Shadows of Self / Brandon Sanderson

Shadows of Self
(Mistborn 2.2)
by Brandon Sanderson

copyright 2015
read in November 2016

rated 7/10: well worth reading

A continuation of the steampunk era of Mistborn. Can be read alone -- though it helps to have read Mistborn 2.1, The Alloy of Law. An enjoyable book but not as good as other Sanderson books.

Shadows drifts into the over-the-top end of young adult fantasy: more heroic action, more moral philosophising, more emotional suffering for the hero. Nothing wrong with that. Just a bit too unsubtle for my tastes.

More unstoppable villains. More close conversations with the gods of this world. More power to the hero... Where can it go next ?! Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden had this problem: each book had to top the previous; each book required more emotional turmoil, more threats to friends, to keep the hero human.

Will our Mistborn hero need the same comic-book histrionics, in order to stay apparently human? Maybe. Maybe not.

It's funny, really. There are inserts -- occasional illustrated pages -- from one of the local broadsheets. This broadsheet includes the continuing saga of Gentleman Jak, the ultimate hero. Jak is incredibly handsome, a dapper dresser and superb fighter. A ridiculously over the top satire of everything heroic. And the hero of Shadows is looking more and more like Jak.

It's still an enjoyable book. No matter what direction Sanderson takes his hero -- I will enjoy reading about it.

It -- Shadows of Self -- is just not as excellent as other Sanderson books. Good, but not excellent. Not for me, anyway.

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08 May 2019: I reread this book And find...

Issues are raised and, lightly discussed. Issues of possible relevance to a young adult reader, less relevant to an oldie like myself, firmly mired in my own opinions.  Yet I'm glad to be reminded of these social and personal issues, it does make me *think* again :-)

My comparison with Harry Dresden? Totally misplaced. This time I go to Wikipedia -- to find that Shadows is one of a pre-defined set of four books. The characters may -- will -- grow but not just to increase the "excitement" of each book. There is … a cunning plan.

Better yet, I have just read The Hero of Ages -- last book of the prequel series. Suddenly -- all the characters and references to past history, make sense! Yes, now I can see how the story is building... and I like it :-) 

Yes, it could be read alone, but... If I were reading this book for the first time -- and had just read the prequel trilogy -- I would happily rate Shadows as, eight out of ten.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"Omne ignotum pro magnifico est" … Tacitus: Agricola