World Famous Comics: The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3)
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3)
By: Brandon Sanderson Publisher: Tor Books Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Label: Tor Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 576 Publication Date: October 14, 2008 Release Date: October 14, 2008
To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness---the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists---is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.
Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!
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 readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.
Very Good. Cut the anti-religious reviews though. What can I say that already hasn't been said. Just a thoroughly satisfying trilogy. One of the best (mini-epic) series I've ever read.
For those who complain about more character dialogue and development, it's only a 3 book series! Get real! You are suffering from Jordan or Goodkind syndrome. You can't cram a bunch of stuffy dialogue into a short series like this. I personally thought it struck a good balance of character development with plot and action. This is the problem that R. Jordan eventually ran into in the Wheel of time series. Exhaustive over verbiage and not enough action and plot completion. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the Wheel of time as well. The Mistborn series is a wonderful breath of fresh air.
Religion complaints
For those who complained about the alleged religious connotations or agenda of the author offer no real logical explanation for there feelings. Religion has been a part of our world for thousands of years. So it should be no surprise it would find it's way into fantasy or other works of fiction. More often then not I find those who make these complaints have some anti-religious axe to grind. Yet, they are hypocrites. EVERYONE is religious. Religion is a world view. Even if you don't believe in God, that is "your" religious world view and you operate your life according to that world view just like a person of theistic faith operates according his worldview. So spare us the anti-religious bigotry in the reviews.
Great plot, dialog lacking To begin, I will simply state that were half stars available, I would actually give this book 3.5 stars. As it stands, I lean more toward 3 stars and less toward 4 stars on this one so 3 gets the nod.
The good.
Sanderson writes a great story complete with interesting plot ideas and twists along with a unique world with strong "laws" which he follows very closely. I don't want to give the plot away, so I will avoid any actual description of the story. That said, I can simply say that the man writes an amazing story from a plot and world building perspective.
One area where this book shows Sanderson's continued evolution as a writer is the fact that his characters tend to be less black and white in this novel than in previous books. His characters struggle with issues before making a decision where in earlier works the characters would have made the decision as a matter of course.
The bad.
The main issue I have with this book is the fact that the characters rarely have their own "voice." Each character comes complete with one or two traits that differentiate them, but Sanderson does little to actually develop the characters through dialog. Most characters banter with each other using the same voice. While there is the practical aspect where the actions and decisions each character makes usually adhere closely to their individual "traits," the actual dialog between characters rarely gives any of the characters personality beyond these traits. Sadly, had the names of the characters speaking been removed, I believe it would have been very difficult to know who was speaking.
Overall, the story itself trumps the lack of character development through dialog. As stated earlier, the world which Sanderson creates is unique and Sanderson's descriptive writing allows the reader to become fully immersed into the world he creates. The plot and Sanderson's willingness to force his characters to adhere to their strict code of traits does allow this book to overcome the poorly written dialog. Fact is, were there more attempt to create unique characters within the area of dialog, this book would easily rate 5 stars.
Excellent I have been avidly reading fantasy novels for the past fifteen years, and I have to say that Brandon Sanderson has created one of the most intelligent, well thought out books I have ever gotten my hands on. One of the best aspects of the book is that it doesn't have a "typical" fantasy plot. The characters are deep and emotional, and the magic system is complex though understandable and always very interesting. The story is an exciting page turner with a great ending most people wont expect (although he leaves little hints throughout the book). The book has two wonderful climaxes with a little bit of breathing room between them. This is a must read for all fantasy lovers.
Not only is Sanderson a wonderful (and wonderfully fast) writer, he genuinely cares about his fans. I started reading his blog when I found out that he is finishing the Wheel of Time series for Mr. Jordan, and I now check his blog and his forum every day. He loves to keep his fans in the loop about his work while giving them little tidbits about upcoming books so we can theorize about them. In short, Brandon Sanderson is one of the best new writers of our day, and I expect even greater things to come from him in the future.
Great fantasy series. Wow, a compelling and enjoyable fantasy series that acutally ends in three books. Highly imaginative, with dynamic characters and intersting plot that carry this series all the way through to the end. Highly recommend this series, as well as the author's other stand-alone book, Elantris. I'm definitely looking forward to future books from Brandon Sanderson.
A Marvelous Ending to a Fantastic Series Originally I picked up this series because Brandon Sanderson was picked to finish the W.O.T. and was curious as to his writing style. From the beginning of The Final Empire I was addicted. The character development and dialogue the plot I love everything about these books.
Hero of Ages was definitely a great way to resolve this series. Admittedly, half way through the book I felt that it wasn't going anywhere that it was stuck. I was mistaken. The clues were so subtle throughout the entire series that I over looked them completely.
Brandon Sanderson is definitely a master of his craft and I recommend any and all of his current and future titles.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
