Full Book Review of The Well of Ascension
Check out the full book review of Well of Ascension, the second book in the first Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. This books continues the of the Mistborn Vin and Elend Venture as they try to remake the political system of the empire.
Here’s a short synopsis of the book:
“The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler — the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years — has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.
As Kelsier’s protégé and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.
Stopping assassins may keep Vin’s Mistborn skills sharp, but it’s the least of her problems. Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn’t run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier’s crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won’t get easier with three armies – one of them composed of ferocious giants – now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler’s hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.”
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Full Book Review Without Spoilers
At the end of the first book, Vin and Elend finally defeat the Lord Ruler, but problems soon arise with their new government in the city of Luthadel. They encounter new creatures, multiple separate armies attack, political maneuvering, and more ancient prophecies that add to the overall fantasy world building to pull you in and really set up the next book. So, if you’re looking for a fantasy book in a larger series that has tons you can dive into, this book (and the Mistborn series) is a good option for you.
There’s great character development when it comes to Vin and Elend as they both struggle through their challenges together and on their own. Vin in particular has a satisfying character arc in this book. We also get to see a lot more of the dynamic relationship between Vin and Elend as well as with the other members of the crew that help run the city with Elend.
There’s also a lot more revealed about the prophecy, the Hero of Ages, and the ancient legend introduced in the first book that really adds to the intrigue and world building for the future Mistborn books. You can start to see a lot more going on in the world as a hold, and how all this will affect the world outside of Luthadel as well. By the end of the book, Sanderson really gives you the feeling that this is all much bigger than just Vin, Elend, and the crew.
Overall, if you liked the characters, the magic system, the intricate world building, and the writing of the first Mistborn, you’ll like this one as well even though it’s not as good as the first book. There’s much more political intrigue and less action, but you do want to continue on to the final book of the trilogy. While the beginning and middle can feel slow, the high fantasy elements make up for that.
Characters
In this book, we get to see even more background of the characters of the original crew from the previous book. If you liked the characters and the dynamic of the group in the first book, then you’ll like this one as well. There’s also a few new characters that make the story more interesting like the other mysterious Mistborn that shows up in the city with a big interest in Vin.
Plot
One of the down sides of the book is that the plot takes awhile to pick up. Certain points are interesting, but the action takes a lot of time to really pick up. The main plot points in this book is more political back and forth through most of the book, and the real action all happening at the end of the book.
Writing
The writing style of this book is very similar to the first in that the beginning can feel slow, but it’s purposely setting up the intricate political landscape along with the larger world building you need later. Sanderson does a great job of weaving in small details and pieces of world building that come together to make a memorable ending. Some of the pieces are also left unanswered in a way that makes you want to keep reading the series.
Full Book Review With Spoilers
You’ve been warned that from here on out there will be spoilers.
Because I like the whole premise of this magic system and the Mistborn story as a whole, I enjoyed reading this book, and this book does make me want to read more of Sanderson’s writing. For me, I got a little bored of the political back and forth without much action to go with it in the first half of the book. But the second half of the book does make up for it.
I really liked the new and different characters that were introduced in this book. Zane in particular really brings more intrigue to the book because he’s really unpredictable but interesting. Vin’s kandra is also a super interesting character that we get to know in this one along with the kandra species as a whole.
If you like a little romance in your fantasy, this book does a good job of keeping the romance relevant to the story but not taking away from the plot at all. Vin really struggles through her role as a Mistborn in this book, so we get a look at her more vulnerable side compared to the first book. The same happens with Elend to a lesser degree, but then we get to see them finally turn to each other to work through it.
You may think the beginning is slow, but push through until at least the middle. So much happens at the end, especially once Vin finds the Well, that I couldn’t put the book down once I got to the last one-fourth. And whatever comes out of the Well along with the Mist apparitions makes you want to read the third book to figure it all out.
Pros of the Book
Sanderson is a great writer for fantasy if you like the complete, elaborate fantasy worlds with lots of interesting characters and an overarching prophecy/problem facing the main characters. There’s already so much intricate world building by the second, but it only gets better by the end of this one.
Another pro is that almost all your favorite characters are back in this book. With the exception of Kelsier, the whole crew shows up again in this book. And there’s some very interesting new characters introduced in this book.
Cons of the Book
Like the first book, the biggest con is that the plot can feel slow at the beginning. A lot is happening, but it’s mostly just political back and forth. If you’re familiar with Sanderson’s books, you know it’s worth it by the end for this type of high fantasy.
Another con is that because this is the second book in the trilogy, they’re left with more problems at the end leading into the third book. So, I didn’t like it as much as either the first or the third books, but it’s good for its overall place in the series.
Conclusion
Overall, this is a solid fantasy book that is worth the read. It may not be the best book in the series, but it fulfills the role as the second book in the trilogy. The writing style is enjoyable to read, and the overarching plot of the Mistborn books as a whole pulls you in as a reader.
This book answers some of the questions left at the end of the first book, but also adds a few more (in a good way) as you go into the third book. So, if you liked the first book you should continue on with this one and the rest of the Mistborn books.
You can find the book here.
I have a full summary of the book here if you need a refresher on any of the main points. If you need a refresher on the first book I have a full book review and summary as well.
Star Rating- 3.75 out of 5 Stars
This book was an enjoyable read that left me thinking about it, but one I probably wouldn’t read again. I’d recommend it to other fantasy readers like I would recommend the entire series. Not the best book in the series, but still a good read.
Here’s how I rate all my books: My Rating System
Who Would Enjoy Reading?
If you like traditional fantasy, you should pick up the Mistborn series. Sanderson is a remarkable fantasy writer, and this series has a unique magic system from other fantasy that really pulls you in. And there’s lots of books beyond this trilogy to dive into if you like the world and story of Mistborn.
What to Read After Well of Ascension
This is the second book in the series, so my recommendations are the same as the first book besides the next book in the series. Continue on with the third book, or grab one of these other great fantasy books.
The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
This is the third book in the Mistborn series. So if you liked the first two, continue on with this one! You can find the book here.
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
This is another epic fantasy with some great characters and a unique magic system (and one of my favorite books). Although, this series is not completed. You can find it here.
Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Another great fantasy series you can start is The Wheel of Time series. The first novel, Eye of the World, is the opening to a new fantasy world if you like series with a lot of books. You can find it here.
