While the action in the opening band was still largely manageable and primarily focused on the seemingly impossible rebellion of a small group against the Lord Ruler, there are in The Well of Ascension now significantly more construction sites and therefore more subplots. Although the book focuses also continues to prevail on two main characters (Vin and Kelsier spare misery), yet there is this time much more to discover and to do: A spy in our own ranks has unmasked, planned the city's defense and unwelcome Alliances with the besiegers Luth nobility negotiated enforced new laws and reforms are pushed forward. Add to this the continuing search for the mysterious eleventh metal, working up the history of the Final Empire to the mysterious person of the Hero of Ages, the supposed Saviour of the kingdom, mysterious pursuers in the fog, inexplicable events across the country and so on. Compared to the more straight forward The Final Empire the second book is bursting at the seams and all the individual elements are so well told that you as a reader can hardly decide which resolution of a storyline you want to aim for first. Although The Well of Ascension is much more complex than the first part, not overwhelmed his readers but despite the many details and increases the level of difficulty in a very pleasant way. That not to lose track could also be because Brandon Sanderson its history largely confined as in the predecessor to the scene Luth nobility and only sporadic and short trips to more distant places undertakes. Although it is a bit of a shame that you can not still get to see much of the entire Final Empire, alone in Luth needle but there is so much to discover that it is hardly noticeable when reading.
A great asset of the second volume are of course again Sanderson's characters, particularly where Vin and misery stand out as absolute popular figure. While Vin is plagued a little torn on the inside, looking for its place on the side of the new king and also questioned its role as Mistborn repeatedly fighting misery in the first place with moral principles and his own conscience. While there are always situations where one or both will prefer to kick your ass for example, if Vin again considered to be not good enough for misery or misery so much sticks to its noble principles that he weakens his own position in it just these small conflicts and weaknesses it is precisely also what can be so vividly the protagonists. But even apart from the two main characters has to offer so many great and exciting characters of this novel: Sazed, the scholars and keepers of history, his race actually committed to neutrality, but reflected on the side of good, or OreSeur, a slave for life fucking beings behind the infected also so much more than it seems, or the mysterious Zane, with which one can estimate precisely never, whether he is a threat or confidant.
The well Well of Ascension is not perfect for me and I would have really slow times out desired or was every now and then the slightly repetitive fight scenes with the permanent Coin tossing something tired some detailed insights beyond the city limits Luth nobility, yet gave me the second volume significantly better than the already really good first part fallen. This is simply because there are so insanely much to discover in this book and a mystery is simply more exciting than the next. I have the history in spite of the enormous scope at any time even vaguely perceived as a long-winded on the contrary, I was almost sad when the book was over and I The Hero of Ages not immediately at hand was the third part to re-dramatic after, amazing and immediately in some way even more overwhelming end can. From an uninspired transition band The Well of Ascension is so far away and it will take much longer until I plunge again into the mist of the Final Empire.