A Darker Shade of Magic vs The Well of Ascension: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Magic -- Fiction, Magic, Fiction
A Darker Shade of Magic
More
STEP INTO A UNIVERSE OF DARING ADVENTURE, THRILLING POWER, AND MULTIPLE LONDONS. Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magic…
The Well of Ascension
More
The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler -- the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years -- has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Well of Ascension highest: The Well of Ascension 4.4 · A Darker Shade of Magic 4.1.
- A Darker Shade of Magic is the quickest read — about 7 hours vs 14 for The Well of Ascension.
- The Well of Ascension has the widest readership — 719443 ratings behind its score.
Affiliate links: we may earn a commission on purchases.
How to choose
Scores by source
| A Darker Shade of Magic | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 4.4 (719443) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (1520) | 4.3 (3900) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | 4.0 (22) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (929) | 4.5 (2771) |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Reception
| A Darker Shade of Magic | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1520 | 719443 |
| Editions | 17 | 36 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 210977 |
| Reading it now | — | 35283 |
| Written reviews | — | 52869 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3856 | 6797 |
| Pages | 400 | 792 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Darker Shade of Magic or The Well of Ascension?
The Well of Ascension has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Well of Ascension 4.4/5, A Darker Shade of Magic 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Darker Shade of Magic or The Well of Ascension?
A Darker Shade of Magic is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Darker Shade of Magic (400 pages, ≈ 7 h 24 m); The Well of Ascension (792 pages, ≈ 14 h 40 m).
Which is harder to read: A Darker Shade of Magic or The Well of Ascension?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Darker Shade of Magic: Light; The Well of Ascension: Moderate.