A Fantasy Series Book Review
By Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Heroes, 16+
ISBN: 0765356139
Publisher: Tor Fantasy; (June 3, 2008)
Mass Market Paperback: 816 pages
Read an Excerpt
Publisher's Blurb:
Evil has been defeated. The war has just begun.Vin and Eland find out that there is a price to be paid for winning the good fight. Now they need to deal with setting up a new government, Vin has to come to terms with her rise from unobtrusive street urchin to the most powerful Mistborn ever and Elend has to figure out how to transfer the idea of king as written in books, to the actuality of being one. Sound like a lot? Well it gets worse, first one, then two, then three armies camp outside of the city, all looking to take possession of the missing atium. Think this is plenty? Oh no! The mists are starting to appear even during daylight hours, and they kill. Vin is going to find herself facing another Mistborn, dealing with assassination attempts, searching for an unknown traitor who is a Kandra, - which means it could be anybody - and there is a mysterious mistwraith watching her. Sounds hopeless right? Well, there are the old legends and prophecies concerning the Hero of the Ages and the Well of Ascension. But can our heroes discover their true meanings in time?
They did the impossible, deposing the godlike being whose brutal rule had lasted a thousand years. Now Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire.
They have barely begun when three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.
It may just be that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Surviving the aftermath of his fall is going to be the real challenge.
I liked this one almost as much as the first but there are sections that plod along a bit. There is a lot of character development, most of it internal in nature. There is also a lot of political maneuvering and posturing, that while a logical consequence of toppling a 1000 year old government, does not make for very exciting reading. However, there are still some thought provoking things going on and some mysteries are solved while others continue to pop up. Plus, let us not forget Vin; she is always good for an impressive fight or three.
The magic system remains one of my favorite draws. The characters are well developed and believable, the world is dark and scary, the politics are actually a bit interesting and while the pace is slightly uneven, that is typical for a "middle" book. I am surprised by the fact that I cannot quite connect to the characters. I like them, their dilemmas and angst are well portrayed, they are definitely well fleshed out, but I do not "care" about them very much. It is one of those things I cannot explain. It does not detract from my enjoyment of the story, just bugs me because I do not know the reason. Anyway, there are plenty of things I do love about this book so it all evens out.
Content is the same as in book one. Lovemaking is so vaguely implied that you are not even sure if it happens at all, there are romance elements though, several actually. The violence is gory and graphic at times but it is hard to fight wars and kill people without gore. This story also provides some philosophical elements, namely an exploration of faith, its benefits, pitfalls, and meanings. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. It is a solid ending for the most part but the story ends with a definite tie in to book 3. A very fascinating read that should please most die hard fantasy fans. It is also the type of book that will benefit from an occasional reread and that is the book shelf I'm placing it on! Now on to book three, I am dying to know how this all ends.
Other books in the series
Shelfari Rating 4+/5 Librarything Rating 4.36/5 Amazon Rating 4+ out of 5 stars (63 Customer Reviews)  What Should I Read Next? | Kindle: The Well of Ascension Ebook: Fictionwise Buy Book: B&N - Powells Amazon: US  Canada UK |
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2 Visitor Comments:
Good review.
It was very helpful because it convinced me that I definitely have to buy and read the whole trilogy.
You won't regret it :>)
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