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The Final Empire
- Mistborn Book 1
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
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The Final Empire
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The Way of Kings
- The Stormlight Archive, Book 1
- Written by: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 45 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,874
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,347
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3,339
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. It has been centuries since the fall of the 10 consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Slow but steady
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- Length: 22 hrs and 31 mins
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 363
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An all-new Stormlight Archive novella, Edgedancer, is the crown jewel of Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection, the first audiobook of short fiction by number New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing stories
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Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can be collected only one unit at a time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good story but narrator not so much
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In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on the market. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Tor is reissuing Elantris in a special edition, a fresh chance to introduce it to the myriad listeners who have since become Sanderson fans.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A great start to an epic universe
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My Absolute Favorite!!!
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Skyward
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From Brandon Sanderson, the number one New York Times best-selling author of the Reckoners series, Words of Radiance, and the internationally best-selling Mistborn series, comes the first book in an epic new series about a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future.
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5 out of 5 stars
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i need the next one
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The Way of Kings
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- Written by: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 45 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,874
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,347
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Story5 out of 5 stars 3,339
Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. It has been centuries since the fall of the 10 consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Slow but steady
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Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing stories
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Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can be collected only one unit at a time.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good story but narrator not so much
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Elantris
- Tenth Anniversary Special Edition
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- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 28 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 706
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 608
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 601
In 2005, Brandon Sanderson debuted with Elantris, an epic fantasy unlike any other then on the market. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Tor is reissuing Elantris in a special edition, a fresh chance to introduce it to the myriad listeners who have since become Sanderson fans.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A great start to an epic universe
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The Name of the Wind
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- Length: 27 hrs and 55 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,755
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,377
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5 out of 5 stars
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My Absolute Favorite!!!
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5 out of 5 stars
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i need the next one
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New Spring
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For three days battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, a child is born, an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before he can be killed by the forces of the Shadow.
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3 out of 5 stars
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DO NOT READ FIRST
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Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the god king one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn’t like his job, and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.
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5 out of 5 stars
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another Sanderson high hitter
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The Blade Itself
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Inquisitor Glokta, a crippled and bitter relic of the last war, former fencing champion turned torturer, is trapped in a twisted and broken body - not that he allows it to distract him from his daily routine of torturing smugglers.Nobleman, dashing officer and would-be fencing champion Captain Jezal dan Luthar is living a life of ease by cheating his friends at cards. Vain and shallow, the biggest blot on his horizon is having to get out of bed in the morning to train with obsessive and boring old men.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A slow burn, but a good one
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Steelheart
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 300
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Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Sparks! Does David plan on fighting the Lord Ruler
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The Shadow of What Was Lost
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 559
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It has been 20 years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs, once thought of almost as gods, were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I was pleasantly surprised by this book
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The Lies of Locke Lamora
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They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Twists and Turns.
- By Enn on 2019-01-28
Written by: Scott Lynch
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
Featured Article: Inspirational Quotes About Hope
Check out Audible’s list of inspiring quotes about hope. These quotes, passages, and phrases from some of our favourite audiobooks are sure to inspire. The human capacity and need for hope is astounding. It is one of those universal truths that spans age, gender, and location. Everyone knows what it means to feel hopeless, and what it’s like to find that glimmering ray of hope when everything seems lost.
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What listeners say about The Final Empire
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-07-13
Flawed but entertaining
Imagine Ocean's Eleven set in Mordor. Magic wielding thieves plan an elaborate mission to overthrow their oppressive ruler's regime. Sounds exciting! The only problem is that elaborate missions actually require a lot of planning and preparation, and reading through scenes filled with nothing but brainstorming and troubleshooting can quickly become tiresome. Throw on top of that many scenes of one character's comprehensive training in The Final Empire's complicated magic system and you begin to feel like the world of Mistborn is being tediously explained, rather than shown, to you. Even outside of scenes devoted to lessons or planning sessions, the characters often hold unnatural sounding conversations clearly only meant to explicate some part of the world.
While there are many dramatic and entertaining moments here, and the world and magic system are definitely interesting, there's also just a lot of sloppy writing on Sanderson's part. He often tells rather than shows. He doesn't vary his diction enough. His dialogue is often clunky. He's sometimes painfully corny. His characters are often underdeveloped. The list goes on. Even taken as a whole these issues aren't a deal breaker, but it's a shame to see Sanderson's good ideas weighed down by bad execution.
