Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)

by Brandon Sanderson

It’s the only way you’ll learn. Anyone will betray you, Vin. Anyone.

Sometimes Kelsier felt that a skaa Misting’s life wasn’t so much about surviving as it was about picking the right time to die.

Reen had always told her that a girl needed to be tough—even tougher than a man—if she wanted to survive.

“But you weren’t born an aristocrat. You’re not noble, Vin. You don’t have to play by their rules—and that makes you even more powerful.”

Vin was coming to realize that her old goal in life—simply staying alive—was uninspired. There was so much more she could be doing.

“The trick is to never stop looking. There’s always another secret.”

People are attracted to vision.

Reen

“the entire point of life is to find ways to get others to do your work for you. Don’t you know anything about basic economics?”

Ministry doctrine—something rarely shared with skaa—claims that the Mistborn are descendants of the only men who remained true to the Lord Ruler during the days before his Ascension. Other legends whisper that we are something beyond the Lord Ruler’s power, something that was born on that day when the mists first came upon the land.”

“There are two metals for every power,” Kelsier said. “One Pushes, one Pulls—the second is usually an alloy of the first. For emotions—the external mental powers—you Pull with zinc and Push with brass. You just used pewter to Push your body. That’s one of the internal physical powers.”

“Mistings who can burn pewter are called Thugs. A crude term, I suppose—but they tend to be rather crude people.

“Every action we take has consequences, Vin,” Kelsier said. “I’ve found that in both Allomancy and life, the person who can best judge the consequences of their actions will be the most successful.

He had kept moving, always going. As if running from something.

“I don’t know.” “People often say that,” Sazed said, “but I find that it is rarely true.

Despite Kelsier’s words about honesty and trust, he still had his secrets. Everyone did.

If people associate strong emotion with an event, they’ll remember it better.”

the more stink the Ministry makes about a text, the more attention it will draw, and the more people will be tempted to read it.

I know how you feel, my friend, Kelsier thought. I’m a thief, not a prophet. Sometimes we have to be what the job requires.

“If you’re always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.

well, that’s kind of what trust is, isn’t it? A willful self-delusion? You have to shut out that voice that whispers about betrayal, and just hope that your friends aren’t going to hurt you.”

Often, Walin wondered if the dead ones weren’t really the lucky ones.

“It’s not your fault, Kell,” Dockson said. “It’s all of our faults,” Kelsier said bluntly. “That doesn’t make what we do wrong—however, if it weren’t for us, these people wouldn’t have to die.

“But you can’t kill me, Lord Tyrant. I represent that thing you’ve never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope.”

“Sometimes we simply have to wait long enough, mistress,” he said. “Then we find out why exactly it was that we kept believing. There is a saying that Master Kelsier was fond of.”

I knew I had a chance to save you. You cannot help here—there is beauty in compassion, but one must learn wisdom too.”