The Final Empire, Mistborn Book One by Brendan Sanderson, readalong
11 April 2012
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Brandon Sanderson, Mistborn Book One, Readalon, The Final Empire
I’m taking part in a group readalong of Brendan Sanderson’s Final Empire, Mistborn book one which is being hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings as part of his Once Upon a Time event. The following is my initial thoughts on the reading so far which have taken us through the prologue and up to the start of Chapter 7. If you haven’t read this book before then the following discussions will undoubtedly contain spoilers so please avoid reading any further. Also, you’re never to late to join so check out Carl’s event at the link above.
1. This first hundred or so pages was packed! What things are standing out for you in the story thus far?
This is the first Sanderson novel I’ve read and so far it’s proving to be really quite gripping in fact I read the allocated chapters in one sitting and could happily have continued on but didn’t want to get all spoilery. My first impressions are very favourable – I’m really enjoying the story, it’s been very easy to read with plenty going on to move it forward quite quickly. I like Sanderson’s writing style, he doesn’t spend a lot of time world building. It feels like we’re pretty much just thrown in and we’re picking it up as we go along. I don’t mind this it’s just probably a lot more obvious to me at the moment because I’ve just finished a Scott Lynch novel which is quite the opposite and is rich in detail so I can’t help noticing the difference between the two. There are a couple of things that did occur to me whilst reading which aren’t exactly criticisms more just observations as I go along. For example, I don’t feel at the moment any really strong feelings towards the Skaa – this whole element has a definite plantation/slavery feel and although you are told that the Skaa are treated badly and you can see they’re downtrodden I don’t feel at this point that Sanderson is making the most of this element of the story. So, obviously, I don’t like the way the Skaa are treated but I want to care a LOT more than I currently do. I’m probably not being very articulate here but it just feels as though this element is only briefly touched on and I don’t get a real sense of overwhelming despair. And this leads me to the next slight issue I have which also reminds me of another recently read book. We’ve just had Kell’s plot to overthrow the Dark Lord revealed during which we’re sort of told a few times that the Skaa won’t do anything willingly to assist and that in fact they’ll have to be, well I don’t know the proper phrase, but glamoured or ‘magicked’ into helping – which feels a bit like taking their own control away from them without their knowledge (puts me in mind a bit of the Mule from the Foundation series with his – ‘I’m keeping the peace and there will be no wars, etc, but all achieved by mind control again). It makes me feel a bit conflicted. I can see that the Skaa live miserable lives but I find it difficult to believe that there wouldn’t be more of an undertone of rebellion in their midst and even if this isn’t the case, because they’re so full of despair, then I’m not sure that taking their free will is the right thing either. It still feels a bit like manipulation or just swapping one form of control for another or being used by a different bunch of people for different reasons. Especially as the group planning this are basically just planning a major heist which in order to succeed will involve them using 10,000 Skaa (against their own free will) in a battle (and let’s be honest people usually die in battles) that will ultimately achieve riches beyond belief for this small band of thieves – and maybe a brief moment of giving the finger to the Dark Lord but not much more. So, that sounded like a bit of a rant which was quite unintentional. Like I said I’m finding this a very easy book to read so far and this sounds overly critical which isn’t intended because for the record I’ve really enjoyed reading it to this point :).
2. What are your thoughts on the magic system that Sanderson is unveiling in this novel?
I think the magic system is really unique. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this before which frankly is a bit of an achievement given how much fantasy is out there! And, it makes for some very interesting scenes – the fight scene was really dramatic as was Kelsier’s way of travelling over the roof tops – and we haven’t seen all the different types of magic yet so it feels like there’s plenty more yet to explore and I’m really looking forward to it being expanded upon.
3. Kelsier and Vin have held most of the spotlight in these first 6 chapters. As you compare/contrast the two characters, how do you feel about them? Likes? Dislikes?
At this stage I quite like both of them. Vin has had a fairly rough existence so far and is naturally suspicious of everyone – I think what stood out to me about the difference between the two is that Vin really does seem to have lived amongst the lowest of the low. None of the people that she was involved with seemed to care one jot about each other and wouldn’t hesitate to sell each other out. At least Kelsier seems to have come from a slightly different background – okay, it seems as though he was also betrayed, but he seems to have a lot more people around him who are more trustworthy so whilst he has some reason to be suspicious of people he’s not as sceptical as Vin. I wouldn’t say I have any dislikes about either of them at the moment – I did feel a little bit, maybe, irritated, with Kelsier when he had his late night excursion to rob one of the nobles – he seems to be recklessly arrogant and frankly he nearly came unstuck – okay, he succeeded but I just wondered why he wouldn’t try and be a little bit more cautious, especially given what he is planning.
