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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Well of Ascension is just as enjoyable a read as Mistborn was. The battle against the Lord Ruler has been won, and there's a lot to do in the aftermath of his death. This book is a lot more character focused than the first one. I've read a few other books with similar storylines to this one and have always found the second book a bit lacking. I'm happy to report that the Well of Ascension doesn't fall short. If anything, there were aspects of it that I liked more than the first book.
As always, Sanderson's prose is a joy to read. The worlds he creates suck you right in and leave you looking around in wonder. This book does have a slower pace than the first book, but that's because there's a lot more time allocated to worldbuilding. We get to look more in depth at both Allomancy and Feruchemy, as well as the vast political landscape of the cities outside of Luthadel.
"Good men don't need to become legends. They simply do what's right anyways"
I'm sucker for the found family trope. A group of miscreants and outcasts band together, teach each other what it means to be loved, and bring a bit of good back into an otherwise cold and bleak world in the process? Sign me up. Vin is the perfect character for this story. She's strong-willed and stubborn and sometimes she's kind of annoying in how bullheaded she can be. She's self-conscious, and she struggles with her feelings and how to talk about them. I've been cheering her on since the beginning. It was also nice to see the relationship developing between her and Elend. I liked the exploration of how their personalities and skills complimented each other - even though they are two very different people.
We get introduced to a few new characters of note in the Well of Ascension. We also get to see the return of several side characters in more prominent roles. Another thing I'm always wary of is when an author greatly expands the cast of a book in subsequent books of a series. I find that it usually takes away time that could have been spent with the main cast. Sanderson strikes a good balance here by introducing just a few new players while keeping most of the focus on the characters that we loved in Mistborn. That being said, I have two major complaints about this book and one of them has to do with one of the new characters. Relatively early on, we get introduced to a new mistborn and the role they play in the story is quite...jarring. I wasn't a fan of the subplot that they were involved in, and I feel like the role they played in the story was a bit forced.
My other main complaint about this book has to do with the final battle. I'll try my best to avoid any spoilers, but I will say very vaguely that several characters make serious sacrifices, and I was left with the sense that those sacrifices amounted to nothing when everything was said and done. It left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I suppose there is something realistic in that, though. The Mistborn trilogy so far has done a fantastic job of portraying its characters in a very human way, and sometimes humans don't make the best choices.
The real highlight of this book for me was that Sanderson brought in a dedicated dual POV. Parts of the story are told from Vin's perspective, and other parts from Sazed's. They're both very different characters with different priorities and goals, and getting to see both their thoughts as events unfold added another dimension to the story. Sanderson's continued use of epigraphs in this book is also a key point to note. They serve a slightly different purpose, but are still just as enjoyable to read. Make sure you pay attention to them because the payoff at the end of the book is just as incredible as we got in Mistborn - if not more so. This one completely blindsided me.
There are a lot of really well foreshadowed plot twists in this one. With the exception of the big twist at the end, I saw all of them coming. But Sanderson does a great job of rewarding his fans for reading deeply into the text. Even if you know what's coming, the reveals are written so well that it's still enjoyable even if they don't catch you by surprise.
Overall, a really fantastic novel. I had a great time reading it, and I'm looking forward to diving into the third book.
As always, Sanderson's prose is a joy to read. The worlds he creates suck you right in and leave you looking around in wonder. This book does have a slower pace than the first book, but that's because there's a lot more time allocated to worldbuilding. We get to look more in depth at both Allomancy and Feruchemy, as well as the vast political landscape of the cities outside of Luthadel.
"Good men don't need to become legends. They simply do what's right anyways"
I'm sucker for the found family trope. A group of miscreants and outcasts band together, teach each other what it means to be loved, and bring a bit of good back into an otherwise cold and bleak world in the process? Sign me up. Vin is the perfect character for this story. She's strong-willed and stubborn and sometimes she's kind of annoying in how bullheaded she can be. She's self-conscious, and she struggles with her feelings and how to talk about them. I've been cheering her on since the beginning. It was also nice to see the relationship developing between her and Elend. I liked the exploration of how their personalities and skills complimented each other - even though they are two very different people.
