The Well of Ascension

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

The Well of Ascension is the second book in Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, which is set in a world where a brutal, god-like figure, the Lord Ruler, has ruled for over a thousand years. The series takes place in a society where the nobility oppresses the skaa (the lower class) and magic plays a significant role in the power dynamics. In the first novel of the series, The Final Empire, a crew led by Kelsier, or the Survivor of Hathsin, engineers the downfall of the almighty empire. Vin, the crew’s young Mistborn—so called because of her rare magical abilities—kills the Lord Ruler. The Well of Ascension takes place one year later as the man Vin loves, Elend, tries to reign as a fair and just king while defending against invading armies.

The magic system in the Mistborn series consists of three main components: Allomancy, Feruchemy, and Hemalurgy. Allomancy is the most prominent form of magic in the world of Mistborn. Allomancers are born with the ability to ingest and “burn” specific metals, each of which grants them a unique power. For example, burning iron allows users to pull metal objects toward themselves, while burning pewter enhances physical strength. The majority of Allomancers have the ability to burn only one metal; these are called “Mistings.” A rare few, known as “Mistborn,” can burn all the metals. The Lord Ruler and the nobility use Allomancers to protect their own power, but noblemen have illegally slept with skaa for thousands of years, and their failure to kill their mistresses, as the Lord Ruler orders, has led to the growth of more skaa Mistings. These powers, manifested in the skaa, prove valuable in the fight against the oppressive government.

In addition to Allomancy, Feruchemy is a system practiced by the Terris people. Feruchemists use metal objects, called “metals,” that can store physical attributes such as strength, speed, and health. These stored traits can then be tapped at a later time to enhance the user’s abilities temporarily. Unlike Allomancy, which involves the ingestion and burning of metals, Feruchemy relies on the use of specific metal objects that must be carefully crafted and used, and they can only be used when touching the body. A Feruchemist also cannot use the metals of another Feruchemist.

The third system, Hemalurgy, is a dark and forbidden magic that allows the stealing of powers from one person and transferring them into another by using a Hemalurgic spike. This system involves killing an individual with a spike made from a particular metal, which then captures their Allomantic ability and can be inserted into another person to grant them that power. Hemalurgy is the system that the Lord Ruler used to create an army of powerful, loyal servants known as “Steel Inquisitors,” who help him maintain control. The Inquisitors have survived in this post-imperial world, but their machinations are not fully known in The Well of Ascension.