Rich and Ryan close out Mistborn Era 1 with Hero of Ages — and their verdict lands somewhere between a standing ovation and a deeply loving complaint. Ryan went in riding the high of a book he couldn't put down, while Rich arrives with the hottest take of the series: Well of Ascension is the better book, and Hero of Ages is history's most well-executed victory lap.
They break down the magic of hemallurgy and how Brandon finally cashes in three books' worth of worldbuilding chips, from the Lord Ruler's terraforming mistakes to threads from book one finally paying off. Rich makes an impassioned case that Vin is the best-written character in the Cosmere — and that she got done dirty by the ending. They debate Sazed's arc and what Spook's blindfolded badassery says about how Tin users have been underrated all along.
The 1-star review this week comes from a reader deeply offended by the book's religious themes — and Rich and Ryan have some thoughts about who really needs to talk to someone. Then it's into the Cosmere Corner, where the boys talk through common themes they've noticed in their Cosmere readings, and some direct crossovers from The Stormlight Archives.