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The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2) Review

I know some folks have said this book is not as good as the first, and I agree and disagree. Here's why:

The first book was a bit confusing for me (although not nearly as much as other fantasy magic systems have been). I felt as if I spent a lot of it learning how things work and figuring out how to picture the descriptions. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but by the end of the book I was ready to dive into the second book because I knew that, now that I had the magic system down, I'd be able to jump into the story itself.

It's easy to forget throughout the first book that Vin is just a girl - she's a teenager, she's young, she hasn't had any sort of female influence in her life (except for a warped view of her dead mother). She's confused, scared and she's been thrown into a very impossible circumstance that's demanding that she actually stand up and make herself heard and seen - which goes against everything her existence as a thief and a girl has taught her. For that very reason I loved the bit of romance thrown in and the triangle created between Vin, Eland and Zane. I loved that it showed her insecurities and that it reminded us that, although she's a fierce assassin and a person who carries the majority of the weight of this story on her shoulders, she is still a teenage girl with the same teenage insecurities. That's a big portion of why I loved this second book so much.

Another reason is that, in spite of knowing more about the factions and the characters (although still not as much as I would like), Sanderson continues to surprise me with very rationale reasons for the way things work and with twists and turns in the political structure of the world he's created. Simply put, I never stop guessing. I LOVE that.

Now, what I didn't like - it's a short list and some pretty minor stuff actually. I want to know more about the actual characters surrounding Vin and Eland. I know those two pretty well by this point, but I was sad to see some of them dying off before I really got to know who they are. (Seriously? You had to take one of my FAVORITE dudes, Sanderson?) The book is long enough that more depth could be explored with these characters but I still feel as if I hardly know them and that they are pretty one-sided.

I'm looking forward to the third book, in fact, I'm forcing myself to write this review before I go pick it up. Very excited to see how this trilogy ends and I have already placed these books on my wishlist- unheard of for me when I haven't read the entire thing yet.

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2) Feature

ISBN13: 9780765356130
Condition: New
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The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2) Overview

Evil has been defeated. The war has just begun.

They did the impossible, deposing the godlike being whose brutal rule had lasted a thousand years. Now 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.

They have barely begun when 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 may just be that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Surviving the aftermath of his fall is going to be the real challenge.

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Customer Reviews

Suffers a bit from "middle book syndrome" - Jack Tripper - Chicago, IL
After being pleasantly surprised at the quality of the first book in the series, 'Mistborn (The Final Empire)', I was looking forward to continuing the story of Vin and company. Unfortunately, I felt the book left a lot to be desired, but does provide a good set-up for 'Hero of Ages.'

The plot picks up shortly after the last one left off, with Elend the newly-crowned king of Luthadel, who's unsure of himself and still struggling with his new-found responsibilities, all while having to deal with three separate armies who have the city under siege. A large portion of the novel deals with Elend and Vin's relationship during this period, and unfortunately this type of thing does not seem to be Mr. Sanderson's strong suit, and the reader ends up just feeling frustrated at times. Also, while Elend is decent as a main protagonist, he's nowhere near as interesting or dynamic as Kelsier, but he does eventually grow into his own, somewhat. Many of the other members of Kelsier's old crew, such as Breeze, are pushed into the background for this one. Even Vin's role is reduced quite a bit, which is quite a change from the first novel. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just gives the book a different feel overall.

'Well of Ascension,' unfortunately, suffers from the same problem as many other middle books of trilogies. The author has the tough task of trying to maintain the interest level even after the novelty or 'newness' of the first one has worn off, plus try to set up the final novel while still having a climax in this one. To me, the book felt like TOO much set-up. The pace does pick up toward the end, but having to read through the nearly 700-pages to get there was at times a bit of a slog, but definitely leaves you with the desire to start 'Hero of Ages' right away and, at least in that respect, I think the novel succeeds. If the last one's anywhere near as interesting and just plain fun as the first, then it will all have been worth it.

A very worthy sequel! - Patrick A. Kellner - Atlanta
"The Well of Ascension", book 2 of the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.

Many expected their lives to change for the better once the Lord Ruler was gone however the reality of the situation is much bleaker. Elend Venture has taken the role of king with Vin at his side however this may be a short lived position. Elend's father has moved an army into an aggressive position right outside the gates of Luthadel and seems intent on taking Elend's position and the Atium everyone believes he has. To make matters worse the ashmounts have begun to spew even more ash making it unlikely that crops will grow. The problems continue to mount as Elend and Vin look for solutions to unsolvable problems...

"The Well of Ascension" was a strong follow to "Mistborn : Final Empire Series (Book #1) (Mistborn, Book 1)" though not quite its predecessor's equal. Sanderson continues to develop his already well drawn characters though there are points where the action sequences are traded for political and character development which weren't a problem and did serve to further the story.

The Good: Strong characters, solid action sequences and good dialogue which all appear to be signature's of Sanderson are all prevalent within the book. Political world building, and a well thought out plot are also a solid devices in the Well of Ascension.

The Bad: There are times when the actions of Vin seem very out of character but all of these things manage to be brought into perspective within the book and the follow up "The Hero of Ages: Book Three of Mistborn".

Overall: If you like the first "The Well of Ascension" is a very worthy follow up. Give it a try.

GOOD READ - John J. Mcdonnell - lake george, ny
Good sequel to the first book which is a must read in order to understand this story.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 31, 2010 13:32:05

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Tuesday, August 31, 2010