The Alloy of Law vs The Well of Ascension: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Imaginary places, Magic, Fiction
The Alloy of Law
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Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the…
The Well of Ascension
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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
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Alloy of Law is the quickest read — about 6 hours vs 14 for The Well of Ascension.
- The Well of Ascension has the widest readership — 719443 ratings behind its score.
- The Alloy of Law runs the darker storyline; The Well of Ascension stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Alloy of Law | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (311081) | 4.4 (719443) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (2105) | 4.3 (3900) |
| Google Books | 4.5 (11) | 4.0 (22) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1949) | 4.5 (2771) |
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Reception
| The Alloy of Law | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 311081 | 719443 |
| Editions | 24 | 36 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 156282 | 210977 |
| Reading it now | 9332 | 35283 |
| Written reviews | 21029 | 52869 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4986 | 6797 |
| Pages | 360 | 792 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Alloy of Law or The Well of Ascension?
The Well of Ascension has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Well of Ascension 4.4/5, The Alloy of Law 4.2/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Alloy of Law or The Well of Ascension?
The Alloy of Law is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Alloy of Law (360 pages, ≈ 6 h 40 m); The Well of Ascension (792 pages, ≈ 14 h 40 m).
Which is harder to read: The Alloy of Law or The Well of Ascension?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Alloy of Law: Moderate; The Well of Ascension: Moderate.