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Shadows of Self
(Mistborn #5)
by
Shadows of Self shows Mistborn’s society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.
This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious confli ...more
This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious confli ...more
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Paperback, 383 pages
Published
October 6th 2016
by Orion Publishing Co
(first published October 6th 2015)
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Boune
Ugh... November 19th 2015. Absolutely shattered.
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5)

Oct 21, 2017
❄️BooksofRadiance❄️
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-fantasy-sci-fi
4.75⭐️
JUST HOLD THE FUCK UP. THAT ENDING! H... HOW!
Leave it to Sanderson to come out of the left field and soccer punch you right in the brain! That's right, you COULD get soccer punched in the brain. It's a risk one has to take when picking up his book.
Honestly, I'm very hesitant to say anything so as not to run the risk of spoiling too much as his renown lies in his unexpected plot twists and intriguing-as-hell narrative turns.
But what I CAN say is that the narrative begins and ends with a ba ...more
JUST HOLD THE FUCK UP. THAT ENDING! H... HOW!
Leave it to Sanderson to come out of the left field and soccer punch you right in the brain! That's right, you COULD get soccer punched in the brain. It's a risk one has to take when picking up his book.
Honestly, I'm very hesitant to say anything so as not to run the risk of spoiling too much as his renown lies in his unexpected plot twists and intriguing-as-hell narrative turns.
But what I CAN say is that the narrative begins and ends with a ba ...more

These new mistborn books are essentially crime-thrillers set in the same world a few hundred years later. They work so well. We have all the world building we’re used to, and the glorious action, but we also have the tension and mystery created by hunting down an unknown assailant, an unknown foe. The result is more of Sanderson’s excellence with a very cool twist.
Explosive plot
Sanderson’s writing is concise and quick. Wax’s story is easy to become engaged in. He begins by following a series ...more
Explosive plot
Sanderson’s writing is concise and quick. Wax’s story is easy to become engaged in. He begins by following a series ...more

Sanderson is the very embodiment of magic, great writing, and amazing adventures. PERFECTION.

Jan 28, 2020
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobooks
It's no secret I think Brandon Sanderson can do no wrong... Except for Steelheart but we don't talk about Steelheart...
With that said I'm REALLY not a fan of Westerns so I've been a bit worried about the second series in the Mistborn universe.
I do like the friendship and banter between the main characters. I still love the magic system and universe (it was great to see more of it in book 2!). The murder-mystery vibe is nice... but it's still a Western lol
Will continue the series because it's sti ...more
With that said I'm REALLY not a fan of Westerns so I've been a bit worried about the second series in the Mistborn universe.
I do like the friendship and banter between the main characters. I still love the magic system and universe (it was great to see more of it in book 2!). The murder-mystery vibe is nice... but it's still a Western lol
Will continue the series because it's sti ...more

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
Ya'll, my reviews for Mistborn are getting repetitive but in case you didn't already know I love this series with every chamber of my blackened heart.
This new series feels like a love letter to fans who adored the original trilogy.
There's so much here to love. These books are purely additive to the original, they're existence only enhances your experience as a reader and a fan.
I just can't even wrap my head around the idea that someone can have all of this magnificence ju ...more
Ya'll, my reviews for Mistborn are getting repetitive but in case you didn't already know I love this series with every chamber of my blackened heart.
This new series feels like a love letter to fans who adored the original trilogy.
There's so much here to love. These books are purely additive to the original, they're existence only enhances your experience as a reader and a fan.
I just can't even wrap my head around the idea that someone can have all of this magnificence ju ...more

Super fast re-read with some friends at Buddies Books and Baubles before Bands of Mourning.
Knowing the ending made certain parts of this book just heartbreaking. I love that almost every BS book I reread I enjoy just as much if not more the second time through. All the original Mistborn nostalgia was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!
4.5 Faceless Immortal Stars
I am in AWE yet ...more
Knowing the ending made certain parts of this book just heartbreaking. I love that almost every BS book I reread I enjoy just as much if not more the second time through. All the original Mistborn nostalgia was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!
4.5 Faceless Immortal Stars
The Fan Girl Part of My Review
Deal with it he is like my FAVORITE fantasy author….but there will be a real review below this
I am in AWE yet ...more

4.5/5 Stars
I mentioned before in my Alloy of Law review that any Mistborn fans should definitely continue with Mistborn era 1.5 despite the fact it doesn't have the epic fantasy strength and grand scope like before. Well, I stand by my words and I continue to encourage you more to read them, especially after reading Shadows of Self, you'll realize even more just how damn great Sanderson is.
As its sequel, Shadows of Self improved A LOT upon the foundation laid down by Alloy of Law, whether it's i ...more
I mentioned before in my Alloy of Law review that any Mistborn fans should definitely continue with Mistborn era 1.5 despite the fact it doesn't have the epic fantasy strength and grand scope like before. Well, I stand by my words and I continue to encourage you more to read them, especially after reading Shadows of Self, you'll realize even more just how damn great Sanderson is.
As its sequel, Shadows of Self improved A LOT upon the foundation laid down by Alloy of Law, whether it's i ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

