The Final Empire - Brandon Sanderson

The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) – Brandon Sanderson (2006)

(5 / 5)

I have seen this book around for years. When it initially came out i thought to myself “Yeah I’ll have to read that soon“. And then months passed. “Yeah, I still have to get to this one“… And then when I finally got around to reading it (or listening in this case), I realised it had been a whole 12 years since I told myself I should read it originally. All I can say is WHY THE HELL DID I WAIT SO LONG??!!

This is where I usually give a brief run down of the book, but I’m not going to for this one. I think it’s much better if you go in blind. Lets just say, there is an intricate heist, an evil and powerful Lord Ruler, a lot of action, a touch of romance and some magical powers, or should I say, scientific powers.

Look, a big 600 page or 28 hour audio book is a big investment in time. And there are SO MANY books out there to read. But when you find a gem in this genre, it is so worth it. I can’t explain why I enjoy fantasy so much. Maybe its the fact that you literally leave this world and are plunged into a totally different universe, where science can be bent however the author sees fit. Maybe it has something to do with the depth and background of the characters that can be created when you literally rewrite the laws of space and physics. I can’t exactly put my finger on it. But I can see why the Mistborn series is a much beloved, extremely popular addition to the modern fantasy genre.

The writing is actually really simple and that is not a criticism. It has such a complex and rich story, but you don’t have to think too hard, which is why I think this book in particular would be an amazing book to start off reading fantasy if you are a novice. He writes it with such ease. I found none of the fantasy BLAH that goes over my head in some fantasy novels, especially the older ones.

I guess when you have so many pages and hours to fill, you have an opportunity to build up some rich, diverse characters, and that is exactly what Sanderson has done here. There are some extremely lovable characters and some that you love to hate. The relationships between the characters were complex and thoroughly entertaining!

It has action and adventure, a lot of humour and so many twists and turns that I never saw coming! And I love a good heist in my fantasy books!

The audio version was AMAZING! The narrator Michael Kramer is absolutely amazing and I got into the story STRAIGHT AWAY! There was no getting used to the narrator, he just started of brilliantly and it continued for the whole story. Yes, it was a LONG audio book, but as I have said before in other reviews, fantasy is my favourite genre to listen to in audio format. It brings it to life and is so easy to listen to – Despite the length.

Would I recommend The Final Empire?

If you are a newbie to fantasy, I would say this is a wonderful place to start. I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes you want to explore the genre further. If you are already a fan like I am, you will hopefully appreciate the complex story and amazing world that Sanderson has created.

I purchased The Final Empire on audible.com at my own expense.