The Final Empire is a world where hope is dead - and has been for centuries. Ash falls from the skies, and dangerous mists swirl in the night. Magical power comes from allomancy - the use of powdered metals - and its use is jealously guarded by the wealthy elite who squabble amongst themselves for power and privilege. Raised to be distrustful and cautious, Vin is a young street thief who discovers that somehow she is an allomancer and she finds herself drawn to a charismatic thief who is planning the ultimate con - bringing down the Emperor himself.
I really enjoyed The Final Empire. The plot itself is not particularly original in that an orphan finds out she has amazing powers and is the only one who can defeat the big bad, but there are little deviations that I really liked. Firstly, they are not stopping the big bad from gaining power but toppling him after a reign of centuries. Secondly, allomancy is not some mysterious power barely understood. Vin is taught to use her powers, and fully understand her limitations. I like that allomancy has rules and even the chosen one doesn't get to bend them - something which is not the case in all fantasy stories. Lastly, bringing down the emperor involves robbing the aristocracy in a series of grand heists. It also goes without saying that, with any of Sanderson's books, the world-building is excellent, the characters are well developed and complicated, and the pace barely lags for 500 pages.
If you like your high fantasy riddled with a cast of thieves, revolutionaries, magic wielders and evil nemeses, then you'll love The Final Empire.
Read On: The Well of Ascension, the next book in the series, is already on my kindle and waiting to go. Another fun fantasy with a thief for a protagonist is The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
No comments:
Post a Comment