We get introduced to a few new characters of note in the Well of Ascension. We also get to see the return of several side characters in more prominent roles. Another thing I'm always wary of is when an author greatly expands the cast of a book in subsequent books of a series. I find that it usually takes away time that could have been spent with the main cast. Sanderson strikes a good balance here by introducing just a few new players while keeping most of the focus on the characters that we loved in Mistborn. That being said, I have two major complaints about this book and one of them has to do with one of the new characters. Relatively early on, we get introduced to a new mistborn and the role they play in the story is quite...jarring. I wasn't a fan of the subplot that they were involved in, and I feel like the role they played in the story was a bit forced.
My other main complaint about this book has to do with the final battle. I'll try my best to avoid any spoilers, but I will say very vaguely that several characters make serious sacrifices, and I was left with the sense that those sacrifices amounted to nothing when everything was said and done. It left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I suppose there is something realistic in that, though. The Mistborn trilogy so far has done a fantastic job of portraying its characters in a very human way, and sometimes humans don't make the best choices.
The real highlight of this book for me was that Sanderson brought in a dedicated dual POV. Parts of the story are told from Vin's perspective, and other parts from Sazed's. They're both very different characters with different priorities and goals, and getting to see both their thoughts as events unfold added another dimension to the story. Sanderson's continued use of epigraphs in this book is also a key point to note. They serve a slightly different purpose, but are still just as enjoyable to read. Make sure you pay attention to them because the payoff at the end of the book is just as incredible as we got in Mistborn - if not more so. This one completely blindsided me.
There are a lot of really well foreshadowed plot twists in this one. With the exception of the big twist at the end, I saw all of them coming. But Sanderson does a great job of rewarding his fans for reading deeply into the text. Even if you know what's coming, the reveals are written so well that it's still enjoyable even if they don't catch you by surprise.
Overall, a really fantastic novel. I had a great time reading it, and I'm looking forward to diving into the third book.
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ARE. YOU. KIDDING???
Okay, writing this review I am about halfway through the next book but I need to take a moment to appreciate the 'Ellie' who was sitting in Debate on Friday absolutely dumbfounded as she finished this book. I was truly a different person after I read this.
People love to talk about character development and internal struggles but don't bring up this absolute masterclass of an example?? This book set up the stakes IMMEDIATELY, letting us know that however we thought the first book ended was incorrect. It feels less like a fantasy novel at times and more like a political commentary, challenging the idea of what it is to lead and what it takes.
I love how Sanderson handles Vin and Elends relationship, it is flimsy and complex and truly had me worried for a hot second. AND ZANE. He has to come back because he was so interesting and tragic and I adored him from the moment he was introduced. He was very flawed yet I found him and Straff's dynamic to be one of the most engaging parts of the books, and that is saying something.
This book was so tragic, the last 15% had me gasping left and right and crying actual tears in my Theatre class. I don't even think I can say more until I finish the series and I will 1000% update this with my final thoughts.
Okay, writing this review I am about halfway through the next book but I need to take a moment to appreciate the 'Ellie' who was sitting in Debate on Friday absolutely dumbfounded as she finished this book. I was truly a different person after I read this.
People love to talk about character development and internal struggles but don't bring up this absolute masterclass of an example?? This book set up the stakes IMMEDIATELY, letting us know that however we thought the first book ended was incorrect. It feels less like a fantasy novel at times and more like a political commentary, challenging the idea of what it is to lead and what it takes.
I love how Sanderson handles Vin and Elends relationship, it is flimsy and complex and truly had me worried for a hot second. AND ZANE. He has to come back because he was so interesting and tragic and I adored him from the moment he was introduced. He was very flawed yet I found him and Straff's dynamic to be one of the most engaging parts of the books, and that is saying something.
This book was so tragic, the last 15% had me gasping left and right and crying actual tears in my Theatre class. I don't even think I can say more until I finish the series and I will 1000% update this with my final thoughts.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Rape
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
liked this more than most on, but it might have convinced me i’ve had enough. the character development is just relatively poor and trying to believe that Vin is some invincible assassin is so difficult. the love interest and the conflict was really disappointing, but i keep coming back for the great world building, magic system, and some fun twists