My Reaction in a Nutshell: 
 Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: The Sophomore Slump. Still good, but it's no The Final Empire (TFE). 
 The Long Version: 
 To be honest, I was worried when I finished TFE. For a quick refresher: the Lord Ruler killed Kelsier and Vin killed the Lord Ruler. Kelsier was the positive one of the group. He was always able to keep morale high and think swiftly to solve problems. A major character died and I was nervous about how it would affect the group's dynamic. 
 The Well of Ascension (TWOA) moves at a slower pace than TFE. The plot takes more time to develop and even when the plot "speeds up," it still feels slow compared to the first book. Also, much of the humor I enjoyed about the first book is gone. This is a more serious book. And if you're wondering how a book can get more serious than overthrowing the government, well, try running it. 
 TWOA takes place a year after the events in TFE. Elend is king and must try and protect the city from multiple invaders. Vin still struggles with feelings of abandonment due to Kelsier's untimely death. TWOA shows Vin's struggle to accept Kelsier's death as well as battle her own insecurities (especially when it comes to her relationship with Elend). Elend has to decide the line between being a good leader and sticking to his values. The book really focuses on the characters getting to know themselves. 
 I liked how each chapter began with a line from an unknown text (that later becomes relevant), much like how TFE's chapters began. I enjoyed the consistency. However, it was annoying how frequently the characters kept secrets from each other. So many of the book's problems would have been solved if people just spoke the truth upfront. 
 It was interesting to read about the Church of the Survivor and how they worship Kelsier and Vin. Readers know that each character is flawed, and yet, the church regards them as sacred. It was also neat to read about how angry the remaining members of Kelsier's crew are at Kelsier's death. Well, maybe angry isn't the right word. They are more so frustrated and sad. His former team tries so hard to help maintain his legacy of benefiting the city, but as his crew states repeatedly throughout the book: they are thieves, not politicians. 
 I liked this book, but I just didn't like it as much as the first one. It had a lot of buildup and a slow end. This was a book that felt like a filler, it hit the sophomore slump, and focused mostly on self-discovery. Enjoyable read, but not as good at TFE. 
 ***TRIGGER WARNINGS: mind control, SH, war, abuse, mentions of R and prostitution, death, murder, slavery