by Brandon Sanderson
publisher’s 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.
It’s been a while since I finished The Well of Ascension, so my thoughts are a little more scattered and brief compared to normal.
While Mistborn was more of a rebellion/heist story, The Well of Ascension focuses more on political intrigue and the troubles of holding together a fledgling kingdom. It results in a different feel and pacing than the first book, but it isn’t bad. Just different.
The minor love triangle Sanderson created for Vin drove me a little crazy. I could see what he was trying to do with it and how it was supposed to work with Vin’s character, but it just didn’t really make that much sense to me. However, I did really like the character development between Vin and OnSeur.
As with Mistborn, the Allomany magic system is super fun to read. Sanderson also introduces a few new elements to the worldbuilding and magic system, keeping it fresh.
Overall, The Well of Ascension was a fine read; I just didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Mistborn.
Cautions: Unfortunately, the Notes app on my phone deleted my list of cautions, so I can’t provide an exact list. However, I’ll do my best from memory:
Semi-graphic, heavy violence; between twenty-to-thirty instances of swearing, between ten-to-twenty blasphemies; moderate romance; mentions of a man’s mistresses; non-descriptive mentions of rape; mention of a character being asleep in another’s bed (unmarried); a married couple wakes up together undressed, non-descriptive; worldview
Worldview: the former king, the Lord Ruler, was thought to be a god. Kelsier created a new religion when he was murdered by the Lord Ruler in the first book, and he and Vin are held in religious esteem. Various other story world religions are also discussed.
Hailey Huntington 
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