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Review: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Book 12 of 2022

Start Reading Time: 11 June 2022

Finish reading Time: 4 July 2022

Page Count: 541

TRIGGER WARNINGS: VIOLENCE, DEATH, SLAVERY, BLOOD, MURDER, GORE, CHILD ABUSE, PHYSICAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL ABUSE, TORTURE, ABANDONMENT, GENOCIDE

This is the spoiler-free part of the review. I will put up a spoiler alert before going into the review that contains spoilers.

Gosh, am I EXCITED to make this review, because this book got me so hyped.

First of all, I gotta say, it feels SUPER DUPER good to be back reading a Cosmere book again. I finished Rhythm of War last December, so it has been 6 months of no Cosmere book for me, and I never realized how much I miss it. Also, I remember how I rated all Stormlight Archive books 5 stars last year (because they are all truly THAT GOOD), but I'm determined to be more critical with this book, and not give it 5 stars just because it's a Cosmere book. However, once again, Brandon Sanderson just blew my mind with his brilliance, and I very happily rate this book 5 stars, and it's truly due to how awesome the book is and how entertained I am by it. Yes, this is gonna be a rave review and I will not hold back any praises, or criticisms.

This book gave me new favorite characters but then it broke my heart because it take one of them away from me later on in the book, new magic system to explore that's very exciting, and an epic Underdog VS Powerful Evil story, and a reason to live because when I'm reading it I👏🏻AM👏🏻LIVIIIIING👏🏻. I am obsessed with The Mistborn series now, and I cannot wait to finish making this review so I can begin reading The Well of Ascension. So, without further ado, let's get into the synopsis and the review:

The story takes place, for the most part, in Luthadel, the capital of the Final Empire, in a world where black ashes are perpetually falling down from the sky, and mist is everywhere, especially at night. There are two social classes that's very important to know in the story: The noble people and the skaa. The noblemen and noblewomen are living the easy high life, having parties and balls every night, dressed in their beautiful and expensive gowns and suits, eating the best food. Meanwhile, the skaa are living the hard life; some skaa are working in plantations, mining metals and being worked to death by their masters who are noblemen. In Luthadel, these skaa live in slums, and most of them resorted to committing crimes in order to stay alive, because life is not kind to the skaa there (or anywhere in this world, to be honest). Things have been going on like this for centuries.

At the top of the government is a self-proclaimed God, known as the Lord Ruler. He has become a legendary icon, known as someone who has defeated the Deepness and rescued the Final Empire. He's immortal, and is the most powerful being in the world. He destroys all other religions in this world so that everyone should worship him as the only God, and any sign of retaliation against him is punishable by death. Even with the noble people, the Lord Ruler keeps close eyes on them through his Obligators and steel inquisitors. Nothing goes past him; everyone in this world fears him so they give in to his rules. Although most of the people, if not all of them, know that he is more of a super powerful evil dictator than a God. But nobody dares to stand up to him because they know they will only be killed by him. Well, nobody that is, until a thieving group leader named Kelsier.

Now, Kelsier is someone who's crazy brave enough to stand up to the Lord Ruler, but he was caught by an inquisitor in the process of trying to reveal Lord Ruler's secrets in his palace, and he was sent to a plantation that's famous for it's high mortality rate for the skaa working there, called Hathsin. But, miraculously, Kelsier survived the plantation, and not only that, he Snapped there and discovered that he's actually a Mistborn, meaning he can access multiple superpowers that come from various metals that he has to digest before being able to access those powers. So, after escaping the pits of Hathsin, he returns to Luthadel and is more determined than ever to overthrow the Final Empire, which means that they have to defeat the Lord Ruler.

In the process of assembling a highly efficient and capable crew to help him overthrow the Final Empire, Kelsier was informed of a young and promising allomancer that's currently working for a low level thieving crew, and that the thieving crew leader is a cruel man that might be abusing her and putting her in danger. So, Kelsier rescued the girl and recruited her into his elite crew. The girl's name is Vin.

Vin's a street urchin who's been raised in the streets by her brother who was physically and verbally abusive to her, but not that long ago her brother had left and abandoned her, so now she has to survive alone in the streets. So, in order to survive living in the streets, she joined a thieving crew, and she had to endure physical and verbal abuses from the cruel crew leader and the other crew members. She plays a special part for the crew, which is to bring them luck in their thieving jobs. Now, what the crew and Vin herself call "luck" is actually one form of allomancy, which is a power to sooth other people's feelings, and thus make them do what you want them to do. Yes, Vin is an allomancer, although she never knew that she is an allomancer nor what allomancy is, until she meets Kelsier.

From Kelsier, Vin learned that she is not only an allomancer, she's actually a Mistborn; an allomancer who has access to all allomantic skills. Vin is also introduced to the other members of Kelsier's crew: Dockson, Ham, Breeze, Clubs (and his nephew/ apprentice Lestibournes/Spook), Marsh and Yeden. Vin hesitated to join the crew, but joining a thieving crew is the only way she knows how to survive living in the streets of Luthadel, otherwise she'll be working in a whorehouse and/or be killed. So, in order to survive and to learn more about allomancy, she decided to join the crew, even though she thinks Kelsier is not right in the head, and the whole crew realized that they're more likely to be killed in the process of executing their mission than to actually accomplish it, they agree to do it anyway.

Vin does not trust Kelsier and the rest of the crew, she's just looking out for her own survival now, and she knows she'll have a much higher possibility of survival once she learned and mastered her allomantic powers. Because, as she had learned firsthand from experience, everyone, including your own brother, betrays you, and that everyone leaves, in the end. Even your own brother.

Will Kelsier be able to restore Vin's faith in people? Is Kelsier the right person for Vin to trust? Will he and the crew betray Vin? Or will Vin betray them? Will they succeed in overthrowing the Final Empire? Or will they be killed by the Lord Ruler? What is allomancy and how does it work? You'll get the answers to all these questions and so much more in this masterpiece of a book.

🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨

From this point forward in the review, i will mention spoilers, plot twist and the ending, so if you don’t wish to be spoiled, you can skip the rest of the review and come back once you’ve finished reading this book

Oh my days, I am so beyond excited to pour out all of my thoughts and feelings about this book, so let's get into it. Here are my favorite things about the book:

THE CHARACTERS. Kelsier, Vin, Sazed, Marsh, Dockson, Ham, Breeze and even Spook. And even Reen! And even The Lord Ruler, he's an AWESOME antagonist, I mean, COME ON!! Oh my God how much I love these characters (not you, Lord Ruler). It's ridiculous how much I care and think of these characters. Will there ever be a book by Brandon Sanderson of which characters NOT make me head over heels in love with them? Highly unlikely. It's one of the things that Brandon Sanderson does best, his characters are multilayered, they feel realistic, super relatable and extremely lovable, even though most of the time they do have a lot of issues and emotional baggage. I need to express my feelings for each of them because I just simply cannot NOT do it:

KELSIER. My favorite madman/crew leader. Our first introduction to him was when he was rescuing/freeing the plantation skaa and burning down the house of the plantation master and the master himself in it, and by doing so, giving hope to the hopeless skaa, and giving them a new lease on life. He gave them no choice but to rebel because he knew they would never rebel on their own. He loves to smile because Lord Ruler has claimed joy and laughter for himself and Kelsier won't let him win and it's just a very small way of fighting him. Simply put, Kelsier has a really strong sense of justice, and the thing he hates the most in life is injustice, so he made it his life's mission to kill the Lord Ruler and give the power back to the skaa, and bring to the cruel skaa-killing noble people the justice that's long overdue. (Sidenote: I have a strong feeling that he's a Libra, like me, lol) How can you not love and root for him? He's standing up to defend the defenseless, give hope to the hopeless, and become the hero they need. He was even prepared to give his life to overthrow the Final Empire. AND he was a great teacher to Vin.

I love that he understands Vin, and he was willing to let her go, if she wanted to. He's given Vin more than just the knowledge of allomancy and training her to use it properly, he's also given Vin the brother & father figure she never had, he restored her faith in people, and so much more. I believe he loved her like a daughter, and when he said "I’ll tell Mare about you. She always wanted a daughter" in his letter to Vin, it's just waterfalls of tears coming out of me. And even before that, there was this quote:

"Ah, Mare, Kelsier thought. You always wanted a daughter you could teach to walk the line between noblewoman and thief. They would have liked each other; they both had a hidden streak of unconventionality. Perhaps if his wife were still alive, she could have taught Vin things about pretending to be a noblewoman that even Sazed didn’t know."

I CANNOT😭😭😭 I think Kelsier and Vin both filled an empty spaces in each other's life: Vin filled in the daughter role in Kelsier's life, and Kelsier filled in the father/brother role in Vin's life. They need each other in their lives, and that just makes it 1000000000000% more painful now knowing how Kelsier ended up in this book.

The story of how he lost his wife is so tragic, and how even years after that he was still haunted by these questions of whether or not Mare, his wife betrayed him or not, because he knew Mare sacrificed her life for him in the plantation. I wish we get to know more about Mare and their love story and how Marsh plays a part in it too, because it's insinuated in the book that he was jealous of Kelsier for being with Mare (Sidenote: It reminds me of how Dalinar gave up Navani for Gavilar, his brother, in the Stormlight Archive, it seems that Sanderson has a thing for siblings falling in love with the same person). I want to know more about how Kelsier trained his allomancy, who taught it to him, and how his relationship with Marsh is, before he was exiled in the pits of Hathsin. But, most of all, I want him to come back, because I STILL CANNOT ACCEPT THE TRUTH THAT HE'S DEAD.

Yes, I am still in denial, and I am still hoping that he'll come back, somehow, in the next books. Because, to me, it's like killing Kaladin in The Way of Kings, the very first book of The Stormlight Archive, or killing Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. There's just no way it's real, he's the main character! Who kills the main character in the first book of a book series??!!! (Well, Brandon Sanderson, apparently) Nope, it's just too cruel and too hard for me to accept. Let me be in denial for the rest of the books, and maybe someday I'll accept the truth.

But the sad thing is that I had suspected since early on that Kelsier will sacrifice himself for this mission. I think it's pretty clear by how tragic Mare was killed by the plantation master and how cheery and "fine" Kelsier seems to be after surviving the pits of Hathsin; that he had become suicidal ever since. The only thing got him going was the burning desire to avenge his late wife and hundreds of thousands of skaa that was killed under the rule of Lord Ruler. And from this quote:

"“Sometimes we need to do things that we find distasteful, Ham. My ego may be considerable, but this is about something else entirely.” Ham sat for a moment, then turned back to his meal. He didn’t eat, however—he just sat staring at the blood on the ground before the high table. Ah, Ham, Kelsier thought. I wish I could explain everything to you. Plots behind plots, plans beyond plans. There was always another secret."

From that quote, I started to worry about how true my suspicions of Kell being suicidal more and more. And alas, it came true and I've never wanted to be wrong more in my life.

VIN. My dearest street urchin and badass mistborn. I love this girl almost instantly, in that scene where she was getting beaten by Camon, and her wanting to save that young crew member by telling him she's going to run and that he should run with her but then she was betrayed by him, and she was reminded of her brother Reen's words that anyone will betray her, how can your heart not break for her. But what made me fall in love with her even more is how resilient she is, that despite all of the betrayals, the beatings and abuses she'd endured, she still kept on going, and she becomes even stronger, and that's very inspiring to me, and that's also why this quote is one of my favorites of this book:

"But, I am strong, she thought. That was the irony. The beatings almost didn’t hurt anymore, for Reen’s frequent abuses had left Vin resilient, while at the same time teaching her how to look pathetic and broken. In a way, the beatings were self-defeating. Bruises and welts mended, but each new lashing left Vin more hardened. Stronger."

