Epic fantasy
The Well of Ascension
The second Mistborn book. After the upheaval of the first novel, the people who now hold the capital must govern and defend it against several armies, while the strange magic around them keeps changing.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2007
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 590
- Format
- Book 2 of 3 in The Mistborn Saga: The Original Trilogy
Read this if you like fantasy with a detailed magic system and a hard look at what it means to rule.
Skip this if you have not read Mistborn: The Final Empire, or you want a faster action-first sequel.
The feel
Content warnings
Also reported by Hardcover readers:
Quick answers about The Well of Ascension
- What is The Well of Ascension about?
- The second Mistborn book. After the upheaval of the first novel, the people who now hold the capital must govern and defend it against several armies, while the strange magic around them keeps changing.
- Who should read The Well of Ascension?
- Read it if you like fantasy with a detailed magic system and a hard look at what it means to rule. Skip it if you have not read Mistborn: The Final Empire, or you want a faster action-first sequel.
- How long and how fast is The Well of Ascension?
- It is a slow-paced, long read of about 590 pages, first published in 2007.
- Does The Well of Ascension have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, War, Death.
- Can I borrow The Well of Ascension for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Well of Ascension; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after The Well of Ascension?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Dragonbone Chair, Elantris.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Bookshop.org | Check price | Buy new from Bookshop.org |
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Libro.fm | Check price | Buy audiobook from Libro.fm |
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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If you loved The Well of Ascension
-
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Shares the crew-of-schemers charm and clever plotting, but is more playful and less about statecraft.
-
The Dragonbone Chair
A slower, older epic about a kingdom under pressure and the people who must govern it.
-
Elantris More Sanderson, in a standalone world with another inventive magic system and a political crisis.
Epic fantasy
