Review: Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2) by Brandon Sanderson

Last month, I reviewed the first book in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. I was stunned by the impactful world building that he achieved within the first paragraphs of Mistborn: The Final Empire. See my full review here. After the insane ending to the first book, Sanderson did not fail to deliver in the second book, Well of Ascension. If you haven't read the first book, I would suggest you stop reading my review at this point. By necessity, any discussion of Well of Ascension will reveal spoilers for Mistborn. If you have read the first book, READ ON.

Book synopsis: ***SPOILERS for Mistborn***

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.

By its nature, Well of Ascension is not a fast moving book. The rebellion has succeeded. Vin has killed the Lord Ruler. But this all came at a very high cost--Kelsier's sacrificial death. In the wake of the Collapse, Kel's crew must figure out how to govern Luthadel with threats coming from the internal and external forces. Beyond the threats that the crew faces, there are unintended consequences to Kel's nobel and not-so-nobel actions that took down the Final Empire and the Lord Ruler. These consequences propel the conflicts and the themes of the second book.

The two main themes running throughout Well of Ascension are trust and belief. These two themes center on two characters--Vin and Sazed--and these themes shape the conflicts faced throughout the book.

I am simply awed by Sanderson's skills as a storyteller. It's true that this is not a book whose plot rockets you through its pages, but that is the nature of the task facing Kel's crew. They are trying to pick up and hold together the pieces of the Final Empire. There is a lot of waiting, and sieges are not known for their fast-moving pace.

There are, however, tons of great action sequences throughout the book. At one point, Vin headbutts a guy and his head EXPLODES. I know, right? There is also a great expansion of the applications and understanding of Allomancy. There is also a lot of Vin being, as Elend puts it, a force of nature. That girl is death incarnate when she chooses to be.

There are also moments between characters in this book that will choke you up at their beauty and their truthful honesty. While Sanderson doesn't write romances that leave you in breathless suspense, he really does portray what healthy romantic love looks like in practice. And I appreciate that more than I can express.

But all of that takes a backseat for me to the interweaving of those two themes with those two characters.

For Vin, we see Kel's last words to her, "You have a lot to learn about friendship, Vin," haunt her, drive her, and finally solidify her. She must learn to truly trust those around her and, more importantly, to trust herself. We see this played out in her relationship with Elend. Her conflict with Zane, Straff Venture's bastard Mistborn and Elend's unknown half-brother. With the relationship she forms with OreSeur, the kandra she knew as Renoux. And with her connection to the Well of Ascension. It all comes down to who and what we put our trust in.

For Sazed, he is a collector of long-dead religions. He is a storehouse for beliefs, but in the end, he believes in nothing. And we watch a religion form out of Kelsier's efforts--The Church of the Survivor. Belief is constantly debated throughout the second book. What constitutes belief? Where should belief be placed? What controls our beliefs? Should we believe in anything? What is the place of belief?

By the end of the book, Vin learns to trust wholeheartedly, but much like Kel's sacrifice, it has unforeseen consequences. We are also left with a broken Sazed who has lost all faith he once had. We are left with a world whose beliefs have been manipulated. And we are left ambivalent toward what can we believe.

I theorize that the theme of belief will be continued in the last book in the trilogy, Hero of Ages. I don't want to go into any details about how these themes culminated in Well of Ascension, because the interweaving that Sanderson pulls off is impressive and should be experienced, not explained.

After the driving force of those two themes, the other aspect of Well of Ascension that I appreciated was Sanderson's subtle characterizations. He reveals his characters dimensions and depth through contrasts and foils. You understand each character better in the light of another character he or she is placed beside. You see this with Vin and Zane, Zane and Elend, Elend and Jastes, Sazed and Tindwyl, Breeze and Clubs, Straff and Elend, Elend and Kellsier, Kellsier and Vin. And he defines each character through these contrasts. Because different people illuminate different parts of our personalities--the good and the bad, and it is only through this illumination that we get a clearer picture of who each person is. It was brilliantly done with a light touch.

It seems redundant to say that I loved this book, and I look forward to diving into Hero of Ages tomorrow. But I did and I do. At the end of this book, I came to an interesting realization. The character who I am most like in these books is Clubs. I'll leave HOW to your imaginations. :D

Plans, Scheming, and Yoda

Oh, lists, my true love.