Everyone knows at this point that there's nothing I love more (in terms of books) than poignant stories and strong female protagonists. And I have, over the years, sort of collected some of my favorite strong, badass and awesome female characters from various types of media, and so far I have Fang Runin from The Poppy War series, Toph Beifong from Avatar The Legend of Aang, and Lift from The Stormlight Archive, and now I am so happy to add Vin to this squad of awesome women. She fits perfectly and I think she and Rin of TPW would have get along super great, not only because their names are very similar and Rin and Reen (Vin's brother's name) sounds the same, but also I feel they have similar traits, such as being stubborn, smart, strong-willed, moody and very determined. I love these girls so much, and in my head I'm constantly making fan-fiction of an alternate universe in which they all exist and there's nothing to hurt them and they're just having a great time and being awesome.

Now, my feelings towards Vin are not always all love, I was kind of annoyed by her several times in this book, mostly when she was too infatuated with Elend, and maybe that's because I'm not a fan of their relationship in this book (which i will talk more about in the "things I don't really like in this book" part of this review). I found myself getting frustrated with her whenever she has these inner monologues about Elend, and I wished instead of these monologues and this romance plot, we get more of Vin being an intel or training with Kell or the other crew members. Or, even better: more of Vin and Reen's story, about how he left Vin, or how they escape the house after their mother killed their baby sister. I think adding more to Vin and Reen's story would make this book better because so much of Vin's trauma happened during her time growing up with Reen on the street, and because we get the story of how Reen was actually protecting Vin, even when he was being tortured to death by the steel inquisitors, meaning he never betrayed her even though he always told her that he will. I just need more of Vin and Reen's story. I need to know more about Reen, like is he also an allomancer or even a mistborn? Is that why he was caught by the steel inquisitors? How much did he know about his and Vin's parents? I NEED to know these things and I think Reen would have made a really interesting character, I mean he's already a really interesting character, with him being morally grey and mysterious. I wish we'd get his POV, instead of just hearing about him from Vin and the Inquisitors. Is it problematic that I like him more than Elend? Because I think Elend is very boring and bland compared to the mysterious and morally grey Reen.

I know this is the part where I'm supposed to gush about Vin, but I'd like to talk more about Reen. I just have to point out how sad his situation actually is, and I just realized this after finishing the whole book: that all of the verbal abuses, all of the abusive words he said to Vin that she always replays in her mind even after he was gone, were also the things he said to himself. He was also just a kid when they found their mother murdered their baby sister and he took Vin away from their dangerous and mentally unstable mother, and escape to live in the streets, and raise Vin by himself. That is A LOT, wayyy too much for a kid to handle. He didn't know how to treat Vin better because he himself was not treated well, he could only give to Vin what he knew. In a way, Vin lucked out when he met Kelsier and the crew, because Reen, I assume, never met someone like Kell, to fill that father role in his life, who loves and protects him the way Kell and the crew did to Vin. And maybe, in his mind, by being harsh to Vin, he was preparing Vin for the harsh world that she will inevitably face later in life.

"When you’re alone, no one can betray you. Reen’s words. Her brother had taught her so many things, then had reinforced them by doing what he’d always promised he would—by betraying her himself. It’s the only way you’ll learn. Anyone will betray you, Vin. Anyone."

Disclosure: I'm not enabling him, I think the mental and physical abuses he did to Vin are wrong and should never be done to any one ever, let alone a child. However, he also suffered the trauma that Vin went through as a kid, he was also most likely abused in the street by some crew members/leaders, and he deserved better. But now that he's dead, and we know that he was just doing his best in this really tricky situation, in this extremely dangerous world he was in, and in the end he died protecting Vin, what do I do with all these emotions.

"He died promising us that you had starved to death years ago. With all the chaos, she’d nearly forgotten the Inquisitor’s words about Reen. Now, however, the memory made her pause. Mists passed her, curling, coaxing. Reen hadn’t abandoned her. He’d been captured by the Inquisitors who had been looking for Vin, the unlawful child of their enemy. They’d tortured him. And he had died protecting her. Reen didn’t betray me. He always promised that he would, but in the end, he didn’t. He had been far from a perfect brother, but he had loved her nonetheless."

Oh Reen, we never meet you, but we empathize with you, and we believe you deserve better. RIP King.

Okay, back to Vin now. Last thing I'll say about her is that she had one of the most awesome glow up in this book. She went from a quiet, paranoid, weak and lonely little girl to be a badass mistborn who killed a mistborn and the LORD-FREAKING-RULER, AKA the most powerful being in this world. I mean, she went from this:

"Laughter trickled out into the workroom. Not raucous laughter, such as had often sounded from Camon’s table. This was something softer—something indicative of genuine mirth, of good-natured enjoyment. Vin wasn’t certain what kept her out of the room. She hesitated—as if the light and the humor were a barrier—and she instead remained in the quiet, solemn workroom. She watched from the darkness, however, and wasn’t completely able to suppress her longing."

and this:

"Vin rode on the seat directly across from him—her legs tucked up underneath her, her enveloping mistcloak pulled close, hiding her arms and legs. She always does that, Kelsier thought. Wherever she is, she tries to be as small and unnoticeable as possible. So tense. Vin didn’t sit, she crouched. She didn’t walk, she prowled. Even when she was sitting in the open, she seemed to be trying to hide."

to this:

"A strange sound snapped in the air—a soft click. Kar looked up, frowning as a small disk of metal bounced across the floor, eventually rolling to a stop against his foot. He picked up the coin, then looked up at the massive window, noting the small hole broken through it. What? Dozens more coins zipped through the window, scattering it with holes. Metallic clinks and tinkling glass rang in the air. Kar stepped back in surprise. The entire southern section of the window shattered, blasting inward, the glass weakened by coins to the point that a soaring body could break through. Shards of colorful glass spun in the air, spraying before a small figure clad in a fluttering Mistcloak and carrying a pair of glittering black daggers. The girl landed in a crouch, skidding a short distance on the bits of glass, mist billowing through the opening behind her. It curled forward, drawn by her Allomancy, swirling around her body. She crouched for just a moment in the mists, as if she were some herald of the night itself. Then she sprang forward, dashing directly toward the Lord Ruler."

Now, if THAT is not a glow up, I don't know what is. I am just so proud and happy for my Vin, and I'm excited beyond belief to read more about her adventure in the next books, I just hope Sanderson won't kill her the way he killed Kell. Also, I'm so excited to know the truth about her powers, why is she able to learn and master allomancy so easily and much better than Kell and other allomancers? Way was she able to draw upon the mists to give her power? I'm so ready for book 2.

