If you asked me what I value most in a fantasy novel, the one of the first words out of my mouth would be originality. To be honest, I’ve started to cringe at the blurbs describing a book as “the next Lord of the Rings.” I read Lord of the Rings. I reread Lord of the Rings. What I’m looking for is something new, and Brandon Sanderson delivered with Mistborn: The Final Empire.
On the surface, the Final Empire seems to be just what its name suggests. The Emperor has reigned for a thousand years after defeating the ancient enemy of legend. The noble houses have entrenched in their different keeps and customs. Despite a handful of brief rebellions, the Skaa peasants have been beaten into a slave-like submission. But the very foundation of the Empire’s power is its weakness: the Allomancers.
In the Final Empire, Allomancers are highly valued. Not magicians per se, their superhuman ability comes from Allomancy. The simple version of this complex ability is that the individual possesses the ability to “burn” ingested metals. Each metal has a corresponding ability. Pewter enhances a person’s strength; tin enhances a person’s senses. Steel allows a person to push against other metals, moving either themselves or the metal allowing an Allomancer a kind of flight. Most Allomancers, known as Mistings, can only access one metal. But a few, called Mistborn, can burn all the metals.
Allomancy in general and Mistborn in particular are considered the property of the nobility and the laws regarding the mingling of the noble lines with the Skaa all end in death. But every so often there is a slip, resulting in a Skaa Allomancer, sometimes even a Mistborn. Vin, a street thief, is just such a slip. So is her new mentor Kelsior, but while Vin just wants to stay alive, his plans are more grandiose. He wants to overthrow the Emperor.
The book weaves a sweeping tale of political games and personal growth as it switches perspectives between naive but suspicious Vin and skilled but trusting Kelsior. An amazing cast of supporting characters leap off the page as a handful of dreamers pit themselves against the full might of the Final Empire. But Sanderson’s most amazing creation remains the intricate structure of Allomancy. Other books in the series expand on the foundation Mistborn: The Final Empire adding to readers understanding of the system and expanding the basic premise to include several new variations on Allomancy.
If you’re looking for a character driven book, this is it. If you are looking for an epic adventure, this is it. And if you’re just plain looking for something new, Mistborn will not disappoint.