4. Finally, how would you assess Sanderson’s storytelling abilities to this point?
So far, I’m enjoying this. Yes, it’s a different writing style than say Scott Lynch, but I’m okay with that in fact I like that it’s different. I think Sanderson has come up with a fairly unique fantasy world and I’m looking forward to learning more about it, particularly what is all the ash about – did I miss something there?? Is this set in some sort of post apocalyptic world? I think his storytelling abilities are working out well – I didn’t know what to expect but at the moment I’m pleasantly surprised. This is fairly easy going, it seems to have quite a bit of action and it’s easy to get a grasp of and I’m looking forward to seeing how things develop with this crazy plan.
Thanks for the discussion starters and questions. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else felt.
Lynn 😀
Books and travelling with Lynn 
I like the fact that he doesn’t do a lot of world building. When he drops another morsel of information, I’m like ok, I guess that make sense. I have a feeling the Kelsier will get himself into bigger trouble. He seems to have the attitude that if he survived the prison he can survive anything. That will provide some interesting plot twists and turns I think. And I doubt Vin will be able to pull off her role without some serious mistakes. I’m looking forward to finding out.
It’s a really refreshing change of pace. I like the fact that we’re just chucked in and we’re all finding things out as we go along. I hope Kelsier doesn’t make too big a gaff due to his over-confidence but even saying that I like his cheeky bravado. I think in a way he’s pulling the others along with him because he is so confident. They’re sort of buying into it almost because he’s so confident. I can’t help liking him. Vin – I’m waiting for her to snap out of herself a little bit! I’m hoping for a few nailbiting moments with her where she’s in the middle of something and you don’t know if she can pull it off.
Lynn ;D
I don’t think that you are being overly critical. Love the Foundation reference. I actually think the reason Sanderson hasn’t done more with the skaa at this point ties into what we learn at the end of this first section, which is that Kelsier’s real motivation beyond anything else is vengeance for the death of his love. Kelsier might not be, at this point, any kind of savior for the skaa but instead a man on a very singular mission who, like the Foundationers, will use and manipulate things to get his own way, with the secondary idea that life should be better for the skaa if someone kicks them in the butt.
I actually think Sanderson does do a lot of world-building, but he does so by weaving elements of the world into the story rather than spending a great deal of time setting the scene. He did that brilliantly in The Way of Kings. By the time that book was ended you had this picture of this unique and interesting world with different cultures and religions and practices but not once were you info-dumped to get it. Wonderful!
I find that magic system pretty unique as well, and I thought he did that same thing–created something different–in The Way of Kings. I’m really impressed with him as an author.
I’m hoping we get to know the skaa more as the plot develops. In the first few pages we got a glimpse of their lives and it wasn’t pretty. And I’m curious to meet the nobility through the eyes of Vin. We are told they are evil, but we haven’t met too many.
He does world-building without shouting from the rooftop, “I’m world-building.” I like that subtlety. It makes it more enjoyable and a fun way to discover what is everyday to the characters in the book.
“subtlety” is a great choice of words, that is it in a nutshell.
Yeah, that is what I seem to be liking about Sanderson’s writing – his ability to “subtlety” world-build. I do believe we will get to know the Skaa and have more of a connection with them. Like you, I look forward to seeing how Vin deals with the nobility and it’s life.
I hope we get to know the skaa…since the rebellion is supposed to be about them. But maybe that is the point, it isn’t.
I like that point about Kelsier not be a saviour at this point, he is on his own mission but at least he’s come clean about that with his own crew – no hiding behind false motivations. He’s probably going to get sucked in to the plight of the Skaas whether he wants to or not because what does come across about him is that he’s a bit of a softie!
As an author he certainly seems to have a lot of ideas and a great imagination.
Lynn 😀
He does seem to have quite the imagination, especially considering how many books he has cranked out in a relatively short period of time, all of which I’ve heard praised in one way or another.