SAZED. Can everybody just be more hyped for my terrisman king over here, he's so criminally underrated. I think he provides the wisdom and guidance that the crew, especially Vin, needed. Not to mention he's also one of the most interesting characters in this book, his kind is so intriguing, I would even argue that he's more interesting than the allomancers. At times, I even feel like I like him more than Kell and Vin, because he's just that well written and fun to read. Granted he didn't take risks like Kell or have an awesome character arc like Vin, but he played a major role in the crew and helped Vin kill the Lord Ruler: he was the one who translated the log book from which Vin found out that Lord Ruler is actually Rashek, and not the person who wrote in that log book. And also let's not forget that he's the one who rescued Vin time and time again from the inquisitor in Kredik Shaw. I feel like he's so lowkey and subtle but also very powerful and important, and I think that's his charm. I really like his character and I wish we'll get more of him and the Terrispeople and the Keepers in the next books.

DOCKSON, HAM, BREEZE, CLUBS, SPOOK & MARSH

Dockson. Another underrated character. I feel like he's the only "Adult" (except maybe for Sazed) in the crew. He's so capable in a lowkey way, oftentimes his labor is thankless but we all knew without him the crew would be having a far harder time accomplishing their mission. Also, him being the only regular skaa without any allomancy power (aside from Sazed, but he has other powers since he's a terrisman), but still holds such an instrumental part in the crew says a lot about his skills.

Ham. My philosophy king. I can't believe I'm saying this but I feel like he's the true Alpha man, not like those who need to proclaim every 5 minutes that they're "Alpha", Ham just effortlessly gives off those Alpha and BDE vibes, and that's really attractive to me. But, of course, he's married and already has a family. He's a Daddy (quite literally). Well, he can be my Zaddy, IYKWIM. But, for real, he's not just muscles, he also likes to philosophize, and ask all these philosophical questions that no one can answer, and that just adds a layer to his character and makes him all the more attractive.

Breeze. He's the comedian of the group, he's very sassy and he often provides comedic relief, which is great, but I think it's also why we easily dismissed his other strong character traits. He's not afraid to speak his mind, even if it's controversial. He's very blunt but in a good way, I think. Also, he's a very talented soother, and it's a joy reading about him soothing and him teaching Vin masterful soothing.

Clubs. He doesn't get many dialogues in this book, and not many scenes, but I love him anyway. He's such a curmudgeon and he gives off "boomer" vibes, but you'll fall in love with him anyway.

Lestibournes/Spook. I love this boy with all my heart, he's my son and I will protect him from any harm this world may bring. I mean, how can you not? He's just so unique! From the way he talks, to the way he's very earnest and eager to help the crew, and even the way he impulsively courts Vin, he's just a really interesting character and every time he's in the scene I just can't help but smile. I'm sad that we didn't get more of him in this book, even the romance plot between him and Vin is so minuscule, and if I'm shipping Vin with anyone, it's with my boy Spook. He's a keeper (I mean metaphorically, not like how Sazed is literally a Keeper): he sat beside Vin, watching her for HOURS when she was in a coma after pewter dragging with Kell, he always blushes whenever Vin speaks to him and he wanted to court her first, long before Elend, and he's extremely funny. I'm trying to make peace with the fact that Vin rejected him, but I'm truly hoping to read more of him in the next books otherwise I'll riot.

Marsh. He's such a curmudgeon, but I relate with him. I think there is more to him than what we get in this book. And, like I said about him in this review before, I think he lost the love of his life, Mare, to Kell, and I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS LOVE TRIANGLE. Also, I predict that he'll fill the space that Kell left in the next books, so he'll more likely be more important and get more scenes than in this book, and I'm excited to read it, even though I'll still be mourning Kell.

The perfect pacing, world building and interesting magic system. Well, this is a Brandon Sanderson book, so it goes without saying, but I still want to mention it because this book is such a ride, I love it so, so much.

I don't have many complaints about this book, these are the only ones I have...

The Vin-Elend romance. I seem to always complain about the romance in books, but it's only because I think it's kind of what makes or breaks a book; if executed well it can be the main strength or the best thing of the book, but if it's done poorly it'll ruin the whole book. And for me this romance is not believable and lacking chemistry from both parties, that it has become the weakness of this book. To elaborate on why I think Vin and Elend don't have enough chemistry to be a believable romantic couple, I've prepared a few points:

Vin has just escaped the dark underworld full of criminals, and she's supposed to be extremely paranoid and skeptic of everyone new she meets, she wouldn't even drink the vial that Kell gave her when they first met, and she always make sure to be or sit near the door or exit in case something happens, which shows how paranoid she was. But then, when she met Elend, she was head over heels in love with him and was ready to sacrifice everything for him. All of her little monologues about Elend are just painful to read. I'd think that she would be more hesitant and skeptical of Elend and just romance in general. I think if I were Vin, knowing that Elend is an heir to the most powerful house in Luthadel, I'd use him for information only, I can see being friends with him, but not romantically attracted to him, especially after knowing how he treats women only as a mean to annoy his father, why would I knowingly risk getting my heart broken by him? No thanks.

Honestly, at first I was excited for them, when they first met in that reading nook, I thought it was all really cute, and Elend was mysterious and cool and I thought he might be important later, but obviously in a different way than he actually is in the book. I thought he might be a villain who would get an awesome redemption arc and then become one of the good guys and join the crew. The fact that he turned out to be just a spoiled privileged rich heir who likes to read edgy books and secretly criticize the Lord Ruler with his rich privileged friends but not doing anything to actually help the skaa, but then he helped rescue Vin and suddenly wants to do something to help the skaa because he realized that Vin is a skaa, it's just not that interesting to me. Over all, Elend just feels so bland to me, and it's disappointing that in the end he's the new King who rules the Final Empire. I bet Kelsier is rolling over in his grave. In his note, he clearly stated that he expects the crew to take over the Final Empire after they successfully overthrow it.

