A hero with an incredible talent...for breaking things. A life-or-death mission...to rescue a bag of sand. A fearsome threat from a powerful secret network...the evil Librarians.
Alcatraz Smedry doesn't seem destined for anything but disaster. On his 13th birthday he receives a bag of sand, which is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians plotting to take over the world. The sand will give the Librarians the edge they need to achieve world domination. Alcatraz must stop them!...by infiltrating the local library, armed with nothing but eyeglasses and a talent for klutzines
I dag har jeg lært at "pewter" ikke har et norsk navn
4 stars
Koste meg. Godt etablert magisystem, akkurat som alle andre sier om Sanderson. Likte figurene godt, og er nysgjerrig på serien videre, og så får vi bare se når/om jeg treffer et metningspunkt for halvskjulte messiaser.
Når jeg tenker meg om, tror jeg at noe av det som gjorde beskrivelsene av magien så lett for meg å henge med på, var at de fleste kreftene vi ser bli brukt er ganske klassiske videospillkrefter, så når vi ser allomantikere bruke forskjellige metaller, kjenner jeg meg igjen fra ganger jeg har vært i flytsonen i spill med liknende krefter – og dermed føles det som at jeg i større grad enn vanlig er en del av historien.
Me terminé el libro ayer, después de acabar con casi la mitad de golpe, y tenía que dejar templarlo hasta hoy porque, desde luego, tenía sensaciones muy encontradas. De primeras, diré que ni la política ni el amor son las tramas fuertes.
Lo primero que hay que tener claro es que este libro no es como te lo mencionan los fans de Sanderson. Mistborn siempre se me había planteado como un mundo enorme, complejo, con magia dura y unos personajes increíbles y, aunque creo que tiene ciertas cosas chulas, ninguna de ellas destaca precisamente, y eso me ha decepcionado un poco. Aunque, a la vez, he podido entender por qué.
Mistborn es literatura juvenil, ni más ni menos, y, como tal, es una buenísima forma de empezar con la fantasía, ya que es algo más complejo de lo que suele ser habitual. Sin embargo, en su narración pierde muchas …
3,5⭐⭐⭐
Me terminé el libro ayer, después de acabar con casi la mitad de golpe, y tenía que dejar templarlo hasta hoy porque, desde luego, tenía sensaciones muy encontradas. De primeras, diré que ni la política ni el amor son las tramas fuertes.
Lo primero que hay que tener claro es que este libro no es como te lo mencionan los fans de Sanderson. Mistborn siempre se me había planteado como un mundo enorme, complejo, con magia dura y unos personajes increíbles y, aunque creo que tiene ciertas cosas chulas, ninguna de ellas destaca precisamente, y eso me ha decepcionado un poco. Aunque, a la vez, he podido entender por qué.
Mistborn es literatura juvenil, ni más ni menos, y, como tal, es una buenísima forma de empezar con la fantasía, ya que es algo más complejo de lo que suele ser habitual. Sin embargo, en su narración pierde muchas cosas que podemos encontrar en sus otros libros. Los personajes son muy superficiales y casi carecen de personalidad, excepto, obviamente, Kelsier. El desarrollo de Vin es muy vago y contraproducente; al final se fuerzan situaciones para que Sanderson pueda hablarnos de cosas de las que no había tenido momento de hablar. En cuanto a la ambientación, me parece más de lo mismo: pobre. Luthadel me la venden como una gran ciudad, pero nunca se siente así. Las Grandes Casas parecen familias sin más, ya que nunca podemos ver claramente sus planes ni tienen objetivos definidos; son simplemente ricos y, encima, con tanto nombre y debido a todo esto, casi no puedes ni diferenciarlos unos de otros.
En cuanto a la "trama romántica", solo diré que deje de hacerlas. Todavía no he leído un solo libro suyo en el que surjan de manera espontánea y se desarrollen con fluidez. Casi parece que las incluyera por una cuestión de rellenar una lista de cosas que debe llevar un libro, más que porque le apetezca.
Independientemente de esto, este libro se deja leer increíblemente bien. Es verdad que en su momento tuve que dejarlo a medias porque se me hizo pesado, pero, teniendo ya práctica con Sanderson, su forma de escribir se hace increíblemente ligera y adictiva. Creo que, para ser de los primeros libros, es un gran trabajo, pero, a la vez, se ha quedado para que desde luego los leas antes que todos los demás, ya que, al menos, El imperio final se queda muy por debajo de lo que podemos encontrar en el resto de sus obras.
