Shraddha Puntambekar

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Mistborn Diary — Book Two: The Well of Ascension

7 minute read

Published:

Note: This post contains spoilers for The Well of Ascension, Book Two of the Mistborn trilogy, and for The Final Empire.

This is Part 2 of a four-part Mistborn diary. If you’re arriving here first, you may want to start with Book One: The Final Empire.

What follows is a lightly edited record of the messages I sent my friend Ruta while reading The Well of Ascension, theories, wrong guesses, and increasing devotion to Brandon Sanderson.

Reading without guilt

5 June 2026, 8:15:21 AM

I started the second book and am loving it. I am reading during the trip, so I am reading without feeling guilty that I am reading during office time, during time I should spend with Ira, or when I should sleep.

History is repeating itself

8 June 2026, 6:30:53 PM

Like the first book, every chapter in the second book also begins with diary-like notes. These refer to the story of Kwaan, Alendi and Rashek.

Alendi and Kwaan were fighting against oppression and trying to build a better place. Alendi was about to become king, but Rashek overthrew him and became the Lord Ruler.

I think the same story will repeat with Elend, Vin and Tindwyl, but with a positive ending. Vin is the Kwaan of the old story, Elend is Alendi, and Tindwyl is Rashek. I have a feeling that Tindwyl might turn bad—but this time, “Rashek” will not win and Elend will become king.

The bad guy—the Rashek figure, who is also the impostor within the group—will not win this time.

Who is the impostor? I don’t want anyone from the group to be the impostor. Is it Dockson?

Elend versus Zane

10 June 2026, 12:00:32 AM

Hey, I had guessed there was something between Zane and Elend. Are they the Marsh and Kell of the present?

10 June 2026, 12:28:00 AM

I am loving the book now. It is becoming interesting.

I hope it doesn’t end in disappointment.

I am loving Zane more than Elend. Or perhaps I hate Elend more, so anybody else is better!

10 June 2026, 8:29:12 AM — 26% into the book

I am 26% into the book, and there is no character development in Elend. There is no way I am going to like Elend. I am hoping he turns out to be the king he is being made to be.

10 June 2026, 8:30:51 AM

Until now, Elend has done nothing to deserve to be king. He is a foolhardy human, full of theoretical but impractical ideas, and not suitable as a leader. He is cowering behind Vin and the core team.

Zane is the exact opposite.

10 June 2026, 8:31:55 AM

I have realized that I have started loving grey characters. I never liked them before, but I have started realizing that life is more grey than a stark black-and-white difference.

The theory that lasted 41 minutes

16 June 2026, 1:06:20 PM

Oh! I have a feeling that Zane is Reen.

16 June 2026, 1:06:32 PM

Zane is Vin’s brother.

16 June 2026, 1:47:35 PM

Oh, phew. They are not.

Another completely wrong theory

16 June 2026, 2:41:48 PM

Oh my God, was the Lord Ruler—Rashek—a mistwraith in Rashek’s body? Is that why there is a discrepancy in the rubbing of what Kwaan had written?

The kind of author I want to keep reading

16 June 2026, 3:44:25 PM

Brandon Sanderson is a new Fredrik Backman for me.

I am into the second book of the Mistborn series and I am in love. I simply, simply, simply can’t keep the book down. I love the world he has created. I love all the characters. I am loving the book.

I feel this year is going to be all Sanderson for me. I am reading this series on Kindle, but I am going to buy all the Mistborn books. I want Ira to read them.

Fredrik Backman’s and Sanderson’s books are the kind Ira might read when she grows up—perhaps when she is 22 or 25. I want her to read the copies in which I have underlined things, written notes and left evidence of how much I loved them.

I didn’t own any of the Harry Potter books. I borrowed them from friends or the library. So I will buy a new Harry Potter set for her.

I so, so hope I love all Brandon Sanderson’s books.

This is how I have always read: one author at a time.

History is obviously repeating—right?

16 June 2026, 3:51:58 PM

I can’t keep the book down.

Man, it is so obvious. It is right in front of our eyes. History is repeating.

I think they will all sacrifice themselves just as Kell did. The third book will have Vin, Elend and Spook—the young blood.

16 June 2026, 3:52:18 PM

I finished the part where Vin kills Zane. Whoaaaaaa

16 June 2026, 3:52:29 PM

I have started loving Elend.

The ending I did not see coming

16 June 2026, 10:49:23 PM

I finished the book.

I am shocked. What a twist, man. I did not see this coming at all.

I am a bit sad. I feel I read a whole lot and was hoping for a happy ending. Everything was becoming positive towards the end. Everything was falling into place. Only Marsh’s story seemed like a loose, open end—and I didn’t see the book ending like this.

16 June 2026, 10:52:21 PM

Oh, Lord Ruler. Marsh switches sides! Dockson and Clubs dead. :/ Tindwyl dead.

I loved the twist that her kandra himself was the spy, but that he helped her in the end. I was so, so, so glad that none of the crew was the spy. Vin trusts her kandra so much. He is in every meeting. But he helps her in the end.

I loved every character’s story and how each character develops.

16 June 2026, 10:59:22 PM

Did you notice that the death scenes of enemies are extremely detailed, but the deaths of the main people—the main team—are given in one sentence?

Dockson’s, Clubs’ and Tindwyl’s deaths are each one sentence, but they are so, so powerful. That one sentence has all the emotions behind it.

I loved how the writer put the words together. It is written beautifully.

The world itself

I loved the Mistborn world:

  • Mistborn
  • Mistwraiths
  • Kandra
  • Allomancers
  • Tineyes
  • Skaa
  • Koloss
  • Hazekillers
  • Keepers like Sazed

Mistborn is one series that I think would be super-duper difficult to adapt as a television series or movie. I cannot picture how they would create the world as it is described in the book. It would be so difficult to film Allomancy!

This is Part 2 of a four-part Mistborn series.

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