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

[@gentleslice6489]

It was great to see Richard putting in the work this time. This sounded more professional and better than the first review you guys put together of book1. I rly enjoyed the ramble. :) You guys made a awesome takes on some stuffs that didnt come in my mind before. I was kinda surprised you didnt include certain scenes how would it come alive in a movie spectrum or how would you imagine it. I think it would make a great topic since its kinda almost 100% sure and Brandon mentioned a lot of times that if he gets a movie adaptation the first is going to be Mistborn.

[@2ToRamble]

Thank you! And yes some stuff is is super cinematic

[@LeonC0704]

did he say "destination before journey"??? hahahahahaha

[@avsambart]

"Divorce is cringe" is the funniest thing I have heard all week and I shall be laughing about it for a while (yours sincerely, child of divorce here).

[@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.

[@2ToRamble]

Oo that makes me hopeful

[@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.

[@kaidenharker2532]

the moment vin splits the koloss does it for me everytime

[@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!

[@cooper_trooper0247]

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

[@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

[@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!

[@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.

[@noahbason8486]

@@2ToRamblefrom what you guys talk about on how you enjoy all the possibilities and execution of feruchemy I’m pretty sure you’ll dig at least that aspect of era 2. I personally love era 2 and all it’s characters and setting. Imo the first book of the second era is the weakest and then they just grow from there. That is to say I wouldn’t put them in the same ballpark as Stormlight but they’re still really good.

[@thellama3239]

Era 2 is my favorite of all the cosmere series. Easily the best characters imo

[@brendanl8390]

I read the Mistborn trilogy in the past couple months, I loved book 1, but not perfect so I gave it 4 Stars, 3.5 stars for book 2, which I really enjoyed, but took a while to pickup the story for me. Book 3 was a 5 star read. I’ve never been so satisfied with a series ending, my mind was blown. I had the audiobook and I couldn’t stop listening I finished it in a couple days

[@2ToRamble]

Damn! Hopefully I think the same. I gave book 1 and 2 similar as you - 4.25 and 3.5. Cant wait for the third

[@avvalyn9]

I have about 200 pages left of the Hero of Ages, so this might change once I finish, but Well of Ascension is my favorite in the trilogy so far. I was surprised how different it was to book 1 at first, but overall I really enjoyed the focus on the characters (especially Sazed, Tindwyl and Oreseur) and the mysteries

[@MoviesNStuff]

Oh, that might change. Hero of Ages is the GOAT. Curious to hear.your thoughts once you've finished!

[@avvalyn9]

@@MoviesNStuff I spoke too soon LMAOO I finished it last night and loved it especially the ending. Definitely my favorite in the trilogy. I haven't cried like that in a while 😂

[@big-fish1199]

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

[@2ToRamble]

Fair enough!

[@Bigryguy95-epic]

I think part of the atium equation here is not everyone can do what Vin did against Zane. Even Kelsier probably couldn't have done it. It's sort of a RAFO but, without spoilers, Vin is just built different.

[@aerobibs]

First time mistborn reader and new the Sanderson. Blown away by this series. Loved book 1, Kelsier and Vin friendship was top tier. I miss Kelsier 😢. Book 2 while feeling slow was incredible. The final two acts were some of the best I’ve ever read. Cant wait to start Hero of Ages

[@alexaversa7706]

You mentioned how this video was gonna be clicked regardless because it's about mistborn, but this is the most enjoyable literary analysis i've seen from you guys. Knocked it out the park

[@2ToRamble]

Damn!! Thank you - what did we do here that made it more enjoyable? We’ll try to replicate that

[@xderyck41]

I think that the themes are actually: Book 1 Vin learns to trust those she loves, but more importantly finding those that she can love, not being by herself Book 2 Vin learns to trust herself, because the book is about playing with her insecurities and fears, that people will leave her or that eventually they will realize she is not good enough

[@agustingonzalez9813]

I really liked era 2 (especially having read most of the cosmere before starting it). They're very fun, fast paced books, with characters that really grow on you, and show us a whole new side to the magic system; plus, seeing how the world changes and what people believe compared to what we know from a previous era is a very cool concept. I understand prefering era 1 purely because of it's more medieval style setting rather than a industrial revolution style (at least that's the reason I prefer it), but the overall difference in quality really isn't THAT big.