Okay, y'all. I need to make a Plan. My queue of books is getting so out of hand that it's starting to give me lip. And let me tell you, an uppity queue of books is a singular oddity you never want to witness. Enduring smack talk from inanimate objects is humiliating at best, not to mention vaguely concerning. Much like weaving the disparate threads of a plot together, I need to plan out the course of several competing threads within my life, so that none of them end up strangling me in my sleep. I need to delineate the tasks within my Teacher thread, and my Writer thread, and my Planning-a-Wedding-That-Is-Only-Three-Months-Away thread. (I am superlatively thankful that we're keeping things simple.) This is where the Plan becomes necessary for SURVIVAL. (No, not THAT plan. I'm not trying to get anyone out of detention here, y'all.)

You see, if I don't make a conscious plan for how I will spend my time each day or each week regarding these goals, I will simply lose my day watching things like Top Chef marathons. Trust me. This happens. A lot. With a frequency that I'm ashamed to own up to. Without a deliberate goal to accomplish, I just let time flow past me, never to return. And this go-with-the-flow, inertia-imprisoned lifestyle is so much worse in the winter. *glares at the lack of daylight* I just want to be a lump on the couch and gorge myself on the televised equivalent of junk food. I have no desire for substance during winter. I want cotton candy fluff. I just want it to melt on my tongue. Chewing would be asking too much, apparently.

But NO MORE. I will throw off the shackles of my own lethargy, and I will STAY AWAKE while reading. Hopefully. Because, you see, gentle readers, if you don't carve out time to write or to read or to do whatever it is that you beautiful people do that makes your soul shimmy with delight, time will unhelpfully and inconsiderately keep marching forward. None of us really "have" the time to do the things we love. Time isn't going to miraculously fall into our laps. We have to be intentional. Being intentional, however, can be really, really hard. Especially when all we want to do is ooze into an armchair and turn off our brains.

I'll make a deal with you, gentle readers. Before next Friday, I vow, here and now, that I will finish the book that I'm currently reading, and I will report back with a review. I want to encourage and challenge you to do the same. Pick something you've been meaning to do or finish and try to accomplish that goal by next Friday. We'll meet back here and report our successes. Just remember to pick a goal that can be completed in a week. Be realistic.

Okay, the potential of public shame is now hanging over my head. NO EXCUSES. I'll take my inspiration from that tiny green Superball of a Jedi. There is no try.

Like Donkey Kong.

Gratitude: An Open Letter to My Readers

Dear readers,

As I was planning out my evening, I was struck once again by how limited our time is on any given day. I have writing responsibilities. I have teaching responsibilities. I have responsibilities to my friends and family. I have a wedding and honeymoon to plan. I have a queue of books and DVRed TV shows that both are longer than I care to contemplate. There are so many books that I want to read, but I can only move through my queue at a proverbial snail's pace. Long gone are the days of high school when I could read to my heart's content. Professionally, I must continue to read on a regular basis, however, it's still hard to find the time. But you, dear readers, you found the time in your equally busy lives to read my books. That astonishes me. I cannot express my gratitude enough that you spent your precious hours in my world, my stories, and with my characters. In no small part, it is because of you that I am embarking on my journey into traditional publishing. I cannot thank you enough for your time and your faith in my writing.

Your humbled author,
Elizabeth

Lobotomized by Joy: Announcement about Forge & THINGS

The title of this post originally comes from a hashtag I tweeted last Thursday, and IT STILL APPLIES. I've decided that the only way for this post to accurately reflect my feelings is with the help of pictures. I feel that at this time words fail me. But I did write a post two years ago called Catching the Sun about finally finishing the first draft of Shatter (The Children of Man, #1), and it does capture the same feelings I'm experiencing now fairly articulately. So, if you want the articulate, pretty version read that. If you want the rambling, raw emotion, READ ON.

I will tell you the story, but I want to get THE announcement out of the way. So, here goes. As of Thursday, I am now represented by Joe Monti, an agent from Barry Goldblatt Literary. Yeah. That's right. I HAVE AN AGENT, AND HE'S AWESOME. Let it sink in. 'Cause it hasn't for me yet. At all.

This is me when I think about it, which is ALL THE TIME.

So, this is my story of how I got to that stupefied expression. I never really intended to self-publish. It kind of just happened. I know, you're wondering how in the world that works, but it's the truth. In 2009 I won NaNoWriMo* for the first time, and one of the prizes was a free proof copy of your novel. I finished up the first draft of Shatter in December and spent the winter and spring editing and revising. When I ordered my proof copy, Shatter was posted on amazon.com for sale. That kind of blew my mind that my story was out there for people to purchase. And it freaked me out, because it had SO MANY copy errors. It wasn't until my friend Randy Lalonde, who happens to be an indie author, encouraged me to offer Shatter as as e-book did I decide to really give it a try. I figured I didn't have anything to lose by trying, right? That was June 2010.

