The first book in the Mistborn series was one of my favourite reads of 2025, so I had high hopes for The Well of Ascension (Mistborn Saga #2) by Brandon Sanderson. I wasn’t disappointed.
As with all my reviews, I’ll be objective about the writing technicalities, and specify where I feel something is valid but not to my taste. My final rating will be an average of my objective score and my personal opinion.
There are no spoilers for this book in this review, but there are spoilers throughout for book one of the series.
So what is it?
short_synopsis
With the Lord Ruler defeated, the crew find themselves running the city, only for it to be under siege. All the while, the mists become more persistent and more deadly.
plot
Once a tyrant’s been defeated, it’s inevitable that others will aim for their wealth and power, so the launching point for this book comes as no surprise.
Much of the early parts are about political intrigue and an argument for democracy, although there are sporadic moments of action, and the number and level of threats (both from outside and inside the city) ramp up.
There is a spell in the middle where everything slows down as everyone’s researching different subjects, but just as I thought “not much is happening at the moment”, it kicked back into gear and never slowed down to the same extent again.
There are multiple mysteries running at any one time, and their answers (sometimes leading to new questions) are sprinkled satisfyingly throughout. Threads may dip into the background for a while, but everything pays off eventually. There are several reveals, most of which I didn’t predict, but none felt like a cheat – the breadcrumbs were there but were placed carefully enough to not be obvious.
Problems are solved in a variety of methods, not just magic and fighting, and the finale does a great job of feeling weighty. The conclusion is satisfying but, as this isn’t the end of the series, of course it leaves us with a big What’s Next.
Two romance subplots didn’t feel sufficiently fleshed-out for where they ended up, but they were never the main focus so this is a minor gripe.
people
Many of the characters from the first book reappear here, plus quite a lot of new ones, and whilst such a large cast could get muddled or confusing, it never did. They all feel distinct and individual without resorting to wild quirks.
The viewpoint flits between many characters, and each one adds a different perspective on proceedings. All are enjoyable to spend time with, for varying reasons.
Whilst it’s very much an ensemble piece, there is one character we spend more time with than others, and her struggles with heavy decisions are well-balanced so we don’t know which way she’s going to choose until she does, and then it makes sense.
The “bad guys” are bad without being caricatures, and the “good guys” have believable flaws that give them lessons to learn. No-one’s perfect or too far to one end of the spectrum.
place
The magic system, based around the idea of different metals providing different powers to those able to “digest” them, is fundamental to this world and the story. No time is wasted in showing us how it works in action, with a fight scene in chapter 2.
The magic isn’t entirely the same as book one, however, with a new discovery adding an interesting twist.
Virtually the whole book is set in and around one city. Whereas in book one, there was more emphasis on the haves vs the have-nots as we spent time with the rebels against the noblemen, now the crew is in charge and we see less of the struggle of the “common man” whilst they’re under siege at winter. A little more of that struggle would have been impactful and raised the stakes further.
prose
I’ve heard it said that Brandon Sanderson doesn’t have a writing style. It’s not overly showy, and I’m not sure I’d call it beautiful in the traditional sense, but he does a great job of explaining complex scenes with clarity, when more flowery writing would only add confusion. I can’t remember a single sentence that I thought was clunky, which is rare.
I think the best way to describe the writing is that it’s fully in service to the story without drawing attention to itself in either a positive or negative way.
conclusion
I said about book one that it was very obvious, very quickly, that it was top-tier storytelling. This is the same. It’s no surprise to me that Brandon Sanderson has sold so many books, and I’m already looking forward to reading the next in the series.
I’d recommend this for anyone who likes fantasy, and to a lot of people who don’t. It doesn’t get bogged down in exposition explaining how the world works, and is a good story told well. It is definitely worth reading the first book in the series before this, but there is a handy summary of its events at the back of the edition I read.
My score: 5 out of 5
A list of the book reviews posted to my blog is here.
Arrowmaker Books 