May 19, 2017
Kainat 《HUFFLEPUFF & PROUD》
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
brandon-sanderson
Wow, this was underwhelming... SAID NO ONE EVER!
Wtf was that Sanderson? Did I hurt you in your past life or something? Why are you doing this to me? 😭
If Wayne died at the end thinking about his favorite hat, I'm gonna cry like a mofo! I need someone to love me like he loves his hats 😂 ...more
Wtf was that Sanderson? Did I hurt you in your past life or something? Why are you doing this to me? 😭
If Wayne died at the end thinking about his favorite hat, I'm gonna cry like a mofo! I need someone to love me like he loves his hats 😂 ...more

Oct 13, 2014
Sanaa
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites-2016-2017
[4.5 Stars] My emotions! I'll try to write a more coherent review when, "Ahhhhhh I loved it aahhhhhhh," isn't the only thing I can think of.
...more

Jan 29, 2020
✨ A ✨
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to ✨ A ✨ by:
Fares
How did I go about daily life before I read Brandon Sanderson?? I cant even remember what my life was like before these books.
“She had a way of pouring everything of herself into what she did. When she fought, she was the blade. When she loved, she was the kiss. In that regard, she was far more … human than any I have known.”
Elendel is no longer a peaceful and prosperous city that Harmony and the Originators left behind. Society is evolving and with that comes corruption.
The city is on th ...more
“She had a way of pouring everything of herself into what she did. When she fought, she was the blade. When she loved, she was the kiss. In that regard, she was far more … human than any I have known.”
Elendel is no longer a peaceful and prosperous city that Harmony and the Originators left behind. Society is evolving and with that comes corruption.
The city is on th ...more

Full(ish) review now posted!
Be forewarned. This is less of a review and more of a gush session over Sanderson’s craftsmanship in building the world of Scadrial in the Mistborn books.
I read Alloy of Law last year and, while I liked it, I didn’t feel driven to continue reading about the exploits of Wax and Wayne. I had no idea what I was missing. While I really enjoyed The Alloy of Law the second time I read it, Shadows of Self by far surpassed it. This is a book I feel is on par with the rest of ...more
Be forewarned. This is less of a review and more of a gush session over Sanderson’s craftsmanship in building the world of Scadrial in the Mistborn books.
I read Alloy of Law last year and, while I liked it, I didn’t feel driven to continue reading about the exploits of Wax and Wayne. I had no idea what I was missing. While I really enjoyed The Alloy of Law the second time I read it, Shadows of Self by far surpassed it. This is a book I feel is on par with the rest of ...more

'Shadows of Self' genres are fantasy, sci-fi, crime and mystery.
I really like 'The Alloy of Law' and 'Shadows of Self' but I think 'Shadows of Self' is a lot better than 'The Alloy of Law'.
I really like MeLaan. ...more
I really like 'The Alloy of Law' and 'Shadows of Self' but I think 'Shadows of Self' is a lot better than 'The Alloy of Law'.
I really like MeLaan. ...more

“I ain’t drunk,” Wayne said, sniffling. “I’m investigatin’ alternative states of sobriety.”
Sanderson has done it again. If you haven't read Mistborn yet, what are you doing with your life?
The Sanderson Avalanche
So If you're not familiar with Brandon Sanderson, there's this thing he does with pretty much all of his books called the 'Sanderson Avalanche' It usually starts at some point during the last 100 pages and it will blow your brains off.
Plot twist after plot twist after plot twist. And t ...more

This was every bit as good as The Alloy of Law. The whole Mistborn series really is fantastic reading!
Wax, Wayne, and Marasi are back on the case of another mystery. This time they need to stop an assassin from killing the governor of Elendel. To complicate matters they also have to stop the civil unrest in Elendel from boiling over into a full blown riot.
The story was a ton of fun. The Wild West setting is still proving highly entertaining and the story was highly addictive and engaging. It wa ...more
Wax, Wayne, and Marasi are back on the case of another mystery. This time they need to stop an assassin from killing the governor of Elendel. To complicate matters they also have to stop the civil unrest in Elendel from boiling over into a full blown riot.
The story was a ton of fun. The Wild West setting is still proving highly entertaining and the story was highly addictive and engaging. It wa ...more

A quick re-read before the release of The Bands of Mourning... 26 Jan 2016 update - just as good as the first time. No. No, it was better this time.
Wow. That was hectic. Another great story by a master of fantasy. The second book in this series is just as good if not better than the first.
You don’t need to think about this too much. This was written by Brandon Sanderson. Buy it. Read it. Bask in the glow.
The future of the city of Elendel is balancing on a knife’s edge. Someone or something is t ...more
Wow. That was hectic. Another great story by a master of fantasy. The second book in this series is just as good if not better than the first.
You don’t need to think about this too much. This was written by Brandon Sanderson. Buy it. Read it. Bask in the glow.
The future of the city of Elendel is balancing on a knife’s edge. Someone or something is t ...more

Me.
All day.
Every day.
Every time I read this book.
No matter how many times I read it.

I am not even lying when I say that the ending to this book touches me in my very soul.
It might be one of the slowest Mistborn books, but HOLY CRAP it's so good. And also completely necessary to truly appreciate the characters and the story to come.
I tend to not really leave reviews for Sanderson books. Sorry. It's not even worth wasting my time leaving a detailed review. Just please read these books i ...more
All day.
Every day.
Every time I read this book.
No matter how many times I read it.

I am not even lying when I say that the ending to this book touches me in my very soul.
It might be one of the slowest Mistborn books, but HOLY CRAP it's so good. And also completely necessary to truly appreciate the characters and the story to come.
I tend to not really leave reviews for Sanderson books. Sorry. It's not even worth wasting my time leaving a detailed review. Just please read these books i ...more

This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
The Final Empire ★★★★ 1/2
The Well of Ascension ★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★ 1/4
The Alloy of Law ★★★★ 1/4
Shadows of Self ★★★ 1/2
If you look at my above ratings of the whole series so far you would notice that this is my least favorite in the mistborn series so far. The last book surprised me in a very good wa ...more
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
“The law is not something holy, son. It’s just a reflection of the ideals of those lucky enough to be in charge.”
The Final Empire ★★★★ 1/2
The Well of Ascension ★★★★★
The Hero of Ages ★★★★ 1/4
The Alloy of Law ★★★★ 1/4
Shadows of Self ★★★ 1/2
If you look at my above ratings of the whole series so far you would notice that this is my least favorite in the mistborn series so far. The last book surprised me in a very good wa ...more

Apr 11, 2020
Choko
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
brandon-sanderson
*** 4.66 ***
This ending broke my heart for all involved!!! I might come back to write a real review, but at this moment the only thing I want to do is jump on the next book, because I am dying to know what happens and how things will go from here on out... I love the easy way Sanderson makes us fall in love with the characters and makes us root and care for them, even when they are really flawed, and in some cases, love them because of their imperfections and obsessive compulsive behavior 🙂🤗❤️! ...more
This ending broke my heart for all involved!!! I might come back to write a real review, but at this moment the only thing I want to do is jump on the next book, because I am dying to know what happens and how things will go from here on out... I love the easy way Sanderson makes us fall in love with the characters and makes us root and care for them, even when they are really flawed, and in some cases, love them because of their imperfections and obsessive compulsive behavior 🙂🤗❤️! ...more

"The days of heroes has passed. The stories of people breaking out of history belong to another world. We have reached an era of modernism, both louder and more silent at the same time."
"The days of heroes has passed. The stories of people breaking out of history belong to another world. We have reached an era of modernism, both louder and more silent at the same time.
An author like Sanderson doesn't write bad books, and I have enjoyed everything I've read by him. But I feel like every single M ...more
"The days of heroes has passed. The stories of people breaking out of history belong to another world. We have reached an era of modernism, both louder and more silent at the same time.
An author like Sanderson doesn't write bad books, and I have enjoyed everything I've read by him. But I feel like every single M ...more

Originally reviewed at The Speculative Herald
A lot of the books that I’m excited for in 2015 are actually releasing quite late this year, so as we sauntered into fall and said good bye to summer, I was getting ready to say hello to a couple of my most anticipated titles. Shadows of Self was most definitely near the top of that list. I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I absolutely loved The Alloy of Law – probably more than all three books of the original Mistborn trilogy put together, so sm ...more
A lot of the books that I’m excited for in 2015 are actually releasing quite late this year, so as we sauntered into fall and said good bye to summer, I was getting ready to say hello to a couple of my most anticipated titles. Shadows of Self was most definitely near the top of that list. I’m a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, and I absolutely loved The Alloy of Law – probably more than all three books of the original Mistborn trilogy put together, so sm ...more

