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This ‘review� is not a review of the book, but more of my emotional journey through reading it and upon finishing. For those of you who have read the Mistborn trilogy, I think you can empathize with what I felt. For those of you who haven’t, I ask that you do yourself a favor, and feast upon these books. For they are truly the most amazing books I’ve ever read.

Before the end, I was going to write an absolutely glowing review full of caps lock and exclamations points and gifs and pictures and my singing glorious praising to high heaven to clearly show my ultimate love and devotion for this book. But I just can’t, I can’t.

I am hurting. I’m in so much pain. Never before has a book put me through such emotional turmoil, rendering me to a sobbing, terrible mess, with my heart ripped to pieces, bleeding on the floor, my chest aching, my mind, near in shock. I didn’t want this to happen. I didn’t even consider something like this, especially of this magnitude, happening. Sanderson put me through hell. But I cannot hate him. I cannot hate his prowess in making me go through all of this pain, and yet leaving me with feelings of indescribable joy and breathless wonder. I closed the book with such a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and completion, not wanting in anything save for that I didn’t want it to end. It was a difficult journey, yes, but any journey worth making is worth the trials. And this particular journey, was most possibly, the most rewarding journey I’ve ever been on in the literary world I thrive on.

When a novel really makes me feel, it becomes more dear and precious to me than any other book. It shines brighter, dark as the tale may be, tearful as it may make me. But that is what readers are looking for. A story that speaks to their heart and soul, pours emotion into them, making them feel everything the characters are feeling, and lingers well after the last page. And this is what I treasure. Any novel that can do this to me, even though it may not be the best written or executed, is one to be cherished dearly. This novel stands out though. Not only does it make you feel deeply, it has outstanding world building, an incredible cast of characters that you love dearly, and a brilliant execution of a story that leaves you in breathless awe.

I knew this series wasn’t all happy endings and rainbows and light. It is a terrible, dying world with an unknown force beating upon it. Horrible ramifications will happen, there is no escaping them. There is no hope of creating a happily ever after for everyone, and creating a world anew without some type of destruction and loss. People die, thousands of people. People you care about. My heart was torn out and trampled on. And it’s still trying to put itself together again. This is a dark tale. Sanderson doesn’t paint it light. He shows you what becomes of a world destroyed, what happens after its thousand years of relentless abuse. But, even then, even through all those dark moments, there are moments of light, of love and joy and laughter. And hope. Faith and hope, I believe, is the core of the novel, what makes all the characters press onward in hopes of a brighter future. The mists, the darkness are ever pressing on them, but they never give up hope. They never stop believing that all could be well if they but fight to secure it.

I can’t write this review and not talk about the characters. I can’t talk specifically about what they did that I loved, or their personal thoughts and journey, lest I spoil the book. But I can say that I adore these people with every fiber of my being. They are not just characters moving a story forward, they live and breathe and are REAL. When they were in pain, I was in pain. When something terrible happened to someone I loved, I cried, my heart raging inside, aching and furious at what was happening. But oh how wonderful they are, how glorious their stalwartness and love and self-discovery over the course of their lives.

One such person, whom I love and respect and praise, was Sazed. Dear Sazed. Your soul searching quest was perhaps the most riveting and saddening. I ached watching you despair and lose your hope that you had held onto the whole of your life until something devastating sent your doubts flying, your faith failing. But it all paid off! Everything you learned, discovered about your life’s devotion of studying religions. Therein was the faith you needed, you just had to look at them with a new light, a different perspective. And I loved what you became. It was so perfect for you, and made my soul soar with happiness.

And then Vin and Elend. Their characters were brilliant. Their outcome, their destiny, jaw dropping, and� I cannot say more on them. You need to discover this on your own. You will come to love them, and you will ache deeply when terrible things happen to them. But the pain is not all for naught. You have to feel pain for them to connect you to them, to make them real, to make the story and their characters believable and entrancing. The ending was heartbreaking, but so perfect, it couldn’t- shouldn’t- have happened any other way. And even though thinking that disheartens me, it was remarkable in its execution, and ended with a perfect brush of the light and new found joy that I was so desperate to find. With the ever present mist and ash and red sunlight, I yearned for the characters to find their blue sky, and yellow sun, and green grass. They never knew of those things. With a thousand years of red sky and brown landscape, such things were preposterous, laughable. Vin believed in it though, because Kelsier did. And this vague image of a better, brighter, lively world full of color, brought them a measure of hope and desire that fueled them in their desperate actions to find this better world, where Inquisitors and Ruin cannot abound, and where peace and light reign.

One last character whom I thought was brilliantly crafted, even more so after his death, was The Lord Ruler. I never could have imagined his role in the story, his true intentions that were misunderstood by those seeking to overthrow him. Sanderson created the most unbelievably cruel, good villian. He is not what he seems, and is only a pawn of something even more devious and cunning and ruthless than he ever could be. The whole plot, how everything came together, the realization of what certain things meant, was utterly brilliant. It’s mindboggling to think that someone could concoct such a story, such a world, being so attentive to every single little last detail that is essential in making the world work and have no problems in its making and telling. Sanderson is a mastermind genius. I could never be as superb as he is, but I hope I could be half, or a fourth, or a hundredth so brilliant with storytelling and drawing people in.

I almost forgot Spook. Erica, what are you thinking? Ah, Spook, you captured my heart. You became the man I was hoping you would be. You never lost yourself, but you became so much more. And I loved it. I loved your growth and love you had and strength. You, with Elend and Sazed, are my hero.

I sincerely urge you, plead you, to read the Mistborn Trilogy. It is so outstanding and perfect and thrilling, you will find you cannot stay away from the world once you enter, and will dread leaving it. What truly, is more amazing than these books? Though I have read them just this year, and there are still thousands of books out there to read, I have a feeling I will not find another read more brilliant. And though I don’t read much epic fantasy (which I think will change soon), I believe the Mistborn trilogy stands out in this genre, and is more than worth reading and loving. They have become my favorite books ever; nothing I’ve read comes even close. And this is why I wish everyone on earth would read these books. I will recommend it to everyone I can. When I love a book so deeply and desperately, I can’t not tell everyone of its brilliance, and that they MUST read it. And you must. You must if you want a book that arrests you completely, and leaves you with such deep emotion and love and wanting more. I can’t praise these books enough, and I hope I have been able to sway you to read them. You will not regret it, trust me.