Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) in Fantasy-Faction.com

Feb 15, 2018 Adrian G Hilder rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've heard the Mistborn series described as swords and sorcery. It has sorcery "in spades" - the fascinating and innovative Allomancy. Think magical power from metals. I'm not sure the swords part really qualifies. The setting strikes me as more 19th century than the traditional psuedo-medieval worlds we most often find in fantasy. The Final Empire is a fun magical romp through a world broken by past events still shrouded in mystery that I'm keen to penetrate by reading more books in this series I've heard the Mistborn series described as swords and sorcery. It has sorcery "in spades" - the fascinating and innovative Allomancy. Think magical power from metals. I'm not sure the swords part really qualifies. The setting strikes me as more 19th century than the traditional psuedo-medieval worlds we most often find in fantasy. The Final Empire is a fun magical romp through a world broken by past events still shrouded in mystery that I'm keen to penetrate by reading more books in this series.
The overall style and the age of the heroine (16) make me think YA Fantasy but with enough sophistication to appeal to an adult audience. I would have liked more showing in the writing style, especially in action sequences, than the telling we often get. As a result, there were times I felt force fed events rather than experiencing them. I'm done with criticisms now.
The Final Empire was thoroughly enjoyable. The main character Vin is a wonderful blend of strength and naivety with a special but unschooled ability in Allomancy. Her world view is delightfully distorted by her tragic backstory. This gives her an understandable problem trusting anyone and she must overcome this on her quest to end The Final Empire. The Lord Ruler (the Emporer if you will) is immortal and apparently invincible. How can they possibly succeed?
This is a trope Sanderson also uses in Steelheart. If you love Mistborn The Final Empire and have not read Steelheart yet I recommend adding it to your "want to read" list.
Ever envied Spiderman's ability to swing through the buildings on his web strings? Wait until you discover how the Allomancers use their ability to travel with speed and style...
Vin's mentor Kelsier teaches her much about Allomancy and sends her to learn from others with different specialist skills. The story never gets bogged down in this training. It's woven into the storyline. Of course, there are some things a true hero/heroine is going to have to figure out for themselves. Kelsier is a key player in this story are there are many scenes from his point of view. The grand plan at work in this story is his, but he can't do it alone.
Mistborn The Final Empire takes a street urchin and member of a gang of thieves into a world of nobility and espionage, magic and mist. Vin takes on a second identity, Vallette, the only identity her love interest, a son of the enemy ruling class, knows her by. What could possibly go wrong...
The right questions are answered in this book by the end but there are plenty of others left open for future books. Vin grows as a character but there is still plenty of room to see her grow more.
This is a fantastic story that will keep you guessing until the end - how can you kill the invincible Lord Ruler and exactly what is the power of the eleventh metal?

4.5 stars from me overall, but rounded up to a well deserved 5 here. ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Incredible... That's the only word I can think of to describe this book. I am late in getting on the Sanderson bandwagon, having only dabbled in his works before, but after reading this I will be chasing down his other books as soon as I can. Epic, gritty, fast paced, unique and enthralling. A fascinating magic system and characters I genuinely cared for. Sanderson is a genius in the way he weaves it all together. Highly recommended. ...more

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Feb 12, 2014 Jeremy Szal rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-collection

When a book opens with the sentence “Ash fell from the sky”, you know you’re for a fantastic read. And it just gets better from there.

With all the stogy “literary/smart/proper” so called “literature” we’re forced to read for class (and what is generally considered “real” literature”), it’s an absolute blast to read something other than a book about dysfunctional families and unfaithful wives. Instead, we get treated to one of the most innovative fantasy novels ever written. An incredible world s ...more

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Feb 16, 2015 Anderson Tiago rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books

É possível se tornar fã de um autor após ler apenas dois livros dele? Se sim, posso me considerar, definitivamente, fã do trabalho de Brandon Sanderson, tanto pelo que ele fez em Elantris, como agora em Mistborn: O Império Final. Tenho indicado seus trabalhos frequentemente em eventos de literatura fantástica ou para amigos pessoais e, caso mantenha o nível dos lançamentos que tivemos até aqui no Brasil, o autor em breve ganhará aqui o prestígio que tem nos EUA.

