The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn (Mistborn, 3)

All I can say is wow! Everything that you thought you knew from the first two novel's is turned in such an amazing way that you never see coming. It was such an amazing ending to a one of a kind trilogy. I loved every bit of it.

Don't let the negative reviews fool you: The Hero of Ages and this entire trilogy is a story for the ages. Mistborn: The Final Empire enthralled me, seamlessly integrating its magic system into the setting along with perfectly believable characters. On top of that, there was the amazing plot. Taken all together, there was one amazing product. Anyone who has read The Well of Ascension can surmise that there is much more to the original concept--what happened if the Hero of Prophecy failed--than even conceivable. The first two books left large shadows, but Hero of Ages satisfies. To say that it "satisfies" is the largest understatement I've ever said. My fears that the trilogy would collapse from a horrible final volume were completely unwarranted. Instead, I was left with a phenomenal book that may just be the best one I've ever read. In The Hero of Ages, the world is on the edge of destruction, brought about from the force known only as Ruin. Ashfalls grow ever more turbulent, and the mists still kill. Vin and Elend are stymied: how can one save the world from certain doom? I won't say any more of the plot, but it is a story crafted with a chisel of a master. Things from the first book suddenly become immensely important, and questions from before are answered in a simple, logical fashion. If this story was crafted by anything less than an expert sculptor, a series as complicated as Mistborn--with three different magic systems interacting at the same time--could easily disintegrate into insanity, but this novel never fails to disappoint. Rather than confusion, this book left me in awe of Brandon Sanderson's genius. Every surprise is genuine, yet amazingly logical at the same time. Anyone who has read Brandon's work will know of his fantastic endings. Well, this book far surpasses my wildest dreams. As the concluding volume in the trilogy, the entire book feels like one gigantic ending, making this novel a ride you won't want to miss. And when you finally do get to the final climax, that product description is not a hyperbole when it says it "will leave readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream." I certainly did. The real heroes of this novel are the wonderfully realized characters. Every character I loved grew (literally), everyone from the emperor Elend, the assassin Vin, the Terrisman Sazed, and even dear Spook grew to become a real character. Each character feels real on every level. Even the tyrannical Lord Ruler--almost an entity of absolute evil in Book One--becomes shockingly deep in this volume to last the ages. This book is a true masterpiece of fiction.

The first two books in the Mistborn series were excellent, but it is only in this one that Sanderson twists everything you know, and everything you *think* you know in such an unexpected, completely original direction that you're left breathless. All the little clues were there, but he planted them so artfully that they aren't even noticed until suddenly you realize the meaning *behind* what you've been reading! I've rarely read such a masterful plot. I discovered this author by hearing that he had been chosen to finish Robert Jordan's last Wheel of Time novel. I started reading Sanderson's books because I wanted to assure myself that Jordan's family had chosen a writer who could finish the saga successfully. Now I realize that writing Jordan's last book is a waste of Sanderson's talents; he should be writing his *own* books. I positively cannot wait to see what Sanderson's next book, or series of books, will be. I also want to sit down and re-read the Mistborn trilogy over again from the beginning; the first two books will be an entirely different reading experience, now that I understand the truth.

Brandon has established himself as a new heavy hitter in the fantasy genre. Elantris was spectacular (albeit with a few problems) and his Mistborn series is a step above that. With the Mistborn series Brandon firmly calls out other authors of the genre - not only in terms of quality, but in terms of quantity. Writing as much and as well as he does should be a crime - one that gets him a life sentence of...more writing. In this third Mistborn book questions are answered...and more questions are raised. Action is fast paced and for those of us male readers who need a new masculine hero (after Kelsier died), to identify with - we are given it. Combined with the female protagonist (Vin), the new hero balances the books in a way they have not been since the death of Kelsier. The only drawback of the way Sanderson writes is his tendency to leave questions unanswered, or to raise new questions near the end of his novels. To the reader, these might seem to be promises he is expected to answer eventually. Unfortunately Brandon has yet to commit to answering them. On a side note - as an author Brandon is incredible accessible and personable to his fans. Unlike other authors, he seems to genuinely appreciate each and every fan he has. And that, my friends, is just one more reason for us to buy his books; we must keep him writing!

I just finished reading my copy of Hero of Ages, and can't say enough about how good it was. Apart from one desultory chapter in the early going, Sanderson's book is a page-turner that'll blow you away with action, razor-sharp pacing, and revelations that there's no way you will have seen coming. Sanderson connects all the dots by the end, and leaves nothing unanswered. It was a pleasure to read a trilogy that in no way is going to keep going. At least I hope it doesn't keep going. The ending was terrific, and one more chapter would have ruined the series.

I was lucky enough to get an advance reading copy of this book a while back. And I have to say that Sanderson's storytelling keeps getting better and better. Simply said, Brandon Sanderson's books are so good that they're starting to piss me off. It just doesn't seem fair that someone should be about to write this well, this fast. I don't believe in spoilers, so I will say simply this. Everything comes to good resolution in this final book. It all fits. It all makes sense. But at the same time I didn't see it coming. That doesn't happen very often.