The Well of Ascension is the second book in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Saga. It continues the story immediately after the first book, Mistborn, where we follow Vin, Elend, Sazed, and the rest of the crew after the Lord Ruler’s downfall. Luthadel, the capital city of the Western Dominance, is thrown into uncertainty as Elend is named King, the skaa are freed, an assembly is assembled, and more than one despot and armies waits outside the gates in hopes of taking the city for themselves. Elend wants desperately to create a new, representative government, but he struggles to get everyone on his side. He is young and new to ruling. In an effort to grow into his position, he relies on the advice of Tindwyl, a Terris woman, to teach him the ways of kings past. She pushes him to be more assertive and to dress the part. She is a tough but elegant woman, and we learn that her relationship with Sazed is complicated and contentious.

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While Elend makes quick progress in becoming the man the people need, Vin, his magical mistborn maven, is ever vigilant in protecting him from a myriad of assassins. As she fends off attackers in the night, she meets a tentative friend who is also a mistborn. His name is Zane, and he is going insane. The voice of God instructs him to kill pretty much everyone except Vin. Zane and Vin should be foes, but they bond over their powerful abilities, and Vin is challenged as to what those powers should be used for. Is she just a knife in the tool belt of others, or should she free herself from the world of regular men?

While the city waits for war, Sazed and Vin discover a disturbing trend related to the mist. As the Lord Ruler was dying, he warned that he was keeping something terrible from spreading. Now, the mists are starting to linger past sunup, and there are disturbing reports of people dying from the mist itself. While Vin and Sazed try to unravel the mysteries of the Deepness, Vin continues to feel an unrelenting thumping in her head, beckoning her somewhere. Is the power contained in The Well of Ascension the secret to defeating the Deepness, or is it a temptation that must be rejected at all costs? Is Vin the Hero of Ages, the one who will bring the world back to its once peaceful glory, or will Vin just become another despot with an limitless power for cruelty?

The Well of Ascension is a bit slower-paced than the first book, Mistborn, but it is well worth the time. There is so much going on in this one, and Brandon Sanderson does a great job of introducing new challenges for the characters to juggle. There are rarely easy choices to be made, especially when those choices affect so many. The world of the Mistborn saga is set in the same universe as The Way of Kings, and I am still trying to wrap my head around how they relate, but even without that connection, I am really enjoying the series. The hero narrative is done really well here, and it is exciting to watch the characters evolve. I highly recommend The Well of Ascension to those who enjoyed Mistborn. Next up: Book Three: The Hero of Ages!

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