Hero of Ages is a triumphant conclusion to the original Mistborn trilogy. Although quite hefty in size, each chapter brought a new revelation and an answer to the puzzle that had been built up in the previous two books. 
 Sanderson's attention to detail and intricate plotting is truly impressive. The chapter lead-ins may have been a little too directly explanatory in comparison to the way they were treated in the previous books for my tastes. But along with the detail in the text, they provided a clear background to everything that had occurred thus far and the intricate way Ruin had entangled himself in everything. 
 All of his characters have grown substantially from the first novels. In particular, Spook and Sazeed shared the main stage here with Vin and Elend. Feelings of pride and dread accompany Spook's evolution from quiet background character to Kelsier successor, as the reader knows that something more menacing is at work behind the scenes. Sazeed, meanwhile, I found a little frustrating at times. His moment of doubt and search for truth seemed forced. Though this may just be because I don't enjoy reading about depressed characters. 
 Other truths uncovered in this book include the origin and mythos of the kandras, the secret of the mist, and the truth about that most precious of allomantic metals. If you enjoyed the first two books, you can't miss this one.