871 books
—
1,400 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Mistborn (Mistborn, #1)” as Want to Read:
Mistborn
(Mistborn #1)
by
The Mists rule the night.
The Lord Ruler owns the world.
Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.
He failed.
For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.
Yet some ...more
The Lord Ruler owns the world.
Once, a hero arose to save the world. A young man with a mysterious heritage courageously challenged the darkness that strangled the land.
He failed.
For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by the immortal emperor known as the Lord Ruler. Every revolt has failed miserably.
Yet some ...more
Get A Copy
Mass Market Paperback, 657 pages
Published
July 31st 2007
by Tom Doherty Associates
(first published July 17th 2006)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Mistborn (Mistborn, #1)

Sep 10, 2011
Benjamin Duffy
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-sci-fi,
e-books
I can't remember being this violently conflicted about a book in quite some time. There are some areas where it's just so well done, with the author absolutely nailing it, and then others where I found myself grinding my teeth in frustration. I'm going to abandon my usual practice of writing short, pithy reviews and just drunkenly ramble on a few things here. (Still no spoilers, though.) That OK with y'all?
Language. About two and a half chapters into this book, I found myself asking, "Why does t ...more
Language. About two and a half chapters into this book, I found myself asking, "Why does t ...more

Nov 25, 2012
Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Sometimes, I revisit a book I had loved ages ago, only to tell myself "What the actual fuck was I thinking?! This book is crap!!!!! Oh young Khanh, you were so dumb :("
Thankfully, this was absolutely NOT the case for this book. I appreciated it much more the second time around. It could be that it just took time for me to appreciate the book. Or maybe it just glows in comparison to all the crap I had been reading (2.5 average rating last year, baby!). Either way, I ain't complaining!
First, the b ...more
Thankfully, this was absolutely NOT the case for this book. I appreciated it much more the second time around. It could be that it just took time for me to appreciate the book. Or maybe it just glows in comparison to all the crap I had been reading (2.5 average rating last year, baby!). Either way, I ain't complaining!
First, the b ...more

Nov 28, 2013
Regan
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-owned-read,
favorites
WOW. That. Was. Really. Good.

Dec 13, 2013
Jesse (JesseTheReader)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
WOAH. That was a crazy epic adventure full of fantastic characters and action packed madness! It definitely lived up to all the hype for me. :)

6/21 Re-reading...
Thank the Lord Ruler I finally crawled out from whatever rock I was living under and finally decided to read this book.

Because.
It.
Was.
So.
Fucking.
Awesome.

I have been telling myself for years that I should try and branch out from just romance, paranormal romance, UF romance, sci-fi alien smut and the occasional murder mystery or biography (not that there is a damn thing wrong with my beloved romance, but just to challenge myself to try something new) and attempt to tackle a ...more
Thank the Lord Ruler I finally crawled out from whatever rock I was living under and finally decided to read this book.

Because.
It.
Was.
So.
Fucking.
Awesome.

I have been telling myself for years that I should try and branch out from just romance, paranormal romance, UF romance, sci-fi alien smut and the occasional murder mystery or biography (not that there is a damn thing wrong with my beloved romance, but just to challenge myself to try something new) and attempt to tackle a ...more

This was an odd one for me. I've seen an enormous number of opinions about Sanderson's books on the fantasy forums I hang out on, the great majority favourable. I was interested to see what it was that had sold so very many books and got such an incredibly high average score on Goodreads.
The opening was strong and engaging. Then I started to falter. For most of the book I didn't think that I would be giving it 5*. I started to worry that I might have a legion of Sanderfans on my case :o
I think ...more
The opening was strong and engaging. Then I started to falter. For most of the book I didn't think that I would be giving it 5*. I started to worry that I might have a legion of Sanderfans on my case :o
I think ...more