About a month into releasing the e-book of Shatter, I decided to offer it for free. I saw a big uptick in my downloads at that point and good reviews started trickling in. In October, amazon price matched Shatter and offered it for free. In that first month, I saw 25,000+ downloads of Shatter. I was starting to really get excited about self-publishing.

In November when I released Render, I was really happy about where I was with self-publishing. At this point, Shatter has been downloaded or purchased over 205,000 times, and Render is closing in on 4,000. (See earlier picture for my response to those numbers.) My only regret has been that I don't have the kind of editorial team behind me that traditional publishing offers that could push me to be a better writer and make my stories the best they can be.

Amidst my happiness surrounding Render's release, I was contacted regarding my books. I can't go into the details of any of it, but it raised questions that I was ill-equipped to handle about publishing. Now here comes the entertaining part of this tale. I have a friend who I've played World of Warcraft with for at least five years. Though he's definitely Barry, he'll always be Tia, which is a shortened form of his original character's name in game. (Sorry, you won't be able to find our server, guild, or characters from that info. ^.^) We raided and instanced and goofed off on vent for months before I discovered what he did for a living.

One week, Tia had to call off for raid, because he was going to LA. When we asked him what the trip was for, he informed us that he was going to a movie premiere of a client's book, "The Spiderwick Chronicles." (See previous picture for my reaction. I look confused a lot apparently.) My friend Tia is Barry Goldblatt, rockstar kids & YA literary agent, husband of Printz award-winner Libba Bray, agent of Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Michelle Hodkin, and the list just goes on to more awesome. But he was still just my friend Tia, WHO GAVE AWESOME BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS. I mean, seriously, the stuff I've read because of him.

I do want to be clear that I never once tried to use him or his connections in this process. He's my friend, first and foremost. But when I was contacted about my books in November, I had a lot of questions and really needed some guidance. So naturally I turned to him for help. And because Barry is Barry, he offered his wisdom, advice, and enthusiasm without hesitation. It was at this point that I decided I should start looking for an agent to represent me, and I asked Barry for a list of which agents I should contact and how to go about doing so, because my circumstances would not fit your typical query. In the end, he recommended that I send my MSS to Joe Monti.

I sent the MSS for both Shatter and Render over Thanksgiving. Joe got back to me two weeks ago, and we scheduled a phone conversation for last Thursday. Now, you need to understand that I am a realist who wishes I could be an idealist. I always prepare myself for the worst and hope for the best. In preparation for the phone call, I considered what the worst case scenario could be. So I told myself that Joe could have scheduled this phone call to impress upon me just how BAD my writing was, and that it was his duty to Literature and Storytelling and Humanity to convince me to do ANYTHING else.

I wanted to avoid this.

So, Joe and I talked on Thursday. The conversation meandered as we got to know each other, which gave me hope that this wasn't the PLEASE-NEVER-WRITE-AGAIN phone call. We talked about my goals for my writing and constructive critique, and we seemed to be on the same page. We both wanted to take my work into traditional publishing. After all that, he told me that he wasn't talking to me as a favor to Barry, but that he was genuinely excited about my work and its potential.

Truthfully, I probably looked more like the cat.

Then he said that he'd love to represent me.

I went from this.

To this.

To lobotomized by joy

And I said that I'd love for him to represent me. Not just because he is a successful literary agent offering to represent me, but through the course of the conversation I just really liked who Joe was. He laughs a lot, and I appreciate that so much. Also, he works with Barry, and I trust Barry's judgment. I mean really, this man has never steered me wrong, whether its books or food. PUGs on the other hand... *snickers* Love you, Barry! Okay. Tangent time. If you ever see a restaurant recommendation from Barry on twitter, and you're in the same city as the restaurant, GO THERE IMMEDIATELY. I mean, seriously, I don't care what you're doing. Even if you're already eating. Stop and go where he's suggested.