O sucesso de Sanderson vem da qual É possível se tornar fã de um autor após ler apenas dois livros dele? Se sim, posso me considerar, definitivamente, fã do trabalho de Brandon Sanderson, tanto pelo que ele fez em Elantris, como agora em Mistborn: O Império Final. Tenho indicado seus trabalhos frequentemente em eventos de literatura fantástica ou para amigos pessoais e, caso mantenha o nível dos lançamentos que tivemos até aqui no Brasil, o autor em breve ganhará aqui o prestígio que tem nos EUA.

O sucesso de Sanderson vem da qualidade de seu texto aliado à rapidez com que escreve. São cerca de 19 livros e mais alguns contos desde o lançamento de Elantris em 2005, além de, no momento, estar trabalhando em 4 projetos diferentes. O Império Final, primeiro livro da trilogia Mistborn, rebatizada de Mistborn - Nascidos da Bruma, chegou ao Brasil este ano através da editora Leya e causou alvoroço entre os leitores mais fanáticos de fantasia, uma vez que essa trilogia era considerada a "magnum opus" do autor (pelo menos até o lançamento de Stormlight Archive). O enredo chama a atenção, primeiramente, por quebrar um dos maiores clichês das histórias de fantasia. Num passado distante havia uma profecia sobre um herói improvável que surgiria e salvaria o mundo do mal. Nada mais comum, certo? No entanto, o herói falhou e o mal venceu.

A partir dessa premissa, Sanderson criou um mudo dividido entre duas classes, os nobres e os skaas, classe inferior oprimida e usada como escravos pelos próprios nobres e pelo Senhor Soberano, o imperador e deus que controla o mundo tiranicamente pelos últimos mil anos. Ninguém consegue resistir aos poderes do Senhor Soberano e todas as tentativas de revolta contra o seu governo foram impiedosamente massacradas. Nesse contexto, aparece Kelsier, o ex-líder de uma gangue de ladrões skaa, disposto a desafiar o poder do imperador. Kelsier é irreverente, cativante e sorridente, mas um pouco arrogante e cheio de si; mesmo assim, sua personalidade magnética faz com que seja adorado por todos aqueles com quem cruza. A sua atitude despreocupada, porém, esconde uma terrível mágoa do passado. Uma mágoa tão forte que foi capaz de despertar os seus poderes de Nascido das Brumas.

O sistema de magia criado por Sanderson em Mistborn é, de longe, uma das coisas mais originais e geniais que já vi em toda a minha vida. A Alomancia, como é conhecida, é a capacidade de metabolizar metais e, a partir deles, adquirir certas habilidades mágicas. Cada metal é responsável por um poder distinto, embora cada metal tenha o seu par, com poderes diametralmente opostos. Os alomânticos, usuários de Alomancia, são divididos em dois grupos: os brumosos, capazes de usar os poderes concedidos por apenas um tipo de metal; e os Nascidos das Brumas, capazes de usar todos os poderes alomânticos.

Os Nascidos das Brumas são extremamente raros e, mesmo assim, a maioria é pertencente à alta nobreza, porém mestiços de nobres com skaa podem vir a ser alomânticos. Por isso, o Senhor Soberano proíbe e pune com a morte qualquer nobre que se relacione com uma skaa e gere filhos. Vin é uma mestiça que conseguiu se manter a salvo, mesmo tendo vivido quase toda a sua vida nas ruas, nas piores condições possíveis. Vin foi ensinada por seu irmão, Reen, a desconfiar de tudo e de todos e a sempre esperar a traição, mais cedo ou mais tarde. Esses ensinamentos são confrontados quando ela conhece Kelsier e sua personalidade atraente. Kelsier, por sua vez, vê Vin como uma esperança porque ela também é uma Nascida da Bruma.

