#if i have to hear wax complain about how he hasn't found himself at age 45 one more time

[tbookblurbs]

Shadows of Self - Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn Era 2, #2)

3.75/5 - reluctantly not higher, very interesting new concepts and political criticisms introduced

For as much as these books do read as fairly neoliberal due to the police propoganda of it all, Sanderson really invests in a critique of capitalism that I appreciate. The overarching villain is an evil banker? "Money isn't real" discourse? Personally, I'm charmed.

I enjoyed questioning Sazed and his methods of remaking the world. The concept that, by overcorrecting and making it too easy for people to live, Sazed stunted their development is quite fun and builds on how Sazed as Harmony is still a human, fallible entity. It is also such a Sazed flaw to have a timeline for how quickly humans should develop. Furthermore, from a Doylist perspective, war motivates a lot of human invention, so it makes sense that those arenas remain relatively undeveloped.

Other highlights from this book includes the intra-kandra dynamics in the subplot, the Tensoon appearance, and Steris. She's my favorite character and I do not care if she's only in this book for a few scenes, she's easily one of the most genuine and fun. Marasi is a close second in my ranking.

As for the reluctantly low score, and this is truly tragic, I am not attached to the two main characters. Wayne got slightly less annoying and more interesting this book with the introduction of his backstory and how that continues to affect him, so I hope to see that trend continue in Bands of Mourning and the Lost Metal.

However, I just don't like Wax. Nothing against him as a character, I just find that he is somewhat selfish, cowardly, and altogether too self-pitying. These are all traits that could be forgiven if I liked his character attributes, but I don't find him super appealing as is. Moreover, I do not enjoy reading other characters going "well why is it always about him", the character in question going "it is about me", and then seeing that belief hold true. Perhaps, if it is subverted in later books, I will look on this period more favorably but for now I do not find myself charmed by either the titular Wax, nor Wayne.

EDIT: I do also find myself drawn in by this book much more than the first. Somehow, Elendel feels much more lived in in SoS than in AoL. It feels more like we're entering a world and less like we're skimming over the surface of it, but such was the nature of a opening novel focused largely on a noble.