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fableheaven's review
4.0
This is a review for all three parts of The Well of Ascension
Let me start by saying, the performance is brilliant! Thank you so much Graphic Audio for another great book.
Now onto the review itself:
Book 1, The Final Empire ended with Elend as king, Vin as the most powerful Mistborn around and Kelsier's crew now in charge of a whole kingdom. It was a great ending. This one built on it in a way I didn't expect. Sure, there are less battles, and there's a ton more political intrigue, but it was the next logical step. We knew there were more powerful men who'd want the throne and of course they'd come to take it.
I really enjoyed seeing our beloved characters grow as people and into their new roles. The relationship between Vin and OreSeur and their growth was one of the high points of the book for me. Same with Elend and his role as King as opossed to just being an idealist.
I don't know how to praise it without going into spoilers, so I'll just say I am really sorry I paused my reading on the middle of the seconf part and I took soo long to pick it back up. I should have known it would get so much better.
My only complaint with the story, and why it only gets 4 stars is Vin and Elend's relationship, I understand it's relevance to the story, but I still found it a bit annoying and put me off parts of the book.
Let me start by saying, the performance is brilliant! Thank you so much Graphic Audio for another great book.
Now onto the review itself:
Book 1, The Final Empire ended with Elend as king, Vin as the most powerful Mistborn around and Kelsier's crew now in charge of a whole kingdom. It was a great ending. This one built on it in a way I didn't expect. Sure, there are less battles, and there's a ton more political intrigue, but it was the next logical step. We knew there were more powerful men who'd want the throne and of course they'd come to take it.
I really enjoyed seeing our beloved characters grow as people and into their new roles. The relationship between Vin and OreSeur and their growth was one of the high points of the book for me. Same with Elend and his role as King as opossed to just being an idealist.
I don't know how to praise it without going into spoilers, so I'll just say I am really sorry I paused my reading on the middle of the seconf part and I took soo long to pick it back up. I should have known it would get so much better.
My only complaint with the story, and why it only gets 4 stars is Vin and Elend's relationship, I understand it's relevance to the story, but I still found it a bit annoying and put me off parts of the book.
erebus53's review
4.0
Reviewing parts 1, 2, 3 of the Graphic Audio publication of this title.
This is a much lauded publication, in part because of the stellar voice work, but also the music and sound effects. The GraphicAudio motto: "a movie in your mind" is apt. Some detractors dislike that the GraphicAudio presentations are abridged, but much of that is removing particles of speech that have been illustrated in the performance (she said, wryly).
Unlike the first book in this set, The Well of Ascension focuses a little more on the bloodshed and trauma of battle. For a book ostensibly about the fall of a nation, the first book was limited to some flashy fights (similar to action movie-trailers or glitzy videogame FMV cutscenes) and stayed peripheral to the horrors of war, but this second book is not all duels and boss-fights. There is strategy, and mass bloodshed, and siege warfare, and not everything is pretty. I wish I were more into battle descriptions, but as per usual for me, they nearly put me to sleep.
The slaughtering is contrasted with three or four(?!) love stories, mystical mist stuff, spying and trust, yet more prophets and sophistry, and more monsters. I like the dog scenes.. but no spoilers ;)
A pedantic stylistic niggle I had was the tendency to use tautology: "continuing on" is a minor niggle but also "reclining back" as so on ... yes, my mother was an English teacher, and yes, it is just aesthetics.
I enjoy Sanderson's habit of deliberately misleading the reader/listener by providing almost all the information but having a completely logical twist to it, and this is evident in a few places in this narrative. I quite liked the repetition of parts of the prophecy and how they are thematically related to the current events of the book, but only in an ephemeral sort of way. By the end of the book we are quite familiar with the prophetic writings and understand a great deal more of what is going on.
This is a much lauded publication, in part because of the stellar voice work, but also the music and sound effects. The GraphicAudio motto: "a movie in your mind" is apt. Some detractors dislike that the GraphicAudio presentations are abridged, but much of that is removing particles of speech that have been illustrated in the performance (she said, wryly).
Unlike the first book in this set, The Well of Ascension focuses a little more on the bloodshed and trauma of battle. For a book ostensibly about the fall of a nation, the first book was limited to some flashy fights (similar to action movie-trailers or glitzy videogame FMV cutscenes) and stayed peripheral to the horrors of war, but this second book is not all duels and boss-fights. There is strategy, and mass bloodshed, and siege warfare, and not everything is pretty. I wish I were more into battle descriptions, but as per usual for me, they nearly put me to sleep.
The slaughtering is contrasted with three or four(?!) love stories, mystical mist stuff, spying and trust, yet more prophets and sophistry, and more monsters. I like the dog scenes.. but no spoilers ;)
A pedantic stylistic niggle I had was the tendency to use tautology: "continuing on" is a minor niggle but also "reclining back" as so on ... yes, my mother was an English teacher, and yes, it is just aesthetics.
I enjoy Sanderson's habit of deliberately misleading the reader/listener by providing almost all the information but having a completely logical twist to it, and this is evident in a few places in this narrative. I quite liked the repetition of parts of the prophecy and how they are thematically related to the current events of the book, but only in an ephemeral sort of way. By the end of the book we are quite familiar with the prophetic writings and understand a great deal more of what is going on.
lethologica_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mrj's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
phoebejeziel's review
5.0
LOOVEEEEE. Phenomenal show as always <3
I love this book in the series bc we get so much of ELEND <3 <3 We reallyyyyy dig into Vin and Elend's character development (Vin's development throughout this series is incredible) and it's so great. Kind of a slow start, compared to the Final Empire. But in no way does this diminish the story, or feel unexciting. I LOVE this book and I was completely addicted and couldn't stop listening.
I love this book in the series bc we get so much of ELEND <3 <3 We reallyyyyy dig into Vin and Elend's character development (Vin's development throughout this series is incredible) and it's so great. Kind of a slow start, compared to the Final Empire. But in no way does this diminish the story, or feel unexciting. I LOVE this book and I was completely addicted and couldn't stop listening.
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