Another day, another Brandon
Sanderson novel. He really is unbelievably productive, it must be a pretty
impressive effort to keep so many balls in the air at one time – and these
aren’t short stories either, these are significant tomes with intricate plots
and numerous characters.
Shadows of Self is the follow up to
Alloy of Law, the book which itself followed the Mistborn series – albeit
several centuries later. The world has changed since the fall of the Final
Empire and the deeds of Vin, Kelsier, Elend, Sazed and co. Technology has
advanced, to the point of projectile weapons, motor cars and a burgeoning industrial age (which has arrived
in some sections of society).
In addition, Mistborns are rare (if
not unheard of), instead mainly supplanted by Twinborns (those who have only
one allomantic power and one feruchemical power only). This adds a different
dimension to things – the original trilogy saw Mistborns taking on the rest of
the world, if not quite single-handedly then without too much difficulty
(except when encountering another Mistborn). Now however there is more balance,
most protagonists and antagonists have two powers at the most which evens
things up a bit and ensures that a bit more brains needs to be added to the
brawn.
People wise, Wax and Wayne are a
great pair of characters - Wayne particularly is instantly likeable and brings
a smile to your face whenever he is around. Wax is a bit more world-weary and
serious (with his own history to deal with) but they work beautifully together.
Outside of these two, the character development isn’t quite up to the level of
some of Sanderson’s other work (e.g. Stormlight Archive, the original Mistborn
series).
Marasi doesn’t really get enough
“screen-time” for me, and the antagonist of Shadows of Self didn’t really
convince me or hold my attention as much as I’d hope for. However, with only
one book to go in the trilogy, the overreaching series arc that Sanderson has
been shifting subtly in the background needs to come to the fore – hence I’m
expecting a few of the, currently, minor characters to play larger roles in the
final one. Else it will simply feel like another “episode” rather than a strung
together tale.
Plot wise, this is good rather than
excellent. Wax and Wayne are off doing what they do, solving a series of crimes
which seem to have a much higher purpose than simply the acts themselves. There
is political play and disaffection here, along with a hint of rebellion and a
powder keg ready to go boom. But despite all this, I’ll be honest and say that
this wasn’t exactly a gripping page turner. It’s not bad at all but maybe
Sanderson’s usual standards have skewed my expectations somewhat!
Overall this is definitely a good
read for your typical fantasy fan, despite my reservations. And if you like
Sanderson then I think you’ll see past the flaws and find a book that is still recognisably
Brandon and still full of all the elements that make him one of the best
fantasy writers around. It didn’t quite reach the lofty heights he has scaled
before and because of that if doesn’t jump in as a “must read now” title.
Read if you like: Other Brandon Sanderson, Black Magician Trilogy,
Farseer Trilogy, Dresden Files
Verdict: 4 stars out of 5
Till next time,
DT
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