So that's my big secret! I am now represented by a very reputable literary agency and agent extraordinaire. I have to admit I'm a little starstruck about the other authors who are represented by my agency. MY AGENCY, GOOD GRAVY. I just hope I can restrain myself from fangirl-ing all over people... *gazes as non-psychotically as possible at Cassie Clare and Holly Black*

This choice has consequences though. It does mean that I won't be self-publishing Forge. The goal for The Children of Man series is to rework Shatter and Render and get them ready to submit to traditional publishers. This is the route I really want to take the series, because I am SO excited about having a creative team to push me to be the best writer I can be. And these stories and characters deserve to be told in the best way possible, and traditional publishing has the resources to help me achieve that.

This also means that I have no time frame for how long it will take for the series to find a publisher and once that happens for the third book to be released. I just hope that you'll stick with me through this process and be patient, because the end result will be even better than the stories are now.

I have an agent? I HAVE AN AGENT.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

*National Novel Writing Month is when you try to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I did it in 2009 and 2010 and won both times. It's a GREAT tool for discipling yourself as a writer. I recommend it for all aspiring writers.

Reivew: Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1) by Brandon Sanderson

Within the last decade, Brandon Sanderson has become a household name in fantasy. Even if you haven't read him, chances are you've heard of him. He's Robert Jordan's literary heir and has been tasked with finishing the Wheel of Time series*. He's one of those authors that dutiful little fantasy fanboys and fangirls are supposed to have read. All the hoopla and expectation started when he wrote Elantris and the Mistborn trilogy.

I've intended to read Mistborn: The Final Empire for years. I mean, who hasn't? When I first heard the premise of the series, I was wide-eyed and giddy. Mistborn takes place in a world where the hero failed a thousand years ago, and the only people able to save the world from the Big Bad are a crew of thieves. I love fantasy. I love heists and altruistic thieves. And I love turning tropes on their heads. Mistborn gave me all of this and more.

Just a few days ago, I finally finished the first book of series--also of the the same name. I am now more wide-eyed and giddy than when I heard the premise. Because Mistborn does more than just weave these ideas together into a compelling story, it creates one of the most intriguing fantasy worlds I've ever read.

Synopsis:

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale spinner, author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the hero of prophecy fails? What kind of world results when the Dark Lord is in charge? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises and magical martial-arts action that begins in Mistborn. 

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.     

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Only then does he reveal his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot. 

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

How can you resist a set-up like that? First, let's talk about the world. The world of the Final Empire is bleak. The skaa are slaves. Ash constantly falls. The plants have turned brown and the sun red. And the feared mists come at night. All because the Hero of Ages failed a thousand years ago. The setting of the Final Empire pops into the reader's imagination fully formed and continues to unfold and expand with every page with impressive verisimilitude. The first lines of Mistborn establishes this world better than any other fantasy book I can remember.

"Ash fell from the sky. Lord Tresting frowned, glacing up at the ruddy midday sky as his servants scuttled forward, opening a parasol over Tresting and his distinguished guest. Ashfalls weren't uncommon in the Final Empire, but Tresting had hoped to avoid getting soot stains on his fine new suit coat and red vest, which had just arrived via canal boat from Luthadel itself."

Sanderson doesn't waste time with pages of description, as can be a pitfall of the genre, but like Aton Chekov he provides a sentence or two that grounds the scene with compelling imagery. As I read, at times, I could feel ash sticking to my lashes, staining my clothes, or the mists chilling and dampening my skin. Near the end of the book, there is a scene that takes place in a square. I won't say more than that, but that image, as the ash fell lightly, has seared itself into my memory. It is one of many unforgettable images. His setting and descriptions never get in the way of the story. Instead, he unassumingly paints a vivid and depressing world that envelops you.

The world-building that Sanderson achieves in Mistborn staggers the imagination. From the Terrismen to the Steel Inquisitors to the kandra to the mists to the koloss to the Pits of Hathsin to Feruchemy and Allomancy, the breadth and depth of this world left me breathless with envy.

Allomancy is probably the down-right coolest magic system I've encountered in fantasy in its originality and development. At its most basic, Allomancy is the ability to burn certain metals that have been ingested. All Allomantic metals are paired with a base metal and its corresponding alloy. By burning these metals, the Allomancer gains certain abilities. For example, burning pewter enables the Allomancer to gain increased physical prowess in strength, stamina, dexterity, speed, and agility.

There are two basic kinds of Allomancers. The first, Mistings, are Allomancers who can only burn one type of metal. For instance, a Misting who can burn pewter is called a Thug or a Pewterarm. These aren't uncommon within the nobility or even within the skaa population. Though its illegal to allow half-breeds to live, there a quite a few skaa with some noble blood in their lineage. The other kind of Allomancer is extremely rare. They are the Mistborn. Mistborn can burn all of the Allomantic metals. Because of this, they are highly sought after and are very dangerous.