[@JustinBrown-z4i]

"Don't vote if you are not informed" Rich if i could kiss you...I still wouldn't, but I agree with you wholeheartedly. Also thank you for re reading the book this time, made for a MUCH better review. And remember! "Destination before journey, and don't lick the Todium". - (Nohadon) Michael Scott.

[@briangordillo4669]

The amount of anxiety I had, with the constant confusion of what was about to happen at the end of the book, and everyone making moves had me LOSING IT.

[@valliyarnl]

7:26 not levy catching strays again 😭😭

[@L3vy330]

I know what the heck!!😭

[@valliyarnl]

@@L3vy330 I’ll give u a positive shout out one day to bring balance

[@willsullivan5988]

Well of Ascension is by far and away my favorite of the trilogy. Palace intrigue and plotting are my favorite elements of fantasy and the siege of Luthadel is my favorite part of the series. You also see the full power of a Mistborn unleashed for the first time.

[@markushoffman8735]

The Well of Ascension is my favorite Sanderson book of the 5 of his that I've read. I'm now reading Words of Radiance though and I have a feeling that it will take top spot

[@juancamilocalvache451]

The Explanation of Atium and how Vin defeated Zane makes perfect sense and I get mad when I listen people who say it doesn't make sense because they say it literally because they didn't understand what happend. Also it makes perfect sense with the Electrum in the next book and how it works necause it basically does exactly what Vin did just that in automatic. Yeah I know spoilers what ever they explain this almost at the begining of the Hero of Ages

[@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!

[@tuber7081]

How I like to think of the atium situation - it does show the future outcome (like Dr. Strange), it just shows what’s about to happen next. So it’s not predicting the future outcome only the next action So it’s much more of an advantage against someone who doesn’t understand it.

[@juliuscaesarreyes1984]

41:45 I think Vin falling into temptation was EXACTLY what needed to happen in that moment at the Well. Hence why the mist spirit (I haven't read book 3 yet too haha no spoilers), slashed Elend in order to give Vin a very powerful reason to take the power for herself. But you're right, we know Vin was not gonna buy it, and she still "gave the power up" because she and us readers haven't realized yet what the f is wrong with the Well. I was IMMENSELY STOKED when I first read that part and immediately felt tricked and bamboozled as much as Vin was. Having only the knowledge that the Well has power and not the truth about it.

[@arabellawillow]

If you havent already, I highly recommend Petrik Leo's written review of this seriess... best review I've ever read!

[@Vinflowerfield]

1:14:10 where do gold and it's alloys go? Oh it goes somewhere alright. I don't understand the era 2 hate it's soo much fun

[@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!

[@chrisrumfellow4566]

Much love from 2x gang! On the topic of Era 2 I understand why so many people say it's not as good as era 1, it's going for a much different tone and I can see why people going in from era 1 might feel disappointed. HOWEVER, and I'll stand by this until the day I die, Era 2 is incredible in its own right and I'm of the opinion that it is firmly in the 'equal but different' category to Era 1. More individual moments from Era 2 stick in my memory and the overall baseline for how much I was enjoying myself while reading era 2 was higher than while reading Era 1.

[@6ixpoint5ive]

