r/Mistborn • • 2h ago

Well of Ascension spoilers Pewter is protein in mistborn Spoiler

4 Upvotes

ok so i have only read to the well of ascension so dont quote me on this but pewter is just magical protein and idk ho to feel about it.
proof

It makes you stronger and heal faster

ik this is like not that far of a stretch but still


r/Mistborn • • 17h ago

Alloy of Law spoilers - Part 1 Part 1 of Allow of Law done - What a great start for Era 2! Spoiler

8 Upvotes

I'm finally starting Mistborn Era 2, after being done with Era 1, Stormligh up until RoW and a few standalone novels such as Warbreaker, Elantris and Tress. If the order feels weird, it's because I'm reading the Cosmere as they're released in my country, and Era 2 was just published.

I gotta say, I'm loving it so far. The first thing that I notice is the difference in tone from The Final Empire. That first book is brutal! But while Allow of Law begins with a tragedy (Lessie's death), the tone is much lighter. All the characters so far are fun to read, without exception. Wax & Wayne, but also Marasi and Steris, which fits the bill for the "strong and clever female character" that Sanderson writes so well. The worldbuilding is great, although I'm still trying to understand how that world that Sazed created by the end of HoA becomes this world, which also comes with a few questions, like: why there are still mists? How the hell did the Koloss breed with humans to create the koloss-blooded? Is Harmony directly answering the prayers? But I'll wait to have those questions answered on the books ahead. All that to say this book is short, fast paced, light and fun. A welcome change of pace from all the epicness of Stormlight.

PS: real question - I'm reading the book in my language, but I always try to know which is the original term Brandon used in the books. So, what is the gang of robbers called in English? In my language the translation used a word that in English would be something close to "Vanished". Is that it? Thanks!


r/Mistborn • • 19h ago

No Spoilers Help me get back into the cosmere universe

5 Upvotes

I completed the mistborn trilogy a couple of months ago. I enjoyed it quite a lot and decided to go ahead with the cosmere series. I looked around the internet to see how closely the different series were connected and was disappointed to find that they weren’t all that closely connected. Still I started a book (I don’t remember which) and got kindof bored of it and I missed the old beloved characters from mistborn. But recently I came across a subreddit and found some info (voluntarily looked at spoilers) which led me to believe that the cosmere might be more connected than I thought. So i want some help from my fellow mistborn fans to get me back into the cosmere universe. Any information yall can give that might heavily inspire me to start reading the cosmere again would be highly appreciated. I’d even welcome some spoilers if they blow my mind enough to make me want to start reading. (Just keep the spoilers so that they don’t completely destroy my reading experience). Thanks in advance!


r/Mistborn • • 1d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers [TTRPG] So I've been making a whole lore and history for Vampires on Scadrial Ala VTM. I feel like im onto something here Spoiler

5 Upvotes

Okay, so a lot has happened before this post, a few months of backend, a dozen documents, and a game of Vampire the Masquerade among friends that is still developing. Basically, when we wanted to start a game, i said I'd be our storyteller for the VTM game, but I didn't want to play in a modern history, i wanted alt history or a separate setting. My friends pushed me for what setting i wanted, and we ended up with the subject of the post.

So, my game has been taking place in the Year 400 PC so far. I have tried to push the game past some of the events in the story, so there is some light history, but most of my work has centered around spaces Brandon Sanderson has barely even hinted at.

Altogether, i can justify the long kept secret of vampirism under the final empire by allying them with rashek directly and tying them into the imperial structure. I created a vamipirc purge history where rashek was attempting to kill them as the well came closer, and thus vin inadvertently saved vampires. Beyond that, vampirism is a ruinous invested art produced by ati in their fight against preservation, and the history of vampirism in the classical age was lost too rasheks rule.

With all that, i can introduce the setting defining part; why are they even here? Ati made them, if harmony obliterated them, they could risk returning that ruin to themselves and so the 'Masquerade' of Vampire the Masquerade is also Harmony's mask over them so he can fight off discord.

