The Hero of Ages – A Book Review

Plotline: Spoiler-Free

This book starts in a village that has been taking care of itself after the fall of the lord ruler. They are preparing for battle against an army of Koloss. The Koloss are outside their front gate when out of nowhere a man in a white uniform shows up. Elend Venture takes command of the city, bolsters the villager’s strength, and organizes an attack on the Koloss.  

Elend, using his allomancy and his small band of villagers, holds off the Koloss until Vin arrives. When Vin arrives the Koloss begin to be afraid. They don’t understand how someone so small can be so powerful. This fear allows the Kolass to be controlled through allomancy. Slowly this army of Kolass is turned and joins Elends army.

After the village is safe, Elend, Vin, and the former leader go to the lord ruler’s secret cache in the city. This cache is filled with the same things as the other caches. The map in this cache tells them where they can find the last cache. It’s in Fadrex, the Cett’s kingdom. They will have to go there to find out if the lord ruler left anything to help them defeat the being that Vin set free from the Well of Ascension. 

Meanwhile, there is another story going on in Urteau. Spook has been busy gathering information on the leader who calls himself the citizen. Spook has been burning tin continually for the past year. This has made his senses of touch and sight hyper-sensitive. not only that, he seems to have taken notice of the citizen’s sister Beldre. Driven by a desire to be useful to the kingdom, and gain a little renown for himself, he decides that things need to change in the city. 

The Citizen has been rounding up nobles and executing them for the crime of being noble. Not only that, but he is also rounding up anyone who has noble blood going back four generations or is married to anyone who has noble blood. Things are bad and Spook has plans to change things in the city. 

When Elend marches his army to Fadrex, he and his generals decide on their course of action. They are going to besiege the city. If they get the supplies they need from Luthadel, and the king of the city lord Yomen hasn’t found the lord ruler’s cache, they can outlast the city and gain control. 

Inside the city, there is an air of normalcy. The skaa are working and the nobility are throwing and attending balls. Because lord Yomen won’t meet with Elend, he and Vin decide to make their move and attend one of these balls in hopes of meeting and reasoning with Yomen. 

Yomen is fanatical in his support for the lord ruler. He doesn’t think the lord ruler is dead but that all the happenings that have occurred since his disappearance are part of his plan. This fanaticism almost gets Vin killed. 

Back in Urteau, Sazed and Breeze have arrived. They hope to make a treaty with the Citizen, but they see just how much trouble the city is in. Sazed is having a crisis of his own and he doesn’t know how to deal with the death of Tindwyl in the last book. His specialty is religion, but he is having a faith crisis. He doesn’t know what to do. 

When Sazed and Breeze meet up with Spook, they are surprised at how different he is. He is stronger, he is more outgoing, and he’s evolved into a leader. His physical appearance has also changed as he now wears a blindfold wherever he goes. Sazed also has the suspicion that Spook is somehow burning pewter which is impossible. 

Spook comes up with a plan to save the city and Sazed, though he’s technically in charge, lets him do it. He wants to see what happens, but most of all he wants to solve his problems. 

In Fadrex Vin has been cleverly captured by Yomen and Elend is faced with a tough decision. Does he march on the city with his army and save Vin or does he turn away saving many lives in the process?

Because this plotline is spoiler-free, you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens past this point. 

My Thoughts on The Hero of Ages

This book is super well-written. It has action and adventure, and there are a few different love stories that I find great. First, I want to talk about someone unconventional. I want to talk about Breeze and Allrianne. 

Breeze and Allrianne are a weird couple because of the age difference but they are pretty much made for each other. Allrianne seems like a spoiled brat, but she is a sweet girl and is very empathetic toward people. She also hides her competence from others because that gives her an edge. I have grown to respect her over the series as I have grown to respect Breeze. 

Breeze since his breakdown in the previous book has become much more empathetic. He is a good man who cares for others but hides that fact from everyone. He also seems to have realized what’s important in life and has decided to let himself be with Allrianne even though she is way younger than he is. He loves her and despite the age difference, she loves him. I think they complement each other. 

Spook is a changed man. He doesn’t want to be a coward. He wants to contribute to the empire and make a name for himself. Not only that, but he also just wants to do what’s right. I like that he has found a girl in Beldre who loves and respects him for who he is and I like that Spook is equally loving in return. It’s also funny that through the whole book, he is just trying to find a way to talk to her. Even though he has grown competent in so many ways, he’s still insecure when it comes to women. 

Spook is instrumental in the defeat of Ruin. Without Spook, Marsh would not have had the necessary knowledge needed to save Vin when he had the opportunity. Marsh is a sad yet triumphant story. A man who once gave up on his dreams of overthrowing the final empire, he will not give up again. Though Ruin is controlling him, and he often doesn’t even have control over his mind, he bides his time and waits for the opportunity to thwart Ruin. When this opportunity comes, Marsh capitalizes on it. 

Vin and Elend have a deep relationship, a loving relationship, and a relationship of trust. Reading them grow up has truly been a pleasure. From Vin being the lowly thief who trusted nobody to the person who seems to trust that everyone will do the right thing, it was inspiring to read. To read about Elend as a rebellious kid and his transition into the leader, king, husband, and friend that he became is also inspiring. 

(Spoilers Below)

It was touching when Elend gave his life to protect his people from Ruin. When Vin gave her life to defeat Ruin and Avenge Elends death I had a tear come down. Normally, I’m not a fan of killing off characters like that but this time, I found it so fitting. And their deaths paved the way for the hero of ages. 

I didn’t see it coming so if you did, good on you. It was always Sazed. At the end of the book, He finally finds his faith in the terris religion he finds his faith in Vin. He knew that Vin would come as the hero of ages. When Vin falls and he runs to her body his confusion is palpable. It’s funny how a man with so much faith, and so much knowledge, didn’t see that he was the hero of ages the entire time. Brilliant writing from Brandon Sanderson.

I love that in the end, all the religions mattered because, without their knowledge, Sazed would not have been able to fix the world by taking away its ash mounts and moving it to its correct space in orbit from the sun. He would not have been able to restore the animals and the plants. In the end, everything that he learned did matter. 

This series is a masterpiece by Brandon Sanderson. I think you all will enjoy this book and I can’t wait to read more of his stuff.

Posted By: glfbooks.com · In: Book Reviews, Fantasy