On balance, I did enjoy The Final Empire. Kramer's narration is reliably good and there are enough cool ideas here to sustain an entertaining read. But if you're here because you were drawn in by Sanderson's brilliant Stormlight Archive (as I was) you may leave disappointed.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher C
- 2019-06-05
overlooking this book is a mist opportunity
amazing book, amazing performance. each character feels so real and the story is incredible. 10/10
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7 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Austin Fusilier
- 2019-09-03
So close, and yet...
Reads like a writing workshop exercise. You can see the formulae poking through the skin.
Plot is decent, world-building is rather impressive (though the author feels far too pleased with it and takes every spare moment to point it out to you), characters are thin and rote.
Worst sin: the author doesn't trust the reader, and steps out time and again to re-tell things previously told (even just a page before), or _tell_ things already (as in "just! now!") _shown_. Generic example - two characters disagree, and a third, overhearing, gives one of them a look. (So far, so good). Author then spends a few sentences explicitly describing what that look was meant to convey. (Sigh).
Hint: if you're going to "show" us character development, trust us to catch it, otherwise this is just an exercise in insulting your audience's intelligence.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Austin
- 2019-06-12
Brandon Sanderson is amazing
The performance was superb and the book was another amazing example of Sanderson's genius writing. highly recommended!
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rosh Morton
- 2022-05-16
wonderful story line
loved the story, it kept moving with lots of twists and unexpected turns. the characters were personable!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-12-27
Vin Frowned
like the world building and the overall story. But it takes a while to get into this book and even when you do, it's a slow burn. the book honestly could have been half the length it was
The author uses the same words a lot. "Vin Frowned" he always says X frowned, regardless of the emotion. frustration, sadness, anger, confusion? nope, just frown. It is not the biggest deal but makes it feel stale.
I really wanted to like this book because the world building and magic system is cool, but I will definitely not be listening to nor reading the sequels unfortunately. I really want to because I am invested in some of the characters, the overall story, and the world. But I know I will just be counting the hours until the books are over as I did with this one.
Also, the narration is so slow. I like the voice actor, but I listened at 1.25 speed. a first for me with audio books
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kris
- 2021-08-27
Amazing
Incredible story with an epic voice to give it life. I wish I had more stars to to give this is just *chefs kiss* magnificent.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- shalot
- 2020-05-25
Kicking myself for not starting sooner!
I had this book on my Audible shelf for YEARS without listening. Don't be like me! If you love fantasy, amazing magical systems and a few dashes of political intrigue: this is the book for you.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-11-15
Absolutely brilliant.
I hadn’t read anything in quite sometime, years in fact. This book got me back into it, this book takes you to the places it’s sets, rather than just telling you of them. You can visualize every moment a character makes. This story, and all of the others I’m destined to read will help me with own projects. An absolutely marvel.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-10-27
Very solid, near perfect structure
Appart from few redundant conversations and slow parts, everything is well paced and payed off.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- tercia
- 2018-10-21
Prepare for sleepless nights
You will feel like you need to pull all-nighters. Your social life will suffer. If you use audio books while at the gym, you'll reach your goal weight as you easily lose track of four hours on a treadmill. You will be tired and dependent on coffee. This was me and it was worth it.
Enter Sanderson's Cosmere at your own risk. I regret nothing.
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350 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mitchell
- 2018-03-30
2nd to the Storm-light Archives.....
I started the Mistborn series because I read the Stormlight Archives by Sanderson and wanted more epic fantasy. I was a bit skeptical at first because there were so many similarities between styles and even character names between the two-book series.
The Mistborn Trilogy being a predecessor to Stormlight, I thought I might be disappointed… I was wrong.
It's easy to see why Robert Jordan picked Brandon Sanderson to finish his Wheel of Time series. Although I noticed some distinct similarities in characters between Mistborn and Elantris (another great listen by Sanderson), he has so much imagination in how to make a world unique.
This story is not just another dwarves/elves/orcs story line and magic doesn't just "exist". There's a thought process behind where it comes from and how to use it and the dangers and consequences of doing so. I'm already about halfway through the next book in the series, The Well of Ascension, and it's fun to see how Sanderson left threads for the series to follow yet at the end of Mistborn, there didn't feel like there was anything unfinished.
One remarkable thing about this series is how well the history, politics and overall backdrop of this story is explained. Never once was I bored about learning new things about this fascinating, desolate world.
Also unique is that the protagonist of the book is a woman, and Sanderson does a great job of portraying her realistically. Even though she gains enormous power over the course of the narrative, the author does not forget her origins, and her origins continue to define how she reacts to her circumstances throughout the book. In fact, all of the characters, even the minor ones, display realistic motivations for their actions, and come across as very real.
