A review by seanml
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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

3.75

The Well of Ascension is the second book in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn fantasy trilogy. What I find with this series is that it's just a slight bit style over substance. The characters are varied, I have a clear picture of them and more or less enjoy their presence. The world is interesting and unique; the lore is well thought out; and of course the magic system is fleshed out and intricately explained. However I find that as whole the story lacks a certain warmth. This isn't always a necessity in fantasy and sci-fi - sometimes the author just wants to write out their cool ideas, and there are many in Mistborn. But big plot points often don't carry a weight to them. Sometimes the plot itself is going through motions - and it is VERY apparent in one big subplot. One that I found to be SO contrived and led to situations where things could have worked out if the characters just talked to each other. So, still very novel for its time, but maybe not as enjoyable as the first. 7.5/10.
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