“The Well of Ascension” is the second book in the original Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. And it’s a very good, very solid middle book for a trilogy. We get some answers to earlier mysteries, and we get some new mysteries. We get a light smattering of war as well as more political intrigue. We get some deeper character development, along with additional world building. And we get some more characters, but also lose some more characters.
Book 1, “Mistborn,” saw Kelsier and his crew working to overthrow the evil, omnipotent, cruel and nearly immortal Lord Ruler. “The Well of Ascension” takes place a year later, and we see the rebels trying to get down to the business of repairing, restoring and ruling a land recently freed from a tyrannical ruler. Which is going about as well as can be expected. An empire united under tyrannical rule is, technically, an empire united. Without the oppression from the top, things get a little tricksy and minor kings and major blue monsters both get delusions of grandeur.
There is also the continued mystery of the mist. Instead of dissipating when the Lord Ruler was defeated, the mists persist. In fact, they do more than persist, they thrive. Like your weird cousin at the holidays, the mist is showing up early and staying late. But, unlike your weird cousin (hopefully), the mist is confusing, murder-y and dangerous.
All told, I think The Well of Ascension sets the reader up perfectly for the final book in the trilogy. We’ve learned more about the Deepness and we’ve learned more about the Mistborn, but there is still a mystery afoot. And there is the promise of a Big Bad that is sneakier, more clever, bigger and badder than the Lord Ruler could ever hope. Yay!
Cannonball Read 18 Bingo Circle: And – I’ve read two books by this author for bingo; “Mistborn” and this one.
