supercheesegirl

This was definitely a compelling read, but I'm left feeling a bit let down by the ending. So, as a writer, I can see how Sanderson was building up to this conclusion, and as a Joss Whedon fan, the feeling isn't unfamiliar. But as a reader who'd been drawn in by these characters, I feel really disappointed that Vin and Elend had to die. They worked so hard! And yes, the odds were long that they'd survive this, but surviving long odds is what fantasy novels are about. I wanted to see them come through it together and lead everyone into a new golden age. It was a nice twist that Sazed ultimately ends up being (one of) the Hero(es) of Ages, but he spent so much of this book just moping around that I didn't feel like he deserved it. Also, TenSoon was so loyal and awesome, I wanted him to get back to Vin, but he died before she knew what he'd done for her. And the afterlifey hints on the last 1-2 pages were frustrating, too. Plus, all the surviving characters end up in neat heterosexual pairs, even General Demoux and some random chick he'd just met, all ready to repopulate the new world. Ugh.

I did like: Spook's character development, the way everything tied together so nicely with the different types of metal magics, the fact that the Lord Ruler was actually a really good guy who'd pretty much been preserving the world for a thousand years despite being constantly mentally manipulated, the fact that all the knowledge of the Terris people got used to good effect and also passed down in book form. But overall this one gets an "argh" from me.