In a dark age of man, The Lord Ruler holds domain over The Finale Empire – his empire. An empire a thousand years old, forged by he who was once The Hero of Ages and the savior of the lands of The Dominance. From his mighty tower in the city of Luthadel, where the Nobility rule and the skaa (the common people) live a life of beaten obiedence. The Lord Ruler is eternal, his dark rule as certain as the ash that falls in the day and the mist that rules the land at night.

Yet despite the darkness, there is hope. Kelsier, once a thief, is a Misborn – a being with the power to burn and control the magics of the ten metals. Vin is a thief, and like Kelsier holds the same power but none of his training. Together, they’ll put together a crew of the best of the best and pull off the ultimate job – start a house war between the nobles, take over the city with a rebel army and rob the Lord Ruler blind of his last box coin – maybe even kill him in the process.

The story of Mistborn takes place in Brandon Sandersons Cosmere, the shared fictional universe for a number of his works. Whilst there is no absolute entry point, For anyone considering diving in to this world I would start here. The world of Mistborn is more than just excitingly inviting, it’s a world that’s as easy to enter and travel as Kelsiers travels through the mist. The premise is simple, the plot clear, and yet the mysteries that unfold over the novels six-hundred odd pages unlock the mysteries of this world that will leave you in a state of shock that may take you a forty five minute walk and a hour long introspective starring session with a mirror to truly wear off their impact. 

Sanderson is a master and crafting richly detailed worlds filled with their own history – histories that feel so real you start to question if the world of the books is more real than our own. Cultures and religons and history and systems of magic that give these worlds physicality. There is a logic to the magic, a sense of loss and personal perspective that mires the forgotten history. 

The world of Mistborn feels fleshed out to the point where I can almost imagine the high walls and barren fields and mighty keeps that are described in the pages. This is a skill Sanderson has demonstrated previously with his novel Elantris, though with Misborn his ability to tell the story that is occurring in this world has much improved. 

Instead of three muddled perspectives that ineffectively convey the larger plot, we have two main characters who’s perspectives form the bulk of the narrative – Vin and Kelsier. Vin is a street-thief skaa whose mother tired to murder her as a baby and who’s brother abandoned her to life amongst a gnag of criminals, Vin has always been able to use her ‘luck to get by and avoid more dangerous troubles. It isn’t until she meets Kelsier that she discovers her greater potential as a Mistborn and a leader for the skaa rebellion.

Kelsier meanwhile is a former gang leader and a survivor of the Mines of Halthsin where he was sent afte being captured three years previous by The Lord Ruler. Having seen his loved ones die at the hands of the tyranny of the empire, Keliser is resolved to do whatever it takes to bring the entire corrupt empire down. 

There is an interesting similiarity between Vin and Kelsier. Both are children of noble parents who abandoonned them, both have known horrific abuse and both have known what its like to live under the whip of a master. It’s the shared suffering that bonds them and allows Keliser to so easily teach her the ways of ‘Allomancy’. 

It is the beginning of their journeys to discovering their power in which they begin to differ. Whilst Kelsier is much more certain in his path towards eliminating all the ruling class, Vin remains more uncertain that every noble is evil and cruel – especially when she starts to make friends amongst the upper class. It’s an interesting dichotomy, their positions on what the ultimate goal of their rebellion remains a point of contention between our heroes for much of the novel. 

The mystery surrounding The Lord Ruler is also perfectly executed. Whilst scarely present on the pages aside mentions, his influence over The Dominance it felt ever-presently in the way the characters are hesitant to image that the supposed’immortal ruler’ can ever be killed gives the novel a certain challenge. To set up a character so high, his fall must surely be as epic, right? 

Part mystery, part heist, part chosen-one fantasy – Misborn: The Final Empire truly shows some of the best of the Cosmere’s stories and is one of the best introductions to a fantasy series I’ve read.