Sep 08, 2016
Petrik
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
epic/high fantasy fans
Shelves:
favorites
The beginning of the trilogy that sparked my love for reading fantasy novels.
It’s been exactly one year ten months since I first joined Goodreads or started reading The Final Empire, September 1st, 2016 to be exact. This is an extremely important book for me and the more I tried to explain why the harder it felt to come up with something other than saying the cliché phrase that “I absolutely love this book”. The reason on the significance of this trilogy for me will have to be postponed until I’ ...more
It’s been exactly one year ten months since I first joined Goodreads or started reading The Final Empire, September 1st, 2016 to be exact. This is an extremely important book for me and the more I tried to explain why the harder it felt to come up with something other than saying the cliché phrase that “I absolutely love this book”. The reason on the significance of this trilogy for me will have to be postponed until I’ ...more

I'M NOT OKAY I'M STILL CRYING.
On to read the next book! ...more
On to read the next book! ...more

MISTBORN WAS SO GOOD GAHH HERE'S MY BOOKTALK: http://youtu.be/S9kgwYQ6MPs
...more

Oct 17, 2017
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
Allomancy. The mystical power held by the nobility, granted to them by the Lord Ruler some thousand years before as a reward for their loyalty.
Readers have been urging me for years to pick up anything by Brandon Sanderson, and after browsing his books I knew that Mistborn would be the first world I wanted to enter. Opportunity arose, and I was able to read this along with two other Goodreads friends, which made for a much more exciting experience than if I had gone it alone. We were able to bou ...more
Readers have been urging me for years to pick up anything by Brandon Sanderson, and after browsing his books I knew that Mistborn would be the first world I wanted to enter. Opportunity arose, and I was able to read this along with two other Goodreads friends, which made for a much more exciting experience than if I had gone it alone. We were able to bou ...more

5th reread.
Think that sums up my feelings towards these books.
Think that sums up my feelings towards these books.

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I hate everyone.
You: Everyone who?
Me: Yes.
You: Eh?
Me: Leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it!
You: *backs away slowly*
Me: IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT. *sobs*
Are you one of them? Are you? Did you rave about MISTBORN and convince me it was one of the BEST fantasy series ever? You can't believe I haven't already read it--I'm going to LOVE it. Hmm? DID YOU?!
Then you, friend, are whom I hate.
As for you, Mr. Sanderson . . . I TRUSTED YOU.
I collected your clues and gathered your h ...more
I hate everyone.
You: Everyone who?
Me: Yes.
You: Eh?
Me: Leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it!
You: *backs away slowly*
Me: IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT. *sobs*
Are you one of them? Are you? Did you rave about MISTBORN and convince me it was one of the BEST fantasy series ever? You can't believe I haven't already read it--I'm going to LOVE it. Hmm? DID YOU?!
Then you, friend, are whom I hate.
As for you, Mr. Sanderson . . . I TRUSTED YOU.
I collected your clues and gathered your h ...more

My review upon reread: https://youtu.be/pUut-wrOhMw
This may be the first time in my life I'm actually mad at myself for not starting a book sooner. The characters were unbelievable and the plot was so thrilling and gripping the entire way through. I actually want to start rereading it right now. Which is stupid because there's more books in the series. But I want that story again and I'm sad that I can't experience it again for the first time ...more
This may be the first time in my life I'm actually mad at myself for not starting a book sooner. The characters were unbelievable and the plot was so thrilling and gripping the entire way through. I actually want to start rereading it right now. Which is stupid because there's more books in the series. But I want that story again and I'm sad that I can't experience it again for the first time ...more


I forgot that I did a re-read on audio of this a couple of months back! Thank you to my friends who out of the blue liked my old review and reminded me. I checked my Overdrive and the next one is going to come through soon for my re-read. 😊 I still feel the same about the book because it's freaking awesome, I'm just not sure about the audio. I don't think I will get it from Audible. It's okay I guess. Anyway, the old review is below and nothing has changed
Old Review
www.melissa413readsalot.blogs ...more

