Book Review: Does The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) Suffer from Second Book Syndrome?
Kind of. There’s not an easy answer. The book as a whole I would give a solid 4-4.25 stars, but the last 100 pages or so? FIVE STARS. All the stars! You know I devoured book one of the Mistborn Trilogy from my first review, but book two started off really slow for me. While the world was still immersive and interesting, it felt like not a lot was happening for a good chunk of the beginning. But by the end, I was completely mind blown again.
Things to Know:
- High fantasy with high stakes
- Two incredible magic systems
- Book two in a trilogy
- Romantic subplot, but not a focus
Wow. I literally just finished this book, and my mind is REELING. Like I said above, the last 100 pages or so were a roller coaster. The Kandra reveal?! I have to say I was not expecting that at all. Also, I spent the majority of this book wondering, “Where the heck is Marsh?” Now I wish I hadn’t.
There is always another secret.
Sazed is still a favorite character, and his love for Tindwyl, and their entire story is just completely tragic. We’re also introduced to a new Mistborn character, Zane, who serves as a love triangle between Vin and Elend. I personally wasn’t a big fan of this storyline, and didn’t love how easily he manipulated Vin. It seemed very out of character for her. But I AM very curious who is behind the voice he hears…
“I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted.”
As with the first book, the characters in this novel are still flawed, but loveable. Sometimes their flaws even come from being TOO virtuous. Ahem, Elend. But the standout favorite of all is OreSeur. His relationship with Vin is everything, and certain things make total sense when they are revealed (trying to stay spoiler free here). They definitely have the best banter and Sanderson writes dry humor so well. I absolutely laughed out loud a number of times while reading. Plus, who doesn’t love a wolf hound?
”More?” she asked incredulously. “You found more books?”
“Of course,” Elend said.
I didn’t cry this time, but there were definitely a few tearful moments where they were threatening to pour over. But mostly, I spent a lot of time going, “WTF just happened?!!!!” There were a LOT of reveals in this book, especially towards the end. While it’s mostly leaving me with more questions, we did get some interesting answers about the Koloss and Kandra.
I actually cannot wait to pick up book three, so expect another review soon as we finish out our buddy read of the Mistborn Trilogy. But if you’re already intrigued, I’d highly recommend picking this series up!
“This is not an easy time in which to live. That does not mean that it has to be a difficult time to love.”