!!! Spoilers Ahead, Proceed with Caution !!!
I was originally writing this at the bottom, but since the section that follows might be viewed as criticism rather than as “dang this was an emotional rollercoaster” I feel compelled to sing the trilogy’s praises first.
I found the stories to be gripping, the characters to be compelling, the actions scenes to be awesome, the fantasy system (allomancy, fereuchemy, etc.) unique and interesting. I enjoyed the transformation of Elend, Vin, and Sazed. I found the mystery of the world to be a little too hard to discern myself, but cool when things were finally uncovered. I liked that the author never revealed if Mare betrayed Kelsier or not as it made his belief “better to love and be hurt” feel all the more convincing. Even when he thought she had betrayed him, we never really found out.
To start this post, I’d like to begin with a comparison and my initial feelings on the “Mistborn” series by Brandon Sanderson.
I originally picked up this series after finishing Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising” and the subsequent five novels. I recognize immediately that these are both the “hyped” fiction/fantasy series as pointed out by “Man Carrying Thing.” However, that doesn’t make them any less good right? Things are popular usually for good reason, but also sometimes not, but in this case they are according to me. ;)
The “Red Rising” series was excellent. The plot wove together twists and turns that were unexpected, yet believable. I felt that “Mistborn” didn’t do as good a job at this as the twists felt more abrupt. However, I think I retract my initial view. There is significantly more mystery to the “Mistborn” series than “Red Rising” and so I suppose my criticism was too harsh. My criticism being that scenes where the “well of ascension” is really only brought up at the end of the second book and is almost totally out of nowhere. In fact, that’s the gist: the plot of “Mistborn” seemed to rely on new plot extensions and developments coming from nowhere.
I still feel this is partially true and with 150 pages to go on book three, I felt like I would finish the series and be able to move on without giving much more thought. And then I actually finished the book.
Vin’s becoming of the powers of preservation was expected. When she guided Elend to the homeland of the kandra was expected. Sazed gaining his religion back was expected. All was going according to plan. I didn’t fully know how they were going to defeat the koloss, but then Elend got 300 atium mistings and I thought the series was done. Vin guided Elend to the atium, the atium would be burned by the mistings, Ruin wouldn’t get his full body back, and somehow Vin would save the world as Sazed expected. Then Vin and Elend would live happily ever after…
In the pages that followed my forgone conclusion, I was shaken when Elend was decapitated. I was confused and torn when Vin was able to move on because she had, to paraphrase, “lost Elend long ago.” “Maybe that was her newfound god-hood speaking,” I thought to myself. I wanted the fairytale ending.
Sazed taking the power wasn’t all that crazy and lined up well with his regained faith. Spook and the remaining crew/peoples coming out of the caverns and hiding spots was a pleasant sign of hope, but Vin and Elend dying was just enough to make my stomach churn. The author started the book by calling out other authors basically saying that they didn’t know how to end books. This was a heck of an ending.
I think I realized I had grown attached to these characters. Vin’s steady progression opening up to others, becoming her true self and being comfortable with all sides of her. Elend growing beyond the clumsy scholar to incorporate his ideals with his lived experience. The two just seemed so good so powerful so much more than when they started. And yet, as casually as the Lord Ruler killed Kelsier in book one, the characters that I hoped would survive the end of the world, died saving it.
As I sat there eating my breakfast and read as Elend was decapitated, I could no longer finish. TenSoon died. Kelsier died. Vin died. Elend died. Sazed is gone. Clubs died. Penrod died. More from the original crew died. Tindwyl died. That soldier Spook sent to deliver the message died before anyone alive saw it. Plus more I can’t even remember probably.
Now that I think about it more. It might be the nonchalant way in which the most impressive, admirable, and characters I wanted to live, died that I find most upsetting. Not upsetting in a bad way, just, I wish they would’ve lived but it’s still a good story kinda way. For example, at the end of “Light Bringer” Lysander kills Cassius. But the difference is that in the scenes leading up, he grows into his true self. He sheds the shackles that kept him thinking he was above others because of his birth. He befriends Lyria and grows close to Darrow once more despite their complicated past. He honestly and truly joins the rising and in the end, he did what he believed was right and died at the hands of someone who lied to himself (which is a whole other discussion on that series). His death was tragic, but it was heroic, he had been on the right side in the end and there is another book to smite that Lune pixie!
Maybe it’s that “Ruin” was a god of sorts? Thinking more on it, when Kelsier died it was unexpected, but he died and Vin killed the Lord Ruler. An almost god, but still a man that had oppressed a people of generations. It felt more satisfying. There was take and then there was give. A goal was achieved and we watched it play out. There was no revenge on Ruin. Sure, Vin “killed” him in the way only she could, but it didn’t feel like something was won back. Which is shocking because it quite literally saved the world. It felt more like a “that’s it?” You take away the cool, silly, thoughtful turned realistic, hopeful king and the previously skittish, frail, timid turned loving, trusting, powerful main character after two clouds of energy duke it out???
Lord Ruler, what a way to end the book.