In the second book of his acclaimed Mistborn series, Brandon Sanderson ponders what happens after you overthrow an evil ruler. Kelsier's band of thieves have vanquished the Lord Ruler and now must deal with the fallout. Elend is now King of Luthadel but can he rule justly with three armies at his door waiting to take over? Meanwhile, Vin and the rest of Kelsier's crew struggle to settle into their new lives as respected leaders.

I absolutely loved the first book's thrilling revolution/heist theme; so much so that I was worried about enjoying the sequel. To my surprise, I found myself riveted by The Well of Ascension. It helps that Kelsier's crew are all entertaining and Elend is much more interesting than in the first book. Sanderson did an excellent job blending the contemplation of moral quandaries with an engaging plot.