Ho finalmente terminato la (ri)lettura di The Final Empire di Brandon Sanderson ed è stata migliore della prima. Probabilmente non avevo l'hype della prima volta ma è stata davvero una bella lettura. Non perfetta, ci son stati dei momenti bui e noiosi ma è andata bene comunque. I personaggi mi son piaciuti moltissimo, da Kelsier a Vin a Dockson a Breeze a Marsh e Spook. Insomma tutti, chi più chi meno, mi son piaciuti. Non vedo l'ora di continuare e incontrare nuovamente tutti, tranne uno obviously. Però dai, ci stava come fine. Ritengo Kelsier un buon personaggio ma abbastanza ipocrita e che pensa perlopiù a se stesso. Bello eh, ma boh, mi ha lasciato l'amaro in bocca come personaggio.
Vin, invece, grew on me. È proprio un bellissimo personaggio, duro a capire ma quando si riesce a capirla proprio ti innamori di lei. Un po' come lei …
New rating 4.5☆
Ho finalmente terminato la (ri)lettura di The Final Empire di Brandon Sanderson ed è stata migliore della prima. Probabilmente non avevo l'hype della prima volta ma è stata davvero una bella lettura. Non perfetta, ci son stati dei momenti bui e noiosi ma è andata bene comunque. I personaggi mi son piaciuti moltissimo, da Kelsier a Vin a Dockson a Breeze a Marsh e Spook. Insomma tutti, chi più chi meno, mi son piaciuti. Non vedo l'ora di continuare e incontrare nuovamente tutti, tranne uno obviously. Però dai, ci stava come fine. Ritengo Kelsier un buon personaggio ma abbastanza ipocrita e che pensa perlopiù a se stesso. Bello eh, ma boh, mi ha lasciato l'amaro in bocca come personaggio.
Vin, invece, grew on me. È proprio un bellissimo personaggio, duro a capire ma quando si riesce a capirla proprio ti innamori di lei. Un po' come lei si innamora di quell'altro lì
Lanet olsun bana ki kitabı bitirmemden günler sonra bu incelemeyi yazıyorum. Okurken aklıma gelen, "bu konuda da şöyle bir eleştiri yazılabilir aslında" dediğim hemen hemen her şeyi unuttum. O yüzden, biraz bam güm girişeceğim.
Yazarın farklı karakterleri betimlerken bile hemen hemen aynı ifadeleri kullanması karakterler arasındaki ayrımı biraz törpülemiş gibi. Herkesi aynı suratla hayal etmeye başladım bir noktadan sonra. "Flushed"
Kitap bilimkurgu olduğu iddiasını taşımıyor olsa da okuyucuların içerisindeki büyü sistemi hakkında öyleli ifadeler kullanmaları beklentilerimi buna göre ayarladı. Hayal kırıklığına uğradım. Kurulan sistem içerisindeki eksiklerden/çelişkilerden bahsetmiyorum sadece. Böyleli bir toplumda üretilebilecek onca farklı yaklaşım varken diyarın neredeyse alayı standart ortaçağ fantazyası diyarı. Malum karakterin kitabın sonlarına doğru geliştirdiği tüm o teknikler zamanında başkaları tarafından keşfedilmiş, çok daha fazlası yapılmış, bu büyü mevzusu bizzat diyardaki teknolojinin içine yedirilmiş, tüm toplum bu çerçevede şekillenmiş olmalıydı. Değildi.
Kitabı okurken yazarın tüm taslağını görür gibiydim. Öykünün iskeleti o kadar klişelere oturtulmuş ki büyük …
Lanet olsun bana ki kitabı bitirmemden günler sonra bu incelemeyi yazıyorum. Okurken aklıma gelen, "bu konuda da şöyle bir eleştiri yazılabilir aslında" dediğim hemen hemen her şeyi unuttum. O yüzden, biraz bam güm girişeceğim.