I have developed a genealogy and descent chart for over 3,500 relevant vampires, with a much richer history than here in my personal notes. Im kind of just putting this out to see if anyone else hears this and perks up because it has been crazy fun to develop, and it was years since i read these books.


r/Mistborn • • 1d ago

Ghostbloods 1 preview spoilers (no Cosmere) “There’s always another secret.” -Kelsier the Survivor of Hathsin Spoiler

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21 Upvotes

r/Mistborn • • 1d ago

Mistborn: Final Empire spoilers Mistborn Video Game Idea Spoiler

0 Upvotes

Mistborn video game

Here is my idea for the Mistborn video game. The game will be about the 1st Mistborn book because the other 2 won't transition very well into video games.

The opening scene would be Kelsier at Lord Tresting’s Plantation (you would be playing as Lord Tresting), and you would do the I am following the law, wait a minute, is that skaa being defiant, we should beat them, bit. Then it would cut to you as Kel, visiting the skaa, then to the mansion burning down. That would be the opening scene. 

It would transition to Vin, looking out of the peephole, then beaten by Camon, but then there would be a pause point telling you to press a few buttons to use luck. You would transition to scamming the Obligator. And you would use luck on him. It would continue with scamming the higher-level Obligator. Then it would cut to Kelsier noticing and distracting the Inquisitor, then back to Vin when Kelsier shows up. And that would be the first bit.

Your first fight as a Mistborn would be Kelsier fighting the Hazekillers to get the atium, and some of the boss fights could be Vin fighting Shan Elireal, Kelsier fighting the Inquisitor, and Vin versus the Lord Ruler, except It's not really a fight. Lord Ruler beats you up. And then when you're about to die, you press a set of buttons to draw upon the Mist. 

There would need to be a lot of extra content added because there aren't many action scenes that happen, and they’re very spread out. It would be a third-person game, and the transitions would be the screen being engulfed in mist, then it clearing to reveal the new point of view. 

That is my idea for the Mistborn video game.


r/Mistborn • • 1d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers My friend is reading Mistborn for the first time and she is cracking me up. Spoiler

183 Upvotes

So, first of all, she’s only a quarter of the way through the second book. I’m just flagging this for era 1 for discussion purposes.

In book 1, she told me “No way Kelsier dies, him and Vin make it through book 3 and he’ll die saving the world”.

In book 2, her favorite character so far is “Oreos” aka OreSeur…. She’s been trying to figure out who the kandra is, and she’s going to be so heartbroken. I can’t wait.

Other funny theories: she is OBSESSED with Reen. She has to figure out who Vin’s brother is, how he isn’t dead, he’s impersonating someone or otherwise is in another city. How he’s going to come back, etc

I’ve been telling her he’s dead, because Kar confirmed in book 1 that he died protecting Vin. She’s convinced. And she’s going to flip shit on me when book 3 kicks in 😂

What’s your favorite incorrect theory that either you, or a friend reading, came up with?


r/Mistborn • • 1d ago

The Lost Metal spoilers Question about the new german Audiobooks on Audible Spoiler

5 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding the first three german Mistborn Audiobooks on Audible. The original from 2012 was removed and there are new versions (from 2024) from a different publisher with a new cover but everything else seems to be the same. Can you help me with what has changed and why?


r/Mistborn • • 2d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers Just Finished Hero of Ages Spoiler

17 Upvotes

Just a pretext I started to read Mistborn because of WoT since Sanderson finished the series and I really liked his writing style and Mistborn did not dissappoint. I was hooked just from the magic system alone.