Oh my gosh. I have tears in my eyes. This was by far one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read.
I don't even know how I'm going to function enough to give this a worthy review. Brandon Sanderson, you have rocked my world.
Seriously, if you want to try a high fantasy but you want to avoid those long/boring/depressing series - give this a go. I'm just going to point out all the things that made this a great read for me - but I'm not going to go into too much detail. I read this book without kn ...more
I don't even know how I'm going to function enough to give this a worthy review. Brandon Sanderson, you have rocked my world.
Seriously, if you want to try a high fantasy but you want to avoid those long/boring/depressing series - give this a go. I'm just going to point out all the things that made this a great read for me - but I'm not going to go into too much detail. I read this book without kn ...more

Jan 04, 2020
chan ☆
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-fantasy,
2020
yo, i read my first adult fantasy!!!!!!!!!
reading Peruse Project's favorite books
...more
reading Peruse Project's favorite books
...more

It reminds me of Ocean's Eleven meets The Italian Job, but set in Mordor after Sauron has ruled for 1000 years or so. In many fantasy stories, a dark lord is rising and it is up to our heroes to defeat him before that happens. In this, the Dark Lord is already set in place as the status quo and the heroes have to motivate others to want a change.....Yet there is a noble class of The Lord Ruler's flunkies who will need to be scammed and robbed along the way, to finance this big revolt.....I love
...more

Note to self: You are no longer allowed to bring books this good on family road trips. It makes you antisocial. You ignore the great views outside the car. You resent being torn away from the book to spend time with family, and when you are you babble incessantly about how awesome it is and how everyone would like it and how cool the magic is and how great the characters and on and on and on until your family is probably sick of you. And then, even after an eight-mile hike in the desert when you
...more

Nov 29, 2014
Katerina
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
2018-reads
Brilliant.
Absolutely brilliant.
Re-reads are a tough decision. There is a high chance you won't find the book as good as you thought it was all those years ago, that you will be disappointed and left with a bitter taste in your mouth, that the glass tower that protects your relationship with said book will be shattered. Re-reads can be intimidating. But that was not the case with The Final Empire. Although it sounds improbable, I appreciated it even more the second time around.
He was supposed ...more
Absolutely brilliant.
Re-reads are a tough decision. There is a high chance you won't find the book as good as you thought it was all those years ago, that you will be disappointed and left with a bitter taste in your mouth, that the glass tower that protects your relationship with said book will be shattered. Re-reads can be intimidating. But that was not the case with The Final Empire. Although it sounds improbable, I appreciated it even more the second time around.
He was supposed ...more

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

In the magic-centric Mistborn world, magic systems are based on metals, which are used to grant specific strengths. Sanderson designed a very complex and innovative world, even though that is easy for the readers to understand. It's truly a unique fantasy book. And the tale is far from predictable. The character development, captivating world-building, and complex magic system made the story so unique.

In the magic-centric Mistborn world, magic systems are based on metals, which are used to grant specific strengths. Sanderson designed a very complex and innovative world, even though that is easy for the readers to understand. It's truly a unique fantasy book. And the tale is far from predictable. The character development, captivating world-building, and complex magic system made the story so unique.
Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest...more

Jun 22, 2017
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
adult-fantasy-sci-fi
I mean....
The writing, the story, the characters, the world, the magic, the battle scenes. How do I do it justice??
_ A beautifully intricate plot that includes, that's right!... A heist! (A heist?) Anyway, if that alone isn’t reason enough, I don’t know what is. 👌
_ The most badass thief among thieves who’ll also, without a doubt, steal your heart along the way. A criminal mastermind who could pull off the impossible. *Gushing* *GUSHING* 😍
_ An unlikely heroine who's aware of her weaknesses and do ...more
The writing, the story, the characters, the world, the magic, the battle scenes. How do I do it justice??
_ A beautifully intricate plot that includes, that's right!... A heist! (A heist?) Anyway, if that alone isn’t reason enough, I don’t know what is. 👌
_ The most badass thief among thieves who’ll also, without a doubt, steal your heart along the way. A criminal mastermind who could pull off the impossible. *Gushing* *GUSHING* 😍
_ An unlikely heroine who's aware of her weaknesses and do ...more