As for Kramer-
Michael Kramer, once again, did an amazing job with the narration. I'm amazed at how he manages to create a voice, tone, and referent emotion for each character. He really brings the characters to life and adds an immeasurable depth the story. He is an incredible performer and his narration here is “still” flawless.
For those familiar with A Game of Thrones (George R.R. Martin) and Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan), Sanderson's style fits comfortably between these two tomes. His story is not as "gritty" and "real" as Martin's series and his story is not as fantastic as Jordan's series. The idea behind the magic system is well-thought out an the characters are easy to like.
My “only” gripe is that I found the writing to be a bit heavy handed at times. For instance, I felt there was a lot of repetition that reminds the reader over & over again about the same character points - ex. I found myself often thinking things like "okay okay x has had a hard life, she doesn't trust easily, alright I get it I get it." It's consequently very easy to read & follow; I think I'd just prefer a style that's a bit more subtle. I think this issue also led me to dislike one of the main characters (Vin) more than I otherwise would have - I found myself more often feeling impatient rather than sympathizing with her when hearing narration about her doubts, fears, etc.
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216 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Don Gilbert
- 2009-11-12
A GREAT TRILOGY!!!
I just finished the third audio book in the "Mistborn" trilogy and wanted to write my review starting with th first to let anyone know who is wondering whether to invest their time in another series to absolutly read this one. This story is epic. Brandon Sanderson writes a classic and was clearly the right pick to finish Jordon's WOT series.
The narration by Michael Kramer is award worthy. He not only gives a distinct and believable voice to each character, he brings them to life.
10 stars
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198 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lore
- 2012-04-09
Book 1 of a great series that is not to be missed!
I knew little of Brandon Sanderson when it was announced that he was selected to finish the Wheel of Time series after the death of Robert Jordan. I decided to check out some of his work to get a feel for his writing before his first Wheel of Time novel was published. What I discovered was that I had been missing out on one of the best Fantasy authors writing today.
Mistborn is an excellent series and I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in the series. I am a big fan of Fantasy and I was completely drawn into Sanderson's world of Allomancers and all of the interesting things they could do right from the start. Michael Kramer does an excellent job of bringing these interesting characters to life so expect this book to grab you from the start and never let go.
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114 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-01-12
You need to read this series
The series is incredible! Sanderson‘s world building and magic system is vast and intriguing. I have read this first book twice and listened to it twice now. Sanderson’s ability to leave clues of the mysteries that unfold in later books makes the story interesting even after several readings. Kramer, as narrator, is masterful (I think it is well known though, as he is an iconic narrator).
I’m sure that there are enough detailed reviews about the plot, character development, and the like. So I will keep it simple by stating that this series is my favorite of Sanderson’s (and I have blasted through the first three Stormlight Archives books twice now, and have read around a dozen of his novels outside the six books that make up the Mistborn series). I believe that any reader would enjoy the Mistborn series, even those who are not drawn to the fantasy genre. Sanderson is one of the best storytellers there is, in any genre. This series in my top three of all-time favorites. If you are an avid reader (and I would assume you are if you are taking the time to read this review), just do yourself a favor and start this literary journey ASAP.
Lastly:
If you don’t read this series, your life will be less meaningful. If you don’t read this series, you will never know true happiness as a reader. If you don’t read this series, you will become the reason that babies cry. If you don’t read this series, I will personally judge you and curse your house’s name. So, again, just do yourself a favor and read this series. You will not need to seek me out and thank me later, as I will know in my heart that you have been blessed with this story. You are welcome. Godspeed my unknown friend.
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89 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Willie K
- 2009-06-23
Willie K Review
This is my first review, but I plan on reviewing every book I listen to from here out. I tried listening to Brandon Sandersons first title, Elantris, but had a hard time getting into it. I thought I would give Brandon another shot though since I enjoyed Michael Kramer's narration in The Eye of the World series, by Robert Jordon so much. Mr. Kramer showed his true flare for subtle voice dialects allowing the listener to immediately know who is speaking before hearing who the author told you it was. He is a bit mono tone but never the less is one of my favorite narrators.
This book had me from the beginning. I loved how Brandon Sanderson created a world where good has succumbed to evil forces, and you really cant tell if evil was meant to be the ruling force of the land and good was never meant to prevail. His description of the world made me it easy to picture in my head and his battle scenes had me locked in. I found myself driving around the block several times to finish the battles taking place. The ending also has a shock to it that I did not expect which makes me more intrigued to read the rest of the series. I look forward to trying out his first book again when I am finished with it
It is a great read.