The ending with Elend being the new King. Just whyyyyyyy. We spent the whole book trying to overthrow the Final Empire in order to give power to the oppressed, the skaa, but when they actually did it, they still gave the reign to A NOBLEMAN??!!! Helloooowww??? The math is not mathing hereeee. If Elend is really worthy of being a King, he would've done something to help the skaa loooong ago, but he only did like 5% of the helping of the crew by rescuing Vin, the crew who did the 95% of the actual job overthrowing the Final Empire is like, why are we even here then? Even Kelsier, the mastermind of all of this wanted the crew to be the next leaders, but I guess fuck him, right? Aarrgghhhh, it's so frustrating. I don't know, maybe it's because I don't like Elend, and maybe the next books will change my feelings about him, like how I changed my feelings about Adolin in the 3rd and 4th books of TSA.

Here are my favourite moments from the book:

When Kell first taught allomancy to Vin and taught her steel pushing and iron pulling, etc.

When Spook gave Vin a handkerchief, meaning he wanted to seriously court her.

This whole conversation:

“He’s such a fine lad,” Breeze noted, accepting the drink. “I barely even have to nudge him Allomantically. If only the rest of you ruffians were so accommodating.” Spook frowned. “Niceing the not on the playing without.” “I have no idea what you just said, child,” Breeze said. “So I’m simply going to pretend it was coherent, then move on.”" "Kelsier rolled his eyes. “Losing the stress on the nip,” he said. “Notting without the needing of care.” “Riding the rile of the rids to the right,” Spook said with a nod. “What are you two babbling about?” Breeze said testily. “Wasing the was of brightness,” Spook said. “Nip the having of wishing of this.” “Ever wasing the doing of this,” Kelsier agreed. “Ever wasing the wish of having the have,” Ham added with a smile. “Brighting the wish of wasing the not.” Breeze turned to Dockson with exasperation. “I believe our companions have finally lost their minds, dear friend.” Dockson shrugged. Then, with a perfectly straight face, he said, “Wasing not of wasing is.” Breeze sat, dumbfounded, and the room burst into laughter. Breeze rolled his eyes indignantly, shaking his head and muttering about the crew’s gross childishness."

When Vin fought and then killed Lady Shan, who had revealed herself to be a very capable mistborn

When Vin snapped to Kell and the crew, and she ranted about them not being true skaa because they didn't experience the true harsh life of a skaa like she did.

When Vin opens up to Kell about her feelings about Reen leaving her, and Kell opens up to Vin about Mare.

When Kell finally kills that inquisitor

When Marsh rescues Vin from the Lord Ruler in the palace and kills all of the inquisitors, revealing that he's actually not dead like they all assumed.

This extremely satisfying scene:

"Vin leaned on Sazed, her teeth gritted against the pain of her broken leg. “I bring you a message from a friend of ours,” she said quietly. “He wanted you to know that he’s not dead. He can’t be killed. “He is hope.” Then she raised the spear and rammed it directly into the Lord Ruler’s heart."

And finally, here are my favorite quotes from the book:

"Sometimes, I worry that I’m not the hero everyone thinks I am."

"“You ask why I smile, Goodman Mennis? Well, the Lord Ruler thinks he has claimed laughter and joy for himself. I’m disinclined to let him do so. This is one battle that doesn’t take very much effort to fight.”"

"Betrayal had nothing to do with friendship; it was a simple fact of survival."

"And ruthlessness was the very most practical of emotions. Another of Reen’s sayings."

"Vin didn’t let hatred or rebellion show in her eyes. She simply looked down, giving Camon what he expected to see. There were other ways to be strong. That lesson she had learned on her own."

"And, where power and riches existed, so did corruption—"

"The only reason to be subservient to those with power is so that you can learn to someday take what they have. Reen’s words."

"Vin, however, would have preferred to remain by herself. Life with Reen had accustomed her to loneliness—if you let someone get too close, it would just give them better opportunities to betray you."

"If you let someone get close to you, it will only hurt more when they betray you, Reen seemed to whisper in her mind."

"He’d betrayed her, but this was the underworld. No friends. It didn’t seem that way between Kelsier and Dockson. They appeared to trust each other. A front? Or were they simply one of those rare teams that actually didn’t worry about each other’s betrayal? The most unsettling thing about Kelsier and Dockson had been their openness with her. They seemed willing to trust, even accept, Vin after a relatively short time. It couldn’t be genuine—no one could survive in the underworld following such tactics. Still, their friendliness was disconcerting."

"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. She had been a slave to Reen; she had been a slave to Camon. She would be a slave to this Kelsier too, if it would lead her to eventual freedom."

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

"Kelsier turned from the bodies, cloak rustling. His anger was quiet, not as fierce as it had been the night he’d killed Lord Tresting. But he felt it still, felt it in the itching of his scars and in the remembered screams of the woman he loved. As far as Kelsier was concerned, any man who upheld the Final Empire also forfeited his right to live."

"“Because, Marsh,” Kelsier said, “humor is the only thing I’ve got left. Humor and determination.”"

"“Ah,” Kelsier said, “but being an annoyance is something that I am very good at. In fact, I’m far more than just a ‘mild’ annoyance—people tell me I can be downright frustrating. Might as well use this talent for the cause of good, eh?”"

"Kelsier smiled to himself. The girl was remarkably skilled. Her time on the streets, however, had also left her with remarkable scars. Hopefully, he would be able to encourage the skills while helping heal the scars."

"The man who wants you to trust him is the one you must fear the most."

"“Your brother,” she said in her soft near-whisper of a voice. “You two don’t get along very well.” Kelsier raised an eyebrow. “No. We never have, really. It’s a shame. We should, but we just…don’t.” “He’s older than you?” Kelsier nodded. “Did he beat you often?” Vin asked. Kelsier frowned. “Beat me? No, he didn’t beat me at all.” “You stopped him, then?” Vin said. “Maybe that’s why he doesn’t like you. How did you escape? Did you run, or were you just stronger than him?” “Vin, Marsh never tried to beat me. We argued, true—but we never really wanted to hurt one another.” Vin didn’t contradict him, but he could see in her eyes that she didn’t believe him. What a life… Kelsier thought, falling silent."

