Book Review: The Hero of Ages
The finale to a trilogy that turned the last part of my year upside down and then had me begging for more.
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Warning: There are spoilers for The Hero of Ages in this review.
I’ve officially finished the first Mistborn trilogy and my heart is shattered. The Hero of Ages was an amazing book, creating and finishing beautifully stunning story arcs for all of the Mistborn characters. This book is full of war, death, and suffering, but beauty, teamwork, and found family. Having now finished, I will be taking a break from the Cosmere to recover for the near future. So, let’s get into it.
The Hero of Ages gives Spook the light he deserves, the first book in which we get equal viewpoints from Spook as well as Sazed, Vin, and Elend. We get to watch him grow so much throughout this book and watch as the young boy we get introduced in the beginning of the series grows into a man of note, and be worthy of so much.
“Faith,” Spook said, “means that it doesn’t matter what happens. You can trust that somebody is watching. Trust that somebody will make it all right.” Sazed frowned. “It means that there will always be a way,”
Due to the guilt of his uncle’s death, Spook throws himself into the job that Vin and Elend ask of him. The job: Travel to Urteau in preparation for Sazed and Breeze to arrive. Watch the Citizen and learn what is going on within the city so that when it comes time, they can take control of it. Spook uses his Tin Mind to a frightening level, giving him capabilities far stronger than a regular Tin Mind, but this harms his ability to listen and see things without barriers to dull it. While in Urteau, he not only saves the people, but he also becomes a figure to the citizens of Urteau, and saves them from the Ruin by discovering the use of Hemalurgic Spikes and how they control those they impale.
After the events of The Well of Ascension, we start The Hero of Ages with Sazed questioning his faith. Every faith he has learned, he is slowly working through and questioning. Slowly canceling them as he works through it. This is the complete opposite of the Sazed that we get to know and love in the first two books of the trilogy, and it’s honestly heartbreaking to see. This is reflected by Breeze and the others as well. The loss of Tindwyl hits him hard, only hammered in by the fact that he was unable to stop Vin from unleashing Ruin from the Well.
“You’re not meant to be an atheist, Sazed. I have a feeling you’ll be no good at it—it doesn’t suit you at all. You’ll come around eventually.”
As the story progresses, with the help of Breeze and Spook, and even TenSoon, Sazed’s curiosity returns and he travels to the Kandra Homeland to learn more about their history. When there he learns about the history of the Kandra and why the Lord Ruler created them in the first place, even seeing the Second Generation revolt against the First generation and leading an uprising to save the Kandra. Sazed’s character arc is amazing, and is so fitting after we watch the trials and tribulations he goes through. Sanderson does an amazing job of building him up for this position without the reader ever guessing where his life is leading him, I admire that a lot.
I thought we had learned a lot about Vin and Elend's relationship in the Well of Ascension, but they were just getting started. We not only see it deepen into a true marriage, but we also see the trust, love, and care that Elend and Vin have for each other grow dramatically. Not being able to communicate plans without Ruin hearing them, Vin being captured and separated from Elend for the majority of the last half of the book, and the lengths they go to save each other and the world. It’s all world-shattering and dear. I will always recommend the Mistborn trilogy if not only for their relationship and growth as characters throughout this trilogy. My favorite moment is when they invade the Fadrex ball to get Yomen’s attention. Taking the time to mingle, dance, and share moments they had not been able to previously. Visiting times when they first met and how their love story first developed. Seeing this side of them made me so happy.
“Their army was outside, the ash was falling perpetually, and the mists were killing people. Yet within this room of white marble and sparkling colors, she danced with the man she loved for the first time.”
The Hero of Ages gives a backseat to characters like Ham and Breeze while giving a little bit of a spotlight to other characters like TenSoon and Demoux. Getting to learn more about them and give insight into their abilities. We also learn more about the Lord Ruler and his creations. Along with the gods, Ruin and Perseverance. Human, the Koloss that remains under Vin’s control throughout the book, reveals the secret of reproduction within the Koloss ranks, and while it’s not the first time I have gotten goosebumps from the Mistborn Trilogy, it was the first time I have experienced such fear for the characters involved in that process. I love that Sanderson gives insight into the dynamics of these communities and we see through all of the smoke and ash, that every type of person or creature is simply just trying to survive on a failing planet.
“The nature of the world is such that when we create something, we often destroy something else in the process.”
There are big revelations, heartbreaking moments, large character development, and much more in The Hero of Ages. While I could spend all day talking about the great things within this novel, it’s probably best that I leave my review here. I highly recommend checking out the Mistborn Trilogy if you are just starting in the Cosmere and discovering Sanderson for the first time. It has a lot to give and connects you with amazing characters. I am excited to eventually dive further into the Cosmere as 2025 progresses but after the emotional impact of this trilogy, I will be taking a break to catch up on a re-read I’ve been wanting to do and some stand-alone novels.
Thanks for reading!