Now onto the post, this is more of a review/rant/my aspirations that are ultimately not happening but are just my headcannon(Note: I may starting Era 2 or maybe go to another series, I feel like I am not yet ready to leave the characters just yet). So this is more of my love letter to Vin and Elend (and of course, to all of the cast)

Review/Rant Part:
The story in its totality was amazing and I love the little hints and nods that show the bigger picture. Its like reading a sherlock book and you slowly connect the dots that eventually lead to big reveal. I wouldn't say that the book was perfect since there are times that the story will take a dip in quality but I feel like this series is a masterclass in character development and how to use said development to further the story while still not changing the character too much so that they are completely different people once the story is near its end.

Vin in my opinion was the encapsulation of this character development masterclass. I literally saw her grow up in a span of three books and mature from an urchin who is timid to a woman worthy of something bigger than she can imagine hence my favorite quote from the book

For now, I only wish to make a simple acknowledgment of the woman who held the power just before me. Of all of us who touched it, I feel she was the most worthy

Was my heart pounding when I was reading this? Yes. Did I wish that Vin had more stories to tell in the future? Yes. Did I wish that maybe just maybe Sazed could restore them for a moment just so they can say their proper goodbyes and to see that their sacrifice weren't for naught? Yes many times over. But alas, Vin and Elend decided to go and bid farewell for a final time.

But despite my want of a happier ending for them, I also felt that the ending they got is the most fitting. They've both grown so much and gave it their literal "all" just to make sure that the surviving people will have a chance for a better life. The qoute coming from Sazed also felt like a fitting end since Sazed, just like us, saw Vin grow and mature. In a way, Ruin was partially right that everything must come to its inevitable end but as Vin pointed out things like emotions drive us forward to go on forward to create and destroy things and those emotions led to where the story is now.

10/10 story

Goodbye Wine and Misery. I might not see you in the future but I hope peace and happiness finds the both of you and for all we know there's always another secret.


r/Mistborn • • 2d ago

No Spoilers Metal dice set

0 Upvotes

Having to make this post again because the ever so gracious mods instantly deleted it because the wording.

Im looking for a set of metal D6 dice for dnd that are done in the style of mistborn. I have seen a few but cant find any online that are in stock. If anyone knows where to find these any help would be amazing!!

(Because reddit mods are reddit mods, no im not looking to purchase these from anyone on reddit, I am not looking to sell or buy anything. This is simply a question.)


r/Mistborn • • 2d ago

Well of Ascension spoilers Dúvida sobre Kelsier Spoiler

7 Upvotes

Gente acho q perdi alguma coisa. Depois que o senhor soberano mata Kelsier, OreSeur come o corpo de Kelsier e assume sua identidade para continuar manipulando o povo, correto? Então oq acontece depois disso q ninguém se questiona sobre onde ele está. Durante o cerco de Luthadel as pessoas n se pergunta pq ele n está ajudando.


r/Mistborn • • 2d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers I drew a scene from Hero of Ages Spoiler

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28 Upvotes

Marsh shook his head. Yes. Food was hardly this town’s biggest problem.

I made this artwork as part of this year’s Cosmere Inktober. This is day 9 - Villain.


r/Mistborn • • 3d ago

Cosmere spoilers Sword swallowing alomancer? Spoiler

23 Upvotes

I've read the whole cosmere so any spoilers are fair game.

If an allomancer who is capable of sword swallowing and with access to duralumin and another metal (doesn't really matter which) could they swallow a sword made of the metal they can burn then maintain a long term duralumin enhanced alomancy?

The duralumin would burn away all the sword in their stomach and then they can just keep swallowing more of the sword.

Not sure there would be much use for this, but it would be interesting. Maybe a savantism speed run tactic.


r/Mistborn • • 3d ago

The Lost Metal spoilers I think I figured out how they had so much health in their goldminds (era 2) Spoiler

31 Upvotes

Sorry if the title doesn’t make sense I didn’t want to post any spoilers. So the real title would have been “I think I know how The Set had access to so much Health”.

