A Few Things That Didn't Make Sense In The Final Empire | Book Discussion // Spoilers!

Okay, so yesterday I reviewed The Final Empire, the first in the original Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. That review is completely spoiler-free, btw, so if you haven't read the book yet and are looking for that sort of thing, click here.

But if you have read the book and feel like discussing some things with me, stick around and let's brain-storm over whether these things are mistakes, hints at future events or just misunderstandings I've made! 

Clearly, this will include SPOILERS as I am going to discuss some things and discoveries that didn't make too much sense to me while reading this novel, in no particular order.

So without father ado, let's begin! 


At the end of this book, Sanderson explains how the Lord Ruler could store "youth" inside his bracelets, therefore living forever. I understood the concept behind this. However, no where was the fact Rashek could live through anything explained. 

I mean, even if I made myself look like a young girl, if I had a hole in my chest it wouldn't matter. If I was beheaded it wouldn't matter. If I was burned to crisp IT WOULDN'T MATTER! However, all these things and more happened to our Lord Ruler and he swatted them away like annoying flies and not life-ending injuries!

How did storing youth made him invincible and able to withstand anything??? It made no sense whatsoever! If I was to accept Sanderson's explanation, this Lord Ruler should be subjected to the mortal rules of life-and-death and not be above them.

I hope the next novels touch upon this subject, otherwise this is just one giant plot hole! 

Or... did I miss something? Do you think this does explain his invincibility?

This really bothered me throughout the read. I had suspected Rashek may actually be the Lord Ruler for a while when that was discovered, so I wasn't really all that surprised. But the one thing that made me think maybe I was making a mistake with this theory was the prosecution of the Terrismen, Rashek's own people.

The people he preached should be the dominating specie. Clearly, Rashek thought very highly of his people. He took great pride at being one. So what made him turn against them? Made him obliterate their culture, religion and belief system?

Sanderson throws around that this was done in order for the Lord Ruler to maintain power and prevent another half-breed like himself who could figure the secret to eternal life and challenge him, but this seems so weak to me next to all we learn of him in the logbook. 

So either something big happened that we don't know of to make him chose the path of destroying his people rather than making them the controlling race or something of this sort or... I won't believe this zealous man turned against his people. 

So, the logbook is made of the writing of the journey the real hero of ages made to the wall of ascension in order to save the world. A journey we now know ended with a knife to his back and a bitter Terrisman taking his place, power, and the name of the hero and making himself to be him.

So it's clear to everyone why the hero in the book and the Lord Ruler are so different. Why the Hero was self aware and worried and desperate he won't use the power for himself, yet the Lord Ruler is none of this things but a terrible tyrant.

But one thing didn't make sense in this: the terrisman scholar who discovered the hero... then betrayed him and started to preach against his reign? I thought at first that this was from after the ascension, when Rasek took his place. It would make sense that he would preach against Rashek, but the story clearly indicated all the pieces of writing from the book are from the logbook... and that ended before the rule of The Lord Ruler. 

So... what's going on here??? 

Is this a mistake of the author, or a hint of something else amiss here?? Sanderson was so precise in all he wrote that I'm inclined to lean toward the second option, but if it is the correct choice then.... what's really going on here?? I'm confused!

Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but he must have the easiest accession to kingship story in the world. All he has to do is make some speech in the middle of a war and they just give him the throne.

Tag, you're it! style. 

Like, seriously? If it was this easy to become king, everyone would do it. You need to have the support of the people and the nobles and the band of thieves that just destroyed the government, none of which Elend had prior to this infamous speech of his... that we didn't even get to hear!

This was such a weird curve ball to me. Didn't believe it at all. 

SO... WHAT DID YOU GUYS THINK? DID I MISS SOMETHING, DID YOU HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS?