Books Off The Shelf – Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson

Here’s the next installment in my, “Books Off the Shelf” series. As ever, So Many Books, So Little Time!  I will attempt to give you an idea on some books you might enjoy or not enjoy quite as much without ruining it with too many spoilers.

Shadows of Self: A Mistborn Novel By Brandon Sanderson

Rating 9.5 out of 10

Shadows of Self shows Mistborn’s society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.
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This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax and Wayne, assisted by the lovely, brilliant Marasi, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife stops Scadrial’s progress in its tracks.
 
Shadows of Self is being labeled as book 5 of Mistborn, but as I mentioned in my review of The Alloy of Law, this is much more like the second book of a new series placed in the same world as the Mistborn trilogy.  The rules are different, the scene is different, the world is different.  That being said, reading the Mistborn books can be helpful to the story since there are some definite tie-ins and overlapping pieces that will deepen the story for the reader. 

Alloy of Law, the first part of this new Mistborn series, offers a fun new twist and reuse of the foundational magic system set in place for the original fantasy trilogy.  In Shadows of Self, Sanderson takes us further still.

Waxillium Ladrian, the wealthy-noble-turned-roughs-law-man-turned-house-lord.  Has had to pull his families fortunes and the thousands tied to it, out of the gutter.  Still being something of an oddity, he has to prove yet again that his value to society runs deeper than dinner parties. 

Wax, with the help of his friend Wayne and soon to be sister-in-law Marasi, has to face an opponent no mortal could dream of defeating.  At the same time, the demons of Wax’s past and dragged back into the light, and some demons can’t be killed with a bullet.  Others, you might not want to kill.

Sanderson takes us deeper into his fantasy world and at the same time widens the entire breadth of the story.  The stakes are raised, the consequences dire.  Frankly, I can’t wait for the next book.

If you’ve read Shadows of Self or any of Sanderson’s other work, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Leave a message below.  And if you have suggestions of books to review, please let me know.  If it is Science Fiction or Fantasy, there is a good chance it is on my shelf or should be.    

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