The Well of Ascension review

The Basics

Book Title: The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2)

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Pages: 756

ISBN: 978-0-7653-7714-2

Genre: Fantasy

Defining Quote

"We will die to show that there are skaa who will not be bullied, who will not back down. This is a very important precedent, I think. In the histories and legends, this is the kind of event that inspires. If the skaa are ever to take rule of themselves, there will need to be sacrifices they can look to for motivation." - pg. 570

Summary

This the second book to the Mistborn series. The book is set a year after the end of the first book, The Final Empire, and the main characters are trying to figure out how to keep the brand new empire from falling apart before it even begins. 

Thoughts

Once again, this book took WAY longer than I originally intended. At first, I was getting through it pretty quickly because I knew the world and the characters. Then I started reading other books and I kept putting this one off until late at night because "I was getting through it so fast", but then never got to it because I was tired. I checked it out from the library twice, even after renewing it the max amount of times. And now, after starting it, officially, in September, I have now finished it. Why in the world did it take me that long to finish? That's a difficult question for me to answer. 

When I look back on this book after just finishing it, I truly enjoyed the ride. I remember the action scenes and appreciating them more because I understand the magic system better than I did during The Final Empire. I remember the political battles between people and really enjoying the tension through those scenes. Seriously, I think I was more enthralled in those tense moments than I was during some of the action scenes! I was left hanging to the last page on what was going to happen and couldn't guess the twist until it was revealed at the very end. Some of the main characters, such as Vin and Elend, are flushed out even further in this book, which made me understand their motivations and actions. 

I absolutely loved the plot and the characters, so why did it take 5 months to actually finish this book? Why did it take so long for me to finish the first book as well? 

I think that this is one of those series that I have to devote myself solely to this book and no other while I'm reading it. It's a book that I was able to pick up and immediately be back in the world again, so it made it easy to put down and jump into a different book that takes a couple chapters before I get into that world again. It has a different feel to it than other books, but I can't necessarily put my finger on what makes it different. 

In a lot of fantasy novels, you meet the hero, get to know him/her, and then wait to see how they're going to save the day by the end of the book. This series isn't like that at all. You will feel pain for these characters. The main characters don't always win, even when it's for the best. The struggle for them is completely realistic and it makes me drawn to them even more because I want them to succeed. If they win and live another day, then so can I. When they lose things along their journey, I can truly identify with the thoughts of whether that loss is really going to amount to anything or wondering if it was all for nothing. 

Overall, I'd say this series makes me want to stand for what is right, even though I may fall along the way. 

Pros vs. Cons

• Pros
• Great character development, especially with Vin and Elend
• Great political battles
• Fast-paced action interspersed throughout
• Cons
• Needs all of your attention - don't recommend reading another book at the same time

Overall Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts of this book/series? Let me know in the comments below!