A Book Review: Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #5)

The genre of fantasy fictions possesses a bizarre convention. That is, this genre is per-occupied with telling stories set in medieval, pseudo-European worlds thriving with castles, swords, horse riding and medieval European clothing. To make things even stranger, these worlds often remain static and timeless, with little or almost no technological/social/cultural progress what so ever.

I wonder why?

Why can't fantasy fictions tell stories set in progressive, evolving worlds like ours? Why aren't there more fantasy novels exploring a world alive with constant social/cultural reforms, where magic co-exist with, or clashes against advancing technologies? Terry Pratchett's Discworld series represents one of the rare examples that broke this convention in the fantasy genre. In October 2015, Brandon Sanderson also broke the genre's convention, when he published Shadows of Self.

Brandon Sanderson is the current “rock star” of the fantasy genre. He is best known for his Mistborn trilogy, a trilogy that attracted legions of fans around the world. Two years ago, I read Mistborn trilogy. While I thought they were good novels, but I didn't become a fan. Shadows of Self begins a new story arc in Mistborn universe. This is why, I did not pay much attentions to Shadows of Self when it hit my local bookstore back in October.

My attitude towards Shadows of Self, however, changed, when various booktubers and reviewers describe Shadows of Self as a blend between fantasy (with magic) and Sherlock Holmes, set in a world reminiscing the 19^th century Industrial Revolution. The premise for Shadows of Self intrigued me, so I bought a copy and read it during the festive season. While this may appear to be an unpopular opinion to Mistborn fans, but when I was finally done with this book, I decided I like Shadows of Self a lot more than the original Mistborn trilogy, and here is my review for this book.

Synopsis:

300 years has passed since the ascension for The Hero of Ages, and history remembers Vin, Sazed, and Elend only in legendary stories and songs. In the new era, the world of Mistborn continuously evolve when magic blends with advancing technology, and the society takes on a new face where economic growth became the government's number one priority, creating enormous gaps between class distinctions in the process. In the meantime, corruption is served to the people under the guise of democracy; while 4 religions rose to power, fighting for converts and driving the ongoing cultural reform.

In other words, the world of Mistborn has entered a hopeful yet fearful era. It is a new world bustling with opportunities as well as social instabilities. It was at this time when terrorism struck, its mastermind aiming to destabilize the society with crimes, while furthering labor strife and religious conflicts. Three lawman, Wax and Wayne, together with their lovely assistant Marasi, stood up against the waves of terror and attempting to unveil the conspiracy lest it tear the city of Elend into pieces...

My thoughts on this book:

I prefer Shadows of Self to the original Mistborn trilogy. I like the characters in this book, especially Wax and Wayne, they are both central characters in this book. Brandon Sanderson depicted Wax and Wayne colorfully and vividly. Wax is a middle aged lawman living with scars from his past, and his personality casts a deep impression on my mind. Meanwhile, Wax's friend Wayne, is a fascinating character who not only provided comic reliefs in the story, but he also stood out with intriguing qualities that made him an unforgettable character.

For me, the most enjoyable aspect of this book is the excellent mix between fantasy and detective fictions. Wax and Wayne's adventure smells of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. Some people have categorized this book as Steampunk. However, make no mistake. Shadows of Self does not truly belong to the genre of Steampunk because it does not contain elements from sci-fi. Furthermore, the worldbuilding in this book is not shaped after Victorian London. Instead, Brandon Sanderson crafted his fictitious world with flavors of wild west and 19^th century Industrial Revolution, it is one of the most unique creations in the genre. He build the world in Shadows of Self with rich, but not cumbersome details. In short, Sanderson flexed his authoring prowess at worldbuilding, and immersed his readers deeply into the world of Shadows of Self.

Sanderson told his story at a very good pace. He build suspense, and kept his readers guessing at the answer to the riddle as the story passed through bouts of twists and turns. This book is a page turner. The story gathered momentum as it unfolded, until it reached a crescendo where its ending will surely seize readers with a final surprise. Having said this, I do think the story began a bit slowly at the start. I think this is because the first 50 pages in Shadows of Self made several references to the original Mistborn trilogy, which, I have little memory of. This also means, while it is not essential to have had read the original Mistborn trilogy, but having some knowledge of the original trilogy will present advantages to the would-be readers of this book.

As the beginning of a new trilogy, Shadows of Self succeeds at characterizations, worldbuilding, and storytelling. Sanderson refreshed the fantasy genre, directing his new novel out of the medieval, pseudo European persuasion that we have become overly familiar with. In its stead, he gave us a unique, creative world, blending fantasy with detective fictions, while reminiscing wild west and the Industrial Revolution. Shadows of Self may began a bit slow at the start, but once the story gets going, its pace flows as a bursting dam. This is an excellent book and I recommend it to both new comers and existing fans of Sandereson's literary works.