Os personagens secundários também são um show à parte, principalmente o mordomo Sazed, que guarda grandes segredos. Os outros integrantes da gangue de Kelsier, como Dockson, Brisa, Ham, Trevo e Marsh, além do nobre Elend Venture, são bem explorados e contribuem para que a narrativa não fique demasiadamente focada nos dois protagonistas. Como já foi dito, a narrativa em terceira pessoa vem principalmente dos pontos de vistas de Kelsier e Vin, porém alguns personagens coadjuvantes assumem a frente da narração em alguns momentos. No começo de cada capítulo, há um trecho em primeira pessoa, como parte de um diário, que dá vislumbres da época em que o grande herói da profecia falhou e o Senhor Soberano ascendeu como poder dominante.

Para finalizar, O Império Final é uma obra excelente, apesar de ser apenas o primeiro volume da trilogia, e vem para afirmar a entrada de Brandon Sanderson no hall dos grandes escritores de fantasia de todos os tempos. Foi após ler Mistborn que a viúva do autor Robert Jordan resolveu convidar o jovem Sanderson para finalizar A Roda do Tempo, uma das maiores sagas fantásticas da história. Espero que o lançamento da trilogia no Brasil seja concluído de forma rápida para que possamos ter acesso a outros trabalhos do autor, especialmente The Stormlight Archive, que, segundo os leitores americanos, rivaliza com Mistborn pelo posto de melhor obra da sua extensa bibliografia.

Resenha assinada por mim para o site INtocados ...more

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Mar 31, 2015 Tom Owens rated it it was amazing

The Final Empire: 5 out of 5 stars
The Well of Ascension: 4 out of 5 stars
The Hero of Ages: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I can safely say that the Mistborn Trilogy will always have a special place in my reading world. I was given the first one by a friend during a prolonged hospital stay and it rekindled my love of books and where they can take you. At that point I was more of a gamer and TV watcher but within minutes of beginning the Final Empire I felt a whole new, different world stretching out in front The Final Empire: 5 out of 5 stars
The Well of Ascension: 4 out of 5 stars
The Hero of Ages: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I can safely say that the Mistborn Trilogy will always have a special place in my reading world. I was given the first one by a friend during a prolonged hospital stay and it rekindled my love of books and where they can take you. At that point I was more of a gamer and TV watcher but within minutes of beginning the Final Empire I felt a whole new, different world stretching out in front of me. I read probably 8 hours straight that night (pausing only for sleep) and devoured the rest of it over a few short days. It was my first exposure to the world of Brandon Sanderson and I’ll forever be grateful to Dan for introducing me.

It has been a good while since I read these books but they still remain fresh in my mind, helped by the release of the recent Mistborn novella (Secret History) which filled in a few gaps I didn’t even know existed.

I still remember the initial few chapters as Sanderson begins to set everything up, particularly the thrill of learning all about Allomancy alongside Vin as she took her tentative first steps into a brave new world. I absolutely loved the concept of the magic system; it seemed so simple that I was convinced someone else must have thought of it previously! But as we go deeper in Sanderson’s world and start to learn about the other elements of the magic it becomes more complex, more layered and more subtle. This is what I’ve come to expect and love from Sanderson over the years, nothing is ever one (or indeed two-) dimensional.

From a plot point of view I actually found the first book the most compelling. Kelsier as a character carries the story magnificently and the latter books suffer slightly from his absence. It’s not that the other characters don’t work, it is just that Kelsier’s sense of purpose drags the narrative forward throughout that first book in a way that doesn’t quite happen with the second and third ones. Vin, Elend and Sazed are good characters in their own right but The Well of Ascension particularly feels a little bit like the morning after a great party when you realise that you’ve got to clear up all the mess and get back to reality!

It is a similar situation with the characters. The ensemble “crew” in the first book gives way to a more Vin/Elend-heavy approach as their importance becomes more obvious to the tale as a whole. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this shift initially but as we move further into the narrative and the end-game becomes more obvious you being to realise the necessity of it. The characters are still lovingly created and you do find yourself engaged in their struggles and their successes, but I found myself drawn more towards the story and away from the characters as we move towards the conclusion. Is this a bad thing? Probably not, it is essentially just a shift away from a people-based story to a narrative-based one.

