Tom Doherty Associates Archives - Matt gets LIT-erary

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

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.

The House in the Cerulean Sea

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on March 17, 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Gay, Humorous
Pages: 305

This is possibly the most wholesome book I’ve ever read! TJ Klune’s feel good fantasy novel takes place at an orphanage for magical youth on a magical tropical island. This story features a loveable found family and an endearing gay romance. The predictability of the story did not bother me because the characters were so likeable. Save this book for a gloomy day, I guarantee that it will cheer you up!

The protagonist, Linus Baker, is a lonely British man in his 40s. He is a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth where he travels to different government sanctioned orphanages, housing magical children, to ensure regulations are being followed. Linus is an extremely by the book employee. Because of his consistent track record of impartiality his superiors assign him a special assignment. He is sent to Marsyas Island to see an oversee a classified orphanage. The children housed there include a boy that can turn into a Pomeranian, a wryvn, a gnome, a sprite, an amorphous blob, and Satan’s son. Yes, the antichrist. The orphanage is run by Arthur Parnassus, a quirky middle-aged man who is passionately protective of the children. The children and Arthur end up challenging Linus’s rigid nature. Linus finds himself working less by the book as he becomes more attached to the children and especially Arthur.

The children in this story are so cute! My two favorites were Sal and Chauncey. Sal turns into a Pomeranian whenever he is scared or startled, which leads to many adorable scenes. Chauncey is an amorphous blob with an unknown origin. His dream is to become a hotel bellhop. I hope that one day I’ll have a dream/goal that I’m as passionate for as Chauncey is about the bellhop profession. The charming and humorous style of the Klune’s writing reminded me of a famous TERF’s prose (a.k.a. J.K. Roachling). Klune includes excellent positive themes in the story. My main takeaway is those that are different than society’s norm should not be isolated or hidden away but celebrated and included.

As I mentioned the plot is very predictable. Most readers will likely see the climatic twist a mile away. But the appeal of the book is the wonderful children and Linus’s positive character development. The predictable plot can be overlooked.

All Systems Red

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on May 2, 2017
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Science Fiction, Biopunk
Pages: 144

Sometimes high expectations can ruin your experience with a book. I’ve been meaning to try the Murderbot Diaries for a while after hearing so much praise. Unfortunately, All Systems Red (the first book in the series) was not for me.

The story’s protagonist is a SecUnit (Security Unit) that has named itself Murderbot. Murderbot is a cyborg whose function is to protect its team of humans on space expeditions. Unaware to anyone Murderbot has hacked its government module giving it full autonomy. During their current expedition the team notices missing areas on their government supplied maps. They investigate the missing areas and uncover a conspiracy.

The biggest appeal for all systems red is Murderbot they have a great sense of humor. Their wry observations on the human crewmates are entertaining. Murderbot is arguably just as human as any other crewmate. I especially related to Murderbot’s passion for soap operas and other trashy media.

I thought the plot of All Systems Red was very simplistic and generic. The answer to the main mystery was not exciting. I believe that authors shouldn’t include mysteries in their books unless the answer is clever or surprising. When I read science fiction I want an immersive and complex story. For me Martha Well’s novella lacked world building and character development outside of Murderbot. It’s been a few weeks after finishing the book and I can’t remember anything significant about the human crewmembers. While I enjoyed the character of Murderbot it’s not enough to make me want to continue with the series. This provides me with a great opportunity to work on one of my 2022 reading goals!

The completionist in me wants to finish every book series I start. I have suffered through many mediocre books because of this bad habit. However, it is time for me to embrace one of my 2022 reading goals. I will DNF the Murderbot Diaries. Well, technically I didn’t DNF the book (it was only 150 pages can you blame me?) But I will not read the next book and will spend time with other stories I’ll hopefully enjoy more instead.