A review by aldoregan
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

5.0

second read: april 29, 2020
BIIIITCH I STILL GOT CHILLS.
in my previous review, i said this was a slower book compared to tfe and i still stand by that. however i enjoyed this much more the second time around since i actually did pay attention to the political intrigue this time. also i did pay closer attention to the foreshadowings and though i did pick up on some,, i know there were still a lot that i probably hadn’t noticed because welp im Dumb. lol anyway what i wanted to say is this book was still so fucking GOOD like i literally still have goosebumps while im writing this messy “review”!

first read: april 11, 2017
"That's the point, isn't it? We have to live on, no matter how hard it gets. We'll win in the end."

One thing's for sure, Brandon Sanderson will never leave you disappointed with his books. I am blown away by another one of his masterpiece. But, I still think The Final Empire was better than The Well of Ascension. Half of this book had a slower pace than the first book, and there were a few parts that kinda bored me (only a little tho). The rest paid for it though. Everything was intense, mysterious, and thrilling. The fight scenes were deadass the bomb, and all the mysterious happenings were so engaging. There were so many twists and turns. So many things that kept me on edge. It's another amazing book from the Master of Fantasy himself.

* The magical elements and world were fantastic, as usual. Sanderson's brilliancy still jumps up at me and surprises me every. single. time. Apparently, there are still so much we don't know. There's so much to be uncovered. So much to wonder about and be discovered. Even though some questions were answered, new ones are formed. It's so engaging and captivating. I am enchanted with every edges and every corners this world has to offer.
* I love all the main characters. Even the new ones were absolutely great. I think what's mostly great about Sanderson's characters is that they feel so real. Each character is just excellently well written, from the protagonists to the antagonists. Plus, we never only focus on one specific character. Other characters get their point of views which enables us to understand their thoughts and mindset.
* The plot was intensifying and brilliant. It's a rollercoaster ride with a ton of surprises. Although there were a few parts that were somewhat boring, the rest was a whirlwind of action, mystery, and thrill. The storyline was a perfect one for the second book, and it sets up a lot for the final installment.

Overall, it's a fantastic second book to a fantastic trilogy!

"It's easy to believe in something when you win all the time... The losses are what defines a man's faith."

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

- is it just me or were y'all expecting that Kelsier was suddenly just going to make a grand entrance??? yes, i am still holding on to that sliver of hope that kelsier will come back somehow (alive or in spirit form, idc). he didn't appear in this book, which made me sad. but he might return in the last book *fingers crossed*.
- the whole thing with the hero of ages and kwaan, and alendi, and rashek (literally all of what sazed and tindwyl studied) was the most sjfnejkwmdnns thing in this book. TURNS OUT THE HERO OF AGES WAS ALL A LIE. I AM STILL SHOOK. and tbh the mist spirit creeped me out, no kidding. the hairs on my arms would stand up whenever that thing would appear. the last part when elend and vin were on their way to the well of ascension and sazed was in a hurry to stop them was really top notch. i was gripping the book while reading that part !!!!!!
- the best action scene was that part when the koloss attacked Luthadel !!! It was terrifying, yes, but it was also the best !! Plus, who knew Sazed could be a badass???
- i was so glad when i found out that sazed, breeze, and ham were alive. but i was sad when clubs, dockson, and especially tindwyl died !!! i know dockson was kind of an a-hole in this book, but he was kelsier's right-hand man, he was still a part of the crew, he just felt envious and sad and i could understand why he acted that way. that's why i still felt sad when he died.
- my favorite new character has to be the puppy version of oresuer or tensoon or whatever. my heart literally broke during that fight scene with vin against zane when we found out that oreseur/tensoon was the impostor!! i felt so betrayed and it hurt my heart!! but vin killed zane so there's no contract between the two anymore. i know tensoon left but i'm pretty sure he's going to come back in the last book. i hope he'll come back wearing a dog's body again amdnms,z.
- maybe the inquisitors are controlled by that evil thing in the well????
- i kinda think elend is going to be the hero of ages, i know he's just a new mistborn but he might be the one who'll be able to defeat the real enemy. or it might be sazed ????? idk, who knows, i know i don't.
- w h a t h a p p e n e d t o m a r s h ? ? ?
- WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE LAST BOOK I HAVE NO IDEA ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT THEN