DebJpole Hello all,
First non-Jo Nesbo book for a while! This trilogy of books was lent to me by my boyfriend after he had read them because he enjoyed them and thought I’d like them too! You all know how I feel about book recommendations from friends so naturally I said yes to reading them and here we are with Book One: The Final Empire.
For a thousand years the lands were desolate. Ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years, the Skaa were enslaved in misery and lived in fear every day. The Lord Ruler; invincible and immortal has reigned for those thousand years with a power so great that any revolt has failed miserably.
“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.”
Yet hope is still ever present, for hope is the last thing that is ever lost. Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness that surrounds the communities under the Lord Rulers grasp.
“If you read these words, let them know that power is a heavy burden. Seek not to be bound by its chains.”
A new uprising is being planned and it hinges on the courage and skill of a Skaa street urchin. For she is mistborn and must learn to master the skills of Allomancy in order to have any chance of succeeding.
“I know what will happen if I make the wrong choice. I must be strong; I must not take the power for myself. For I have seen what will happen if I do.”
But to learn the skills required, she must first learn to trust. Trust doesn’t one easily, especially for one who has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets.
“The man who wants you to trust him is the one you must fear the most.”
This book is simply an upside down fantasy. You know how generic fantasy has a hero and a villain and the hero always wins? Well this book turns that on its head – what if the hero fails and the dark lord succeeds?
“Sometimes, I worry that I am not the hero everyone thinks I am…what would they think if they knew that their champion – the Hero of Ages, their saviour – doubted himself.”m
This was a slow starter, especially because there are a lot of names and new words to learn. But once you get to grips with that and all the magic involved, it’s a book you can’t put down. There’s always something happening and you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen next. The main character, Vin, reminds me a lot of Arya in game of thrones and her journey.
This book also felt particularly poignant with everything going on in the world right now. The Russian invasion of and war with Ukraine is terrifying from an outsiders perspective so I can’t even begin to imagine what the Ukrainians are feeling and going through.
You can find this book on Amazon
Tune in next time for Mistborn Book Two: The Well of Ascension.
Until next time,
Keep reading,
D x
