The Final Empire is one of those high fantasy novels that looks right away like its high page-count is justified by the massive story it is trying to tell, although there were moments when I wondered if it was worth it.

I won't lie. By about the middle of the book, I started losing steam. The book starts out looking like a heist set in a fantasy world with an amazing magic system. However, as it went on, there was just a lot of stage-setting. And it kept going and kept going. I started to wonder if it was worth it... and then, like a roller coaster that has been creeping up a huge hill, it finally reached the peak and went swirling down, around, and through a series of somewhat unbelievable swoops until you are nearly flying out of the car by the end. It was one of those books that you look back on and feel unsure how the slow section could be made much less slow, as all the buildup made the climax so much more worth it.

On the other hand, despite all the introspection, I didn't really feel like any of the characters had all that much depth. Each side character had one or two traits that just were hit on again and again. While the two main characters had a bit more back story, it really didn't extend beyond what was needed by the story. It was a shame, as the characters all had the potential to be great. They just weren't all that much more than they seemed.

The setting... well, what can you say. It is a fantasy empire ruled by a tyrant. There is a bit more of interest related to the founding of the empire and the magic systems, but we only saw a small part of it, and that part wasn't super well developed beyond what was needed for the story.

The plot too, while a lot happened, none of it was shockingly original. While that isn't great, none of it was stupid, frustrating, or otherwise bad either. This is a story you can read and enjoy without feeling like you are ignoring the gaping plot holes all around you.

What does that all come down to? I feel like this is a solid workhorse of a story. It doesn't do anything astonishing, but by the end, it has picked up a bunch of speed and gets you through a bunch of revelations that are interesting and have a lot of potential in further books.

I think if you like fantasy and don't require the most beautiful language or the most original plot, you will enjoy this book. I was kind of on the fence about reading the next one, but I'm interested enough in seeing where it goes that I'll read it. (Please note that fantasy is not my most favorite genre, so people who really enjoy fantasy will probably enjoy this book more than I did.)