Continuing my reading of Mistborn, I picked this up to refresh on the magic systems and get ready to read the fourth Wax and Wayne book. I found when I read Wax and Wayne the first time in Alloy of Law, I didn't remember enough about the magic system that I felt the book was a complete betrayal of what Mistborn was. Once I went back and reread the original trilogy, and then into Alloy of Law, I felt significantly better. So, it's better for me to review all of the books before starting into the newest Wax and Wayne.
The Well of Ascension picks up some months after the fall of the Lord Ruler by Vin's hands. Elend is king, and Vin is their Mistborn assassin. The members of Kelsier's crew have assumed noble positions in the new government, now much more democratic than before. However, not everything is perfect in Elend's utopia: there are still rumors about the Lord Ruler's atium - a treasure that Elend and Vin have been unsuccessful in finding. With two armies camped outside Luthadel, and a third, more dangerous one on the way, the pressure is on to protect the city.
Well of Ascension is always the hardest one for me to read. I often get stuck reading it halfway through because I always dread the ending of the book. Spoiler: I cried. Every time. While I do love this series, and it is one of my favorites, Well of Ascension is my least favorite in the series.
Characters:
Overall, I love the character arcs in the series. I love that Vin, while more confident, still has insecurities, and those are consistent with being 18. I felt that Elend is still a well-rounded character, and is mostly consistent. I love the new insights into Spook and Breeze. Even Clubs has a more rounded character arc.
The character that probably bothers me the most is Dockson. I love his character in Mistborn, but I find him less realistic and consistent in Well of Ascension. I know that Dockson has a deep seated hatred of the nobility, but I felt that he was always more pragmatic than how he presents in this installment. I also feel that now that Kelsier is dead, maybe Dockson could have shone more - this is a conflict in the novel, but I felt that it was a sad way to treat such a good character. Of the many deaths in this book, Dockson's always bothered me the most, because it seemed the most convenient - there wasn't much left to pursue in his character arc (he clearly wasn't going to get over his dislike of Elend) so just kill him off.
Plot/Conflict
The conflicts in this novel are very complex. On one hand, there's the conflict of Elend's new kingdom, and the issues of trying to rule democratically. There's the threat of attack from the outside. The missing atium.
Then there's all of the interpersonal conflicts that really make this book interesting. Why aren't Vin and Elend married? What about Sazed and Tindwyl? Conflicts between Breeze and Ham (this was always jovial in Mistborn, but has turned into a full-blown character conflict in Well of Ascension). The politicking of the Assembly. Straff and Zane. All of these little conflicts are so fascinating and well-written. I found this to be the most beautiful part of this book. I love how Sanderson is able to give these characters (and this book has a large cast of characters) each an individual arc and conflict.
I always dread Well of Ascension because of the ending. I hated the way Sanderson killed off half of Kelsier's original crew, plus Tindwyl, and almost kills Elend. I always found the deaths disappointing. In the end, they go on to fuel the interpersonal conflicts in Hero of Ages, but it didn't stop them from hurting less, which was probably the point.
Overall, I rate this book
⭐⭐⭐⭐
PG-13 for violence
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