Yazarın farklı karakterleri betimlerken bile hemen hemen aynı ifadeleri kullanması karakterler arasındaki ayrımı biraz törpülemiş gibi. Herkesi aynı suratla hayal etmeye başladım bir noktadan sonra. "Flushed"
Kitap bilimkurgu olduğu iddiasını taşımıyor olsa da okuyucuların içerisindeki büyü sistemi hakkında öyleli ifadeler kullanmaları beklentilerimi buna göre ayarladı. Hayal kırıklığına uğradım. Kurulan sistem içerisindeki eksiklerden/çelişkilerden bahsetmiyorum sadece. Böyleli bir toplumda üretilebilecek onca farklı yaklaşım varken diyarın neredeyse alayı standart ortaçağ fantazyası diyarı. Malum karakterin kitabın sonlarına doğru geliştirdiği tüm o teknikler zamanında başkaları tarafından keşfedilmiş, çok daha fazlası yapılmış, bu büyü mevzusu bizzat diyardaki teknolojinin içine yedirilmiş, tüm toplum bu çerçevede şekillenmiş olmalıydı. Değildi.
Kitabı okurken yazarın tüm taslağını görür gibiydim. Öykünün iskeleti o kadar klişelere oturtulmuş ki büyük resmi görmek hiç de zor olmuyor. Hele hele yazarın sürpriz etkisi yapmak için kitabın sonuna bıraktığı bazı gizemler, bize verdiği bir iki basit ip ucuyla bile, bizzat o diyarın havasını soluyan karakterlerden çooook daha önceleri fark edilebiliyor.
İsyancılarla vs. ilgili (spoiler vermeyeceğim) bir mevzu anlatıyor eleman. Ama... Ya sanki otosansüre uğratmış anlatısını ya da kendisi hayatında hiçbir eyleme katılmamış, fakirler ve düşmüşler arasında dolaşmamış, dünyaya bakmamış. O kadar naif bir bakışı var ki betimleme iddiasında bulunduğu o korkutucu diyarı bir tema parkına çeviriveriyor. Evet, içinde azıcık azıcık betimlenen gore sahneler var ama yetmez. Karakterlerin hislerine girmiyor, onları "şu şöyle hissetti, bu böyle dedi"den öte ele almıyor. Clive Barker olmasını beklemiyorum ama en azından Zaman Çarkı'nda gördüğüm ruhsal anlatıları burada da yakalamak isterdim. Acemice gibi hissettirdi.
Bir sürü olumsuz söz sıralayabilirim buraya. Ama, soluksuz okuduğum gerçeğini değiştiremem. İçinde ne var bilmiyorum, neden böyle oldu bilmiyorum ama keyif aldım. Takdir de ettim.
Por fin me puse con esta saga. El resultado, para mí, es bueno pero me hubiera querido que me gustara mucho más, pero no lo ha conseguido :(
El mundo que se ambienta, la opresión, tanto natural como humana es interesante, clasismo, casta, naturaleza, especies, todo me hace querer saber qué hay más allá de Luthadel y alrededores y por qué todo es así.
El sistema de magias me parece muy original, orgánico, crudo, invisible y en cierto modo, peligroso de manejar. Con un episodio de infodump marcando las claves de su uso.
Pero el argumento del libro es frágil e ingenuo. No me convenció el objetivo final ni su fuerza para llegar a él. Al igual que la evolución de los personajes, tienes que creerte que un personaje ha cambiado por la triquiñuela del pensamiento interno de otros, lo que te fuerza a ver que ha cambiado, cuando no …
Por fin me puse con esta saga. El resultado, para mí, es bueno pero me hubiera querido que me gustara mucho más, pero no lo ha conseguido :(
El mundo que se ambienta, la opresión, tanto natural como humana es interesante, clasismo, casta, naturaleza, especies, todo me hace querer saber qué hay más allá de Luthadel y alrededores y por qué todo es así.
El sistema de magias me parece muy original, orgánico, crudo, invisible y en cierto modo, peligroso de manejar. Con un episodio de infodump marcando las claves de su uso.
Pero el argumento del libro es frágil e ingenuo. No me convenció el objetivo final ni su fuerza para llegar a él. Al igual que la evolución de los personajes, tienes que creerte que un personaje ha cambiado por la triquiñuela del pensamiento interno de otros, lo que te fuerza a ver que ha cambiado, cuando no te ha dado más señales más allá de esas, y eso me ha dado mucha rabia.
