Reviews

Sombras de identidad, by Brandon Sanderson

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irenegm2424's review

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4.0

4.5⭐️ Me ha recordado al pozo de la ascensión

tpietila's review against another edition

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4.0

It's the second part in a series that happens in the world of Mistborn centuries later. The first part was more of an introduction, where it was shown that the concept of the alomancy (using metals to achieve magical abilities) still worked. The characters of the first trilogy were mostly the stuff of legends. Now, in the second part, we learn that that isn’t entirely so, that some of the mythical beings are still there – which should not really be a surprise as Kandra (beings which can change their shape) are practically immortal. Also, after the events of the last trilogy, there is a literal god who is watching over things. But as there is a god, there is also “Ruin”, the counterpart, who wants to resist the works the god has done. And it might be that Ruin isn’t 100 percent wrong, and the god is starting to realize it. But the methods representative of those Ruin uses aren’t really nice as they involve mass murder - the methods of the god of the realm aren't too nice either, but at least he doesn't kill several people at one time. A pretty good “detective” story about a world at the edge of the industrial revolution where magical powers really exist. It is a well-told book with interesting characters, better than the earlier one.

jenbsbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

The skills of "soothing" and "rioting" were very much a part of the first trilogy, but I don't remember them in #4. Here in #5 though, they are part of the story again. The Kandra and Hemalurgy appear here as well. This is very much a continuation of book 4, both in storyline and tone. Different obstacles for our heroes to navigate. Interesting when Wax has a conversation with "God" (Harmony) ... I was NOT expecting the ending.

hollysbookadventure's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

I swear, I have not had a series have such a grip on me in a while. I think about the mistborn trillogy and the Wax and Wayne series all the time.

Shadows of Self is book 5 of the mistborn series and book 2 of the Wax and Wayne series. Back in the city, Wax continues his life as a law man. He, Wayne and Marasi stumble upon a plot that could unravel the city, and find themselves on a journey to save the day, again. But a journey like this will leave scars

I was gripped by this book. More familiar names and faces returned, sometimes feeling like a punch in the gut. It's fantastic to see the legacy the original group has, 300 years in the future.

Questions are brought before Wax and Wayne about ethics, choices, religion and freedom. There is such a tough struggle, internally, and externally too. There's no conclusion to the struggle yet, and I look forward to seeing how it happens.

I am so ready to read the next book!

judithisreading's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

4.5

aphelia88's review against another edition

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4.0

Marasi is now a Constable, so when the brother of the Governor is murdered, she has the inside track. The deceased was auctioning off political favours when he had his throat slit by someone his many guards never saw, in a single-entrance safe room.

The seemingly-impossible murder is a tiny spark that lights a wildfire amongst the labouring class, who are starting to riot in protest of the corruption they see in the aristocratic House system, petitioning for shorter working hours and better pay.

A very old rogue Kandra calling herself Bleeder is setting events in motion, invisibly pulling strings behind the scenes, with the professed goal of "freeing" everyone from the influence of God, also known as Harmony (formerly Sazed).

As Waxilliam's past comes back to haunt him and Bleeder targets him specifically, for reasons he doesn't understand, Wax - along with sidekick Wayne and clever Marasi - must race against time to prevent an all-out civil war, an uprising deliberately evocative of the overthrow of the Final Empire so long ago.

Like the first book, this one is fast-paced, although it is considerably darker and I found it dragged quite a bit in the middle as Wax and Bleeder play an extended game of cat-and-mouse.

The sequences where Wax chases criminals using his Coinshot abilities to fly through the air, pushing on metals, were fascinating. Wayne comes into his own when he schools the kandra MeLaan - who Harmony sends to aid them - in the art of accents, hats, and impersonation although his deliberately inappropriate and sometimes crude humour rings false in a few places.

Twists seem to be a specialty of Sanderson's and he delivers a heck of the one at the end, which tears apart the very foundations of Wax's world.

Spoiler

His lost lover Lessie turns out to be the insane Kandra Bleeder, who was originally sent to by Harmony like a guardian angel to watch over Wax in the Roughs. Wax is assured by Harmony, directly via a hemalurgic earring like Vin used to wear, that he is the only one who can kill Bleeder, who must be stopped - and he is single-minded in his mission and the righteousness of the hunt. Only to learn that he has been terribly manipulated, told the truth of Lessie's identity by Bleeder herself as she triggers the Kandra's self-suicide process and dies in Wax's arms.

Betrayed by one God, the gang is surprised when Marasi uncovers existence of another, a yet unknown quantity that seems to have influenced Bleeder's madness.

I'm not sure where Sanderson is taking this story, but it's an interesting journey!