Despite this, and the slight feeling of “after the Lord Mayor’s show” following the climax of The Final Empire, there is no doubt that the series as a whole works. The concept of removing the “bad” guy in the first of a trilogy only to find out that actually he might not have been the biggest problem is a clever little plot angle. I did feel things laboured a little bit through the middle book, though I appreciate (a) the effort to which Sanderson goes to create depth and breadth to his works and (b) his fondness for slowly and methodically arranging pieces on the board before throwing the dice (might be slightly mixing my metaphors here).

As the events of the trilogy begin to shake out and the real antagonist begins to become apparent, the narrative begins to quicken its pace. Sanderson does have a great skill for pacing and once the pieces are in place he expertly manoeuvres them around so they all arrive where they should, when they should. He is so in control of his world (and its rules) that he is able to bring everything together in such an organic fashion; managing to surprise without contrivance. And the denouement itself is clever enough without trying too hard to be so.

Overall Mistborn really is a fantastic series. Yes it dips a little in the middle after the rollicking action of the first book but it holds its own with the best of the genre. Fantastic pacing, a compelling magic system and an overall narrative that keeps you entertained through the ebbs and flows. Throw in a good bunch of characters (and in Kelsier one of the best protagonists for a long time) and you’ve got the recipe for a very successful series. And, from my perspective, the start of an exceptional body of work. ...more

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Sep 14, 2015 Laura Hughes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Sanderson’s Laws of Magic. Those four words right there are one of two main reasons I’ve shied away from reading anything by Brandon Sanderson until now (the other reason being a contrary streak in my nature that makes me resist recommendations of prolific, well-loved authors until I bloody well choose to read them – against all logic and good sense, I know). To me, the words ‘laws’ and ‘magic’ have no right being in such close proximity to one another: magic, by its very definition, is nebulous Sanderson’s Laws of Magic. Those four words right there are one of two main reasons I’ve shied away from reading anything by Brandon Sanderson until now (the other reason being a contrary streak in my nature that makes me resist recommendations of prolific, well-loved authors until I bloody well choose to read them – against all logic and good sense, I know). To me, the words ‘laws’ and ‘magic’ have no right being in such close proximity to one another: magic, by its very definition, is nebulous, mysterious and unknowable. Fair enough, most fantasy stories wouldn’t be very interesting if magic didn’t have limitations and consequences; however, imposing strict rules and providing detailed definitions turns magic . . . into science. And correct me if I’m wrong, but most people who read fantasy are drawn to its, well, fantastical nature. They want to read about what is possible, not what isn’t.

Anyway. The disgruntled part of me – the part that knows that amazing books such as Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell are awesome precisely because of magic’s vagueness and unpredictability – expected to dislike this first outing with Sanderson, and to feel fully justified in continuing my grumbles about ‘laws’ and ‘magic’ into the foreseeable future. However . . . I really, really enjoyed The Final Empire.

The first book in Sanderson’s bestselling Mistborn series, The Final Empire is of course based around a strongly defined magic system. ‘Allomancy’ is the practice of swallowing metal and then ‘burning’ it in order to access magical powers, with different types of metal granting different kinds of power. It sounds ridiculous (I myself spent much of the novel with a nagging voice in the back of my mind whispering, “that can’t be healthy!”) but it’s actually very innovative, though at times it feels as though we’re being lectured about it in place of seeing it in action. Indeed there are large parts of the beginning of the story that consist of pages of exposition regarding the finer points of allomancy, giving it the feel of a scientific journal rather than an exciting fantasy (there’s even a helpful table included as an appendix, in case readers want to brush up on internal vs. external metals, and which ‘group’ they fall into). There’s too much telling and not enough showing, at least at the beginning.

I found myself feeling similarly spoon-fed as the main characters first came together to discuss the ‘grand plan’ that is the focus of the story. Not only do characters repeat certain points over and over again, but the main character also writes the main points of this super-secret plan in clear bullet points on a big blackboard, as though spelling things out s-l-o-w-l-y for us dull-witted readers. I also found the first few demonstrations of allomancy in action to be similarly repetitive, with almost each new paragraph of a fight scene beginning with the phrase, “Kelsier burned [insert appropriate metal here] and then [insert appropriate action here],” which became somewhat tedious.