Mhm. And even though he has his own motivation, we see in that scene where he murders the plantation owner to keep him from raping and killing the girl that he does have a pronounced sense of justice and doesn’t want to see bad things happen to innocent people. I don’t think he’d have gone that far if he hadn’t heard them coming for her; it seemed like a very spur of the moment decision.
I’m with Grace on this one. But Lynn, you have a point. I don’t particularly care about the Skaa, it was the possibility of a potential rebellion that I was attracted to. But from what I’ve seen, Sanderson has a plan and more often than not, he’s aware of the possible paths his story can take. I’m about to plunge into the next two books, and I have NO idea what to expect. Which is saying something, isn’t it? But his writing is tight, and..well, flexible at the same time.
I digress. That first chapter completely won me over. Skaa or no Skaa, I love Kelsier.
Oh, but remember Vin’s outburst? When she said that they weren’t really Skaa, because there was no immediacy or urgency to their suffering? That’s the one time I think he got it across, and powerfully, too.
I haven’t read number 3 yet but will do soon! Then I’ll catch up with the latest round of questions.
I thought Vin’s outburst was a really powerful moment in her development in that she finally felt confident enough to have such an outburst!
Lynn 😀
I’m wondering if the reason they can’t use magic to control the Skaa more is that Sanderson has set limitations on the magic system.
Another thought is that the Skaa could be so used to the system they’re under, that while they may occasionally wonder what might happen if they rebel, they’ve never really thought it all the way through or acted on it. It could be a vicious cycle between the have’s and the have not’s in this world, where the have not’s are kept so under the thumb of those that have, that they don’t really have the time to rebel.
Or even the sense of hopelessness that even if they can succeed on one plantation there are trained soldiers that will come and take it back. Even when Kelsier kills the plantation owner in the beginning of the book, we see that the skaa there have to run away and join the revolution because they’d be in major trouble if they stayed. Unless all of the skaa rise up at once, it’s just a death sentence for the few that do, and if people see how weak the rebel skaa forces really are then there’s not much of an incentive to join them.
Yeah, the Skaa have been too downtrodden over too long a time to stand together and unless they all rise up it’s just a pointless exercise in futility.
Throughout the history of the world in the book there have been numerous skaa rebellions, but they’ve all been quickly put down.
The contrast you made between Scott Lynch and Sanderson is a really interesting one that I didn’t think about much. There were times in Lynch’s books (Lies of Locke Lamora had less of a problem with this, but Red Seas Under Red Skies was horrible) where he spent pages and pages describing something that was only tangentially related to the main plot, whereas Sanderson just gives a general impression of the world and almost lets you fill in the details from there. It’s obviously a stylistic choice, but as a reader I greatly prefer Sanderson’s way of writing. I think that the pacing in his books is really one of the strong points. You said you read the first 130 pages of the book in one sitting, and wanted to keep going. With Lynch’s books I occasionally found it a chore to read 50 pages in one sitting.
Glad you’re enjoying the book.
I must admit I like both styles and it only occured to me to compare the two because I’ve just finished the Lies of Locke Lamora. I like the general impression that we’re being given here – I don’t feel like I’m being given a lesson that I have to study, everything just seems to be flowing very naturally and I like that some parts are just left to your own imagination.
Lynn 😀
Vin’s references to her brother Reen really fill in that ‘rough background’ feeling for me. It will be interesting to see how, and if, her character grows.
Loved your reference to The Mule. So true. Kelsier sure doesn’t seem to mind using the masses to get to his ends. Doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy – just one that is driven.
I’m really curious to find out how the masses will feel if Kelsier is successful in using them so he can accomplish his goal. Yes he is driven. Is he a madman?
I don’t think he’s a madman necessarily – although now you mention it he does do a lot of smiling and laughing – maybe it’s hysterical! I think the masses will ultimately be pleased if they get out of their situation – but it depends on how they’re delivered – if they’re just left hanging will they have the wherewithall to help themselves?
Lynn 😀
Power struggles always worry me. You never know what type of leader you’ll get next.
There’s a fine line between a genius and a madman. I don’t think I’ll mind his methods if things work out for him and life gets better for the skaa, mostly because his plan seems like the only chance they’ve got. It’s interesting because from a historical context, revolutions that are successful tend to involve the masses but at the same time are often directed or guided by a core group of intelligentsia. It’s hard for them to succeed without some sort of organization. I’ll be curious as to how well Kelsier’s uprising compares to events like the Russian revolution, the French revolution, the American revolution, etc.
