The Tombs of Atuan vs The Well of Ascension: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Magic -- Fiction, Magic, Fantasy fiction, Fiction
The Tombs of Atuan
Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special treasure.
vs
The Well of Ascension
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…
The verdict
- Readers rate The Well of Ascension highest: The Well of Ascension 4.4 · The Tombs of Atuan 4.1.
- The Tombs of Atuan is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 14 for The Well of Ascension.
- The Well of Ascension has the widest readership — 719443 ratings behind its score.
- The Tombs of Atuan runs the darker storyline; The Well of Ascension stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
The Tombs of Atuan
≈ 3h vs 14h for The Well of Ascension
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Well of Ascension
719443 ratings vs 141012 for The Tombs of Atuan
New to the genre?
The Tombs of Atuan
Light vs Moderate for The Well of Ascension
In the mood for something dark?
The Tombs of Atuan
a darker storyline than The Well of Ascension
Want something lighter?
The Well of Ascension
an easier tone than The Tombs of Atuan
Scores by source
| The Tombs of Atuan | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (141012) | 4.4 (719443) |
| Hardcover | 4.1 (672) | 4.3 (3900) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (22) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (263) | 4.5 (2771) |
Reception
| The Tombs of Atuan | The Well of Ascension | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 141012 | 719443 |
| Editions | 67 | 36 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 49252 | 210977 |
| Reading it now | 3569 | 35283 |
| Written reviews | 7831 | 52869 |
| Wikipedia attention | 4771 | 6797 |
| Pages | 181 | 792 |