nosro 's review for:

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

4.0

adventurous dark tense fast-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: Yes

---

 Overall, this was a solid fantasy novel with great character arcs and high-stakes tension, though a few issues held it back from being a full five star read for me.

Pros: 

• Everything I loved from the first book is still here: the rich worldbuilding, a grounded and rule based magic system, and Sanderson’s ability to paint vivid, cinematic scenes. Allomancy continues to be one of the most thoughtfully constructed systems I’ve read.
• Sazed’s arc was a highlight. It was great to see him step more into the spotlight, both in how he supports Elend and in his relationship with Tindwyl, which added a new emotional layer to his character.
• The siege and political maneuvering around Luthadel was interesting to read. I appreciated how the story balanced war, diplomacy, and Elend’s idealistic attempt to build a just government under pressure.

Cons:

• The love triangle between Vin, Elend, and Zane didn’t work for me. It felt unnecessary and didn’t really serve the characters’ growth. Zane being Elend’s stepbrother and Vin keeping it secret felt contrived. Thankfully, it’s resolved in this book and doesn’t linger.
   
• The action scenes are very repetitive. You can only read about someone throwing coins and pushing/pulling on metal so many times before your eyes gloss over. 
• The plot lines for both
  Zane
  and Straff were wrapped up real quick. It felt like both of those should of had a more satisfying ending since they were built up over the entire book.