So I LOVE the Well of Ascension. Like... it may even be my favourite Cosmere novel haha! So apologies below for the ramble to come: A big reason for why that is, is yes the final 200 pages. It was my first real “Sanderlanche” experience and I’ll never be able to really get that back no matter how many Sanderlanches I read-- because now I see it coming-- But reading WOA I did not see any of it coming and it completely stunned me; I’ve never experienced the thrill of a great blockbuster 3rd act epic set piece in book form before and so WOA just blew my mind. I also loved this book for how to changed up the idea of a love triangle. Zane and Vin is the perfect antithesis to Elend and Vin. Elend are a healthy relationship, two people who make each other better, unconditionally - in many ways E/V mirror Shallan and Adolin. Zane however is the kind of relationship Vin thinks she deserves and assumes would help her. They have the same tragic backstory, they think by being together they will “save” each other, that they “get each other.” (Sanderson foreshadowed a similar situation with Kaladin and Shallan, giving little hints as to why this would only harm them both). Zane is broken, possibly even worse than Vin, and because he’s broken he lets out his hurt and his trauma onto Vin without thinking about what it does to her. Vin doesn't need someone who's like her, she needs someone who's not like her; someone who helps her become a better person through just being them, and together they somehow shape eachother positively-- as she helps Elend become a better King and leader, Elend helps Vin how to trust people and, more importantly, trust herself. V and E it’s done without thinking, it’s just part of who they are that helps make them better. Zane, as an opposite, makes Vin worse who in turn makes Zane worse. They don’t mean to, but they’re too similar and their traumas are too similar that they don’t know how to help each other because, well, they don’t know how to help themselves- Zane even says “you were supposed to save me!!” but how could she save him if she doesn’t even have the ability to understand at this stage to save her self? He was putting all this pressure, he wanted her to be his knight in shining armour to go and defeat his evil dad, but Vin is still reeling from her own tragic backstory, how can she possibly even begin to know how to help Zane with his? It’s a great look at a more nuanced kind of abusive relationships which caused by each individuals past abuse. Interview with the Vampire gets into a similar idea, the couple that COULD be together that COULD end up being great, but they have too much traumatic history each, too much baggage that they need to get rid of before they can be who they need to be for the couple. Zane is broken and he expects his relationships to save him, he expects the person he's with to be his champion, that they'll rise up together kill their demons and then have a better life for it, but that’s the not the job of a partner, and killing them, isn't how you get past your demons. A romantic partner doesn’t "clean out your baggage", but rather they can inspire you to want to be better and help you through the process of growth and change- which will be a personal journey, but they can come along with you on it. They are a companion on your journey, as you are a companion to theirs, and while there will be hard times along the way, it is through trust, support, communication, vulnerability, and change that helps you two get there. Elend will happily grow as a better through Vin's inspiration, as Vin learns to grow as a person through Elend-- Zane would never be able to have done that for Vin, it doesn't mean he doesn't deserve it - he's not a bad person - but Vin wouldn't be able to give that too him. I've seen friends IRL go through these situations, heck even I have, dating a Zane only to find and marry their Elend. It's a big part of growing up and discovering a life partner and I absolutely adore that Sanderson detailed it with such realism in this book - hopefully people can take away something from it that helps them on their own journey to finding a healthy romantic life partner. This comes a controversial statement within the community, but personal really love how Sanderson writes relationships. He doesn’t lean on tropes of the Ross/Rachel “on again / off again” or the normalization of toxic behaviour within relationships for comedic or dramatic affect. He doesn't lean into “ships” or romanticize the tall dark stranger or the red dressed mystery woman. He doesn’t make beauty save the beast, he does allow the quiet stoic complicated man get the woman, and he doesn’t rely on sexual tension of a problematic couple or the teenage hormonal intensity of YA romance to build sexual tension. (which has been around since Shakespeare.) Instead, he presents to his readers what a good healthy relationship is and what the antithesis of that could be (ie Vin and Elend vs Vin and Zane; Wax and Steris vs Wax and Marasi; Shallan and Adolin vs Shallan and kaladin; Siri and Susebron vs Vivenna and Susebron.) Each of the former is a healthy positive relationship, whilst the later is the antithesis which would have problematic issues despite the reader wanting to “ship” them or if it seems like it may be a good fit on the surface. I don’t see any other writers doing this and I’d love to see more in fiction (film, tv, books, games.) and seeing this within WOA, building on the characters from the past book. Whilst, I get that people may find Sandersons relationship to not be "horny" enough, I disagree. The prospects of the characters finding someone who makes them better is incredibly exciting -- and horny. You're telling me my favourite character will learn to shed their dark past, become better, not by "being saved," but through being loved for who they are that they'll want to be even better because it'll only strengthen their relationship and deeper their love. - and BOTH characters will do this!?! OMG sign me up!! Okay, but enough about relationships, thematically, I also love how the book breaks down the characters from their archetypes in the first book and acts almost as a mirror to the first book. Elend learning to be a king from Tindwyl (a mirror to Vin learning to be a lazy from Sazed), Sazed learning about history and religious truth through Tindwyl (a mirror to Kelsier learning the same from Sazed), Vin seeing how people are more than their class or their upbringing (a mirror to Kelsier's firm teachings that the rich are all evil), a kandra infiltrating the team (a mirror to Vin infiltrating the upper class), the revelation of the well itself being a mirror to what we expected it to be, and the upper class oppressors trying to take control of the major kingdom a mirror to the underclass trying to take control of their lives and agencies from the oppressors, and so on and so on. and again this is then exemplified through Zane being a mirror of Elend for Vin. The whole series has themes on opposites, actions vs reactions, and mirroring of powers, so I just adore how the story of the second book does this with the characters themselves and their stories.
It's incredible storytelling and amplifies the first book and its themes so beautifully for me. I will likely read the Mistborn series again in a few years and I’m curious if this book still remains in my top, but as of now, Mistborn is my favourite of the Sanderson series (yes, even over SA). WOA is my favourite Mistborn book AND may even my favourite Cosmere book.
 Sorry it didn’t work for you guys as much but, no worries, we all have different tastes. If you read this far thanks for indulging in my support of this book that I think is just magnificent on so many levels, especially in how it breaks down the toxicity of the love triangle trope and how to properly find healthy relationships within our own lives.

