Reviews

Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson

cass1699's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars! ⭐️ didn’t enjoy this sequel as much as the first book in the series, but it was still a decent read nonetheless!

let’s dive into the good stuff first:

the characters in this series are so damn likeable. wax and wayne’s friendship is just chef’s kiss. the way they bounce off each other’s energy and their shared banter is a true highlight of the novel. wayne is so damn funny—there were parts of his dialogue that genuinely made me laugh out loud. i really love the way he’s been fleshed out; he’s this laid-back jokester, but he’s also insanely clever and can be somber and serious when necessary (i.e. during his visits to the university).

i also really grew to love steris in this novel—i wish we had seen more of her! it’s clear that she and wax are developing their own relationship at a slow pace, and i think we could safely call them “friends” right now. i wish we had gotten more of their dynamic in this book, but clearly sanderson had bigger fish to fry. hopefully we’ll be seeing more of them in the next two novels.

and lastly, i LOST! MY! SHIT! when we were reintroduced to several beloved characters from the original trilogy. SAZED!!!!! TENSOON!!!!!!! MELAAN!!!!!! their involvement in this book made my heart so damn happy. i missed my baby TenSoon (did i just call a thousand-year-old pile of mush my baby? yes, yes i did.) i’m so glad the kandra are still kickin’ it in this modernized version of Scadrial.

something that i didn’t enjoy about the story was the heavy emphasis on politics. this isn’t me saying that the emphasis made the book BAD, but it’s just something that i personally don’t love when it comes to reading fantasy/escapism (even though, yes, i know, politics usually play a big role in any type of fantasy book). i’m definitely NOT a poli sci girlie, so sometimes it gets overly confusing, which in turn makes it difficult to keep up!

but aside from those tidbits, i did enjoy the novel and its various twists—especially the one at the end with lessie. that was absolutely heartbreaking. however, like a true masochist, i’m looking forward to continuing with the rest of the series!

jonathanlytz's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

judith_e_m's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

bookshelfbymaggie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

bruwin546's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

5.0

foxglove_em's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

haylee_reads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed Shadows of Self more than The Alloy of Law! Shadows of Self really expanded on the way this world has grown over the past 300 years, which is what I wanted during Alloy. Wax and Wayne are still such a solid duo. I also enjoyed Marasi a lot more in this book, too. I think she was written a bit better in this one than in Alloy. There was a lot of character development from everyone and I think this is setting up the rest of Era 2 nicely. This one was definitely a slow build, but the ending really paid off and my feelings are hurt. I loved all the Easter Eggs to the original Mistborn trilogy and some of the surprises along the way!

snappy_j's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pensnfeathers's review against another edition

4.0

I enjoyed Shadows of Self a lot. If The Alloy of Law was barely a 4-star read, Shadows of Selg was nearly a 5-star. The thing I liked most about the former I continue to like about the latter: the trio of Wax, Wayne, and Marasi are all a lot of fun and absolutely distinct. And there are also some improvements! I love the way that the lore from the original trilogy is being built into the plot of this series so tangibly. I love the return of Sazed, MeLaan, and TenSoon. I also think Steris has developed into an excellent side character.

Good stuff.

glaivz's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0