The Well of Ascension
Year: 2007
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Length: 1,737 minutes / 28.95 hours
Even though it has been some time since I read The Final Empire, it is a testament to Brandon Sanderson that I could remember most of the details of this fantasy series when I got to the second book, The Well of Ascension. The magic system of burning different metals to provide a variety of super-powered abilities is such a unique idea that it easily sticks in my mind and is complex enough to explore further in this book.
While I love how Sanderson does his action sequences, I understand the need to lean more on political and religious intrigue in this second book to deepen the lore and world-building for the Mistborn series. Sanderson does a good job with these moments of loyalty and betrayal, and it shows the amount of thought he put into making this world realistic—at least in terms of how we understand our world’s politics and religions. However, unlike how Orson Scott Card did this in the Call of Earth series or Isaac Asimov did in the Foundation series, there don’t seem to be ties to real-world histories that weigh down what Sanderson is trying to do here.
Ultimately, Sanderson is a master of magic systems, and The Well of Ascension uses Vin to expand what allomancy can do. That Vin is the best character in the series so far is testament to how much she factors into the plot and the development of the magic system. The creative ways she uses her magic to move through the world is what makes the action sequences as entertaining as they are. I do hope I can get to the next book in the series sooner rather than later, just to see how things turn out for her.
Political intrigue mixed with great magical world-building, I give The Well of Ascension 4.5 stars out of 5.
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