Happily, the novel improves vastly as it progresses, and as we become more involved with its main characters. The two protagonists of The Final Empire are radically different: one is a reckless, egotistical man, cocky and confident in his mastery of allomancy; the other is a young fearful street girl, struggling to accept that she too has powers, and fighting against her natural instinct to distrust everyone around her. Although I know plenty of people are huge fans of Kelsier I found him to be irritating and unsympathetic for the majority of the novel, despite his tragic background and supposed charisma. My favourite character by far is Vin, and I really liked the way her character is developed: she gradually comes into her own as a main character rather than being thrust into the limelight, and I enjoyed the way that Kelsier begins to take a narrative backseat to allow Vin to come to the forefront instead. The allomantic combat scenes also become much more complex and exciting as the story focuses more and more on Vin, who is discovering new and interesting ways to apply her myriad powers to any problem she encounters.

Aside from the numerous exposition scenes at the beginning there is never a dull moment in The Final Empire. The characters are always busy setting things in motion, and the settings they occupy are varied and vivid, whether it’s a dingy mine, a royal ballroom or a mist-shrouded city street. The steadily increasing pace makes for an especially climactic build-up to the final events, and there are a few surprises along the way that keep the momentum rolling along nicely. The last couple of hundred pages in particular are full of just one more chapter-type excitement – not at all the stuffy, rule-obsessed pedantry I thought it would be – and I can’t wait to get hold of the next Mistborn book, The Well of Ascension. Against all expectations I now openly declare myself a Sanderson convert, and highly recommend The Final Empire to anyone who hasn’t yet tried his books. ...more

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Mar 07, 2014 Lianne Pheno rated it really liked it · review of another edition

J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre, je me suis lancée directement dans le suivant.
Les personnages sont charismatiques et sympathiques. Le seul "reproche" que je lui fais c'est que la fin est tellement importante au vue de l'histoire que le fil qui nous donne envie de lire la suite tiens plus par juste l'envie d'en savoir plus sur les personnages que par le scénario qui nous promet un nouveau mystère .

...more

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Feb 04, 2015 Edgar Escalona rated it it was amazing

I´m in awe.

SPOILER
This is going full gurren lagann.

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Apr 14, 2017 Cisco Estrada rated it it was amazing

I got the audiobook of The Final Empire a couple days ago and decided to speed up the narrator to get through the book faster. The result was an experience I haven't in a long time with all these events rushing before me. Lucky for me, I had the actual hardcover copy in my hands and could comprehend most of it, only need to slow down when I didn't have the text. I had always seen Mistborn around when conversations of epic fantasy came up and it's one of the first series people will recommend to I got the audiobook of The Final Empire a couple days ago and decided to speed up the narrator to get through the book faster. The result was an experience I haven't in a long time with all these events rushing before me. Lucky for me, I had the actual hardcover copy in my hands and could comprehend most of it, only need to slow down when I didn't have the text. I had always seen Mistborn around when conversations of epic fantasy came up and it's one of the first series people will recommend to you when you ask for the best of the best.

However, in my case, I was a bit more interested in seeing Brandon Sanderson's other "best work," the Way of Kings. So I put this off while I looked into that and other books.

And now that I finally consumed the entire first book, I have to say it was worth the wait.

If there was one thing I appreciated about The Final Empire was the slow build up so we can get to know these characters and the world around them. It's not a heart pounding thriller, you realize, as the focus of this story is Vin and Kelsier, and who they are as people. I really like the arcs these two go through and there is this moment of vulnerability between the two near the end that honestly made me tear up.

Everyone always talks about Sanderson's magic systems and while some may say Stormlight has this best with the sheer number of different abilities people can have, I really loved this one in particular for its simplicity and innovation. How these abilities are used in combat are incredibly creative as they build on knowledge you already have from those training scenes you saw earlier in the book. Any new information or twists that come due to the magic system felt like very natural conclusions and don't just confuse you, only to be explained later and confusing you even more.