The plot, the world, and the magic of Mistborn are well conceived and beautifully executed. It is a rich story and a rich world. What makes this story shine, like any good story, however, are its characters. The two main characters of Mistborn are Kellsier, the charismatic leader of the crew, and Vin, a teenage girl thief with untold potential. Those might seem like stereotypical characters, but their backstories and development defies such simplistic categorization. Vin is a powerful, vulnerable girl who struggles against the lessons of her past. Kel is a man who smiles all the time, because his life has been defined by tragedy. Vin is a skeptic yearning for faith. Kel is a vengeful savior.

Beyond Vin and Kel, you easily find yourself falling in love with the crew that Kel assembles, Ham the Thug philosopher, Breeze the good-hearted wastrel, Dockson the back-alley administrator, Clubs the curmudgeonly caregiver, and Spook the tongue-tied spy. While the twists of the story leave you wanting to know what comes next, the real reason you keep reading is to see what will happen to these characters. Will Vin learn that trust and survival aren't mutually exclusive? What happened to Kel in the Pits of Hathsin? Can Kel really kill a god?

I've barely scratched the surface of Mistborn in this review, because I don't want to ruin the amazing twists that Sanderson planned. Mistborn is a story of contradictions and upending tropes. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written, compelling story. Whether you're a fantasy fan or not, I would encourage you to give Sanderson a chance. You won't be disappointed.

Back to reading the next book in the series for me. Once I finish, I'll be reviewing Well of Ascension as well.


*I gave up on the Wheel of Time series in high school. If you know me, you've heard me rant about WoT. Based on the quality of Mistborn, however, I might actually return to the Wheel of Time series, just to read more of Sanderson's writing.

Art! Short Story! Presents!

Happy Holidays, all! I have presents for you! I'm really excited to announce that I've uploaded the short story about Caleb & Talise's first meeting to smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and amazon. It should be live in the next 24-48 hours. It will take longer to distribute to iBooks, Sony, Diesel, and Kobo as always. I will keep you informed.

The story is called "The Luthier of Keman."

Synopsis: 

Caleb Murphy is coming to the end of his first circuit as an avowed Daniyelan, and it can't end soon enough. Arbitrating judgments for horse breeders in Isfaridesh can't compare to his journeymen circuit riding the disputed Nabosian border, and his partner, Gisa Protz, can't stand him. His thoughts are with his troubled sister Ella as he arrives in the small town of Keman, but what awaits him in a luthier's shop will change his life forever. 

"The Luthier of Keman" is a short story that takes place twenty years before Shatter (The Children of Man, #1).

The story takes place twenty years before the events of Shatter and Render, during the year before the Nabosian War began. Caleb and Talise are eighteen years old and quite different from the dynamic duo we know and love. I really hope you enjoy it! I had such a blast writing it. Seriously. So much fun. It was so nice to draft, edit, and publish a story in a matter of weeks.

That announcement is my first present to you. My second is a present to me that I'm passing on and sharing with you. My loverly and all around awesomesauce friend Anne Hromalik of cartographer fame is, as I've told you before, an artist, not just a brilliant mapmaker. She created a piece featuring Caleb and Talise, and I'M SO IN LOVE. This picture makes me salivate. Its dynamism is so appropriate for these two characters. It captures each of their personalities and their relationship perfectly. The use of color is so spot on. The yellow for Talise with the complimentary blue highlights is just so apropos. I love the arm bandolier on Caleb. I love the knives strapped to Talise's thighs, and her boots--great googly moogly her boots. I love that Caleb is firmly solid and stable and Talise is tumbling through the air. I love the expressions on their faces and how they're looking at each other. They look exactly as I picture Caleb & Talise. Simply put, it IS my Caleb and Talise. I could prattle on about this picture for far longer than you want to listen. Without further ranting and raving, here it is:

© 2011 Anne Hromalik

I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PICTURE. I mean LOOK AT IT. How can I not be giddy? It looks like the cover of a really awesome graphic novel. I am so blessed to have friends like Anne. I love seeing my characters brought to life, and this is simply stunning. Thank you so much, Anne, for this present. *squee*

See more of Anne's artwork here: http://www.teaofdreams.com

Classic Simpsons is classic

Because sometimes your day just needs classic Simpsons.