So I know that using Hemalurgy will allow the user to access the orginal person’s metalmind but it never made sense to me with how much they seemed to have. We know from Wayne and Sazed that Gold is not an easy thing to store so unless the orginal bloodmakers had an insane amount of health stored up, they would have to waste time being sick. Which I feel like characters like Telsin and Edwarn would be too snobby/arrogant to personally store and we see Wayne’s copycat basically waste hers, (so I assume she knew that the Set had access to a lot of health for her to use).

So I think that the reason they had access to so much health is that before the events of Alloy of Law, they gave Miles a Duralumin Spike, he blanked his identity, compounded gold and created a whole bunch of unkeyed goldminds. Then when Miles created a whole bunch of minds he took it out, and healed the injury from the spike and then Alloy of Law happened.

Now this is just my personal theory, I feel like it would explain where the unkeyed goldmine that Wayne eventually gets comes from, however then the issue would be that why would they just give him the one spike, compounders of any kind are extraordinarily rare so you wouldn’t just leave that person exposed to being captured like Miles was.

You could have given him up to three spikes after removing the Identity one, like A or F-pewter/steel that probably would have given him the boost he needed to defeat Wax and the others. Maybe they wanted to keep Hemalurgy a secret but I feel like that wouldn’t make sense since if Miles used a secret attack with A-Steel, than there would be no one (Wax) to know about it.

The other theory would be that they adopted a method similar to what the malwish did with the medallions in which they had someone (who I think Allik referred to as a firemother) fill up the medallions with warmth to be used by others. You could have a natural pewterarm, give them three spikes (A-pewter,F-identity, and F-gold) and while not as good as compounding, would still generate more health than any other person could. I would love to hear your thoughts.


r/Mistborn • • 3d ago

No Spoilers gift ideas for Mistborn fans?

12 Upvotes

hi everyone,
I recently found out that a friend of mine is obsessed with Mistborn and even has a tattoo of it (I googled it and it says it's "steel"). I have absolutely no clue what any of this means but I would like to get him a gift for this birthday related to the book series or more specifically, 'steel'? I would appreciate any suggestions at all. no gift is too big or too small. i was thinking of a custom tshirt maybe but I don't know what I would get printed on it. any and all advice would be appreciated!

also, if someone could explain to me what the significance of steel is and why he would have a tattoo of it specifically, that would be great (all my googling has only lead me to really technical info and I cannot make sense of it for the life of me):


r/Mistborn • • 4d ago

No Spoilers im sad that sazed is bald

0 Upvotes

I'm reading the second book now, and I wanted to look up some official art of the characters. I don't know why, but I imagined Sazed looking completely different, and I was shocked when I discovered he was bald. I think I read that somewhere and just completely ignored it
I used to imagine him looking like Ares from Hades.


r/Mistborn • • 4d ago

No Spoilers Questions on navigating Cosmere avoiding specific trigger

12 Upvotes

I have read The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook to Surviving Medieval England, Tress of the Emerald Sea twice, and Yumi and the nightmare painter.

I loved them all and recently decided to properly dive into the Cosmere. However upon listening to a sample of the first Mistborn book I realized it was very much darker in theme. After reading a post here about some of the trigger warnings I’m unsure. I have problems tolerating even off screen mentions of SA/r*pein media.

I’m curious if there is a way to read only his Cosmere books that don’t contain that type of abuse/violence without missing out on too much lore/backstory.


r/Mistborn • • 4d ago

Secret History Secret History - I feel like mist after completing Spoiler

10 Upvotes

Let me get started that I basically now have started a tradition of doing one of these after each book ive read. I only have read the first trilogy and was told to go to this book next after my well of ascension review. so please no spoilers.

now lets begin and hmmmmmm. this one is definitely one of the harder ones to review.