[@2ToRamble]

Thank you for the thorough comment and review - and I yhought WE were yappers 😮‍💨. Lol in all seriousness, makes sense and appreciate the review on this. Didnt work as well for us, but glad it did for you!

[@Thalagos]

Era 2 doesn't have the same hefty gravitas as era 1 but I thought it was a fun ride and thoroughly enjoyed it. It also feels like era 2 is written to be more easily adaptable for a movie series.

[@2ToRamble]

Oo ok

[@brightwatcher3757]

The 2x speed call out-😅 (Potential spoilery thoughts ahead for the people scrolling) The characters of Mistborn are still vivid to me after years of separation. Stormlight is on another level and I am deeply attached to those characters, but I think Mistborn characters have a more visceral hold on my heart. Elend, Breeze, Clubs, Dockson, Marsh, etc - I love them so much. Funny you say Zane served the plot and not much else. That was the only reason I found him tolerable. I knew he wasn’t endgame and so was relieved we didn’t have to waste time building him up.😅 {democracy is cringe}

[@artem_mma]

Book 2 is definitely a bridge between book 1 and book 3. Book 3 really speeds things up

[@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

[@hetfool]

On my first read, book 2 wasn’t so great. but I’ve read Mistborn era 1 a few times now, and with each re-read book 2 gets better and better to the point where it’s now my favourite.

[@DecidedPanda]

The Well of Ascension was actually my favorite book in the series until the Sanderlanche at the end of Hero of the Ages. Even for the first half of Hero of Ages I thought I liked the Well of Ascension more than that book up to that point. I loved the way the different characters were challenged and how their world views were tested. I mostly loved Elend and he quickly became my favorite character. I never doubted that Vin would abandon Elend or her friends but for a moment there I was worried she was gonna make a huge mistake. Anyways, good takes! Looking forward to the next review.

[@brandonhein9799]

I know your not there yet, but I loved Era 2. I know it gets slack, but it has one of my favorite Cosmere characters and has HIGH Cosmere Lore. I would read Secret Histories after book 3, but many suggest reading it after Era 2. It kind of has a spoiler, but I think the wrap up to E1 outweighs that spoiler.

[@bohdanmamlai9446]

Nooo, I am only on page 240… Can’t wait to finish the book and watch your video guys

[@2ToRamble]

See you then 🤝

[@LuzzyStef]

As usual I love the podcasts especially when it’s books I love but maybe you guys can add a little more context to what your talking about and maybe sort of reminders for readers like me who haven’t read the book in a while

[@2ToRamble]

We definitely will try to do a better job at that. Very fair

[@sagarrbhat7063]

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

[@deepdown2708]

Also read Reverend Insanity

[@jordanlopez222]

I personally think era 2 is great. Book 2 in particular is one of my favorites. Love the video!

[@2ToRamble]

Thankyou!

[@misternegative4918]

This review gets 2 stars for the lack of mentioning the GOAT Spook. I know he can’t be ignored in the third book though!

[@DerekAGilbert]

Just finished my reread. So exited to listen to this. -- Era 2 point: I guess I might be in the minority but I almost liked era 2 even more! The plot threads for the larger cosmere are woven in and that just made it so much fun for me. - In waiting for stormlight 5 I recently started a re-read of mistborn era 1 where I put secret history in the middle of the final empire and well of ascension. And it made well of ascension way more enjoyable for me, to the point where I think I might have enjoyed it more than the final empire.

