The Hero of Ages

August 18, 2008
This adventure brings the Mistborn epic fantasy trilogy (after 2007's The Well of Ascension
) to a dramatic and surprising climax. Tricked into releasing the evil spirit Ruin while attempting to close the Well of Ascension, new emperor Elend Venture and his wife, the assassin Vin, are now hard-pressed to save the world from Ruin's deadly Inquisitors, the insidious lethal mists called the Deepness and the increasingly heavy falls of black ash that threaten to bury the land and starve its inhabitants. As the duo search for the last of the former emperor's cache of atium, source of the strongest Mistborn energies, they battle Ruin's forces as well as monsters and prophetic powers. Sanderson's saga of consequences offers complex characters and a compelling plot, asking hard questions about loyalty, faith and responsibility.

October 1, 2008
The Lord Ruler is dead, and Elend Venture is working on consolidating his rule. But the mist is becoming actively dangerous, ash falls almost constantly, and brutal earthquakes are shaking the world apart. The subtle, nearly omniscient Ruin is infiltrating both Elends army and his opponents. Fortunately, the stubborn Vin vows to discover a way to destroy him. When failure seems imminent, help comes from unexpected quarters. Sanderson pulls loose ends together, explains vague prophecies, and produces the Hero of Ages, and the Mistborn trilogy (The Final Empire, 2006; The Well of Ascension, 2007; and this book) concludes satisfactorily.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

October 15, 2008
The sorcerer Vin, along with the Emperor Eland Venture, has ended the tyranny of the Final Empire but not without cost, for the Deepness, in which the surrounding Mists take lethal form, has returned, bringing devastation by way of natural disasters. In addition, a destructive force known as "Ruin" haunts the land. As Venture and Vin combine their efforts to save the world, practitioners of forbidden blood magic work with Ruin to conquer and control it. Sanderson's conclusion to the epic that began with "Mistborn" and continued in "Well of Ascension" resonates with all the elements of classic heroic fantasy, along with unusual forms of magic and strong, believable characters. Chosen to complete the late Robert Jordan's mammoth "Wheel of Time" series, Sanderson proves himself a master storyteller in his own right. This richly detailed fantasy belongs in most libraries.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.