4.5 stars. 
 This is a masterpiece. 
 I foresee a lot of Brandon Sanderson in my future! 
 The world. Sanderson has created a unique world that is described with such detail and depth that it really is tangible. The magic system blew me away, it has been ages since I have read such an inspired fantasy! 
 Mistings are people who have the ability to 'burn' one of the basic metals once ingested, such as tin to enhance all their senses - called a Tineye. To be able to 'burn' pewter gave them increased strength and they are dubbed Thugs. Etc. This magic is called Allomancy. 
 But to be able to burn all eight, either someone is able to burn one or all eight with no in betweens, makes them a Mistborn, which is very rare. And wow, the things that they can do. The magic system is intricate and has rules and I so enjoyed it. 
 In the Final Empire the world has become a place of despair - ash falls almost constantly from the sky, the sun is red and mist envelopes everything at night. 
 The plot. Thousands of years ago there was a strange threat to mankind called the Deepness. There were prophesies about the Hero of the Ages, the one destined to defeat the Deepness. And so the all powerful Lord Ruler was created. He is immortal and rules his people with an ironfist - he sentences people to death with a shrug and is the force behind keeping the skaa oppressed. There are nobleman and there are skaa - the skaa are essentially slaves, their lives don't mean much and they are treated very poorly. As objects, not really as people. The Mistings and Mistborn only come from nobleman blood, which is why if a nobleman dallies with a skaa woman she must be killed before she can bare a child. No system is perfect, and so accidents do happen. We have an oppressed faction of people, you see where this is going right? 
 Although that bit is obvious, never ever presume to know where Sanderson is going with his plot. His twists left me dumbfounded and aching. It's a strange thing that to be left aching is the sign of a good book, but it means the book touched you. 
 The story line follows a group of skaa who find themselves at the center of the rebellion, plotting and scheming and doing dastardly things to achieve their means. 
 I can't really give a good outline of the plot because it was quite expansive and I don't really want to give anything away. Let's just say that I was never bored. 
 The characters. Vin is a street urchin skaa who was raised by her older brother before he abandoned her. She has known nothing but cruelty and people using one another and she has endured many beatings - emotionally and physically. She is scarred. When she is taken into a new crew she sees that there are other ways to live and just grows so beautifully. 
 Sanderson has created real characters that made their way into my heart, characters you could really feel for. They are witty and loyal and wonderful. The character building, growth and relationships were one of my favourite things about this book! 
 The characters are also always questioning who they are, trying to understand what is right and what they should do. 
 If you like great fantasy and beautiful characters with scars, this book should be high on your TBR list! There is also plenty of humour. 
 "Our belief is often strongest when it should be weakest. That is the nature of hope." 
 "I've always been very confident in my immaturity." 
 "I told him that you were simply showing me the ways of court. Kind of like an...older brother." 
 "Older brother?" Elend asked, frowning. 
 "Much older," Vin said, smiling. "I mean, you've got to be at least twice my age." 
 "Twice your...Valette, I'm twenty-one. Unless you're a very mature ten-year-old, I'm nowhere near 'twice your age.'" 
 "I've never been good with math," Vin said offhandedly."