[@justinjosie5417]

Rich you gotta give Mormon aesthetics another chance. Check out the tabernacle choir, you’d love the aesthetic lol

[@daniela.domingues]

My opinion on this is that it's very different to have Mistborn as your gateway into the cosmere than it is to start with Stormlight Archive, you'll never cherish mistborn the same way. This said, the best part of the last two books is the mystery and Sazed for sure! (FE-ru-KE-mist xD) ------> had to add this, sorry!

[@esmayrosalyne]

I have just reread the first three books of Era 2 and am now in the middle of The Lost Metal for the first time, so it's been so fun to take the nostalgia train back to this first era with you guys. Unpopular opinions, but Era 2 is my favourite by a landslide, such a romp!! Also, I love that Rich managed to gaslight not only Austin but also me into accepting the whole ferochemistry thing 🤣 And obviously, democracy is ✨️cringe✨️

[@2ToRamble]

😂

[@justinjosie5417]

Era 2 is fantastic! It’s a different feel and vibe from era 1 but seeing the world progress is incredible. Super fun books and I highly recommend them. The fourth book was absolutely incredible, top 3 Sanderson book for me

[@2ToRamble]

Excited to read on

[@CubenYT]

The Well of Ascension is my FAVORITE Sanderson novel i have so far read lol... I bet your favorite of. the trilogy will be book 3 tho.

[@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

[@sideshowb.a.b.s.8913]

I love era 2. The plot isn’t as deep but the books fun. And era 2 has some of the very best characters in the Cosmere

[@whyyguy8116]

Wayne ❤️

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

12:08 Rich letting us peek in and see his inner psychopath

[@alib2971]

The religious tangent 😂 living up to the rambler name

[@ClaireKinmil]

I'd be curious if your opinion of the second book changes in any way when you look at it as part of the trilogy. I have found that my thoughts on a book can vary depending on how well it fits into or what its role is in the series.

[@josegash9378]

The Well of Ascension is my absolute favourite book of all time. Is the books tha made me falla in love with fantasy, so because of that is especial to me.

[@2ToRamble]

! Thats awesome

[@gabriellevandergragt3641]

Rich, if you like Catholicism but prefer Orthodox aestheics, check out the Byzantine Catholic rite (or any of the Eastern rites tbh, people often assume that Catholic = white Jesus and European music)! Best of both worlds :) Overall great review guys! Now off to watch the HoA video!

[@2ToRamble]

Thankya for watching 😁

[@subjectiveexperiences1072]

This is my favorite of the trilogy, despite finding Vin very frustrating at times and finding Zane cringe, lol. I adored all of the king Elend stuff. Also I really, really, really loved the relationship between Vin and Tensoon.

[@2ToRamble]

Tensoon and Vin was rly nice

[@ernestorodriguez5117]

You really should read Era 2 before Wind and Truth come out, because that book have spoilers of Era 2 (and Mistborn Secret History), and I don´t know if you should read The Sunlit Man before Wind and Truth. I think it isn´t necessary

[@supermayo8a]

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

[@2ToRamble]

Rip

[@adamborst]

Atium is certainly weird, but more recently I've thought of it in terms of something that happens in Stormlight. There's Taravangian's diagram and that scene when Odium shows how he can see possible futures. There's more into how it ties into the spiritual realm where all times and possible futures exist simultaneously. At least I think that's how the spiritual realm works. Bottom line, my takeaway is that atium allows the person to get a glimpse into seeing those futures.

[@2ToRamble]

Oo

[@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!

[@MrBigmorg3000]

I agree that Well of Ascension is a little underwhelming, but has good character building. My wife is finally reading Mistborn. I just keep asking her where she is at and what’s happening!

[@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

[@shughes5778]

Uh, no? It's an unemphasized oo. Fair-oo-ka(kə)-me

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

​​@@shughes5778 Sanderson has said that he pronounces it like this comment indicates. Emphasis on the first syllable, not on the oo sound. That being said, he's also made it very clear that he doesn't mind anyone pronouncing things differently, so say it however you want

[@shughes5778]

@emosongsandreadalongs Yeah, I just checked the Arcanum, they're definitely more right than me. Darrow implies more stress than there seems to be, but close enough. Anything is better than Feruchemistry.

[@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.

