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.