Review: Mistborn: The Hero of Ages
Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn trilogy thunders to a conclusion with the lengthy (the trade paperback edition I purchased was almost 800 pages) Mistborn: The Hero of Ages. Even from the opening paragraphs of the first novel, Sanderson established that the Mistborn series was going to be a work of fantasy to remember: the first two installments in the trilogy were well written, entertaining, and surprisingly thought-provoking (see my earlier reviews of The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension). When a fantasy series is drawing near those final words, I can’t help but be afraid that something will suddenly go terribly wrong, whether it be a radical shift in tone, unseemly bloat as the author tries to throw in everything including the kitchen sink, or complete confusion as certain story lines are forgotten or finished in nonsensical manner. Luckily–actually, I imagine this should be attributed less to mere luck and more to hard work and talent–Brandon Sanderson has succeeded admirably at finishing Mistborn on the right note. The Hero of Ages delivers more great characters, more action, and more intrigue, with a fantastic conclusion that will leave you thrilled, grateful, and saddened to be finished with such a great fantasy series.
In my opinion, the Mistborn trilogy has never quite qualified as epic fantasy, despite the impressive word counts. Even when dealing with several massive armies, Sanderson keeps the focus tight on the main characters and their actions, so there’s no need for elaborate maps or an exhaustive index of characters, countries, titles, etc. After finishing the novel, I was thumbing through the opening pages and was surprised to find that there was, in fact, a rough map at the start of the novel. I’d never needed it! That is not to say that the action hasn’t escalated to an epic scale. The Hero of Ages follows the protagonists as they consolidate the remaining outposts of humanity, by force if necessary, and search for hints left in massive storage caches by the Lord Ruler, who foresaw that humanity might someday be forced to again battle Ruin, a godlike force that hungers only for the complete destruction of the world. Without revealing too much of the events from the previous novels, Lord Elend Venture and Vin find themselves in a desperate struggle for survival, and not just the survival of their kingdom; now, they fight to save all of humanity from an encroaching threat they still have hardly any understanding of. For the bulk of the story, the narrative follows as the characters work to convert the last two holdout civilizations: Fadrex City, which has reverted to the old structure of leadership the Lord Ruler exercised, and Urteau, which has completely thrown off the shackles of the nobility, replaced by an increasingly violent and bloody rule under a former commoner titled the Citizen.
Sanderson doesn’t populate his world with hundreds of characters and dozens of cultures or nations, but he has certainly devoted an impressive amount of energy to realizing his vision of Scadriel’s magic. The Hero of Ages continues to build on the foundations laid down in the first two novels, with further details of Allomancy and Feruchemy demonstrated; the gruesome art of Hemalurgy is also explored in much greater detail, and the revelations from all of these explanations make for some very exciting moments in the narrative. Sanderson’s intricate magical system actually serves the storyline, instead of the other way around. As the origins of the brutish koloss and the shape-shifting kandra are finally illustrated, the extreme measures the Lord Ruler engaged in to reinforce his world order become clear, giving the reader a further appreciation for his desperate ruthlessness and the immensity of the battle he was engaged in.
Sanderson’s characterization, one of his greatest strengths throughout the entire trilogy, continues to excel. More than in either of the previous installments, the diverse cast of characters are scattered and forced to confront themselves while dealing with the challenges around them. Elend Venture and Vin, largely the center of the action, are aided in their efforts by the remaining members of the original criminal crew that helped to overthrow the Lord Ruler in the first place, and every character plays a critical role. While Venture’s army lays siege to Fadrex City, the Terrisman Sazed works to establish diplomatic relations with the city of Urteau, all the while struggling with his frustrating lack of faith. Assisting Sazed are Breeze, an exceptionally talented Soother, and Lestibournes (or “Spook” as he was known earlier in the story), a Tineye addicted to burning tin to enhance his senses to a preternatural level. The kandra TenSoon also struggles with his own beliefs and how they conflict with the strict rules of his race’s Contract. Internal conflict is a theme that each character’s arc touches upon, whether it is Ghost’s desire to prove himself useful, Kelsier’s philosophical debates about power and leadership, or Sazed’s despair and uncertainty in his quest for a religion that he can actually believe in. As The Hero of Ages reaches its impressive conclusion, it becomes very obvious that Sanderson has been planning each character’s growth carefully from the very beginning of the trilogy, and each character’s choices, whether for better or worse, shape the story’s action in ways that consistently ring true.
The Mistborn series began with The Final Empire, a delightful heist story disguised in a fantasy setting, and then moved to The Well of Ascension, in which, after the heroes have successfully overthrown the tyrant, the exploits and tension increased tenfold. With Mistborn’s finale in The Hero of Ages, Sanderson has again escalated the intensity to another level. The true scope of the world-building and planning has been revealed, and Sanderson’s efforts do not disappoint. Not to sound cliché, but the plot’s execution is amazing, the revelations shocking, and the climax will have you sitting on the edge of your seat almost to the very last page. In the days after I’d completed the trilogy, I found myself meditating on the consequences of responsibility and leadership, the burden and joys of faith, and the importance of every action, no matter how unimportant it seems. Mistborn has earned its rightful place on my bookshelf, and Brandon Sanderson is an author I am going to be keeping a very close eye on in the years to come.
Plot: 9.5
Characters: 9.5
Action: 8.5
Writing: 8
Overall (not an average): 9/10
I have a goal to get to this series this year. It’s sitting on my bookshelf and keeps telling me to start and I’m sick of it.