The Well of Ascension: Spoiler-free & Spoiler Review | 2 To Ramble

[@alk_halfcambo34]

Era 1 will always hold a special place in my heart, but what he does with Era 2 is so cool. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and by the end, more than era 1.

[@gabrielgoen382]

I loved book 2, but it definitely feels like a bridge between the first and the third. The first one has such a rock solid plot and this one doesnt feel as cohesive. Plus some elements that didnt feel like they were used to their fullest extent. Loved the review though, super excited for you guys to review the next one!

[@benjaminhough8804]

I just finished reading “The Well of Ascension” 2 days ago. I’m fairly new to Brandon Sanderson (just read Mistborn 1, 2, and a short story), but I LOVED this book. I think it took me the entire first book to get into the world and magic system. It’s so different than any other book I’ve read. But now that gotten into it, I loved the mystery, clues, and plot of this book. I was quite annoyed at the speed they hunted for the spy…seems like that should have been more important, haha. “Imagine a system where a foreign dictator can just run in an election and take over.” That plot really got me, it’s so insane they created a system where that could happen. Your enemy can’t defeat you? They just became president in a legal election!

[@qbanboi069]

Justice for feruchemistry!

[@twentyfourthrones]

For me, the Well of Ascension is my favorite in the trilogy (almost entirely to its ending which floored me). Followed by The Hero of Ages in 2nd place, and lastly (though still a good book I'd recommend) The Final Empire.

[@arthurhaag9434]

Exactly the same for me

[@rukky.sshonubi4797]

Me too

[@2ToRamble]

Interesting!

[@rudiboiii]

same. Seige was awesome, intro to kolos was great, amazing character development, lots of mistery and lastly loved Oreseur and Sazed interactions.

[@Straw-Hunter]

Farrow (Like Darrow with an f) Kemy This book is the weakest for me. The third one is a huge improvement but overall I enjoy era 2 much more (maybe unpopular?). My ratings: Book 1 4/5 Book 2 2.5/5 Book 3 4.25/5

[@haydenrayman1752]

I always felt well of ascension was a step down from final empire but its also noticable because of how great the sanderlanche of hero of ages is and how next level that ending was

[@philsajor6724]

great review! definitely a lot of the twists in this book (and era 1 specifically) are way more obvious on a reread. but first time reading this series, all the big reveals (especially in book 3) came out of nowhere in a very satisfying and cathartic way! hope you guys finish and enjoy book 3 soon! :D

[@2ToRamble]

Can’t wait!

[@CamCub]

For me Well of Ascension was very slow until the first big fight in the court. My take away was this book is mostly for Elend and his growth as a character with a sub plot on Vin coming to terms with the amount of power she holds and how her relationships are effected because she’s the biggest weapon they have. Love the series I just finished the first three as my first Brandon Sanderson books I’m a huge fan now of his on to Warbreaker now. Love this channel you both have been awesome to watch and compare notes on books! Keep up the great content.

[@2ToRamble]

Thanks so much!

[@shadcurtis7133]

So excited that you guys are finally reviewing the Mistorn series! I read them 6 months and tried to find your thoughts on them and to my dismay y’all haven’t reviewed them yet!

[@2ToRamble]

We will endlessly review books until you can lookup a 2toramble review and hopefully it’s out there lol. Cant believe it took us this long to get to this

[@cooper_trooper0247]

I demand the "Divorce is Cringe" shirt ASAP! Finger tips together and everything.

[@vigilantScrivener]

So the Battle for Luthadel is to me when the Sanderlanche really comes into its own as a concept. I’m the sort of person who prefers era 2 tho.

[@2ToRamble]

Oo that’s good to hear, we heard era 2 is worse

[@vigilantScrivener]

@@2ToRamble it’s definitely different. Sanderson wrote it on the side while he was finishing The Wheel of Time. Big turns offs for a lot of folks I’ve shared it with is the world is in a rather different state than era 1 and so much of what they liked about era 1 was the state of Scadrial and the Final Empire. It is very much in the spirit of an adventure serial a la Sherlock Holmes, Lone Ranger, and Indiana Jones (or Allan Quartermain), and the characters are much more comic bookish as a result. When I need a fast, fun read, I generally turn to era 2 because I can usually knock them out in a day and usually have a good laugh.

[@dalicieux]

Era 2 is just as good as Era 1 for me, it's just a different kind of series. Lower stake, more 'action adventures' than a big epic like the original trilogy is. Can't wait to hear your opinions on it.

[@bauman921]

I enjoyed era 2 of mistborn but I knew that it was going to be different from era 1. I think the people who didnt like era 2 of mistborn are in for a rude awakening with the cosmere as a whole. yes most of it started as swords and spears but technology is moving forward and it is going to end up being epic sci fi with space battles and people that just want era 1 of mistborn and the stormlight archive need to get on board with that idea or they are going to have a bad time. just like how they wanted more of the same from era 1 but era 2 moved forward in time.

