“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.”
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It’s been a while since I wrote one of these. I was two thirds of the way through The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, and… not quite enjoying it, when a good friend suggested I read… well, strongly insisted I read the Mistborn Trilogy instead. I had bought the box set last Christmas, and was looking forward to reading them after hearing that Brandon Sanderson’s world-building is some of the best of modern fantasy authors, but when you win $5000 at Chapters, and spend a good chunk of it on books, the choice of what to read next can be a daunting one. Thankfully, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. The Final Empire is the first book in the Mistborn Trilogy written by Brandon Sanderson and first published in 2006. It tells the story of a world, choked in ash, with perpetual mists that swirl about in the night, instilling fear in the population. The world is broken into clear caste systems, with the skaa at the bottom, little more than slaves, disheartened and suppressed under the weight of the nobility and the Lord Ruler, a god-king who rules over the Final Empire with a heavy fist. While the narrative weaves between a number of characters, the main two are Kelsier and Vin, both Mistborns, beings with the ability to use special powers by ingesting small flakes of metal. Together they insight an uprising against the oppression of the nobility and the Lord Ruler, seeking a better world order for everyone within the Final Empire. That description barely scratches the surface of the world Sanderson has created. If you want to talk about current fantasy authors who excel in their world-building, he definitely has to be on the list. This year I’ve read a number of really bad novels, especially from the fantasy genre. When you’re writing fantasy, you need either a well developed and unique world, or realistic and complex characters. If you’re looking for a well fleshed-out and unique world written with incredible detail, flare, and intricacy, then Sanderson’s work is definitely something to check out. While I was in awe of the fantasy/steampunk world Sanderson created, his characters left me a little… disappointed, or at the very least, conflicted. There were three characters I really liked - Kelsier, the brash, somewhat egotistical leader of the rebellion; Sazed, a priest-of-sorts who collects religions and knowledge; and even though I wasn’t a fan of her at first, the main character Vin, who’s abandonment issues and reservations about friendship and loyalty hit a little too close to home at times. The supporting cast, as well, was filled with memorable characters, especially Breeze and Hammond (who are totally in a relationship, even though Sanderson isn’t really an LGBT ally, and Ham has a family- I don’t care, they’re together, end of story). So you’re probably wondering why I had a problem with his characterization if I loved most of the main characters. And I think the answer has to do with the language Sanderson uses to illuminate the characters. Every single character (with the exception of Sazed… mostly) speaks in the same voice. They all have the same vocal quirks, the same thing to add to the conversation, the annoying habit of pointing out the obvious, and I mean every, little, obvious tidbit of plot. It was irritating at times. Yes, each character has their own attributes, fears, and issues, but when they speak, it could’ve been any one of them speaking. The language Sanderson himself uses to build the world is also a little dull. While his description of the world is in-depth and well fleshed out, the language he uses is sort of… basic, it lacks that flowery-quality that authors like Tolkien or Robin Hobb use to build up their world. All of that aside, Sanderson has also incorporated some very clear Christian symbolism, literally turning Kelsier into a Christ figure of this world… and literally, to a tee. Yes, authors take bits of this and that when creating their world and writing their novels, and it’s hard not to find some fantasy novel that doesn’t have hints of the classics or other works within their pages, but the blatant rip-off of Christianity was something Sanderson didn’t try to hide, and was also something I was hoping against. As much as I appreciate a feel-good novel with self-sacrificing characters and the triumph of good over evil… I also like to see a little evil win every once in a while. Corrupt a character! Make them second guess themselves and who they are! Lead them down a dangerous path of power-trips and death! Make them suffer! And then slowly bring them back to the light… if you NEED to. And this novel lacked any of that. Our characters were martyrs from the beginning of the novel to the end, there was never any room for character degradation, corruption, or redemption. Those are just some of the bigger feels I have for this book. I’m sure I could discuss every little detail of this novel, and probably will with my friend who recommended it. Overall, I did enjoy The Final Empire, and I’ll be continuing with the other two novels in the series. Yes, there were cons to this book, but the world-building and the characters (when they’re not speaking) are enough to keep me interested in the book of the Final Empire, and curious to see where Sanderson takes Vin next.
