The Final Empire: A Cinderella Story

Why does the love story in Mistborn feel so familiar?

Before I say too much, this video has spoilers for the first Mistborn novel, The Final Empire. So if you haven’t read the novel and you don’t want it spoiled for you, add this video to your watch later list and circle back when you’re done.

Or don’t. Whatever floats your boat. But you’ve been warned. 

There are several concurrent storylines in Brandon Sanderson’s first Mistborn novel. The author himself, on several occasions, has talked about how The Final Empire is structured like a heist story. But drifting along with epic displays of allomantic magic and a society-shaking plot to overthrow the Lord Ruler’s regime is a fantastic love story.

The novel’s main character, Vin, begins as a Skaa street rat in the city of Luthadel, crushed under the tyranny of the Lord Ruler. She trusts no one, and it’s not until she meets Kelsier—who brings her in on his plot to collapse the empire—that she discovers the true extent of her talents as a Mistborn.

It’s at the formal balls of nobility that Vin runs into Elend Venture, heir to one of the most powerful houses in Luthadel. Over time, Vin and Elend fall in love, but Elend doesn’t really know the true identity of his Valette until a spy discovers her secret.

But it all works out in the end. Vin and Elend’s love conquers the gulf between their stations in life and a new world order is established.

It’s a great story. But why? Why does the story resonate with us?

Literature—even Science Fiction and Fantasy stories—are part of a conversation, an artistic dialogue with the stories told and re-told through the ages. And when you find a story that clicks for you, there’s a good chance it’s part of a conversation you’ve been engaged with your whole life.

The romance between Vin and Elend is a re-telling of a story that’s classic and rarely fails to tung on our heartstrings when executed properly: Cinderella.

Hear me out. Let me show you what I mean.

You see, a story is really just made of a few elements that work together in concert. Having the obligatory elements won’t automatically make your story great, but fail to include the proper ingredients and… things might not work out so well.

Most stories are part of a greater pattern, cyclic, told before, even if we don’t immediately recognize it.

So what are the elements of Vin’s story that make it a Cinderella retelling?

Disney’s animated interpretation of the fairytale is probably one of the most popular over the past 100 years, but the most influential version is by Charles Perrault in 1697. 

My French is awful—I can’t even say the guy’s name right—so I’m gonna go ahead and drop the title of this version right here so you can find it yourself if you’re curious.

This version gave us some of the elements that we’re most familiar with today like the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage, and the glass slipper.

So let’s re-examine Vin and Elend’s love story through the lens of Cinderella.

The novel’s main character, Vin, begins as a Skaa street rat in the city of Luthadel, crushed under the tyranny of the Lord Ruler. 

Like Cinderella, Vin is living an awful life, over-worked and abused. This is due to a class system that places her in a low station from birth. Vin’s wicked stepmother is her society and its Lord Ruler.

She trusts no one, and it’s not until she meets Kelsier—who brings her in on his plot to collapse the empire—that she discovers the true extent of her talents as a Mistborn.

And here we have the fairy godmother… Well, godfather this time, but that’s okay. Re-tellings always change the story to either build on the original themes of the story or introduce a new spin. But the fairy part is still very much intact. Kelsier is magical, and he’s responsible for giving her the opportunity to meet her prince.

It’s at the formal balls of nobility that Vin—posing as Valette Renoux—runs into Elend Venture, heir to one of the most powerful houses in Luthadel. 

Is it starting to look obvious now? Vin, like Cinderella before her, disguises herself as someone else to go to a few balls where she meets her prince, Elend Venture.

So you might be wondering… Where’s the glass slipper? In most of our modern interpretations of the fairytale, Cinderella leaves behind a glass slipper as a clue to her identity for the prince. Did Sanderson miss this element?

In The Final Empire, things play out a bit differently. Vin strips away everything in her race against time, where midnight in this story is the assassins reaching and killing Elend. She leaves behind her shoes and her dress, jumping into action with only her underthings for maneuverability. The items left behind don’t serve to be the all-important key to her identity, however. Instead, it’s one of Elend’s father’s spies that delivers the clue to her identity.

It’s a loose parallel to draw between the glass slipper and a spy following and discovering that Vin isn’t who she says she is, but like I said before, the storyteller can and should alter elements of their re-tellings in order to fit the era they find themselves living in, or perhaps, as in Sanderson’s case, to better fit into the framework of a larger story with parallel plotlines.

So this begs a question. Did Sanderson write this parallel consciously? 

Maybe.

Maybe not. 

Sanderson is an experienced storyteller and certainly understands the power of using structural and emotional resonance to grab a reader. Mistborn even occurs in a faux french society while the most influential retelling of Cinderella was similarly told for a french audience. 

But it really doesn’t matter. Cinderella is a story we all share across time and space. There are variations of the tale in both western and eastern societies, and storytellers may draw on these touchstones intentionally or unintentionally as a shortcut for us, the reader, to connect with their themes and characters.

But why would Sanderson add a love story to the novel anyway? What greater purpose is there?

As an author, his job is to sell books, and really his justification can stop right there. Adding a romance subplot to a book is a great way to satisfy readers. In general, love stories are highly emotional and help the readers feel better connected to the characters. No more reason is needed.

But let’s assume that Sanderson, the master storyteller, had a grander purpose in mind. Using the underlying structure of Cinderella reinforces some of The Final Empire’s themes of social inequality and trust. It pairs perfectly with Vin’s journey from an unknown street rat to one of the most powerful people in her world.

Allowing Vin to disguise herself as Lady Renoux gave Vin a shield to explore her new identity behind. From a place of relative safety, she can re-evaluate the assumptions she’s made about life. Can anyone with power behave with honor? Is it possible to trust someone? Vin’s love story serves as a vehicle for her to gain perspective, ultimately addressing the themes of social injustice and Vin’s personal theme of trust.

But what do you think? Do you think the love story in The Final Empire is a Cinderella retelling, or does it better match another story of old? Do you think the author did this intentionally or are we just reading into things too closely?

Let me know in the comments. I’d love to know what you think and discuss it further with you.

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