Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Set a thousand years after the the now tyrant Lord Ruler saved the world, Mistborn introduces a dark dystopian world where the Final Empire rules unchallenged, the society clearly delineated by the classes of the nobility and the skaa, and where ash covers everything.

This immortal Lord Ruler has managed to repel uprisings from the oppressed skaa for so long that everyone thinks he cannot be overthrown. But conspiracies of another uprising are being planned somewhere. The new rebellion found an unlikely hero in a thief gang leader and an escaped prisoner sent by the Lord Ruler himself to a notorious prison camp. Kelsier believes that the uprising will succeed this time, especially after meeting another Mistborn like himself, the street urchin Vin. But it will take more than two Mistborn and an experienced thief crew to pull it off. Not only do they have to face an overwhelming opposition in the Lord Ruler's minions, but they also need the help of disheartened skaa to succeed.

The first time I read the book, I already felt that the challenged posed to Kelsier and Vin were too great and how the author would handle the story will make or break the novel for me. I guess that's what made Mistborn so intriguing. The mood was so oppressive, dark and hopeless that it was almost unbelievable. It was so impossible that that alone would compel you to see what they would try to do to even the odds. I was apprehensive at how the author would make the characters find a solution such problem but I think handled it well without ruining the reading experience. 

The story is told from the point of view of three different characters, Kelsier, Vin and another hinted as the hero. The characters are cliche but not the type you'd forget after you finish the book. Kelsier is the charismatic leader with great skills but has a dark past involving a woman; while Vin is the cold, skilled protege whose weakness might also be love.

The magic, Allomancy, is perhaps the most interesting part besides the worldbuilding. Allomancy is well-thought out although I see some improbabilities in ecology in his worldbuilding.

Overall, the book is okay for a first installment in a series. It's good enough to keep me interested in reading the rest of the series. I guess I was turned off by the obvious good versus evil theme that was clear from the start. Its best features are Allomancy, the well-written fight scenes, and the memorable characters.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10