• The Well of Ascension

  • Mistborn, Book 2
  • By: Brandon Sanderson
  • Narrated by: Michael Kramer
  • Length: 28 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (66,653 ratings)

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The Well of Ascension  By  cover art

The Well of Ascension

By: Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Publisher's summary

From number one New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical martial-arts action.

The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler - the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years - has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street urchin who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman she loves.

As Kelsier's protégé and slayer of the Lord Ruler she is now venerated by a budding new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more worrying, the mists have begun behaving strangely since the Lord Ruler died, and seem to harbor a strange vaporous entity that haunts her.

Stopping assassins may keep Vin's Mistborn skills sharp, but it's the least of her problems.

Luthadel, the largest city of the former empire, doesn't run itself, and Vin and the other members of Kelsier's crew, who lead the revolution, must learn a whole new set of practical and political skills to help. It certainly won't get easier with three armies - one of them composed of ferocious giants - now vying to conquer the city, and no sign of the Lord Ruler's hidden cache of atium, the rarest and most powerful allomantic metal.

As the siege of Luthadel 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.

Other Tor books by Brandon Sanderson:

  • The Cosmere
  • The Stormlight Archive
  • The Way of Kings
  • Words of Radiance
  • Edgedancer (Novella)
  • Oathbringer

The Mistborn trilogy

  • Mistborn: The Final Empire
  • The Well of Ascension
  • The Hero of Ages

Mistborn: The Wax and Wayne series:

  • Alloy of Law
  • Shadows of Self
  • Bands of Mourning
  • Collection
  • Arcanum Unbounded

Other Cosmere novels:

  • Elantris
  • Warbreaker

The Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series:

  • Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians
  • The Scrivener's Bones
  • The Knights of Crystallia
  • The Shattered Lens
  • The Dark Talent

The Rithmatist series:

  • The Rithmatist

Other books by Brandon Sanderson:

  • The Reckoners
  • Steelheart
  • Firefight
  • Calamity
©2007 Brandon Sanderson (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"All the explosive action any adventure fan could want." ( Locus)
"A great epic fantasy.... Fans of Terry Goodkind and Terry Brooks will find The Well of Ascension fulfilling, satisfying, and incredibly exciting." ( SFRevu.com)
"Vin's struggles with love and power inject the human element into Sanderson's engaging epic." ( Booklist)

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What listeners say about The Well of Ascension

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Great Book!

Would you listen to The Well of Ascension again? Why?

Yes....because of how well the book was done. The descriptions of the city, people, the battles taking place, and how the people overcame whatever obstacles before them. Sanderson made the reader want to jump into the story & be part of it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Well of Ascension?

Many memorable moments...

What about Michael Kramer’s performance did you like?

His narration was spot on--the atmosphere of the book is somewhat grim & he reflected that.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Due to the length of the audio book, it's impossible to do but I really wouldn't want to do that...in my opinion, breaking it up into increments allowed me to better enjoy it because I wasn't 'overloaded'.

Any additional comments?

Incredible book.....with the first book, it took me a while to get into the story but I couldn't wait to jump in with this one. Have already got the third one ready to go...although I will continue to enjoy it in spurts--that way I can give it my full attention while listening!

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Wonderful all around awesome

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really liked all of the characters in this story and continued to fall in love with many of them throughout the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, I would've listened to this story in one sitting if possible. I got completely lost in this story.

Any additional comments?

I drive while listening to books, and I found myself purposely taking the long way on my daily commutes, and hoping for traffic so I could listen more. The fights scenes and action are awesome and really soak you in. I did get a little bored with the politics, but it really isn't too heavy handed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible!

I’m blown away by the complex plotting in this second book of the trilogy. If you’re tempted to give up in the middle (which admittedly gets pretty complicated and muddled with all the politicking) don’t give up. The ending is epic. And the complex character development and unexpected resolutions are just mind blowing.

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Wonderful book

one of the best written novels in years. it keeps you hooked and leads you into this fantasy world.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Well of Power

This story keeps you guessing what power will do to a person. In the quest for power many people will suffer. Their story is heart wrenching. A true hero will deny that they are a hero. They will do everything in their power to help their loved ones.

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Strong Second

The story continues and like any good sequel stands on its own merit! Highly recommend.

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Great book

You're going to love this series! You won't want to stop listening once you start!

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LOVED this, even though I didn't like book1

Let me start by saying overall I absolutely LOVED the Stormlight books but I really struggled through the beginning. By the last book I was in awe! I laughed, cried, felt fear and happiness, and more. Knowing that it was so worth it in the end, I started this book even though the first was "meh" for me. I'm SOOOOO glad I did. I have a feeling this is going to get better and better as I go and I can hardly wait!

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Awesome

Epic battle scenes and interesting twists. This really needs to be made into a movie.

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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful, Epic Storytelling

Brandon Sanderson does any amazing job blending deep characters with an epic story where the twists and turns keep you from knowing where the story is going. He is a fantastic storyteller and recommend this book to anyone who loves epic fantasy.

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