The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Published by Hachette UK on March 30, 2010
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 800
four-half-stars

The original Mistborn trilogy has earned a spot in my favorite fantasy series of all time. The second and third entries in the series continue to expand Brandon Sanderson’s brilliant world. These two books contain loveable characters, twists upon twists, heartbreaking losses, and a highly satisfying ending. Be warned this review has spoilers for the first Mistborn book, The Final Empire. Feel free to check out my spoiler free review of The Final Empire here.

The Well of Ascension has less action compared to The Final Empire, which was essentially a heist story. The sequel digs into the politics of the world. The Final Empire ended with Vin killing the Lord Ruler. Elend now takes control of Luthadel, the capital of The Final Empire. Elend finds himself torn between building a utopic government and doing whatever is necessary to keep control over Luthadel. Multiple factions, one led by his own father, place a siege on Luthadel. They are hoping to overthrow Elend to secure the valuable store of atrium that is rumored to be hidden there. In the meantime, Vin starts hearing mysterious thumping, that only she can detect, and a rival Mistborn is stalking her at night. The Well of Ascension also expands the world of the kandra, introducing an excellent character. And Sazed, (my favorite!) gets a love interest. The second novel concludes with an excellent trope-busting twist. After that ending I was scrambling to find a copy of The Hero of Ages as soon as possible.

I love when fantasy books get political. Fantasy authors, please do not gloss over why leaders make their decisions. I really enjoy the thought process behind political maneuvers, which Sanderson delivers in The Well of Ascension. Once Elend takes on the leadership position, he becomes more likeable. Elend certainly makes mistakes as a leader, even if his intensions are well-meaning. But Elend quickly learns from these mistakes, all while trying to uphold a fair and just government. Sanderson somehow got me to root for a straight male protagonist, which is rare for me in fantasy. And I cannot hype the twist at the end of The Well of Ascension enough! This is my favorite twist of the whole trilogy. Sanderson manages to offer an unexpected new take on the “chosen one” trope.

I will not say too much about the plot of The Hero of Ages, to avoid spoiling events in The Well of Ascension. Every character that survives the first two books gets their time to shine in the final installment. Especially one previously minor character. The ending is spectacular. The conclusion is epic, brutal, and beautifully wraps up the trilogy.

For me, The Hero of Ages, is the weakest entry in the trilogy, but the ending is everything! Sanderson is not afraid to kill off any of his characters, which is essential for me in fantasy. If there is an ongoing war or extreme danger, then some main characters need to die to keep the stakes high. Maybe I’m a bit twisted, but the pain of a loveable character dying feels so good! I really enjoyed Sanderson’s use of religion in all three books. Religion ended up playing a significant role in the final pages, and I appreciated the overall message. After finishing my fist three Brandon Sanderson books, I am impressed with his storytelling skills. Sanderson planned out these novels well in advance. Hints and clues are dropped early on, yet the twists never seemed obvious or predictable. All of Sanderson’s foreshadowing gives Mistborn great rereading potential. I am looking forward to continuing my way through Sanderson’s bibliography. I plan to stick to just the Cosmere universe for now.

four-half-stars

Mistborn: The Final Empire

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Published by Macmillan on April 1, 2010
Genres: Epic, Fantasy
Pages: 544
four-half-stars

Time to pop my Brandon Sanderson cherry! I’ve started my journey through Sanderson’s Cosmere universe with Mistborn: The Final Empire. I loved this book! Vin is an excellent female protagonist. The magic system is exciting and inventive. And the team of heroes form a found family, which is one of my favorite literary tropes. I think this is a great gateway book for readers looking to delve into the fantasy genre for the first time.

Mistborn takes place in a dystopian world where the villain has already won. Centuries ago, the Lord Ruler vanquished The Darkness, but now rules as a ruthless tyrant. Ash continuously falls from the sky killing vegetation. At night, mists, which are believed to be deadly, roll in. The people are separated into two social classes, the nobility and the oppressed skaa. Skaa and nobility are not allowed to have children to keep the Allomancy powers out of the skaa gene pool. Allomancy is a magic system where different abilities are accessed by ingesting and “burning” different metals. Each Misting has only one metal they can use, but Mistborns can use all metals. This first book in the trilogy follows a team of heroes plotting to overthrow the Lord Ruler. The team is led by Kelsier, a skaa Mistborn who escaped the Lord Ruler’s Pits of Hathsin. An unexpected and powerful addition to the team is Vin, a young thief.

There are many strengths to this story! Allomancy may be my favorite literary magic system. I loved how Sanderson unveiled the different Allomancy abilities without being too info dumpy. And the action scenes are well written. The scenes involving iron and steel Allomancy were so clear and cinematic in my mind. The worldbuilding strikes a perfect balance for me. I never felt bored or bogged down by sections detailing the world’s history. And I also didn’t think the world building was overly simplistic. This made for a very immersive read. I will instantly fall in love with characters that form found families. So, I was pleased with how well The Final Empire used the found family trope. Vin is an excellent protagonist. I think fans of YA fantasy, which heavily features strong female protagonists will enjoy Mistborn because of Vin. Sazed, who acts as a bookish mentor to Vin, was my favorite character. Sanderson has no hesitation of killing off loveable characters, which is essential for me in epic fantasy. Main characters need to die for the stakes to feel high. The romantic story line was probably the least interesting part of the story for me, but I can see that being a highlight for other readers.

I have few complaints about the Final Empire. A little past the halfway point the pacing does slow down and drag a bit. The story is very PG-13, which didn’t bother me. But, if you enjoy edgier fantasy, with lots of sex (like A Song of Ice and Fire), this might not be your cup of tea.

four-half-stars