Ya tengo el segundo a mano! A ver cómo sigue esta saga :)
Nice for high fantasy - good book for relaxation. Apparently written well enough I wanted to keep on reading (and got curious for the second book in the trilogy)
Easy to read and self contained fantastical crime heist
3 stars
The ending was maybe a bit underwhelming, as I was expecting a different outcome from the double narrative in the chapter beginnings, but the book does a very good job of setting up the series while still telling a contained story. The crime heist isnt a usual theme for fantasy books, but it works well ! The magic system is also very well defined but leaves room for expansion (well, as big as the table of elements would allow)
It's Sanderson, you know why you're here and you get what you wanted - an excellently plotted thrill ride in a completely original world with it's own freshly unique magic system.
Having said that and I don't know if it's because I'd already read his later stuff, but this felt like an author still honing the skillset that's on full display in later series.
I think a couple of people recommended this book, probably at one of the literary coffee klatsches were had in the happier days before Covid. it is somewhat reminiscent of [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562726234l/13496.SY75.jpg|1466917] in that it deals with political rivalries and conspiracies, But whereas A Game of Thrones deals with rivalries between different kingdoms, in this one the rivalry is between aristocratic families in the same empire.
In The Final Empire there is also a clear class division between the privileged nobles and the oppressed underclass. In that respect it seemed to be a kind of parable of the old Rhodesia, with a great contrast between the privileged nobles and the oppressed underclass, the skaa.
I didn't like it as much as A Game of Thrones, and it was only after about 500 pages …
I think a couple of people recommended this book, probably at one of the literary coffee klatsches were had in the happier days before Covid. it is somewhat reminiscent of [b:A Game of Thrones|13496|A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)|George R.R. Martin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562726234l/13496.SY75.jpg|1466917] in that it deals with political rivalries and conspiracies, But whereas A Game of Thrones deals with rivalries between different kingdoms, in this one the rivalry is between aristocratic families in the same empire.
In The Final Empire there is also a clear class division between the privileged nobles and the oppressed underclass. In that respect it seemed to be a kind of parable of the old Rhodesia, with a great contrast between the privileged nobles and the oppressed underclass, the skaa.
I didn't like it as much as A Game of Thrones, and it was only after about 500 pages (of 643) that I began to feel sympathy for any of the characters. Perhaps it was partly because I don't like the genre much -- books where the heroes have superpowers of some sort, which sets them apart from other people. In this case it it due to the ability of some people to consume and "burn" metal, with different kinds of metal enhancing different abilities. Those who could do this were called "Mistborn", and there are some whose abilities are limited to one metal only, who are called Mistings. In addition there are Obligators, who form a kind of bureaucratic class, and a group of enforcers, called Inquisitors, who also have special superpowers.
Those who like superheroes with superpowers will probably enjoy it more than I did.
There's not a book in the whole Cosmere I've read that I didn't love, but this is always where I suggest newcomers start. It has a way of gripping you and dragging you through the book to make sure you finish, and then you're hooked.
Obi-Wan's Eleven. Less Miserables. Lock, Stock and Two Magic Vials.
I see what all the fuss is about. Sanderson has plonked jedi in the middle of a late colonial tinderbox and added a sort of revolutionary heist to drive the plot forward. Big chunks of the book are explanations of aspects of the magic system which also serve as a chance to pair the protagonist up with other members of the ensemble. There's plenty of action, but also political intrigue, romance and moral philosophy, and despite its length it still feels like the tip of the Cosmere iceberg.
My main critique is that the cast could have had more women, Vin is really the only one with any depth or positive attributes, the rest are either nameless, shallow tokens, or rape victims. In comparison the book does a far better job at looking at issues of class and race, although …
Obi-Wan's Eleven. Less Miserables. Lock, Stock and Two Magic Vials.
I see what all the fuss is about. Sanderson has plonked jedi in the middle of a late colonial tinderbox and added a sort of revolutionary heist to drive the plot forward. Big chunks of the book are explanations of aspects of the magic system which also serve as a chance to pair the protagonist up with other members of the ensemble. There's plenty of action, but also political intrigue, romance and moral philosophy, and despite its length it still feels like the tip of the Cosmere iceberg.
My main critique is that the cast could have had more women, Vin is really the only one with any depth or positive attributes, the rest are either nameless, shallow tokens, or rape victims. In comparison the book does a far better job at looking at issues of class and race, although I'm not sure how many characters are actually described as being non-white and the core characters are explicitly so. Maybe it's just showing its age here, the genre has set a much higher bar over the last decade than it used to.
