He "Well of Ascension» is the second installment of the saga «Mistborn» by Brandon Sanderson and it is as addictive as the first one… even though it is not Science Fiction but Fantasy.
As in the first part, the story takes place in a world where ash has been falling like rain for the last thousand years (for reasons that are still unknown but which are somehow linked to the rise to power of the Lord Ruler) and every night an impenetrable mist covers his world.
The society that Sanderson describes is divided between skaa (slaves) and nobles who usually have powers Allomancers which allows their bodies to burn certain metals to gain special abilities. Allomancy It is a hereditary trait but it is not dominant. Due to genetic quirks, some characters in our story possess the concentration of all these powers and become "mistborn", beings capable of burning any type of metal Allomancer and gain skills that make them almost invincible against conventional armies.
In the first book we saw the fall of the Lord Ruler after a thousand years of absolute reign thanks to terror and control of the Allomancy. The Lord is defeated by a whole group of characters made up of a band of "thieves" and their allies, both of noble and religious origin. skaa, led by Kelsier, who dies at the last moment to free the people skaaIn this second installment, the book deals with how the protagonists of the story (now without Kelsier) survive the consequences of the fall of the Lord Ruler and all the economic and social chaos into which the world is plunged after a thousand years of stability.
The magic system that the author explains to us throughout these two books is well constructed and even becomes credible from a scientific point of view if we overlook certain premises that are only acceptable in the fantasy genre. Even so, the author always explains them to us from a chemical and not a magical point of view, which is appreciated. Different metals, always acting in opposite pairs, grant powers to those who have the ability to burn them inside their body. For example, burning zinc allows us to ignite the emotions of those around us, and burning brass (an alloy of zinc and copper) allows us to calm emotions. Burning copper hides Allomancy, and burning bronze (an alloy of copper and tin) reveals Allomancy. There are 12 metals with Allomantic power and therefore, 12 extraordinary abilities.
Some characters who do not have these powers can still use them by storing skills in bracelets and rings (the author calls it ferrochemistry)These characters can accumulate physical strength, speed, heat, mental quickness, etc. depending on the metal the ring or bracelet is made of.
The characters are well developed and have depth. Some of them become endearing and in many cases you end up wanting to get to know them better. Among these characters I would highlight a shape-shifter who belongs to a species called kandra, who lives in corpses (they don't have to be human corpses) and who are professionals at perfectly imitating the shape and personality of whoever takes the body. The relationship between these kandra and humans is governed by a curious contract that we get to know better throughout this second installment. I hope that in the third installment we will meet one of these characters again and that the author will develop more of the society that forms this species.
The book hooks you from the first moment and despite its 785 pages it can be read in just a few days. That would perhaps be the only criticism: the large number of pages prevents you from reading in bed (which is where I usually read). The book is so heavy that you are forced to read sitting down or resting your hands somewhere. On the other hand, it is appreciated that they have not divided it into two, both because this would have increased the price of the set and because it would have left the reader hanging. So I am not complaining and I recommend it to 100% especially now in summer, when there is more reading time and you can afford the luxury of reading six or seven hours in a row.