[@haabjosh]

On my first read, I had ranked the trilogy 2,3, and then 1. On second read I had it 3, 2, 1. The first book holds a special place in my heart but I really really enjoyed large parts of 2. Elend and Tindwyl, Sazed and Tindwyl, Tensoon, and that whole back quarter or so bad absolutely floored me. Zane… wasn’t a big fan. He felt like an edgy boy as an antagonist to me.

[@Slobrojoe]

I had a similar experience, I thought it was a step down from The Final Empire. It’s the biggest reason why I haven’t started The Hero of Ages yet

[@MoviesNStuff]

Hero of Ages is the best one of the trilogy imo. Everything comes together beautifully.

[@justinjosie5417]

Oh you can’t skip hero of ages dude. Honestly, it’s one of the best endings of any book I’ve ever read. It’s incredible how Sanderson ties things together at the end.

[@2ToRamble]

👀

[@samuelhartman4872]

Nice new backdrop yall

[@2ToRamble]

Thankya 🙏

[@yxanimations]

The Well of Ascension is my favourite book of all time! (Golden son is avery close second)

[@2ToRamble]

I was going to disagree but you having Golden Son so high on your list is CORRECT!

[@tannerlindsay5740]

Have you guys done malazan read through? Give it a try if not!

[@2ToRamble]

We read book 1 - then Rich went on to read book 2

[@mayeenmdtasin8584]

The build ups and pay offs in WOA was over the top. Not to mention the political aspects which I believe Final Empire lacked. The growth of Vin and Elend also the stakes felt much higher. Well of Ascension is definitely my favourite of the three.

[@2ToRamble]

Elends growth was pretty awesome

[@Robda5ft_]

What’s funny to me is that Elend had no clue what was happening with Vin and Zane 😭😭

[@2ToRamble]

Not a clue 😭

[@MattKeithley]

i just finished era 1 and i found book 2 to be my favorite

[@2ToRamble]

Nice!

[@lucasdorok1915]

I just finished this Book yesterday

[@Rumham7291]

i sort of started this book but hearing its just a 3.5 stars does not encourage me to boost it up on my TBR when i have some 5 stars i havent read yet.

[@2ToRamble]

Fair enough - I hear book 3 is incredible though and cant wair to get there. Still super excited to read on

[@RyutaroFan]

After your Mistborn reviews, I would really like to see your guys rank the Sanderson books 👀. Actually, book 2 put me off the Mistborn series. I cannot bring myself to read the third book. But now I want to see your latest review but I don't want spoil myself 😂 Maybe it will motivate me to read the third book.

[@justinjosie5417]

You have to read the third! It has the best ending of any Sanderson book. It’s beautiful how he ties things together

[@RyutaroFan]

@@justinjosie5417 Alright! Sounds intriguing! I will give it a second try!

[@true_emu8333]

Might I ask why you guys switched the rambler rating system to a 5 star scale instead of 10 point scale?

[@2ToRamble]

We have an episode (126) where we explain the change and how it all works!

[@charliemelton885]

It’s duralumin 😭

[@billellis2507]

Juuuuuuuust an FYI, the fourth book of mistborn era 2 will most likely have implications for Stormlight 5….. not sure if you had plans to get through that or not before

[@2ToRamble]

Oo thank you

[@gustavolamego9913]

Well of ascenscion is my favorite only because it gives us time to be with the characters while book 3 is soo fast paced

[@2ToRamble]

Im looking forward to the fast paced, but I see what you mean!

[@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.

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

I thought the idea of technological progression as more books are released was really neat. But to be honest, I haven't been very satisfied with the execution

[@bauman921]

@@emosongsandreadalongs even with the secret projects? I personally thought it they were awesome ways to tease where we are headed

[@mckennamclaws146]

Did y'all forget the gorgeous temples that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) builds all over the place? If you're looking for aesthetic... Love the channel. Great review!

[@2ToRamble]

Thank you! And Rich would be happy to hear this

[@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.

[@dtheman4824]

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

[@2ToRamble]

On his channel - DiggerDanReads

[@Poliantrix]

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

[@slak102themistocles9]

I’m going to buck the trend and, instead of telling you to Read Howling Dark, tell you to read the novella The Lesser Devil between Empire of Silence and Howling dark. Then read Howling Dark. Lesser devil is a great addition to the world and, as a Catholic, I appreciate its portrayal of Catholics, one of the best I’ve seen in sci-fi.