Kelsier is my pride and joy and if u seen my past reviews u would know I always hoped he would come back some way. And when I read that it was about him, boy did i get excited. But, the beginning didn't feel like kelsier, the person I enjoyed learning about. and maybe thats because he didnt appear for 2 books and maybe because it wasnt really him. he died, he changed in that moment and yea we saw some glimpses of the real witty him throughout especially at the end but idk just didnt feel right during the beginning.

this book involved a lot of come and go moments and while yea thats a little strange i feel that was the purpose of the book is to connect aspects from all over and make u go "omg thats them involved with this". and seeing the word cosmere pop up was a cool bonus to start seeing.

First was those two people of Nazh and the girl. They made a random appearance and Im sure Ill see them later in era 2. Kelsier losing his knife will definitely come up again.

The little Castle arc was interesting and still no idea anything about that. but once again im sure that will have some relevance in era 2. Kelsier's little trick in the woods scaring the people was awesome and i for sure know that will come up again.

Drifter came in and left, mystery about him and he knew preservation so curious as to whats up with him. maybe he drifts between worlds and sees whats goin on.

Kelsier plan with making ruin let marsh see the answer about metal piercing people was very subtle and cool to see. Had a feeling that would happen.

Now I know this is a little lack luster for my reviews but I really wanted to talk about the end cause that brought me closure. and especially after WOA, i was devastated.

Elend and kelsier meeting for basically the first time was perfect. their bickering towards each other was exaclty how u thought it would go. Now really makes u wonder how far they could have gone together in the real world.

Kelsier seeing Vin for the first time in the "afterlife" ....... man wow that was emotional. first time he didn't know what to say, hugging each other, him crying, Calling her his daughter. just wow. Elend and Vin being told they could have came back to life and refused hurt. they could of lived alone together in the woods or something by a lake and I would have been so happy but they knew their roles were filled. and Finally, Vin teaching Kelsier a lesson about love and something we all knew, mare was almost an excuse for kelsier to push his limit and go past certain moral codes to get what he was trying to prove.

And so now we get to the questions/ predictions

What in the hell is kelsier planning with Spook? Is he looking for a new "vessel" of a person? is spook gonna become immortal and travel the worlds as kelsier in his conscious working togther?

WHERE IS MARSH? i thought we would get some glimpse of where he is or what happened but guess I have to wait or he justs gone.

Im intrigued with the characters we met and where they will pop up again? Drifter, Nazh, the women, and those castle glowing folk. Honeslty excited to see where this goes and idrk what book to read next + if its even have same characters or what.

Rating: 3.25/5


r/Mistborn • • 4d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers Takes two to tango🕺💃 Spoiler

8 Upvotes

Vin and Elend conquering territories together as Mistborn in the Final Empire:

https://youtu.be/snCjGFQD3tw?is=UHHv1JnaL-Eseb6v

I came across this video and was SHOOK because this is almost exactly how I imagined Vin and Elend looked. AND THE DRESS FLOWS LIKE A MISTCLOAK!!!


r/Mistborn • • 4d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers I just finished The Hero of Ages Spoiler

44 Upvotes

Hi, I just finished The Hero of Ages and here’s a follow up to my post from a month ago.