"Kelsier sat, trying to read her, trying to understand her. Would she betray them to the Final Empire if she left? He thought not. She wasn’t a bad person. She just thought that everybody else was."

"“The right belief is like a good cloak, I think. If it fits you well, it keeps you warm and safe. The wrong fit, however, can suffocate.”"

""“Sazed?” she said, peeking back out into the hallway. The steward paused, turning back. “Yes, Mistress Vin?” “Kelsier,” Vin said quietly. “He’s a good man, isn’t he?” Sazed smiled. “A very good man, Mistress. One of the best I’ve known.” Vin nodded slightly. “A good man…” she said softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever known one of those before.”"

"“Think about it. What is a man doing when he seeks the affection of a young lady? Why, he is trying to manipulate her to regard him favorably. What happens when old two friends sit down for a drink? They tell stories, trying to impress each other. Life as a human being is about posturing and influence. This isn’t a bad thing—in fact, we depend upon it. These interactions teach us how to respond to others.”"

"Finally, someone near the back of the room spoke. “You’re a fool,” the man said. “The Lord Ruler will kill you. You don’t rebel against God in his own city.” The room fell silent. Tense. Vin sat up as Breeze whispered to himself. In the room, Kelsier stood quietly for a moment. Finally, he reached up and pulled back the sleeves on his jacket, revealing the crisscrossed scars on his arms. “The Lord Ruler is not our god,” he said quietly. “And he cannot kill me. He tried, but he failed. For I am the thing that he can never kill.”"

""Why didn’t she leave? Perhaps it was her promise to Kelsier. He had given her the gift of Allomancy, and he depended on her. Perhaps it was her duty to the others. In order to survive, crews needed each person to do their separate job. Reen’s training told her that these men were fools, but she was tempted, enticed, by the possibility that Kelsier and the others offered. In the end, it wasn’t the wealth or the job’s thrill that made her stay. It was the shadowed prospect—unlikely and unreasonable, but still seductive—of a group whose members actually trusted one another. She had to stay. She had to know if it lasted, or if it was—as Reen’s growing whispers promised—all a lie."

"“That’s the funny thing about arriving somewhere, Vin,” he said with a wink. “Once you’re there, the only thing you can really do is leave again.""

"When vin awoke, the pain told her that Reen had beaten her again. What had she done? Had she been too friendly to one of the other crewmembers? Had she made a foolish comment, drawing the crewleader’s ire? She was to remain quiet, always quiet, staying away from the others, never calling attention to herself. Otherwise he would beat her. She had to learn, he said. She had to learn…."

"“Kelsier?” Vin asked, causing him to pause. He turned, looking at her. Vin struggled to formulate what she wanted to say. “The palace…the Inquisitors…We’re not invincible, are we?” She flushed; it sounded stupid when she said it that way. Kelsier, however, just smiled. He seemed to understand what she meant. “No, Vin,” he said quietly. “We’re far from it.”"

"“The best liars are those who tell the truth most of the time.”"

"“Yes, I keep the flower,” Kelsier said. “I’m not really sure why. But…do you stop loving someone just because they betray you? I don’t think so. That’s what makes the betrayal hurt so much—pain, frustration, anger…and I still loved her. I still do.”

“How?” Vin asked. “How can you? And, how can you possibly trust people? Didn’t you learn from what she did to you?” Kelsier shrugged. “I think…I think given the choice between loving Mare—betrayal included—and never knowing her, I’d choose love. I risked, and I lost, but the risk was still worth it. It’s the same with my friends. Suspicion is healthy in our profession—but only to an extent. I’d rather trust my men than worry about what will happen if they turn on me.” “That sounds foolish,” Vin said. “Is happiness foolish?” Kelsier asked, turning toward her."

"It seemed such an impossible contrast to her. The pleasant nobility, dancing, just inside a room sparkling with light and dresses. Death in the courtyard. Didn’t they care? Didn’t they know? This is the Final Empire, Vin, she told herself as the carriage rolled away. Don’t forget the ash because you see a little silk. If those people in there knew you were skaa, they’d have you slaughtered just as easily as they did that poor boy."

"“Lord Elend might be reading a forbidden book, but that doesn’t make him our friend. There have always been noblemen like him—young philosophers and dreamers who think that their ideas are new. They like to drink with their friends and grumble about the Lord Ruler; but, in their hearts, they’re still noblemen. They’ll never overthrow the establishment.” “But—” “No, Vin,” Kelsier said. “You have to trust me. Elend Venture doesn’t care about us or the skaa. He’s a gentleman anarchist because it’s fashionable and exciting.”"

"Elend and the others, she thought. They must not understand how bad life is for the skaa. They live in their pretty keeps, dancing, never really understanding the extent of the Lord Ruler’s oppression. She could see beauty in the nobility—she wasn’t like Kelsier, hating them outright. Some of them seemed quite kind, in their own way, and she was beginning to think some of the stories skaa told about their cruelty must be exaggerated. And yet, when she saw events like that poor boy’s execution or the skaa children, she had to wonder. How could the nobility not see? How could they not understand?"

"With proper washing, and some expensive soaps, even a white garment could be rendered clean of ash. That was why the nobility could always have new-looking clothing. It was such an easy, simple thing to divide the skaa and the aristocracy. Kelsier’s right, Vin thought. I am coming to enjoy being a noblewoman. And she was concerned about the changes her new lifestyle was encouraging inside of her. Once, her problems had been things like starvation and beatings—now they were things like extended carriage rides and companions who arrived late for appointments. What did a transformation like that do to a person?"

"She knew the reason she stayed in the crew. It wasn’t the plan; it was the people. She liked Kelsier. She liked Dockson, Breeze, and Ham. She even liked the strange little Spook and his crotchety uncle. This was a crew unlike any other she’d worked with."

"“So stern,” Vin said quietly. “Like my brother.” “Were you close?” “I hated him,” Vin whispered. Marsh paused, then turned away. “I see.” “Do you hate Kelsier?” Marsh shook his head. “No, I don’t hate him. He’s frivolous and self-important, but he’s my brother.” “And that’s enough?” Vin asked. Marsh nodded. “I…have trouble understanding that,” Vin said honestly."