[@sovereigndeleon]

Hello fellow Catholic spec fic reader!

[@2ToRamble]

Now this is convincing

[@boxerjeep]

Is there a link to your Wheel of Time review? When I looked for it all I could find was an actual guy digging with machines. 😂

[@2ToRamble]

Lol his account is DiggerDanReads

[@boxerjeep]

@@2ToRamble thank you. Y’all are fantastic and quickly becoming my favorite book tubers! Keep up the great content.

[@2ToRamble]

@@boxerjeep Thanks so much!

[@datmarshy]

Not gonna lie, the well of ascension is my favorite Mistborn book. It starts off paragraph one with an army parked outside the city. And never slows down. F****ng hate Zane though. I wish he would tee bag a bear trap

[@2ToRamble]

That is one unique insult 😂

[@Beethovens.diving-gear]

The clubs forgotfulness will not be tolerated

[@2ToRamble]

*gulp*

[@Beethovens.diving-gear]

@2ToRamble gulp indeed my fellow you have not mentioned him at all. I made sure and listened to all the podcasts on mistborn.

[@DinoWilson]

Reading this right now!

[@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 🔥

[@jlo-1261]

Hot take but I think Mistborn Sanderlanches are greater than Stormlight's. Maybe not as long or epic, but the jaw-dropping moments and crazy twists I didn't see coming are insane.

[@snarp129]

Lowkey I see where you are coming from

[@2ToRamble]

Oo gotta disagree but Ill hold full judgement until I read book 3!

[@whyyguy8116]

Era 2 is soooooo much better then Era 1 my all Time Favorite Sanderson Character Wayne is a delight! Era 2 is more fun and Era 1 is more serious

[@2ToRamble]

Nice to hear nice nice

[@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

[@hitzkooler15]

I am curious what you guys will think of Mistborn era 2. I thought it was garbage lol

[@2ToRamble]

Did you like Era 1 quite a bit?

[@alecfischer1095]

I remember on my first read this was my least favorite while on a reread it was my favorite.

[@2ToRamble]

What made it better on reread?

[@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

[@KALtheHighstorm117]

Great episode, though I disagree with a lot of your criticisms. Personally, I like this one WAY better than book 1. There were just several things about book 1 that bugged me. In order to have a great heist story, you need a great crew. In book 1, most of them are pretty flat characters. Dockson and Ham are boring, Yeden, Marsh, and Spook are annoying, and Breeze and Clubs are okay to good. All imo, of course. However, Kelsier and Vin are fantastic, and Sazed shows a lot of promise. None of the others get good until book 2. So because I didn't care for many of the crew, I found a lot of the heist Plot points to be kinda boring, even though I also love heist stories. I also dislike Vin and Elend's romance; I thought it was very rushed. I felt the buildup to the ending was better than the actual ending. Vin sucking up mist and demolishing the Lord Ruler was just too deus Ex Machina for me. It also could have been trimmed down, though you could probably make this argument for almost all of Sanderson's works. Can't give examples for this since it's been a while. I just remember getting the feeling. Unfortunately, I was also spoiled about Kelsier's and the Lord Ruler's deaths, so that probably decreased my enjoyment. As for why I liked book 3 and especially book 2 much better: 1. Better Political Intrigue (Elend really shines in this department in book 2) 2. Greater Character Development (All the heist crew, except Dockson imo, get great in book 2. And Spook is arguably my 2nd favorite character in book 3, right after Sazed.) 3. More shocking Worldbuilding reveals (End of book 2. Need I say more?) 4. Better Sanderlanches. 5. Better exploration of themes. (Book 1 sets a solid foundation, and then the next 2 really dive deep into heavy themes of anxiety, fanaticism vs. faith, overcoming trauma, and the strength of willpower. And Democracy is Cringe, of course!) Spoilers for book 2: I know this is unpopular, but I love Zain. Not as a love Interest for Vin (though I disagree with calling that dynamic a love triangle. I saw it more as a path of life and test of a moral compass for Vin than a romance arc) But I was really interested in his character and was hoping for a redemption arc for him. I disagree that he was just there to service the plot.

[@2ToRamble]

I see why you like it!! Disagree, but very nice breakdown

[@panosmarkopoulos3326]

And weakness before strength my brethren 4:49