Novelloverzz

The Well of Ascension — 3.5/5★

This book was not what I expected, and for me, it was better than the first book. I was much more interested in this one.

Rating breakdown

- Overall: 3.5/5 - Protagonist (Vin): 4/5 - Supporting Cast: 3.5/5 - Plot: 4/5

Plot Breakdown

- Siege: 3/5 - Kandra: 3.4/5 - The Mist / Deepness: 4.5/5 - Zane: 1/5

Other Categories

- Plot Twists: 5/5 - Worldbuilding: 2.5/5 - Lore & History: 3.5/5 - Magic System: 4.5/5 - Pacing: 3/5 - Antagonists: 3/5 - Emotional Impact: 3.5/5 - Atmosphere: 4/5 - Themes: 3.5/5

Where to start? Well, this book was a mouthful.

Overall, I liked Vin, her relationship with Elend, and her internal struggles. What I didn't like was her entertaining the idea of Zane. I understand Vin's character, and I think she would have ripped Zane's soul from his body the moment she realized he was a threat to her friends, rather than entertaining the idea of going with him. The Zane plot felt like it existed just for the sake of the plot. It was the weakest part of the book. I did like Vin struggling with the idea that she wasn't right for Elend. Girl, you are wrong, but it's okay.

The supporting cast was much better than in the first book. Sazed, Breeze, Clubs, Spook, Tindwyl, and the others all got more depth. We got to see many POVs, their struggles, and their internal thoughts, and I liked that.

The overall plot was great, but it can be divided into four main storylines.

The Siege: Too long and stretched. Vin could have simply killed the enemy leaders and forced the remaining armies to submit to Elend. Instead, Elend was too pure to allow that. Then, when Vin finally did what should have been done from the start, Elend was just like, "Yeah, that's fine." You could have done that earlier and saved the city.

The Kandra: I did not see that coming. I never expected OreSeur to already be dead and TenSoon to have taken his place. Great twist.

The Mist / Deepness: My favorite part of the book. I wanted to see more of it throughout the story instead of mostly at the end, but the ending was fantastic. The revelation that the prophecies had been manipulated for thousands of years was incredible.

Zane: Literally... why? Completely unnecessary.

The plot twists were phenomenal. They were right in front of our eyes, but I still didn't see them coming. The reveal that the prophecies had been manipulated for thousands of years was easily the highlight of the novel.

The worldbuilding was okay. The lore and history improved, especially everything involving the Well of Ascension and Terris.

The magic system was great, as always.

The pacing was slower than the first book, but I didn't mind it.

The antagonists were good. Straff and the others worked well. I didn't like Zane as a character, though his fights were enjoyable.

The emotional moments with Clubs, Dockson, and Tindwyl hit me. I honestly expected everyone to make it through, so those deaths surprised me.

(Tindwly got offscreen) 😭😭🙏🙏

The atmosphere was excellent.

As for the themes, what stood out to me was the idea that people don't always know what's best for themselves, and that if you truly love someone, you should trust their wishes instead of forcing what you think is best onto them.

Overall, this was a good sequel and definitely better than the first book for me. I just wish we had gotten more of the Deepness and the lore throughout the novel. I also wish Elend's growth had taken more time. It felt too fast, and we never really saw him struggle with or regret the decisions that led him there. Because of that, some of his later choices didn't feel as earned as they could have.