Jul 09, 2016
Sana
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Sana by:
Literally everyone
Shelves:
adult,
shawty-so-bad,
bf,
literal-garbage,
boring-af,
i-dont-get-the-hype,
fantasy,
endless-pain
Never in my life have I ever felt an incredible amount of disappointment that this book gave me. I'm literally so fucking bitter and salty that I didn't enjoy this hyped as fuck book that no one has ever written a single negative review for.
I'M SEETHING. I WANTED TO LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH. But the amount of boredom and info dump I encountered in the beginning of this book ruined everything. (view spoiler) ...more
I'M SEETHING. I WANTED TO LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH. But the amount of boredom and info dump I encountered in the beginning of this book ruined everything. (view spoiler) ...more

Aug 01, 2019
✨ A ✨
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who loves thieving crews
Recommended to ✨ A ✨ by:
Warda
I'm just-

This being my first time reading a Sanderson book I did not know what to expect. I basically knew nothing about these books, I did not even read the blurb. When a book shocks you with its awesomeness it is always the best experience AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
The Final Empire is a land where the Skaa h ...more

This being my first time reading a Sanderson book I did not know what to expect. I basically knew nothing about these books, I did not even read the blurb. When a book shocks you with its awesomeness it is always the best experience AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that was what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler—and to himself—that he wasn’t beaten.
The Final Empire is a land where the Skaa h ...more

Really enjoyed Final Empire! It will be a book I recommend to others. I liked the characters, including a strong female heroine, Vin (her trust issues and ultimately her heroism), and the world-building that was there from beginning to end. That the plot was intricately tied to how Sanderson created his world made the story more interesting as it unfolded. Some of world-building made the start a little slow and the battle scenes were sometimes long, and given how allomancers fight, they sometime
...more

This is an epic fantasy series and The Final Empire, the first book in the trilogy is, in itself, epic. A world oppressed by a dark ruler sees a thieving group take upon the mantels of heroes. This, along with the help of their mystical power, Alomancy, determines the fate of the Mistborn. If anything, Brandon Sanderson certainly knows how to write alarmingly cool books.
Awesome magic system
Alomancy allows the wielder to burn metals, inside themselves, enhancing their physical abilities such as ...more
Awesome magic system
Alomancy allows the wielder to burn metals, inside themselves, enhancing their physical abilities such as ...more

Well, for starters, this was the best prologue of any book I've ever read. I have been neglecting this series (and author) for far too long, and after I read that prologue I was fiending for the actual story. Is fiending a word? I think it's slang. Now I'm answering my own questions in a review. Whatever, I like fiending and I'm keeping it!

This story has two very predominate social classes in this book; The nobility and the slaves. The Lord Ruler is the "God" of this world, and his corrupt gove ...more

This story has two very predominate social classes in this book; The nobility and the slaves. The Lord Ruler is the "God" of this world, and his corrupt gove ...more

This book was wonderful and fantastic and amazing! It’s one of the best fantasy books that I’ve read. I hope I can do this book justice with my review. So bear with me while I ramble away.
The main character of the book is Vin, a street orphan who has never known friendship or trust, not even from her own family. She’s a member of a thieving crew in the criminal underworld of the empire. No one can be trusted and greed overrules any sort of loyalty. But her hesitancy of trusting others begins to ...more
The main character of the book is Vin, a street orphan who has never known friendship or trust, not even from her own family. She’s a member of a thieving crew in the criminal underworld of the empire. No one can be trusted and greed overrules any sort of loyalty. But her hesitancy of trusting others begins to ...more