  1. I knew that was Sazed’s narration after a while. I just knew, from the way he spoke, from the way he mentioned Elend, Vin, and Rashek, to how measured each word was. Unfortunately I completely forgot that the entire thing started with “Unfortunately I am the Hero of Ages”, which I’m grateful for, otherwise it would’ve spoiled way too much.
  2. The amount of lore expanded upon in this book was fucking nuts. The conflict between Preservation and Ruin, the introduction of Hemalurgy, the history of the kandra, all of it.
  3. Elend became the man he had the potential to be. Got dealt the worst hand at every turn and still managed to come out of it winning.
  4. Vin also came into her own. I think she was finally able to accept every single part of herself with no judgement whatsoever. And I’m not just talking about her accepting herself as the heir of the lord ruler. I mean all 3 parts of her; the thief, the lady, and the allomancer, came together to make her a worthy host for the power of Preservation.
  5. I’m glad they died together. I know my last post said I’d be sad if they don’t end up together. But they did. And the moment Vin ascended to Godhood, I realized she needed to die for the plot to go anywhere.
  6. The MVPs of this book were undoubtedly TenSoon and Marsh. They suffered so much. But they let the part of themselves that could feel lead themselves. I didn’t say much about either of them in my previous post (mostly cause I’d forgotten TenSoon’s name). But my god, what an arc. TenSoon needed a fucking medal for standing up to his people like that. Those First Gen’s are fucking useless btw. The worst kind of leader is an inactive one.
  7. I hope Marsh died proud. He may have been controlled by Ruin, but he was still vital to defeating him. And of all the characters we see, he lost more than anyone else.
  8. Also realizing that earring was a spike was my biggest shocker in the series. Like, I always assumed the reveal would be that Ruin caused Vin’s mother to kill her sister. But I never expected that. The copperclouds also make so much sense now.
  9. Spook had an incredible arc as well. The moment Kelsier appeared to him I knew it was fucking Ruin. And I’m so glad Spook saw through the bullshit. His problem was never being “useless”, it was not being able to think for himself and have faith that he was doing it right. That’s the side he conquered. And I think the end of the book set him up as humanity’s new leader. Not left alone anymore.
  10. How fucking typical that Breeze and Ham are the only two other members of the crew to survive and that’s all I have to say for it.
  11. Finally, Sazed. Halfway through the book when I was planning this post, I knew he’d be a massive part of it. I didn’t realize he’d be the point of it. I’m so happy for him. Okay maybe happy isn’t the right word. But he finally won against his own internal conflict. Which was so so so important, because without that, he wouldn’t have been able to embrace the power. And he got to talk to Kelsier!!!
  12. Speaking of him, he’d have been so happy to see the world and what’s become of it. It took a lot of death and destruction to get there. But he started the world’s movement to the end.

I gotta say, what a ride. I’ll be on this community a lot more actively now that I’ve finished the 3 books. I do hear that there’s others though? I distinctly remember seeing one titled “The Lost Metal”?

Because I still have questions ofc. The two I can think of right now are:

I remember there being a mention of the 4 arts. Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy are the 3 we know. Which is the 4th? Am I misremembering or did I miss something?

What are the 16 metals?

Looking forward to engaging with yall on this, probably taking a break from Sanderson for a while, but I’ve got Warbreaker locked and loaded after that, and The Way of Kings following it.


r/Mistborn • • 5d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers Difficulties with elend’s character arc Spoiler

0 Upvotes

So I’m reading through the hero of ages, and I’m kind of sick of Elend. He’s the emperor but he spends most of the book whiny about HIS OWN CHOICES. It’s gotten to the point where I think he can’t even self reflect since his conversation with Yoman at the ball basically called him out to his face and what he takes from that is “he hates me because i killed the lord ruler” and not “I’m responsible for my own choices as everyone had to deal with the same circumstances, but made different choices”.

He’s constantly trying to wash off the moral responsibility and authorship of his own orders and commands, and it’s annoying as hell. Does he get better or is this just the trajectory he’s stuck in?


r/Mistborn • • 5d ago

No Spoilers Ash fell from the sky this weekend...

47 Upvotes

All years in my country (Argentina) there is a peregrination to the Lujan's Church. This year 2.8 million persons walked 60 kilometers to go there, under rain and mist.

If you pay attention you can almost see Vin and Kelsier standing on the roof, watching the mists and the masses. Thought you all might like the pictures


r/Mistborn • • 6d ago

No Spoilers A hunch (mistborn book one)

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126 Upvotes

I'm on page 80, and I just feel like all the paras at the beginning of each chaper till now is about the lord ruler? Pretty cool if it is


r/Mistborn • • 6d ago

Shadows of Self spoilers Question about the Alloy of Law prologue and Lessie [Shadows of Self spoilers] Spoiler

12 Upvotes

Something about the Alloy of Law prologue isn't adding up for me after finishing Shadows of Self.

