Shadows of Self - Brandon Sanderson
This is the second book in a series, so potential Spoilers for the first book, Alloy of Law.
Synopsis
Waxillium Ladrian is back in Elendel a few months after the events in Alloy of Law. He's trying to settle into normal life, but obviously failing. He and his best friend, Wayne, use their powers to help the police force chase down criminals in the city. Marasi Combs, now a constable, joins them. In doing so, they uncover a plot to overthrow the governor. With social and economic conditions worsening, the government collapsing could send them back to a state like from the time of the Final Empire. It's a race against time and an immortal enemy to save civilization as they know it.
Review
Surprisingly, I have not reviewed one of Sanderson's novels yet. He is one of my favorite authors, and I basically love everything he writes. He is a master storyteller, with huge plot twists and reveals that I can never quite guess, but when I look back I see how he hinted at them. He always builds up big expectations and then proceeds to blow them out of the water.
Shadows of Self did not disappoint.
The world-building is incredible, and one of Sanderson's strengths. This series takes place 300 years after the original Mistborn series. The story and characters often refer to those events and visit similar themes, but the world itself is new, the conditions are new, and while they are tied by a similar thread, they don't feel worn-out and repeated. The setting in Shadows feels like turn-of-the-20th-century New York mixed with steampunk mixed with Wild West, with various religions and cultures mixed in.
The magic system, as always, is one of the focal points of this series. To quickly explain, in this world, certain metals grant certain powers. Some people can ingest metal and have a power, this is called Allomancy (For instance, ingesting steel and then "burning" it means the person can Push against other metal things). Others have bands of metal they wear, called "metalminds", where they can store certain attributes to be called on later (for instance, you can store health in a metalmind, meaning you'll be a bit sick for a time, but then you can tap it for needed extra healing if you're wounded). Sanderson brilliantly imagines how these powers would affect a society, and how they would be used commonly everyday. I like that his magic systems have rules to how they work, the characters' powers have limits, and yet they find a way to work with their strengths and around their weaknesses. It's much more fun to read about the challenges and how they overcome them.
I feel like this book was mainly about the characters and their growth. Each of the main characters (Wax, Wayne, and Marasi) go through personal challenges as they work together to solve the major crisis in the story, and Sanderson does not make it easy for them. I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold from their different viewpoints. Wax is a rough-and-tumble sort of guy who is trying to overcome guilt and fit in where he doesn't belong. Marasi is trying to prove herself and gained the self-confidence to stand up for herself. Wayne is... well, Wayne. With his sideways logic, silly shenanigans, and the way he speaks, I feel like he is Sanderson's hat-tip to Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series (which is another one of my favorites).
While this is a middle book, it does a good job of not just being a bridge between the beginning and the climax. It has its own self-contained plot while building on the previous book and introducing elements for the rest of the series. I'm very excited for the sequel, coming out in January!!!
As a warning, you will not fully enjoy this book if you have not read the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, and especially if you haven't read the first in this series, Alloy of Law. I highly recommend both!
Rating
I give this book 5 stars
Details
Genre: Fantasy
Sex: The occasional innuendo, nothing graphic.
Violence: People get shot, people die, there is blood. It's not super graphic. I'd say PG-13.
Language: One thing I love about Sanderson's books is he creates his own swear words for the people in the world of his story. So no language, unless you count 'rusting'.
This is the second book in a series, so potential Spoilers for the first book, Alloy of Law.
Synopsis
Waxillium Ladrian is back in Elendel a few months after the events in Alloy of Law. He's trying to settle into normal life, but obviously failing. He and his best friend, Wayne, use their powers to help the police force chase down criminals in the city. Marasi Combs, now a constable, joins them. In doing so, they uncover a plot to overthrow the governor. With social and economic conditions worsening, the government collapsing could send them back to a state like from the time of the Final Empire. It's a race against time and an immortal enemy to save civilization as they know it.
Review
Surprisingly, I have not reviewed one of Sanderson's novels yet. He is one of my favorite authors, and I basically love everything he writes. He is a master storyteller, with huge plot twists and reveals that I can never quite guess, but when I look back I see how he hinted at them. He always builds up big expectations and then proceeds to blow them out of the water.
Shadows of Self did not disappoint.
The world-building is incredible, and one of Sanderson's strengths. This series takes place 300 years after the original Mistborn series. The story and characters often refer to those events and visit similar themes, but the world itself is new, the conditions are new, and while they are tied by a similar thread, they don't feel worn-out and repeated. The setting in Shadows feels like turn-of-the-20th-century New York mixed with steampunk mixed with Wild West, with various religions and cultures mixed in.
The magic system, as always, is one of the focal points of this series. To quickly explain, in this world, certain metals grant certain powers. Some people can ingest metal and have a power, this is called Allomancy (For instance, ingesting steel and then "burning" it means the person can Push against other metal things). Others have bands of metal they wear, called "metalminds", where they can store certain attributes to be called on later (for instance, you can store health in a metalmind, meaning you'll be a bit sick for a time, but then you can tap it for needed extra healing if you're wounded). Sanderson brilliantly imagines how these powers would affect a society, and how they would be used commonly everyday. I like that his magic systems have rules to how they work, the characters' powers have limits, and yet they find a way to work with their strengths and around their weaknesses. It's much more fun to read about the challenges and how they overcome them.
I feel like this book was mainly about the characters and their growth. Each of the main characters (Wax, Wayne, and Marasi) go through personal challenges as they work together to solve the major crisis in the story, and Sanderson does not make it easy for them. I enjoyed seeing the plot unfold from their different viewpoints. Wax is a rough-and-tumble sort of guy who is trying to overcome guilt and fit in where he doesn't belong. Marasi is trying to prove herself and gained the self-confidence to stand up for herself. Wayne is... well, Wayne. With his sideways logic, silly shenanigans, and the way he speaks, I feel like he is Sanderson's hat-tip to Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series (which is another one of my favorites).
While this is a middle book, it does a good job of not just being a bridge between the beginning and the climax. It has its own self-contained plot while building on the previous book and introducing elements for the rest of the series. I'm very excited for the sequel, coming out in January!!!
As a warning, you will not fully enjoy this book if you have not read the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, and especially if you haven't read the first in this series, Alloy of Law. I highly recommend both!
Rating
I give this book 5 stars
Details
Genre: Fantasy
Sex: The occasional innuendo, nothing graphic.
Violence: People get shot, people die, there is blood. It's not super graphic. I'd say PG-13.
Language: One thing I love about Sanderson's books is he creates his own swear words for the people in the world of his story. So no language, unless you count 'rusting'.
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