"“I just…wish he wouldn’t treat people like playthings. I’ve been known to kill obligators, but murdering men just because they’re noble…” Marsh shook his head. “It’s not just that, either. He likes people to fawn over him.” He had a point. However, Vin also detected something in his voice. Jealousy? You’re the older brother, Marsh. You were the responsible one—you joined the rebellion instead of working with thieves. It must have hurt that Kelsier was the one everybody liked."

"Let them see my weakness, and let them see me overcome it."

""Each week, he’d found an atium geode. Each week he’d avoided execution by brutal beating. Except that last time. He didn’t deserve to be alive—he should have been killed. But, Mare had given him an atium geode, promising him that she’d found two that week. It wasn’t until after he’d turned it in that he’d discovered her lie. She’d been beaten to death the next day. Beaten to death right in front of him. That night, Kelsier had Snapped, coming into his powers as a Mistborn. The next night, men had died. Many men."

"“No, it won’t be a betrayal. Those men are mercenaries, Vin. They’ve been hired to fight, and they’ll attack friends—even relatives—in a riot or rebellion. Soldiers learn to understand these kinds of things. We may be friends, but when it comes to fighting, none of us would hesitate to kill the others.” Vin nodded slowly. It seemed…harsh. But, that’s what life is. Harsh. That part of Reen’s teaching wasn’t a lie."

"“Though most expect young men to be fools, I’ve noticed that just a little bit of age can make a man far more foolish than he was as a child.""

"“To resist,” Mennis said. “To fight. That’s why those lads came to the caves. It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, it was a matter of doing something—anything—to struggle against the Lord Ruler.”

"“That wasn’t a victory, Mennis,” Kelsier whispered. “I’ll show you a victory.” He forced himself to smile��not out of pleasure, and not out of satisfaction. He smiled despite the grief he felt at the deaths of his men; he smiled because that was what he did. That was how he proved to the Lord Ruler—and to himself—that he wasn’t beaten. No, he wasn’t going to walk away. He wasn’t finished yet. Not by far."

"She was in two places at once. She could see herself, and she could see herself. One of her was a strange woman, changed and transformed from the girl she had always been. That girl had been careful and cautious—a girl who would never burn an unfamiliar metal based solely on the word of one man. This woman was foolish; she had forgotten many of the things that had let her survive so long. She drank from cups prepared by others. She fraternized with strangers. She didn’t keep track of the people around her. She was still far more careful than most people, but she had lost so much. The other her was something she had always secretly loathed. A child, really. Thin to the point of scrawniness, she was lonely, hateful, and untrusting. She loved no one, and no one loved her. She always told herself, quietly, that she didn’t care. Was there something worth living for? There had to be. Life couldn’t be as pathetic as it seemed. Yet, it had to be. There wasn’t anything else."

"Kelsier smiled. He could remember a time when Vin had looked frighteningly awkward in a dress, but she seemed to have taken an increasing liking to them. She still didn’t move quite like a noble-born lady. She was graceful—but it was the dexterous grace of a predator, not the deliberate grace of a courtly lady. Still, the gowns seemed to fit Vin now—in a way that had nothing at all to do with tailoring. Ah, Mare, Kelsier thought. You always wanted a daughter you could teach to walk the line between noblewoman and thief. They would have liked each other; they both had a hidden streak of unconventionality. Perhaps if his wife were still alive, she could have taught Vin things about pretending to be a noblewoman that even Sazed didn’t know. Of course, if Mare were still alive, I wouldn’t be doing any of this. I wouldn’t dare."

"“Some men would say that their devotion didn’t make sense,” Kelsier said. “The loss of the Vallan leaders should have broken the people, not made them more determined to keep going.” Sazed shook his head. “Men are more resilient than that, I think. Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope.”"

"“Elend told me that he didn’t want to be with me anymore.” “Ah,” Kelsier said, moving over to sit beside her. “Was this before or after you killed his former fiancée?” “Before,” Vin said. “And you still protected him?” Vin nodded, sniffling quietly. “I know. I’m an idiot.” “No more than the rest of us,” Kelsier said with a sigh. He looked up into the mists. “I loved Mare too, even after she betrayed me. Nothing could change how I felt.” “And that’s why it hurts so much,” Vin said, remembering what Kelsier had said before. I think I finally understand. “You don’t stop loving someone just because they hurt you,” he said."

"“I loved him, Kelsier,” she whispered. “Elend? I know.” “No, not Elend,” Vin said. “Reen. He beat me over, and over, and over. He swore at me, he yelled at me, he told me he’d betray me. Every day, I thought about how much I hated him. “And I loved him. I still do. It hurts so much to think that he’s gone, even though he always told me he would leave.” ... “Everyone leaves me,” she whispered. “I can barely remember my mother. She tried to kill me, you know. She heard voices, in her head, and they made her kill my baby sister. She was probably going to kill me next, but Reen stopped her. “Either way, she left me. After that, I clung to Reen. He left too. I love Elend, but he doesn’t want me anymore.” She looked up at Kelsier. “When are you going to go? When will you leave me?”"

"“I don’t know,” Vin said. “Once, maybe I would have thought you a fool, but…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.” Kelsier chuckled. “I don’t think you’re helping the argument any, Vin.” She shrugged. “Makes sense to me. Distrust is really the same thing—only on the other side. I can see how a person, given the choice between two assumptions, would choose to trust.”"

"That plan had evolved, growing to encompass so much more than he’d originally intended. However, one of its key parts had remained sequestered away in a corner of his mind. He could find the crystal pockets. He could shatter them, using Allomancy. And they were the only means of producing atium in the entire Final Empire. You tried to destroy me, Pits of Hathsin, he thought, climbing down further into the rift. It’s time to return the favor."

"“Kell!” Vin said, grabbing his arm. “Kelsier, you can’t save them. They’re too well guarded, and it’s daylight in the middle of the city. You’ll just get yourself killed!” He paused, halting in the street, turning in Vin’s grasp. He looked into her eyes, disappointed. “You don’t understand what this is all about, do you, Vin? You never did. I let you stop me once before, on the hillside by the battlefield. Not this time. This time I can do something.” “But…” He shook his arm free. “You still have some things to learn about friendship, Vin. I hope someday you realize what they are.”"