Like I said, the plot is a slow burn throughout, but the writing and the character more than make up for that. I liked the choices that were presented to our heroes and how they needed to adapt to their new circumstances in order to accomplish their ever impossible seeming goals.

However, I do have a few complaints when it comes to this story. Don't get me wrong, for the most part I loved it, and I honestly feel that as I go on I'll look back on this first installment and love it even more. That's basically what happened with Way of Kings. Yet, there are a few things that kept me from loving it as much as Stormlight.

See, I have this problem with this thing I call the Noble Lie. If you want to know what that is, just think of the ending to the Dark Knight and you'll see what I mean. For those of you that have read, you'll know there is a very similar situation in Mistborn. For the most part, I was fine with this decision but the idea that a few extra steps needed to be taken in order to accomplish what was needed felt a bit strange to me. For those people who know what I'm talking about, I'll just say I don't think there needed to be an entire religion that arose from this event.

My other problem had to due with the romance. I didn't hate it, but I felt like I wanted a bit more from it. The characters of Vin and Elend were good, but I guess I wanted more of the /romance/ part of it, you know? I swear there's even a scene where Vin kisses Elend (I think) and there's no reaction.

Then there's the prose. Let me just say that there is nothing wrong with Brandon's approach to the actual writing of he novel. However, since this is one of his earlier efforts, I'll just say that I felt like there was a lot of repeating of certain type of actions. Smiling and nodding stick out the most in my mind.

All this being said, I really did love the Final Empire. There is a real love for heroic fantasy here that you don't see too much in the Grimdark age. Sanderson plays a lot with the tropes given to him and gives new breath to a very familiar story. Check it out if the size of his other series intimidates you. If you love awesome magic, compelling characters, and a narrative that keeps you guessing, this is the book for you. For now, I'll give The Final Empire an 8/10. I really look forward to seeing where the story can go from here in the next books. ...more

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Jul 11, 2014 Anderson Tiago rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books

É possível se tornar fã de um autor após ler apenas dois livros dele? Se sim, posso me considerar, definitivamente, fã do trabalho de Brandon Sanderson, tanto pelo que ele fez em Elantris, como agora em Mistborn: O Império Final. Tenho indicado seus trabalhos frequentemente em eventos de literatura fantástica ou para amigos pessoais e, caso mantenha o nível dos lançamentos que tivemos até aqui no Brasil, o autor em breve ganhará aqui o prestígio que tem nos EUA.

O sucesso de Sanderson vem da qual É possível se tornar fã de um autor após ler apenas dois livros dele? Se sim, posso me considerar, definitivamente, fã do trabalho de Brandon Sanderson, tanto pelo que ele fez em Elantris, como agora em Mistborn: O Império Final. Tenho indicado seus trabalhos frequentemente em eventos de literatura fantástica ou para amigos pessoais e, caso mantenha o nível dos lançamentos que tivemos até aqui no Brasil, o autor em breve ganhará aqui o prestígio que tem nos EUA.

O sucesso de Sanderson vem da qualidade de seu texto aliado à rapidez com que escreve. São cerca de 19 livros e mais alguns contos desde o lançamento de Elantris em 2005, além de, no momento, estar trabalhando em 4 projetos diferentes. O Império Final, primeiro livro da trilogia Mistborn, rebatizada de Mistborn - Nascidos da Bruma, chegou ao Brasil este ano através da editora Leya e causou alvoroço entre os leitores mais fanáticos de fantasia, uma vez que essa trilogia era considerada a "magnum opus" do autor (pelo menos até o lançamento de Stormlight Archive). O enredo chama a atenção, primeiramente, por quebrar um dos maiores clichês das histórias de fantasia. Num passado distante havia uma profecia sobre um herói improvável que surgiria e salvaria o mundo do mal. Nada mais comum, certo? No entanto, o herói falhou e o mal venceu.

