The Hero of Ages

Well... that turned out a lot better than I thought it would.

In his concluding volume of the Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson continues to exhibit the same critiques I have had with the previous two volumes: a simplistic writing style which will almost never make one look up a word, a clear influence from Mormonism, liberal use of fantasy tropes, and a bit of predictability.

Of course, not all of the story was predictable, and the parts that were not... well, they seem to more than make up for Sanderson's shortcomings as a writer. And most importantly, this concluding book succeeds in providing a highly satisfying ending and tying up the entire three book sequence into one whole. Such a result could only occur from competent planning.

And that is why this book is the only one in the trilogy that I have given four stars. The other two are entertaining works of fluff and seem to have no connection save for being based in the same world and utilizing the same main characters. Without this third one, they would not actually be able to stand out as anything but a decent way to waste time. This book adds much more complexity and solidness to the series as a whole, as well as provide an intriguing antagonist that is by far a greater challenge than any our protagonists have faced. The sacrifices necessary to resolve this conflict are huge, and make the resolution and ending that much more meaningful.

One could just read the first book in this trilogy and be satisfied with it as a self-contained story. Sure, some questions will be left unanswered, but... shrugs. However, to not continue would rob the reader of the fantastic pay-off this concluding volume provides.