Review: The well of ASCENSION (mistborn 2) by Brandon Sanderson

“It was amazing how many books one could fit into a room, assuming one didn't want to move around very much.”

I think I have mentioned this previously, but I feel that it's important to say it again - I had the hardest time getting into The Mistborn (#1). For about 200 pages I just slugged through - feeling half bored and half intrigued. That other half kept me reading - and boy was I glad! 

I am saying this for anybody who is trying to start this series and just can't - keep reading and you will be rewarded immensely. Book one was good. Book 2 was amazing from page 1 to page 728. 

One might wonder - why would I persevere in something that is boring, I'd rather just dnf. And you may, of course, but with fantasy books - you need a bit of patience. Especially when the series encompass a world and magic system so vast and complex. And Brandon Sanderson can write a fantasy world! Yes, he can! He became one of my favorite authors with just one book. Now, I know he's written so many - and yes, now I want to read them all. 

“Other men are strong like bricks - firm, unyielding, but if you pound on them long enough, they crack. You... you're strong like the wind. Always there, so willing to bend, but never apologetic for the times when you must be firm.”

​The Well of Ascension is full of twists and turns, new characters, surprising revelations and action. The story is so complex and interwoven that somehow I did not see the big twist coming. To be honest, I didn't see other smaller twists either. I was just as blind as the characters were. I don't know how Sanderson did it - but he wrote quite a masterpiece. 

---

“You must love him enough to trust his wishes, even if you disagree with them. You must respect him - no matter how wrong you think he may be, no matter how poor you think his decisions, you must respect his desire to make them. Even if one of them includes loving you.”

​The book is full of love, and emotions, and loss and rediscovery of one's self. Yet, it's never eye-rolling, never cliche, never cringe worthy.
It's everything every other book out there tries to be. 
It also contains the best array of characters, including, the world's most lovable bookworm - Elend.
“I kind of lost track of time..."
"For two hours?"
Elend nodded sheepishly. "There were books involved.”

!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
I really didn't want to include spoilers in my review, but there are some things I just can't keep quiet about. 
1. The only reason I wasn't bawling my eyes out at the end when the shadow-ghost-mist whacked Elend with a knife is because I saw the third book with him on the cover. So I just sat there saying "he will survive, he will survive..." Even if it really felt like he wouldn't. 
​2. Zane was one of the best characters ever written . I loved Zane, then I disliked Zane, then I hated Zane, then I felt bad for Zane and then I just thought that maybe Zane was yucky (I mean he did sleep with his father's mistress...)
“He found insanity no excuse, however, for irrational behavior.”
3. Clubs...For some reason that one hit me the hardest. 
4. That twist at the end!!! Like what? How? How did I miss it?? 
5. "He ate my horse." - hands down the funniest moment in the whole book. Also the most badass too. (those who read this will know why).
!!!END OF SPOILERS!!!

“Love must be allowed to flow both ways—if it is not, then it is not truly love, I think.”