Well for the Skaa’s sake let’s hope the revolution resembles the American Revolution. I’m not saying this since I’m American. It is one of the few revolutions were the power shift was relatively peaceful after the war. Ever since then, the transfer of power has been pretty simple, even after hotly contested elections. I think John Adams was the only president who was still living not to attend the next president’s inauguration. And he has been vilified for this. The French Revolution destroyed all involved, including the leaders of the revolution. It makes for interesting history and some amazing artwork and literature, but I wouldn’t wish it on any populace. I’m not too familiar with the Russian Revolution besides the basic facts. I need to brush up on Russian history and literature. Any suggestions on novels for the Russian Revolution?
You make some really good points about the skaa. I guess we find it difficult to imagine an oppression that has lasted for a thousand years (I think it says that somewhere) and a leader who is virtually immortal and seen as a god. This goes way beyond any form of slavery that I’ve read about in human history. I can imagine how the skaa are so hopeless and down-trodden that they could be psychologically unable to rebel. I remember reading someone’s review of The Hunger Games: they thought the whole idea of people giving up their children voluntarily was preposterous, but this denies the absolute power of the ruling class and the ruthlessness with which they wield it. If a person has no hope of a better future they will chose not to take risks: self-preservation is an amazingly strong instinct.
I thought that it was very encouraging that there was discussion of how the skaa rebels needed to think about how to rule once the rebellion had been successful. This made me think that the skaa would have a better life afterwards, even though many of them would continue to be laborers, farmers, etc. This, coupled with the decision to train the rebel soldiers, makes me hope that the leaders of this rebellion are not treating the skaa as expendable cannon-fodder for their own personal ambitions.
I’m not normally a high fantasy person but I have really enjoyed this book. I love Vin especially, though I’m a bit uncomfortable with the way Kelsier is so flippant about killing nobleman. I think there’s a lot of moral ambiguity here.
I know what you mean. I can’t help liking kelsier – it’s probably because he acted like a hero and rushed to help rescue the girl at the start on the plantation and then also Vin. I like Vin – I hope she’s going to come our of her shell and show us her mettle! I understand why she’s like she is but I’m hoping she’s going to get over it. Plus I’m looking forward to her playing a noble – it’s got a lot of potential.
Lynn 😀
I am thinking that as the story progresses, we will get more details about the Skaa which will add to connection with that group of people. Like you, I am not feeling to connected or unnerved about their circumstances. I do wonder, maybe this is Sanderson’s intent. The Skaa are a broken down people who have not seen anything good come from rebellion, and this has been ingrained into their society for generations….a “it is what it is” kind of thing.
“he seems to be recklessly arrogant and frankly he nearly came unstuck”
Well put and almost exactly as to why I worry a bit that he will error in a way that will have harmful effects.
I put my thoughts in Carl’s comments, and I compared Lynch’s book to this one. I think it is the thieving society that made me think of Lamora.
I think it probably is Sanderson’s intent and I think Carl mentioned the same train of thought. I suppose whatever happens, if their situation is improved at the end, it can’t be a bad thing?
Kelsier is a bit arrogant, I can’t help liking him, especially as he immediately came to the rescure of that young girl on the plantation – he’s a bit of a lovable rogue. I was thinking of LoLL when I first started – just like you say, the thieving society – and cons, Vin having to take part in the plot and dress as nobility! But it’s not a criticism, it just kind of stood out for me simply because we’d just finished the Lynch book. I’m really enjoying it so far and looking forward to the next round of discussion.
Thanks
Lynn 😀
It’s hard to do a read-along when you get through the required reading in one day and have to wait a week for the next part! I just started our second set of chapters today and will probably end up reading them all before bed tonight. This is just such a compelling story. I should go ahead and put the second and third books on hold at the library now. 🙂
The whole skaa situation is definitely disturbing and I think they are going to end up being pawns no matter who is in charge. It’ll be interesting to see the skaa army — it will be the only way to know if there’s hope for their freedom.
I know what you mean about wanting to read ahead but I did that with another readalong and then it made it really difficult for me to stay on track with the questions because I’d got so far ahead! I’m being very strict with myself this time – I’m just literally walking away from the book! And then picking up something else in between and trying to switch off. I’m pretty sure the skaa will end up as pawns like you say – it’s inevitable – so long as they end up with a slightly improved situation it will be a bonus!
Lynn 😀