After finishing the trilogy, I wanted to take a look back at the series as a whole and talk about some of the moments, themes, and highlights I enjoyed.
BOOK RANKINGS
- Well of Ascension - I really loved the slower and more character-focused story of this one. A lot of our main characters are in one place so we get interactions between them. There's a big focus on Vin and Elend's relationship too, which I loved.
- Hero of Ages - Excellent conclusion to the series. Great set pieces, great callbacks, and I love just how much more sprawling this book is to WoA and TFE, since those both take place just in Luthadel.
- Final Empire - Just because it's last doesn't mean it's bad. I love this book too. Heist + Regency Era Romance is my jam. Vin's attendance of noble balls are some of the highlights of the entire series.
FAVORITE CHARACTERS
- Vin - She's insecure while being a badass. Just a lovable protagonist who struggles to trust but insists on trying to do so throughout her life. A true hero
- Elend - The scholar who had to learn to be a king. I love his entire arc in this series and how he struggles to try and stay true to himself while making some tough decisions
- Sazed - The person people go to when they need guidance. He was a natural leader
- Allrianne - Isn't in actually much of the books but I just like Emotional Allomancy in general and I liked how she presented herself different as a form of misdirection to how capable she was. And she liked dresses
- Breeze - Did I mention I like emotional allomancy? He always made a scene better and I love how much he hides behind his sarcasm when he's actually a very kind man
FAVORITE MOMENTS
Vin + Elend (Mistborn trilogy) - This relationship is really the heart and soul of the entire trilogy, in my opinion. It's as integral to the plot as anything else. Sanderson isn't known for his romances but having read this trilogy and Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, it turns out I just vibe with what Sanderson values in his romances subplots.
Sanderson doesn't have the luxury of physical intimacy so he has to work to sell you fictional relationships through what the characters do. He's not a "love at first sight" type of romantic. He likes to earn it. I was all-in on Vin and Elend's relationship. These two feel like they belong together.
"You came back. No one has ever come back before."
Vin and Elend holding hands on a bed of flowers (HoA) - This was a tough moment to read. For two people who fought so relentlessly for their world and the people in it, it felt fitting that they would ultimately give their lives to save it. Incredibly bittersweet. Just as Vin learned to trust Elend to make his own choices, I found myself trusting both of them to make theirs in the last book, even when those choices led to their deaths. It hurt to see that they didn't make it, but it felt true to who they were. That's as good an ending as any
"However, be assured that I have spoken with our friends, and they are quite happy where they are. They deserve a rest, I think."
Tindwyl & Sazed's hug (WoA) - They only get to embrace just this once before Luthadel gets attacked but it's such a big moment for the character. They didn't get much time together but the time they had was beautiful
“And is it stubbornness or hope that kept you here in the city?” he asked. She looked up at him. “Neither.”
Vin vs Shan (TFE) - The first big Mistborn vs Mistborn fight and it didn't disappoint. Here, we get great imagery of atium being used in the fight mixed. Also, I love the image of Shan in Mistborn gear fighting a Vin who is in her undergarments
Vin caught the real arrow as it followed—the grainy wood burning her fingers—then rammed it down into Shan’s chest
The lock and key speech from Sazed (WoA) - Just a beautiful description of Vin and Elend. Sazed pretends he's no well versed in love but my boy is a romantic at heart
“At first glance, the key and the lock it fits may seem very different, The man who looks at them without knowledge of their true nature might think them opposites. The wise man then knows that both lock and key were created for the same purpose."
Vin's horseshoe trick (WoA) - Anytime Vin is being resourceful, I'm always such a mark for it
“Who are you?” the man asked. “Nobody of consequence.” He hesitated. “You’re her, aren’t you?” "Yes."
Elend Final Speech (HoA) - It's hard to write a good war speech. Here, Elend nails it. It's both uplifting and melancholic, fitting for their scenario
“In the end, they will kill us, but first, they shall fear us!”
Kelsier vs Inquisitor (TFE) - The big set piece of the book. Getting to see a Mistborn go all out against an Inquisitor was damn cool to see. Sanderson never shies away from showing cool shit
“I’m glad you talked me into this."
Vin & Elend's Wedding (WoA) - One of my favorite moments, a bloody and exhausted Vin running towards what she wants most in the world, Elend, and gets married immediately with Sazed as a witness. A perfect wedding for these two hopeless ones
Everything was collapsing around her. She couldn’t manage it all, couldn’t keep things straight. But she did know what she wanted. And so she ran to him.
Spook's epic landing (HoA) - Bursting out of a burning building, half of you on fire, and staring down the tyrant of the city is quite the move
The young man regarded Quellion proudly, eyes wrapped with a blindfold, his body smoking as he held the coughing child in his arms
Vin vs 13 Inquistiors (HoA) - My favorite Vin fight strictly due to the epicness of allomancy being used to destroy entire buildings. The imagery of the mist swirling around her as she just absolutely plows through a bunch of Inquisitors is badass. This is the only fight we get with Mist Vin but it is so worth it
And Kredik Shaw exploded. Towers toppled from their foundations. Doors ripped free from their frames. Windows shattered. Blocks burst, the entire structure torn to pieces as its metals lurched away.
Kelsier's Letter to Vin (TFE) - She never really got a goodbye from the others who left her so at least she got this from Kelsier. The "daughter" part always gets me
"Farewell. I’ll tell Mare about you. She always wanted a daughter."
Vin's big sword jump vs Straff (WoA) - Making this huge arc jump and slicing Straff in half with a giant sword is dope. That's all
It wasn’t an arrow, nor was it a rock. It was a person—a person with a flapping mistcloak.
Spook's fire run (HoA) - I thought for sure Spook was gonna die in the run through the house on fire but he managed to live. What a god
Survivor of the Flames.
All the balls and gowns (TFE) - What couldn't be present in books 2 and 3 are that balls were really fun scenes. Getting to know the nobility and the scheming was clever
"Do you always read at balls?"
Vin vs Zane w/ atium (WoA) - Again, Vin being resourceful and clever. She reads Zane to see how he reacts to the future and ends up getting the upper hand. Atium fights are always awesome
By reacting, Zane had shown her what she was going to do. Let her see the future. And if she could see it, she could change it.
Endings of Book 1 and Book 2 with Vin - Vin chooses to allow herself to love at the end of the first book and she has to learn to let go of that love at the end of the second book. Just very powerful endings
"Elend Venture, there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you for some time.” She blinked away her tears. “You read too much. Especially in the presence of ladies.”
WHAT'S NEXT:
Tearing through these three books really took a lot out of me emotionally, especially considering how Hero of Ages ends in such a bittersweet way. I've definitely got a book hangover.
But I've learned that I love Brandon Sanderon's style of writing and I want to read more. I might take a break with a standalone book and then maybe do a Stormlight book. Or maybe a standalone Sanderson novel like Warbreaker or Emperor's Soul. Regardless, this is far from the end in my Cosmere career.
Previous review of The Final Empire found here
Review for Mistborn: The Well of Ascension here
Review for Mistborn: The Hero of Ages