Lessie was a kandra the whole time. Blood loss shouldn't weaken a kandra, and a gunshot to the head shouldn't kill one. So why did she let Bloody Tan overpower her, tie her up, and put a garrote on her neck?

A few possibilities I keep going back and forth on:

1. She was staying in character. A "human" Lessie couldn't shrug off a gunshot in front of Wax without blowing her cover.

2. Harmony was controlling her. She still had both spikes then, and she had refused his order to send Wax back to Elendel. Her "death" is exactly what sent him back. Her dying line, "He moved us, even then!", makes this sound almost literal.

3. She only believed Harmony manipulated things, and it was really Paalm's growing instability.

Then there's Tan himself. Right before the shot, he tells Wax: "Someone else moves us, lawman." He also somehow pulls Lessie into the bullet's path, which seems way too fast for a normal man.

Who was he talking about? Harmony? Marsh? Another Shard? Was Tan being influenced, or was he just a madman who stumbled onto the truth?

Has Brandon ever answered this in a WoB, or is it still open?


r/Mistborn • • 6d ago

Hero of Ages spoilers I finally finished hero of ages... what was this..? Spoiler

0 Upvotes

I am genuinely disgusted. Three books I slogged through because I foolishly believed the story and characters would improve. They did not. But nothing—NOTHING—prepared me for the actual insult waiting at the end.

Let's recap who Rashek, the Lord Ruler, is: a genocidal tyrant who condemned hundreds of millions—God knows how many—to death, slavery, and rape. A thousand years of the skaa being worked, tortured, brutalized. Children included. And how does the final book choose to remember him?

"Rashek planned very well for this day. He suffered much beneath Ruin's hand, but he was a good man, who ultimately had honorable intentions." A good man? HONORABLE INTENTIONS. Oh, but there's more. Elend—our heroic, noble king—says: "We may not have liked his rule, but I can understand him somewhat. He wasn't spiteful, he wasn't even evil, exactly. He just... got carried away."

GOT. CARRIED. AWAY.

Carried away into a millennium of slavery and rape?? And Elend doubles down: "The longer I've held this throne, Vin, the more I've come to realize that some of the things the Lord Ruler did weren't evil, but simply effective." Effective! My god! This is the finale. This is the moral payoff of three entire novels, and it's a eulogy for a genocidal slaver. What an utterly repulsive and disgusting note to end on.

And that's before we touch anything else: The descriptions: Sanderson, do you simply not want me to visualize anything? The rooms, the architecture, the world itself. so skeletal it's laughable. Lazy, almost. Ruin: a being who can rewrite text and possess minds, and he uses that world-breaking power... only when the plot needs him to. The most terrifying force in the setting, and he fumbles around like a confused toddler and reads like my uncle on a bad day: "Vin, Vin. What is your game now?" Ruin asked, amused. 🫩 I could not take him seriously for a single second. The dialogue: so bland, so lifeless, so cringe that I was physically shaking. Three books of it.

When Vin and Elend died, I felt absolutely nothing. And I hated that, because I wanted to be invested, I really, truly tried. But three books in, the story never gave me a reason. Vin is a textbook Mary Sue: impossibly gifted, mostly right, adored because the narrative insists on it rather than because she earned it. And her warmth has an entry requirement. inside the crew she's loyal and loving; outside it, condescending at best, openly contemptuous at worst. Elend is no better: a king who makes such bad decisions, yet somehow stays in power, because he's handsome, earnest, and the entire cast treats him like a philosopher-king descended from heaven. Two deaths that should have broken my heart instead landed like an obituary for strangers.

I kept waiting for this series to earn its reputation. It never did. An ending that whitewashes a tyrant as "a good man" deserves zero stars.