, and the overall environment made this the most atmospheric yet
- The magic system was one of the strongest components of the series and even more was revealed in book 3
Characters:
- Sanderson continued to add interesting characters in KenPaar, Quellion and Yomen
- Spook’s increased role was both surprising and worked super well for me
- More context was provided on the Lord Ruler, which really helped the storyline
- I absolutely loved Sazed’s emotional and spiritual journey in The Hero of Ages
- Vin and Elend made a heck of a team – I adored their relationship
- There was a bit of a lost opportunity with TenSoon. There was such a solid buildup of his character arc and felt like it could have gone further
Storyline:
- A good mix of slow-burning political posturing and intense action scenes
- I would have never guessed the outcome
- There were awesome twists and turns throughout the book
- The ending was epic and elegantly tied up the series
Favorite Themes:
- Sacrifice
- Hope
- Love
- Faith
My only regret is that I didn’t read this series sooner. This third installment provided the ending this series deserved. It included an interesting magic system, an indepth world, relatable characters, and complex political system. I look forward to continuing on with Era 2 and also seeing how everything is connected through the Cosmere. I cannot recommend this series enough.
Series Recap:
The Final Empire: 10/10 Stars
Well of Ascension: 9/10 Stars
The Hero of Ages: 9.5/10 Stars
Total: 28.5/30 Stars
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