Brandon Sanderson, The Hero of Ages

The Hero of Ages

Brandon Sanderson

Tor, Oct 2008, $27.95

ISBN: 0765316897

As with their first success in defeating evil (see Mistborn) Emperor Elend Venture and his mage wife Vin thought they were bringing peace to the reign, but they are proved wrong when the foreign armies invaded and opened up the 'Well Of Ascension'. Once again they thought they triumphed over evil, but they are proved wrong again.

To close 'The Well Of Ascension', they inadvertently liberate Ruin, the malevolent spirit who simply wants to destroy the world. Elend and Vin struggle to prevent this from happening, but also must contend with other evil killers allied with Ruin. They must defeat the lethal Inquisitors, the Deepness deadly mists and the black ash inundating the land and suffocating the crops. Even more desperate than ever, the duo knows their only hope is to find the cache of Mistborn energies atium; brilliantly hidden by Elend's late predecessor as emperor.

For every action there is a reaction with the latter at times leading to unintended consequences is the basic underlying principal of the superb Mistborn fantasy trilogy. The storyline is fast-paced, filled with stunning plausible twists and an incredible unexpected finish. Readers will appreciate the entire saga as Brandon Sanderson will have his audience applying the overarching theme to the real world.

Harriet Klausner