[@big-fish1199]

This is by far my favorite book of the series, I'm a sucker a story where characters are trapped and trying to get out of a precarious situation (Aka, this whole book)

[@2ToRamble]

Fair enough!

[@Poliantrix]

Man, book 2 is my favorite book out of the trilogy!

[@supermayo8a]

Now I'm sad because I finished the entire podcast and will not have another until friday :(

[@panosmarkopoulos3326]

And weakness before strength my brethren 4:49

[@rakibulnahar9626]

Loved book 1 and started book 2 but can't get into it . Think I need a break so any suggestion about which one should I read now instead of book 2. I will return to the book 2 later.

[@Ruben86jz]

That happen to me too, I started steelheart, from Sanderson too! It’s actually refreshing from all the allomancy and ferruchemy 😂

[@reirei7086]

Try one of Sandersons standalone. For a cosmere rec perhaps Warbreaker? For non cosmere Brandon Sanderson (with a cool magic system) try The Rithmatist

[@relaffub]

I haven’t read these since I was 13(24 now) and Well of ascension was my least favorite. It just suffered from middle book syndrome. Mistborn could have just been one book

[@NeolwA]

The only thing I didn't like about this book was anything related to zane and that was probably almost 20 percent of the book lol(I still think it's 5 star since it kinda overshadowed by the highs), I am also neutral for the romance but it did get better in the 3rd book. Aside from those, this book is an absolute perfection in my eyes especially every time there's a fight scene, duralumin made every thing so freaking cool in my head. I genuinely could feel how fun brandon sanderson wrote those fights, and they allowancy for me is his greatest creation and the well of ascension encapsulated everything I love about it. I was still contemplating which one was my favorite, the way of kings or word of radiance but this just came in rummaging through my head, after I finished, it became my favorite sanderson book in an instant, that said I've only read stormlight and mistborn era 1, will read yumi or tress soon though.

[@2ToRamble]

Oh wow!

[@NeolwA]

@@2ToRamble I hope austin will be satisfied by hero of ages, it's the most consistent out of the three.

[@brandontaylor3252]

Dungeon Crawler Carl has significantly better character work than Mistborn era 1 and I'll knife fight for that opinion. Era 2 is a huge improvement in that department but era 1 feels like a YA resevoir dogs where every team member is a walking cliche

[@2ToRamble]

DCC mentioned 🔥

[@sagarrbhat7063]

I hope one day you guys read “Lord of The Mysteries”. Easily peak fiction

[@deepdown2708]

Also read Reverend Insanity

[@rextitan]

I’ve read this one! I think I liked it more than the first looking at the whole, but there are components that I rate lower. I am proud to say the second the traitor was introduced I figured out who it would be. But it was great because I kind of wanted to be wrong as the book developed. But yeah… these books hit in a weird middle ground for me. I like them mainly for the characters, but I’m not all that attached to Vin herself. I like the plot, but it feels so abstract in its progression that I forget most of it. And I didn’t read this that long ago. In the end I have a good memory of reading it and struggle to define why. That’s not true for the next one though. That one I remember and it’s easily my favourite.

[@2ToRamble]

I (austin) agree with ya on a lot of this. Hoping book 3 does the same for me!

[@DinoWilson]

Reading this right now!

[@kingdonsobek]

My main problem with this book is the lack of heist

[@2ToRamble]

Definitely less heist than book 1, you may like The Lies of Locke Lamora if you haven’t read that!

[@ElvishLibrary]

democracy is cringe :D

[@yuvalamir3226]

I keep seeing this take and I just don't understand it. Spoilers ahead: It has a slower pace but I still loved it. Seeing Elend develop as a character was very interesting. This book also has some of the best scenes in the series. I think the scene that got me the most emotional is near the end of the book seeing the soldiers fighting a doomed battle trying to maintain control of the city. Almost brought me to tears. The third book is even better, endings were always Sanderson's strong suit, but that doesn't take away from how great this one is.

[@2ToRamble]

Hopefully our long winded video helps explain! I see why you loved it

[@angussinclair1344]

I'm genuinely not digging just curious but does Rich read physical books or exclusively audio?

[@2ToRamble]

He reads both, but mostly audio lately from my understanding

[@JARHuygebaert]

My unpopular opinion: Mistborn should have been a standalone. I didn't see a reason for book 2 and 3. I LOVE series, I don't read many standalones, but for Sanderson it could be a good lesson. Mistborn, Skyward, Reckoners... they should have been standalones.

[@2ToRamble]

Oo

[@dtheman4824]

Where is that wheel of time read through with Digger Dan?

[@2ToRamble]

On his channel - DiggerDanReads

[@darrow_andromeda915]

It’s a bad book. And that’s okay. Sanderson even has an intro saying as much depending on edition you own.

[@2ToRamble]

What’s his intro say??