Okay, I'm going to say a little more than that, but before I go on, I should issue a little spoiler alert. While this review will reveal no secrets about The Well of Ascencion, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from The Final Empire. This book could be read as a standalone, but I think it would be really confusing. So, do yourself a favor and find a copy of The Final Empire before you grab its sequels. You've been warned.

The Well of Ascension begins one year after The Final Empire ends. The Lord Ruler has been defeated; Kelsier's dead (after a brief resurrection via kandra); Lord Elend Venture sits on Luthadel's throne; and despite his best efforts, the city around him deteriorates into chaos. Outside its walls, an army waits to take Luthadel. At its head stands Straff Venture, Elend's heartless father, who knows Elend's tenuous power can be his for the taking. Still, the young Lord Venture and his band of criminals-turned-civic leaders aren't about to give up without a fight. Letting down Kelsier, with his dreams of freedom from oppression, simply isn't an option. Though severely outnumbered, Elend believes triumph can be his through the use of his not-so-secret weapon, Vin. Her loyalty to Elend may just mean the difference between the city's destruction and its survival.

Vin, however, has pressing concerns of her own. First off, there's The Watcher. A powerful Mistborn, he flits in and out of the city, taunting her. He mocks her with the hard truth - a woman with her power does not belong with an ordinary man like Elend. Vin tries to ignore The Watcher, even as she feels herself drawing closer to him. Then, there's the Mists. Always a part of life in Luthadel, they "were thick and mysterious, even to Vin. More dense than a simple fog and more constant than any normal weather pattern, they churned and flowed ..." (19). While commoners fear the mists, Vin and her kind embrace it. Yet, now, she senses something ominous in it. As if it's grown aggressive, dangerous. Or maybe it's just Vin's growing confusion about who she is and whether or not there's a place for her murderous powers in a land ruled by Elend's stubborn idealism. With all of that on her plate, she's got one more assignment - to track down the traitor inside Keep Venture. This, above all, will shake her, as it means one of her friends has been eaten and replaced by a kandra spy. As much as Vin needs to focus, she can't ignore the pulsings she feels inside - there's something out there in the mists, calling her, pulling her, but what is it? And why does it want her so badly?

With enemies both known and unknown lurking around every corner, it's up to Elend and his crew to save the city they love. Along the way, they'll question themselves, their motives, their chances of survival. Is Elend even capable of leading the people? How much are they willing to risk so that he can keep his crown? Can they avoid all-out war? Who is The Watcher? What does he want with Vin? Is Vin strong enough to protect Luthadel and its uncertain king? And, most importantly, can she ever be the kind of woman he needs her to be?

If The Final Empire feels tedious at times, it pays off in The Well of Ascension, which blows right past the basics into the heart of the story. Sanderson created a rich, believable (well, okay, I know there's no such thing as superheroes, Allomantic pulses or not, but still ...) world in the first book - in the second, he digs even deeper, enhancing every aspect of his fantasy land. Characters gain depth; Luthadel's history expands; creatures of all kinds emerge; mystery and intrigue hide behind every cobblestone - the result is an absorbing, original masterpiece that flies as fast as a pewter-dragging Mistborn toward its breathtaking conclusion. It's exciting, it's addicting, it's amazing, and the best part is, there's still one more book in the trilogy. If you're a sci fi/fantasy nut, or if you're just looking for a blow-me-away kind of read, look no further: Brandon Sanderson's got you covered.

Grade: A

(P.S. Okay, I do have one complaint. I checked The Well of Ascension out of the library [after 2 weeks on the waiting list], and sped through it, only to find that my copy was missing 30 pages toward the end of the book [530 - 560, to be specific]. I wasn't about to put the book down, so I just kept reading, but I feel cheated. If I had purchased the book, I'd probably be angry, but since I didn't, I'm just perturbed. So, just a warning - you might want to check your copy to be sure it's complete!)