These aren't showstoppers though, it's still a great story with lots to chew on, and I found myself reading the last third at a much higher pace which is a very good sign. Overall it deserves it's reputation and I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of the franchise.
I came rather close to giving up, but my protestant work ethic apparently required me to finish the book.
While I certainly liked the characters, with their various flaws, and surprisingly concrete magic system (a Sanderson staple, from what I understand), the dialogue and exposition in general was cringe-worthy. Yes, I get that Vin is traumatized and has trust issues, but maybe we can show some of the consequences without continuously pointing out the causality?
Or just give Ham more screen time, although I suspect there's a reason the novel doesn't try following up on any of the moral questions he poses.
Brando Sando does it again! Or I guess, did it a long time ago... I'm just getting around to reading this.. Great start to the series, and very much in line with what I expected from a book by this author. The creative and fascinating world building, unique characters, and an imaginative magic system, and a well paced plot had me interested from beginning to end. However I feel that some of the same criticisms I have for some of his other works hold true here as well. Character development is lacking. Character diversity is lacking. Exposition always feels forced and awkward. But none of these things pulled me out of the overall fantastic story. I'd definitely recommend this read! Excited to continue the series.
Review of 'Mistborn: The Final Empire' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
J'étais un peu inquiet en commençant ce livre : cela fait un moment que je n'avais pas lu de la fantasy, et malgré les critiques élogieuses, je craignais d'être déçu par ce roman, tant j'ai été souvent déçu par des oeuvres manquant trop souvent d'originalité.
Bizarrement, je suis un peu gêné au moment de tirer le bilan de cette lecture. L'histoire en elle-même n'est pas forcément très originale : une orpheline découvre qu'elle possède de grands pouvoirs - et de grandes responsabilités - et rejoint un groupe de rebelles qui veulent faire tomber l'Empereur maléfique et immortel qui domine leur peuple depuis des siècles. Pourtant, c'est fait avec une certaine intelligence, et ça fonctionne très bien. Il y a dans ce récit quelque chose que je ne parviens pas à définir mais qui dépasse les stéréotypes qu'il utilise pourtant habilement.
J'ai en tout cas pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire …
J'étais un peu inquiet en commençant ce livre : cela fait un moment que je n'avais pas lu de la fantasy, et malgré les critiques élogieuses, je craignais d'être déçu par ce roman, tant j'ai été souvent déçu par des oeuvres manquant trop souvent d'originalité.
Bizarrement, je suis un peu gêné au moment de tirer le bilan de cette lecture. L'histoire en elle-même n'est pas forcément très originale : une orpheline découvre qu'elle possède de grands pouvoirs - et de grandes responsabilités - et rejoint un groupe de rebelles qui veulent faire tomber l'Empereur maléfique et immortel qui domine leur peuple depuis des siècles. Pourtant, c'est fait avec une certaine intelligence, et ça fonctionne très bien. Il y a dans ce récit quelque chose que je ne parviens pas à définir mais qui dépasse les stéréotypes qu'il utilise pourtant habilement.
J'ai en tout cas pris beaucoup de plaisir à lire ce premier volume de ce qui se présente comme une trilogie, et je pense enchainer directement avec le deuxième roman de ce cycle, en espérant qu'il soit aussi plaisant et habile que celui-ci.
Mistborn is 500 pages of worldbuilding followed by 150 pages of climaxing hard.
There are a lot of stretches in the middle where it drags pretty hard with very little of note happening, but there's enough extra info sprinkled in to make it fine to push through. I'd give most of the book 3 stars.
Then the climax gets going and the book is a masterpiece right through to the finish. You're never quite sure how everyone's fates will shake out until you reach the end. Thick with action, twists, and surprises that never pull you out of the masterfully crafted scenario.
So taking the average of decently good and god-damn masterpiece... 4 stars, I guess.
Mistborn is 500 pages of worldbuilding followed by 150 pages of climaxing hard.
There are a lot of stretches in the middle where it drags pretty hard with very little of note happening, but there's enough extra info sprinkled in to make it fine to push through. I'd give most of the book 3 stars.
Then the climax gets going and the book is a masterpiece right through to the finish. You're never quite sure how everyone's fates will shake out until you reach the end. Thick with action, twists, and surprises that never pull you out of the masterfully crafted scenario.
So taking the average of decently good and god-damn masterpiece... 4 stars, I guess.
