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 Elend’s 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. --Regina Schroeder