Review : The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson

Publisher : Gollancz

Release Date : December 10th 2009 (first published August 21st 2007)

Genres : Fantasy

Pages : 763 

Rating : ★★★★★

Evil has been defeated. The war has just begun.
They did the impossible, deposing the godlike being whose brutal rule had lasted a thousand years. Now Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire.


They have barely begun when three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.
It may just be that killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Surviving the aftermath of his fall is going to be the real challenge

MY REVIEW :

Brandon Sanderson is a GENIUS ! I don't say that a lot because it's the best compliment I can give but oh my goodness, this book was amazing. 

As soon as I opened the book I was welcomed by an action-packed beginning. I love the way he writes action scenes. It's fast-paced and what's going on is so clear it's like watching a movie. 

It is so gripping. I unfortunately had to take breaks because of books I had to review and other stuff but once I had it in my hands again, nothing could stop me from reading it. 

The story takes place one year after the events of The Final Empire. Elend is struggling with politics and he needs to learn how to be a king. On the other hand, Vin tries to find her place in the middle of all of this. 

If you've read my review of The Final Empire, you know I didn't ship Elend and Vin. They were too different, I didn't feel their chemistry, it just seemed wrong. However, I was really invested in my imaginary ship : Vin and Sazed. Well, the least I can say is this book changed my opinion. I shipped Elend and Vin toward the end but now I completely understand why people love them together.

So many things happen. I love the characters even more (and I didn't think that was possible). This book is everything I want in a book :

- It's full of politics : Who said running a kingdom was easy ? Elend is smart and kind, but that's not all there is in being a king. New and unpredictable threats come out of nowhere  and I had no idea where the story was going. Again, it was fun to be in the center of all of this and to follow multiple perspectives. 

- I felt invested in every character : There are new characters introduced and while I didn't always like them, I was interested. They are thought through and very different from each other. They all added something to the story. And of course, there are the character I already loved. It was weird to see Elend surrounded by the crew at first but they work so well together. And there is Vin or the most badass main character ever. I can't believe how much she grew throughout the serie. 

I couldn't write this review without mentioning my favorite : Sazed. I loved his perspective, he's adorable !

- A lot of mystery :  I loved trying to resolve them . B. Sanderson plays with your mind and he does it wonderfully. I became paranoid and started having lots of theories (Um, what ? Was I right ? It's weird, I can't hear you *coughs*). Seriously though, I couldn't believe some of the revelations. After finishing this book I had the urge to jump around and do something to get the excitement out. The only other serie having this effect on me is ASOIAF and I didn't think I could feel so many contradictory emotions at the same time. 

It is so addictive ! Unfortunately I can't say too much without giving anything away but I can tell you  this book is mind-blowing.