The Final Empire, the first book in a trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, is a tale of a subjugated people known as the Skaa, and their fight for freedom against a seemingly invincible God known as the Lord Ruler. The Lord Ruler has ruled this world for a thousand years through his Inquisitors and Obligators. The Skaa who have been subjugated for so long are incapable of fighting back. That is until Kelsier a Mistborn who, along with his crew of Mistings and other talented individuals, begins a rebellion against the Lord Ruler and the Nobility. The Mistborn are a special people who are able to burn metals to illicit different responses. This process is known as Allomancy and Vin, a member of a thieving crew, is enlisted by Kelsier in his crusade to free the Skaa.
The Final Empire starts off with a gripping prologue and instantly holds the reader's attention with the excitement and anticipation of what is surely to follow. The writing is smooth and has an easy and accomplished style and the setting of this mist covered world is well crafted and thought out. It is immediately engaging and before I knew it I was a hundred pages in.
The story is told through our two main protagonists Vin and Kelsier. Both are well drawn characters and their motivations are clearly explained. They continue to develop throughout the novel and Vin is a particularly alluring character as she battles against her role in this rebellion. Both are users of Allomancy. Allomancy is the ability to burn metal through liquid ingestion and create certain responses such as added strength or enhanced senses. You will find certain similarities with Magneto from X Men and if you throw in those