"“It’s insanity,” she mumbled. “We can’t do this, Dox. We’re not invincible.” Dockson snorted. “We’re not helpless either.”

"Too many skaa have died already, he thought, flaring his metals. Hundreds. Thousands. Hundreds of thousands. Not today. No more."

"I never wanted to be feared. If I regret one thing, it is the fear I have caused. Fear is the tool of tyrants. Unfortunately, when the fate of the world is in question, you use whatever tools are available."

"Vin nodded, but she wasn’t paying much attention to Dox. She was watching Kelsier. “He’s incredible!” Kelsier lurched back and forth in the air, his feet never touching the ground. Bits of metal buzzed around him, responding to his Pushes and Pulls. He controlled them with such skill, one would have thought they were living things. The Inquisitor slapped them away with a fury, but was obviously having trouble keeping track of them all. I underestimated Kelsier, Vin thought. I assumed that he was less skilled than the Mistings because he’d spread himself too thin. But that wasn’t it at all. This. This is his specialty—Pushing and Pulling with expert control. And iron and steel are the metals he personally trained me in. Maybe he understood all along."

"“I killed you, once,” the Lord Ruler said, turning back to Kelsier. “You tried,” Kelsier replied, his voice loud and firm, carrying across the square. “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.”"

"“Kelsier, no…” Vin said, tears streaming down her face. She prodded his body, feeling for a pulse. There was none. “You said you couldn’t be killed!” she cried. “What of your plans? What of the Eleventh Metal? What of me?” He didn’t move. Vin had trouble seeing through the tears. It’s impossible. He always said we aren’t invincible…but that meant me. Not him. Not Kelsier. He was invincible. He should have been. Someone grabbed her, and she squirmed, crying out. “Time to go, kid,” Ham said. He paused, looking at Kelsier, assuring for himself that the crewleader was dead."

"“Belief isn’t simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. 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, Mistress. But failure…ah, now, that is hard to believe in, certainly and truly. Difficult enough to have value, I think.”"

"“You were part of this plan too,” the kandra said. “All of you. You ask why he needed a crew? He needed men of virtue, men who could learn to worry more for the people than for coin. He put you before armies and crowds, letting you practice leadership. He was using you…but he was also training you.”"

"It was a fun job, wasn’t it? When you remember me, please remember that. Remember to smile. Now, move quickly. May you rule in wisdom."

"Please don’t be angry at me for abandoning you. I was given an extension on life. I should have died in Mare’s place years ago. I was ready for this. The others will need you. You’re their Mistborn now—you’ll have to protect them in the months to come. The nobility will send assassins against our fledgling kingdom’s rulers. Farewell. I’ll tell Mare about you. She always wanted a daughter."

"She looked up at Sazed, who smiled at her. “Sometimes we just 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.”"

"He looked over at her, shaking his spike-eyed head. “Ah, well. He was vindicated in the end. The rest of us believed your brother, but Bendal…even then he wasn’t convinced—and he found you in the end.” “My brother?” Vin said, scrambling to her feet. “He sold me out?” “Sold you out?” Kar said. “He died promising us that you had starved to death years ago! He screamed it night and day beneath the hands of Ministry torturers. It is very hard to hold out against the pains of an Inquisitor’s torture…something you shall soon discover.”"

"...there is beauty in compassion, but one must learn wisdom too.”"

"“Rashek,” Vin whispered. The Lord Ruler spun toward her in startlement. “Rashek,” Vin said again. “That’s your name, isn’t it? You aren’t the man who wrote the logbook. You’re not the hero that was sent to protect the people…you’re his servant. The packman who hated him.” She paused for a moment. “You…you killed him,” she whispered. “That’s what happened that night! That’s why the logbook stopped so suddenly! You killed the hero and took his place. You went into the cavern in his stead, and you claimed the power for yourself. But…instead of saving the world, you took control of it.”"

"Vin leaned on the shaft, hobbling with Marsh and Sazed toward the Lord Ruler. The crawling figure reached the edge of the room, overlooking the city through the shattered window. Vin’s footsteps crackled on broken glass. People cheered again below, though she couldn’t see them, nor see what they were cheering about. “Listen,” Sazed said. “Listen, he who would have been our god. Do you hear them cheering? Those cheers aren’t for you—this people never cheered for you. They have found a new leader this evening, a new pride.”"

"“You don’t understand,” he wheezed. “You don’t know what I do for mankind. I was your god, even if you couldn’t see it. By killing me, you have doomed yourselves….” Vin glanced at Marsh and Sazed. Slowly, each of them nodded. The Lord Ruler had begun coughing, and he seemed to be aging even further. Vin leaned on Sazed, her teeth gritted against the pain of her broken leg. “I bring you a message from a friend of ours,” she said quietly. “He wanted you to know that he’s not dead. He can’t be killed. “He is hope.” Then she raised the spear and rammed it directly into the Lord Ruler’s heart."

"“He actually did it, didn’t he?” Marsh said, shaking his head in wonder. “That bastard. There are two things I’ll never forgive him for. The first is for stealing my dream of overthrowing the Final Empire, then actually succeeding at it.” Vin paused. “And the second?” Marsh turned spike-heads toward her. “Getting himself killed to do it.”"

"“Elend Venture,” she said, standing up. “There is something I’ve been meaning to tell you for some time.” She paused, blinking away her tears. “You read too much. Especially in the presence of ladies.” He smiled, throwing back his chair and grabbing her in a firm embrace. Vin closed her eyes, simply feeling the warmth of being held. And realized that was all she had ever really wanted."

Okay, that was a really long review, I know, but it feels so good to finally be able to share all my feelings and thoughts about this book. Overall, it's an awesome book that has successfully made me obsessed with it, and now all I can think about are all these characters and the new Final Empire. So I will go straight to read The Well of Ascension now.

PLOT - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

WRITING STYLE - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ENTERTAINMENT LEVEL- ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

BOOK COVER DESIGN - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

OVERALL BOOK RATING - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#book review #mistborn #the final empire

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