A partir dessa premissa, Sanderson criou um mudo dividido entre duas classes, os nobres e os skaas, classe inferior oprimida e usada como escravos pelos próprios nobres e pelo Senhor Soberano, o imperador e deus que controla o mundo tiranicamente pelos últimos mil anos. Ninguém consegue resistir aos poderes do Senhor Soberano e todas as tentativas de revolta contra o seu governo foram impiedosamente massacradas. Nesse contexto, aparece Kelsier, o ex-líder de uma gangue de ladrões skaa, disposto a desafiar o poder do imperador. Kelsier é irreverente, cativante e sorridente, mas um pouco arrogante e cheio de si; mesmo assim, sua personalidade magnética faz com que seja adorado por todos aqueles com quem cruza. A sua atitude despreocupada, porém, esconde uma terrível mágoa do passado. Uma mágoa tão forte que foi capaz de despertar os seus poderes de Nascido das Brumas.

O sistema de magia criado por Sanderson em Mistborn é, de longe, uma das coisas mais originais e geniais que já vi em toda a minha vida. A Alomancia, como é conhecida, é a capacidade de metabolizar metais e, a partir deles, adquirir certas habilidades mágicas. Cada metal é responsável por um poder distinto, embora cada metal tenha o seu par, com poderes diametralmente opostos. Os alomânticos, usuários de Alomancia, são divididos em dois grupos: os brumosos, capazes de usar os poderes concedidos por apenas um tipo de metal; e os Nascidos das Brumas, capazes de usar todos os poderes alomânticos.

Os Nascidos das Brumas são extremamente raros e, mesmo assim, a maioria é pertencente à alta nobreza, porém mestiços de nobres com skaa podem vir a ser alomânticos. Por isso, o Senhor Soberano proíbe e pune com a morte qualquer nobre que se relacione com uma skaa e gere filhos. Vin é uma mestiça que conseguiu se manter a salvo, mesmo tendo vivido quase toda a sua vida nas ruas, nas piores condições possíveis. Vin foi ensinada por seu irmão, Reen, a desconfiar de tudo e de todos e a sempre esperar a traição, mais cedo ou mais tarde. Esses ensinamentos são confrontados quando ela conhece Kelsier e sua personalidade atraente. Kelsier, por sua vez, vê Vin como uma esperança porque ela também é uma Nascida da Bruma.

Os personagens secundários também são um show à parte, principalmente o mordomo Sazed, que guarda grandes segredos. Os outros integrantes da gangue de Kelsier, como Dockson, Brisa, Ham, Trevo e Marsh, além do nobre Elend Venture, são bem explorados e contribuem para que a narrativa não fique demasiadamente focada nos dois protagonistas. Como já foi dito, a narrativa em terceira pessoa vem principalmente dos pontos de vistas de Kelsier e Vin, porém alguns personagens coadjuvantes assumem a frente da narração em alguns momentos. No começo de cada capítulo, há um trecho em primeira pessoa, como parte de um diário, que dá vislumbres da época em que o grande herói da profecia falhou e o Senhor Soberano ascendeu como poder dominante.

Para finalizar, O Império Final é uma obra excelente, apesar de ser apenas o primeiro volume da trilogia, e vem para afirmar a entrada de Brandon Sanderson no hall dos grandes escritores de fantasia de todos os tempos. Foi após ler Mistborn que a viúva do autor Robert Jordan resolveu convidar o jovem Sanderson para finalizar A Roda do Tempo, uma das maiores sagas fantásticas da história. Espero que o lançamento da trilogia no Brasil seja concluído de forma rápida para que possamos ter acesso a outros trabalhos do autor, especialmente The Stormlight Archive, que, segundo os leitores americanos, rivaliza com Mistborn pelo posto de melhor obra da sua extensa bibliografia.

Resenha assinada por mim para o site INtocados ...more

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Jul 21, 2014 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books-i-have-read, favourites

I can't believe I've had this book sitting in my bookcase in my ever growing to be read pile since early 2012 and have only got around to reading it now! I loved this book, the characters were all interesting and had personality and the story line really drew me in and was full of action. I managed to read this book in a little over a week which while working full time and studying part time meant it kept me up very late quite a few nights! Highly recommended. ...more

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