Mistborn 2: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

World-Building: Awesome
Characterization: Decent, some dissappointments
Plot: Compelling, but provides some dissappointments

This book was another compelling read that had me staying up late to find out what happened next and brought back the excitement I felt uncovering the awesome world that the author had built in the first installment. However, there were some problems with it that left me very dissappointed. It didn't live up to the (very high) standards set by the first novel, and not just because it was the "middle book".

It's a good book. I couldn't put it down and I thoroughly enjoyed many aspects of it, especially the world-building, which continues to be excellent. However, there were several problems I had with the plot and characterization and a couple of issues that just prevent me from being satisfied. Here are my main issues. Be warned, there will inevitably be SPOILERS below:

1 - The thing that annoyed me the most by far was the ending. After the excellent ending of the first novel, which tied up all the main problems, I felt cheated by the cliffhanger ending. It wasn't so much a cliffhanger as a... betrayal, I felt. The characters spent most of the novels worrying and being confused by the numerous plot threads only to get to the end and DO THE WRONG THING! I was very frustrated, and I don't think I would have been if the same thing happened, but the moment had been worked up to properly. As it was, I felt betrayed and unsure whether I should read the next novel or not.

2 - Lack of focus was the other main problem. There were too many plot threads and the one with the most time spent on it, Vin and Elend's relationship was just stupid. It is very tedious for them to both be thinking "I don't deserve Elend" "I don't deserve Vin" for hundreds of pages and, contrary to what the author may have believed, this is not plot, it's just pointless angst. If not for the more interesting things going on with the mists, the seige, and Zane, I would not have suffered through this angst. As it stood there were many interesting things, but there was not enough focus on any of them.

They knew there was a traitor in their midst, but they didn't do much about it, and then after some half-hearted investigation they just forget it for about a hundred pages and continued to hold important secret meetings and make plans knowing full well that these plans would get out to their enemies! It doesn't make any sense.

Even the politics wasn't focused on enough. Elend spent much of his time in the begginning worrying about the assembly and fighting for it and then, just because he wants to meet with his father and the other King he spends weeks ignoring the assembly even though he knew it was an important force.

My favorite plot-line, the one involving Vin, Zane, and Straff, was the focus for part of the book, but the way the author resolved this plotline made me feel betrayed. Zane was the most interesting character and he provided alot of potential for growth and for giving Vin and actual character arc in this novel, but this potential was completely wasted through Vin's stupidity, and then with the ending. I feel like the author came up with this great character with alot of potential and then didn't know what to do with him.

I wanted Zane to come back. I wanted to know what the thing sticking out of his chest was! I wanted Vin to use her brain, and to save him, and to team up with him to destroy the mists and so many other things, but none of this was allowed to happen, and none of these options were even seriously explored. He could have been the Kelsier of this novel, pushing Vin to grow, but he was just... an insane character that distracted her for a while and then was gotten rid of too easily.

3 - Characterization was less than it could have been. Characters like Dockson, who should have had important things to say and do and important feelings after the events of last novel were relegated to the sidelines while Vin and Elend's boring relationship was shoved up our noses continuously. Even Vin didn't seem like herself, and the same goes for the rest of the crew. Sazed remained somewhat interesting, but to be honest, the only reason I cared about him was because he was the only one uncovering the interesting developments with the mists. Actually, by allowing his character to travel a little Brandon Sanderson ensured that all the interesting things happened to Sazed! The best thing was that he had an actual focus in this novel. He was the only character who had a focus.

I won't go on and on about this. There were problems, but most of them stemmed from the author focusing on the wrong things, or not choosing one thing to focus on, and so the novel's plot and characterizations both felt dissappointing. My two main dissappointments here were the ending and Zane's storyline.

I will probably eventually read the next book, just to find out if any of the problems with this one are fixed or even just addressed. Meanwhile, I can't say that I would reccommend this novel on its own merit. The world-building continues to be great, and if you've read the first novel you won't need me to tell you to read this one.