The Final Empire

Mistborn Book 1

By: Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by: Michael Kramer

Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

From number one New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison.

Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark. Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot. But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life.

Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

This saga dares to ask a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails?

Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson

• The Cosmere
• The Stormlight Archive
• The Way of Kings
• Words of Radiance
• Edgedancer (Novella)
• Oathbringer

The Mistborn trilogy:

• Mistborn: The Final Empire
• The Well of Ascension
• The Hero of Ages

Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series:

• Alloy of Law
• Shadows of Self
• Bands of Mourning
• Collection
• Arcanum Unbounded

Other Cosmere novels

• Elantris
• Warbreaker

The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series:

• Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
• The Scrivener's Bones
• The Knights of Crystallia
• The Shattered Lens
• The Dark Talent

The Rithmatist series:

• The Rithmatist

Other books by Brandon Sanderson

• The Reckoners
• Steelheart
• Firefight
• Calamity

©2006 Brandon Sanderson (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

A Fascinating World With Thoughtful Characters

Where does The Final Empire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

While the Mistborn series was not one of my favorites, parts of it were very much so above and beyond anything else I have read/listened to.

What other book might you compare The Final Empire to and why?

I don't believe there is a great comparison from what I have read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

At times, yes - but it's not so packed with intrigue that I could not put it down and go to sleep during one of the more thoughtful chapters.

Any additional comments?

It's hard to find a comparison for this book, it takes place in a world that seems beaten and dreary, yet the people of the world have known nothing else. It was very interesting to see the story evolve from this point (yet, don't expect everything to magically change - this book is also filled with quite a bit of realism despite the "magic" aspects, if you can call them that.) Overall, the conclusions made by the end of the trilogy were quite fascinating and realistic. Some may not appreciate them quite so much, but I can honestly say the lessons the primary characters learn are entirely realistic and entirely correct. Overall, a good read so long as you aren't expecting a lush universe with puppies and smiles - be prepared for the opposite, yet at the same time also be prepared to be invested in the world the protagonist is attempting to save. My only complaint is that I find myself wanting to hear more of the aftermath after the third book - there is a secondary trilogy, however, which I've not yet embarked on since the third book is still in the works (I enjoy reading them all at once, so I eagerly await this book.)

Very Different from anything else I've ever read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

What a great and very different storyline. It kept me fascinated with the characters and the metals side of things. Very unusual book but an awesome one. The series is a must read for anyone into this style of book

Have you listened to any of Michael Kramer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I love Michael's voice and he did a fantastic job in this novel. He is one of my favourite narrators and I will listen to anything from him.

Fantastic Book

This book is great, with lots of action mixed with a sci-fi feel. It has some original plotlines and has a good blend of magic/sci-fi in it. The story stays strong through the book clear to the end. Highly recommended.

wonderful

Great first book. It was an incredible story and a delightful narrator. Although there were some hiccups in the performance, nothing was huge and it didn't subtract anything from the experience. This certainly got me hooked on both Audible and "Mistborn"!

Original

Because it is a world unlike our own I struggled at the beginning to follow along. But once I understood it a bit more the plot became understandable and gripping.

Six of crows meets Eragon

Really really loved this book. I’ve been on a fantasy crime book binge lately and this perfectly fit the bill, and I love that it very much goes into the politics and planning of the main characters plan. Highly recommended!

MASTERPIECE

The way it's written and how it plays out. It's truly a masterpiece that you'll enjoy.

Great place to start in the Cosmere

This is a great performance by Michael Kramer and a great story by Sanderson. Not much in substance in my review, just give it a read!

Get it now! best fantasy writer period.

you are missing out on life if you dont listen to all of Brandon's books. Also the narration cannot be beat. Really comes alive in ways no other narrator I've heard can do!

good book worth a credit

good enough stand alone. part of a trilogy as a bonus, meaning you can stay invested in this world for 60+ hours; if your a 'binge' listener very much worth it.