Bloggin' 'bout Books: 03/15/12

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

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International:

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Anything He Writes, I Will Read. Amen.

9:35 PM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note: Although this review will not contain any spoilers for The Hero of Ages, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessors. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

I usually prefer to write my own plot summaries, but sometimes I just don't feel like reinventing the wheel, you know? The back cover copy for The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson does the job well, so here you go:

Killing the Lord Ruler to end the Final Empire was obviously the right thing to do, wasn't it? With the return of the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists, increasingly heavy ashfalls, and ever more powerful earthquakes, Vin and Elend are no longer so sure. Long ago, Ruin—one of the primal beings who created the world—was promised the eventual right to destroy all things. Now that Vin has been tricked into releasing him from the Well of Ascension, Ruin apparently intends to collect.
The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight. It all leads up to a finale unmatched for originality and audacity that will leave you rubbing your eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.

There's not a lot more to say except that I love the Mistborn series. The first two books enthralled me, as did the third. The world Sanderson creates in the series is so complex, so detailed and so utterly compelling that it's difficult not to get lost in it. Like the novels that came before it, The Hero of Ages offers a little bit of everything—adventure, romance, mystery, fantasy, etc. There's so much going on in the book that it never gets boring. And that's saying a lot for a 724-page novel. The bottom line is this: Sanderson is a master storyteller, absolutely in a class by himself. Anything the man writes, I will read. Amen.

(Readalikes: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension and The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson)

Grade: A

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs) and violence/gore

To the FTC, with love: I bought The Hero of Ages from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.