The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1), Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn: The Final Empire, also known simply as Mistborn or , is a fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson. It was published on July 17, 2006 by Tor Books and is the first novel in the Mistborn trilogy, followed by The Well of Ascension in 2007 and The Hero of Ages in 2008.
At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Vin, a street urchin who is recruited by Kelsier's crew after Kelsier realizes that she is a Mis ...more
Mistborn: The Final Empire, also known simply as Mistborn or , is a fantasy novel written by American author Brandon Sanderson. It was published on July 17, 2006 by Tor Books and is the first novel in the Mistborn trilogy, followed by The Well of Ascension in 2007 and The Hero of Ages in 2008.
At the beginning of the novel, the reader is introduced to Vin, a street urchin who is recruited by Kelsier's crew after Kelsier realizes that she is a Mis ...more

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
This was my book club's pick of the month!
I can't even believe this was so good. I mean I can, because it's Brandon Sanderson! But seriously... This was an excellent high fantasy novel. I'm going to try to put my feelings into words, but I find I have a harder time writing positive reviews vs. negative reviews.
The World/Magic System:
This novel takes place in a world devoid of most of its natural color. It's a ruthless empire that has built its foundation on the back ...more
This was my book club's pick of the month!
I can't even believe this was so good. I mean I can, because it's Brandon Sanderson! But seriously... This was an excellent high fantasy novel. I'm going to try to put my feelings into words, but I find I have a harder time writing positive reviews vs. negative reviews.
The World/Magic System:
This novel takes place in a world devoid of most of its natural color. It's a ruthless empire that has built its foundation on the back ...more

"He shall defend their ways, yet shall violate them. He will be their savior, yet they shall call him heretic. His name shall be Discord, yet they shall love him for it."
A thousand years ago, a young and noble hero arose from rural obscurity into being hailed by Terris priests as the prophesised Hero of Ages. The nations and armies of the world were united beneath his banner in an effort to challenge the Deepness, the mysterious force of darkness threatening to engulf the world. All hope was pla ...more
A thousand years ago, a young and noble hero arose from rural obscurity into being hailed by Terris priests as the prophesised Hero of Ages. The nations and armies of the world were united beneath his banner in an effort to challenge the Deepness, the mysterious force of darkness threatening to engulf the world. All hope was pla ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 Reading Chal...: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) | 5 | 17 | Jan 24, 2021 12:12PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson - Restarting January 1st 2021 | 163 | 402 | Jan 12, 2021 06:54PM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Mistborn: The Final Empire [December 11, 2020] | 97 | 55 | Jan 03, 2021 01:21AM | |
The Secret Life o...: Book#4 November 2020 | 6 | 5 | Nov 09, 2020 05:10AM | |
/lit/ posting: Brandon Sanderson | 12 | 12 | Oct 19, 2020 09:24AM |
Brandon’s major books for the second half of 2016 are The Dark Talent, the final volume in Alcatraz Smedry’s autobiographical account of his battle against the Evil Librarians who secretly rule our world, and Arcanum Unbounded, the collection of short fiction in the Cosmere universe that includes the Mistborn series and the Stormlight
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more
Other books in the series
Mistborn
(7 books)
Articles featuring this book
Dragons, demons, kings, queens, and the occasional farm boy (with a special destiny, of course): Fantasy literature has it all! To celebrate...
441 likes · 282 comments
37 trivia questions
1 quiz
More quizzes & trivia...
1 quiz
“You should try not to talk so much, friend. You'll sound far less stupid that way.
- Breeze”
—
1192 likes
- Breeze”
“Belief isn't simply a thing for fair times and bright days...What is belief - what is faith - if you don't continue in it after failure?...Anyone can believe in someone, or something that always succeeds...But failure...ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly. Difficult enough to have value. Sometimes we just have to wait long enough...then we find out why exactly it was that we kept believing...There's always another secret.”
—
946 likes
More quotes…
Jan 15, 2021 09:23AM
Jan 22, 2021 12:53PM