After diving in, I could not come out. I read day and night to know the fate of Vin, Elend, Kelsier, Sazed, Marsh, Breeze, Ham ... And now that I have finished, too fast, I feel a real nostalgia.
Needless myself difficult to address all aspects here, but I'll try ... ^^
The context is that of the end of a world, which at first slowly dying, and whose fall rushes. There is no color, ash falls and perpetually forces men to clear away incessantly. Visually speaking, so it's very gothic, with black and white imagination, and one shade of blood red sun which pierces with difficulty this wall of silence.
This apocalyptic world is constructed and iron hand of a tyrant driven by a millennium, the Lord Ruler, which is a living God and yet human. Daily life is only suffering for the "skaa" human slaves, while the nobility is content to bow before the Lord Ruler, praying that it allows him to continue his life of party favors. The plot begins with Kelsier, professional thief who is also "MISTBORN" - a man with superhuman powers - and that "ambition" to deliver them from the grip of skaa Lord Ruler and his nobility and ... eventually kill the Lord Ruler himself. From there begins an amazing adventure that will take us to a breath away and unexpected conclusion.
The plot is very well located and told. Brandon Sanderson takes you masterfully in several stories in history that eventually course by joining. It's a true Russian doll! Nothing is easy or predictable, it is always surprised by situations and turnarounds. There is no primary Manichaeism, what we might yet believe at first (he is the Lord Ruler the "nasty" absolute?) ...
Beyond the plot, which is totally involved, there is a true reflection on the eternal philosophical questions, such as power, politics, religion, faith, trust ...
The journey of Elend Venture is especially exciting: this young nobleman, son of a large powerful family, is an idealist student, dreamer, lover of books, politics and philosophy. It turns out that he ended up being named king. At first he does not trust him, but he is enthusiastic and deeply democratic. Gradually he discovered that in spite of himself the exercise of power is far more complicated than he imagined: apply the letter of the ideas, however good and humanistic they are, unfortunately, not enough ... With a reality more and more dramatic, a world in peril, Elend will often be faced with alternatives between the worst and the least worst, and be forced to make agonizing decisions. Thus, its purpose will be the quest for the delicate balance between good ideas and deeply humanistic, and management of a reality whose savagery can easily subtract from tyranny.
Sazed the Terrisman is another fascinating character: a man of science, he has the magical ability to perpetuate the memory of a Knowledge accumulated for centuries. He specializes in the preservation of lost religions extinct at the coming of the reign of the Lord Ruler. Sazed is the custodian (keeper) passionate, devoted and proselytizing. However, the tragic events grow to question everything and lose his faith ... and really ask philosophical questions (about death, religion, truth ...). Personally I'm agnostic, and very puzzled by religion, and these questions have challenged me a lot.
I will not describe everyone, even if Wine, Marsh, Kelsier, TenSoon also deserve an equally supported portrait. However, I give my favorite Marsh, whose fate is a tragic Shakespearean. I love Breeze too, which is the archetypal character "double bottom" ... and so surprising.
There. I will not dwell any longer. All I can do is encourage you to dive into the world of "The Ultimate empire" without delay, you will not regret.
