The Final Empire

Por fin me puse con esta saga. El resultado, para mí, es bueno pero me hubiera querido que me gustara mucho más, pero no lo ha conseguido :(

El mundo que se ambienta, la opresión, tanto natural como humana es interesante, clasismo, casta, naturaleza, especies, todo me hace querer saber qué hay más allá de Luthadel y alrededores y por qué todo es así.

El sistema de magias me parece muy original, orgánico, crudo, invisible y en cierto modo, peligroso de manejar. Con un episodio de infodump marcando las claves de su uso.

Pero el argumento del libro es frágil e ingenuo. No me convenció el objetivo final ni su fuerza para llegar a él. Al igual que la evolución de los personajes, tienes que creerte que un personaje ha cambiado por la triquiñuela del pensamiento interno de otros, lo que te fuerza a ver que ha cambiado, cuando no te ha dado más señales más allá de esas, y eso me ha dado mucha rabia.

Ya tengo el segundo a mano! A ver cómo sigue esta saga :)

I shouldn't like this book as much as I did, because every character began life right out of the big book o' fantasy cliches, parts of it sound as if they're trying to document a tabletop RPG campaign, and the plot arc isn't exactly highly original. But I did, because somehow Sanderson managed to breathe life into each character, elevating Vin and Kel in particular far above their stereotypes, and the world that's built and a bit too exhaustively described really does break a few molds and leads to some interesting, exciting action sequences. It is a rather raw, brutal book, but it doesn't dwell on sadistic gore or sexual imagery, thankfully.

Sanderson is far more deft than most at great, funny dialogue unique to each character, and despite the extensive world building, he's content to let it evolve throughout the novel instead of grinding to a halt to exhaustively detail some aspect every dozen pages. Vin's training was the only time I wished it would hurry up. He might not have the poetic imagery of some, but he keeps everything moving at a good clip. There is an obligatory twist ending and sequel hook, but the novel easily stands on its own and doesn't just end hanging. It feels quite satisfying when done.

I was especially pleased with the way that Vin continually reflects on who she is and what her place is, without delving into the endless irritating angst that so many teen fiction heroes have, nor does she become a superman that single-handedly wins without support. She comes to understand that she is neither her former life nor her current one, they're just a series of roles that she plays, and allows herself to drop the mantle of guilt that could have become so irritating. She's never really given the chance to discover just who she is, but there are sequels, so we'll see.

The others of the gang are both loyal and fractious, doubtful and hopeful, and prone to dumb mistakes nearly as often as successes, giving the story a more nuanced nature than the usual formulaic fantasy. Some are more bloodthirsty, others more hesitant, and while each has excuses for their actions it's up to the reader to judge for themselves. Vin may be a great Hero, but the supporting cast from Lord Ruler down to the one-off skaa breathe life into the world. The real villains left a real pit of dread in the belly, much more so than the clownish nobles. The weakest might be Elend, who never gets enough screen time to become less two-dimensional, so his role as a love interest doesn't quite work, especially for someone as jumpy as Vin.

One interesting aspect is that most themes are revisited multiple times in different ways. Thieving gangs, noble sex with skaa, messiahs, plans and plan Bs, torture, and of course the mist and ash. Each of them ends up playing important roles for all of the characters.

Definitely give this a chance if you're at all interested in the genre. It might not be the greatest fantasy book, but it is one which pushes the genre, as well as being a rocking good story.

Brandon Sanderson appears to be one of those authors that have an arrogant sense of how great a writer they are. Some of his fans definitely believe he's blazing trails in contemporary fantasy. This makes the reading of this book, to me, a delicate business, since aside from judging the book on its own merits, I find myself judging it based on what the author claims in his vanity.

So I will react to that first. This novel is not revolutionary. You do not get to say that if you follow the ABC Guide to Writing Fantasy Using Established Conventions. Let's check them off, shall we? The main protagonist, Vin, comes from fairly humble background. Check. It is discovered that she actually is special and has powers which will be used to shape events. Check. Her background is such that she really knows very little of the world, so the reader gets to learn about the world step by step with her. Check. The power turns out to belong only to people with noble blood. This means Vin is not really a peasant, but a 'princess'. Check. There's the standard teacher/parental figure that teaches her to come into her own and carries all the consequences of such teachings. Check.

What about the magic system? Surely that's revolutionary, right? Any magic system ought to be a way to empower some if not all of the characters in a fantasy novel, which Allomancy does. It also should have a sense of wonder. Here, I believe the system is lacking. It's too structured to impart this wonder. There are rules to Allomancy, and they must be followed, dammit! However, at least the wonder was sacrificed for something else: a means of simplifying the writing of the action scenes and making them more suspenseful. Further, such a stringent system allows for the avoidance of deux ex machina resolutions, though at the same time you open yourself up for lame endings that, though logical within the story, do not impress. Further, if you info dump the reader with information and then add in some new information very important to the story, it can be jarring and leave the reader wandering where it came from.

For the most part, then, revelations result not from an organic reveal, but from being introduced to information that had previously been withheld. Sanderson does sprinkle little hints here and there, but they are so far from the actual revelation at times that it takes a moment to realize that Sanderson is not making up rules as he goes along.

Which seems to be as good a point to start critiquing the plot of the book. This plot is fast paced, with just enough going on to hold the reader's interest without boring or overloading them. The threat that the protagonists face is always treated as a very great threat, and not something that could be overcome easily. In the end, it's one of those conflicts that ultimately seem like they can only be resolved with insane planning and a decent share of luck.

Once again, the magic system is too structured and set about with rules to be interesting. Sure, it involves metals, but you pretty much understand it within the first half of the book. What it does make for is a good in-story excuse to have the great action scenes that are in the book.

Overall, it is a very enjoyable book with a satisfying, if a little befuddled, ending. It further hints at other, greater threats that will no doubt be addressed in the future installments. It is not a revolutionary book of fantasy, but it is a good one, and I will definitely continue the trilogy.

3.5 stars.