The Well of Ascension

THE WELL OF ASCENSION (Mistborn #2)

Written by Brandon Sanderson

Published by Tor Books, August 5, 2014

My star rating: 4 stars

THE SYNOPSIS:

Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire. Three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows. Find it on Goodreads

MY REVIEW:

Before I get into the meat of the review, I need to remind you that this is book 2 of the Mistborn trilogy. SO! If you haven’t read book one yet, turn away now! I will be spoiling the events in the first book but NOT this one though 🙂

This book was a whirlwind and a half! Some of it was more shocking and fast paced than the first book, yet at the same time there was a totally different atmosphere. In Mistborn (The Final Empire) we were on a collision course with a rebellion. We got the chance to meet all the players of the game, learn about their personalities and abilities, and follow their plan to overthrow the Lord Ruler. There were so many interesting characters and dynamics to follow! Now that the Lord Ruler has been killed along with Kelsier, and the skaa people were freed with a new king, this book took a more political turn. Taking over Luthadel and freeing the Skaa wasn’t the end all of this story….. obviously since there is a trilogy lol. In this book we see a kingdom trying to rebuild, a social class trying to figure out what to do with their freedom, and a girl named Vin coming to terms with her magical abilities.

Due to the different direction of the story, this book is a tad bit slower. Not that it was a bad thing, but there were times that I wished we could do without all the tiny little details and dialogue. However, if you’ve read a Brandon Sanderson novel, you will know that every detail is there for a reason! As slow as it was a times, I found myself going back to conversations between characters and recalling their theories, fears, and ideas. It was really interesting and well done! There was also more fighting. A war to be precise. And, in true Brandon Sanderson style, there can’t just be ONE threat – there has the be multiple threats coming from different directions simultaneously. Just when one side had things all planned out for their success, something would happen to blindside them and bring them to their knees. Best part was – no one saw it coming!

I also found the characters more interesting and deep in this book. We were over all the initial introductions and in this book we could focus more on what drives them, what goals they have, and their relationships. It was really interesting to see how some reacted with others and the strings that attached them all. Some of the characters that I thought I knew came out with either a softer side or a darker side. Kelsier was my favourite in book one, but the character that takes the cake in this one is Sazed! Oh my heart! And while i’m on the topic of characters, let’s talk about Vin for a second…… she was 16 in the first book and 18 in this one?? I don’t think so. I’m sorry, but I wish that she was written as a girl in her 20’s. This whole teenage girl thing doesn’t work for me, especially after reading what she was capable of in this book! Bad ass – get it girl!

Now when I read book one, I used post it notes to tab things that I found interesting about the magic system or the world. I found that there were a lot of things that were mentioned that I knew would be important but they were never answered. In this book, things finally start to get answered! It makes the plot so much larger than anticipated and lays the groundwork to connecting dots. Not all dots are connected yet (I’ll have to wait for book 3 for that!) but I have a strong urge to figure it all out! I always think I have Sanderson figured out…….. and I’m always wrong. Always!

And the ending…….. MIND BLOWING!! I’ve mentioned it a few times, but Brandon Sanderson has a way of making plot twists come out of nowhere and make your jaw drop. The deception, the betrayal, the successes, the failures…… it was INSANE! One of the best endings I’ve read in a while and it honestly took me a few days to process it before I could write this review!

Safe to say, this is an incredible fantasy series with my favourite magic system that’s keeping me on the verge of a stroke while reading! I can’t wait to get to book 3!!

Until next time, happy reading!