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82 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- HV
- 2009-10-22
very good book
This book has a lot going for it.
1) The world depicted is really very unique. The book depicts the second round in a fight between good vs. evil. In the first round evil had won and 1000 years have passed.
2) There are multiple Magic systems and they are all very interesting
3) Each character feels flushed out in details and many of them are very likeable
4) Lots of Drama, action and mystery
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75 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jim "The Impatient"
- 2013-04-10
The Atium Must Flow
Why does he smile all the time? Because humor is all He has left. He believes that if you are always on time, it implies you never have anything better to do. He says "I've been very confident in my immaturity."
Brandon Sanderson earns five stars with this book, as he has with three of the four books of his I have read, the other just getting four stars. Sanderson is the Fantasy Writer of this Century so far. He does not borrow from anyone else to write his fantasy, it is all out of his head. Matter of fact this goes against all the fantasy laws. Usually iron is the bane of magic, which explains why elves, fairies, etc disappeared with the coming of civilization and metals. Sanderson has made metals the magic element. All of his books that I have read so far are totally different from the norm. In Elantris, Magic is the enemy. The Way of Kings is his masterpiece so far.
Look at the ratings on this book, thousands have read it and it has an average of 4.6 stars. That alone speaks volumes.
The book is not perfect and it was written early in Sanderson's career. For instance having a Feruchemist or Keeper sure comes in a little too handy as more then once he saves the day. There is also, especially in the beginning a lot of talking and planning. Hours of planning. Still I enjoyed it, the writing was great, the character development excellent, lots of twists and turns, and even with the planning there is still lots of really cool action. Fighting with metals reminds me of a character in Erickson's Gardens of the Moon, who is able to turn up down or sideways or left to right, etc. The characters are not black and white. Sometimes you are not sure who is the bad guy and who is the good guy (I love that).
Fans of Abercrombie and Paul Hoffman will love this.
Fans of The Wheel of Time series will recognize the great narrator Kramer.
Listen to the story to see why I compare Atium to Spice.
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72 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2012-02-16
Very interesting idea- just didn't take off for me
I liked this book- but I didn't love it. The premise and characters are interesting enough, but it just took a long time to set itself up and I kept waiting for something more to occur. I found the narrator's voice choices to be a little odd- he seemed to insert sort of growling pauses in places where I was not expecting them. But I got used to it and overall he did a good job once I was accustomed to his voice.
I suppose I wanted to just be really CRAZY about this book- many people gave it a very high review. But I just liked it all right. I will probably get the sequel at some point when nothing else I am really waiting for is available. I do want to find out what happens to the characters and see how the world progresses- but I don't feel that burning fever to download the next book right away because I can't wait!- you know what I mean?
The magic in the book has to do with Mistborn who can 'burn' different elements to enhance their natural abilities. There is an upper class and a slave class, and a criminal element who is trying to organize the slave class to revolt and overthrow an overlord who may or may not be an all-powerful God. That is a very brief summary, but gives you the gist of the larger plot.
As I said, this book was a decent listen, but not the best I've ever heard. I was interested enough to give the next one in the series a try- hopefully the pacing and plot will pick up there! A lot of first novels in a series seem weaker than later ones to me. I notice that many reviewers who loved this book are fans of the author, who finished the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan the original author died. I was not a big fan of that series either, so maybe that explains why my response to this book wasn't more enthusiastic.
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61 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 2011-07-21
Outstanding
I am writing this after having finished the entire trilogy. While this was an incredible book and stands alone just fine on its own, I wanted to reserve judgement on each book till I finished the trilogy in order to put each one into perspective. This was my first Bandon Sanderson book and I loved it. At first, it was challenging to get into the whole concept of Allomancy but I eventually did and appreciated every aspect of this masterpiece. The books moved quickly, the story is rich in its treatments of many aspects personal character, politics, government, philosophy and religion. And each character is fully developed to the point where we probably care about all of them including some of the bad ones. The world created by Brandon Sanderson and stunningly narrated by Michael Kramer is not like any one I or probably any of us could have possibly imagined. As long as this trilogy was, I am so sorry to have it finally end.
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59 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Elena
- 2019-09-02
Good fantasy, it took me a while to get used to it
Good fantasy, it took me a while to get used to it and love it
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