*****For my thoughts on the first two parts of the Mistborn series, check out HERE (The Final Empire) and HERE (The Well of Ascension)!****
I can now proudly claim to have finished my first series written by the heavy-hitting Brandon Sanderson! For those of you who may be crying out technicalities, mainly regarding the fact that there are other Mistborn books I have yet to read, to you I say “Nonsense!” However, I know there are still the Wax and Wayne books in the next Era of the series, but those are books for another time.
I have said this every review so far, and I will say it once more: Brandon Sanderson has rightfully justified his widely claimed hype I have heard so much about. This stunning conclusion to an always enthralling series had me on the edge of my seat, then fallen off the seat, and then right back on the edge of it again! The ending was simply chock full of revelations and developments I never would have thought of, and I loved them that much for that reason; there are few things I dislike more than an overly predicable story.
With all that introductory stuff out of the way, lets dissect the nitty-gritty of Sanderson’s The Hero of Ages, the concluding installment of Mistborn Era 1!
I had so many questions after reading the first novel, The Final Empire, and then double the amount after reading the second installment, The Well of Ascension. It is with great relief and giddiness that I can finally rest knowing the answers to many of those mysteries, if not all of them. The truth behind Ruin, Rashek, Vin, and many other characters and events just show how well developed of a story Sanderson gave us, and how he hit every note he set up earlier in the series.
“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.”
It was such a pleasant surprise to see more about the culture and history of the Kandra, as I was afraid they would be left rather untouched in terms of their origins. I loved TenSoon’s character, and his rebellion against the others of his species, so I was overjoyed to get a fair amount of chapters dedicated to him and his turmoil.
Speaking of loveable characters, if you have read my previous review for this series, you will have learned that Sazed gained a strong spot in my character rankings. I was fearful for his fate in this novel, given how dreary he was left off in book two. Thankfully, he went through a very satisfying character arc, and I was intrigued by the ending that left him with a god-like presence in the world. I am curious if he will play a role in the other novels in Era 2 of Mistborn, or possibly even the other Cosmere books (which I hope to tackle very soon).
Pacing and dry spells of action were a minor complaint for me in The Well of Ascension, and for the most part that is made a non-issue in this book. While there were a few moments I found myself semi-drifting through, the boring moments were far outweighed by the valuable and exhilarating ones!
The Hero of Ages Overall Score
The Hero of Ages is a satisfying closing of the first set of Mistborn books, and treats every character with the fate they deserve, and introducing a few new characters who weren’t overly simplistic, even if bland at times. Stakes were raised past limits I never even thought of, and the action levels were kicked all the way up to 11. If you are reading this review, I assume you have finished the series like myself. If not, then close this tab (maybe visit a few other reviews first #ShamelessPlug) and get on it!
Final Score
9/10
I’m not too sure what Cosmere novel I plan on blasting through next, but my money is on Elantris. Any suggestions? Send me a message at my Instagram, where you can also get updates to what I’m reading, talking about, and so much more!