Totally almost forgot to review this but better late than never so here goes!
I was very excited about the release of this book (although no where near as excited as I will be for Calamity or Stormlight #3) as I hadn't had any fresh Sanderson for a while and with this being the return to the Mistborn world I was hoping for a good story. This is certainly a likeable story, but for me I kind of hoped for a little more from Sanderson, and whilst I appreciate that this is a new 'era' of Mistborn, I ...more
I was very excited about the release of this book (although no where near as excited as I will be for Calamity or Stormlight #3) as I hadn't had any fresh Sanderson for a while and with this being the return to the Mistborn world I was hoping for a good story. This is certainly a likeable story, but for me I kind of hoped for a little more from Sanderson, and whilst I appreciate that this is a new 'era' of Mistborn, I ...more

4.5
But honestly, it's a 5 stars!
Sweet potatoes and carrots sticks!
Why did it take me this long to read this?! I mean on one hand, I’m glad bc I lost my faith in some of the Cosmere books and this restored it, but on the other hand… Actually you know what there is no other hand, I’m glad I took this long to read it.
I wanna say that there are some things I didn’t like and others that fell short to me. I predicted most things here, and Sanderson said that he wrote most of it before Wheel of Time an ...more
But honestly, it's a 5 stars!
Sweet potatoes and carrots sticks!
Why did it take me this long to read this?! I mean on one hand, I’m glad bc I lost my faith in some of the Cosmere books and this restored it, but on the other hand… Actually you know what there is no other hand, I’m glad I took this long to read it.
I wanna say that there are some things I didn’t like and others that fell short to me. I predicted most things here, and Sanderson said that he wrote most of it before Wheel of Time an ...more

[4.5]
I'm dead. That avalanche ending has worn me out to the fullest. I'm emotionally exhausted to the point I feel dead inside.
RTC. Or not. ...more
I'm dead. That avalanche ending has worn me out to the fullest. I'm emotionally exhausted to the point I feel dead inside.
RTC. Or not. ...more

THAT LAST LINE MADE ME SO EMOTIONAL

No, freedom was not lack of responsibilities—it was being able to do what was right, without having to worry if it was also wrong.

(view spoiler)
Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's get on with the review (well I'm gonna call this review, even though I have no idea in what it will turn out to be).
This book. This damn book. After I've finished Alloy of Law I had very high expectation for this book, and now I can safely say that it exceeded every single ...more

(view spoiler)
Now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's get on with the review (well I'm gonna call this review, even though I have no idea in what it will turn out to be).
This book. This damn book. After I've finished Alloy of Law I had very high expectation for this book, and now I can safely say that it exceeded every single ...more

Apr 03, 2019
may ❀
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
300-pgs,
ded,
male-pov,
audiobook,
kickass-heroine,
aaaaaaaaaa,
bye,
fantasy,
i-am-trash,
hilarious
nostalgia? check
humour? present
bromance? always
ending? pain
emotional stability? unfound
hotel? trivago
^is that meme still a thing?? well it is now
that last line made me want to cry, oh my heart 😭😢😪😭😪😢 wax, honey i'm so sorry brandon sanderson thought it was okay to do that to you
well that book #1 for my high fantasy month ✌️
4.5 stars ...more
humour? present
bromance? always
ending? pain
emotional stability? unfound
hotel? trivago
that last line made me want to cry, oh my heart 😭😢😪😭😪😢 wax, honey i'm so sorry brandon sanderson thought it was okay to do that to you
well that book #1 for my high fantasy month ✌️
4.5 stars ...more

Brandon Sanderson is an evil genius. He likes to rip my heart out over and over again in his books and it's basically torture. However, I keep coming back for more.
Brandon's books have never let me down and every single time I am completely blown away by how incredible and twisted they are.
This book was definitely a step up from the last one and we got to hear about all of the characters from the original Mistborn trilogy which was so good! The return of two of those characters was amazing and ...more
Brandon's books have never let me down and every single time I am completely blown away by how incredible and twisted they are.
This book was definitely a step up from the last one and we got to hear about all of the characters from the original Mistborn trilogy which was so good! The return of two of those characters was amazing and ...more

Ah, it always feel good to slip back into the Cosmere. Be it with a novella, a reread of a past book, or a shiny new book. While Elantris was my first Sanderson book, Mistborn was the first I fell in love with, so this series will always have a special place in by book heart (which is much more literate than my regular heart). And even though we have left Vin and Elend and Kelsier and so many other beloved characters behind the more modern world we find ourselves in now is just as grand and wond
...more

Jan 2016: Audiobook reread before release of Bands of Mourning.
Yep, still 4.5 stars rating after reread (rounded up because Sanderson-DUH!); only because it didn't feel as epic as the initial Mistborn trilogy. This is a very personal story that we have here in Shadows of Self (I guess that's kind of alluded to in the very title of the book), particularly for Wax. It started with a Prologue which is seemingly out of the left field but really fun, and as you progress towards the end you try to bra ...more
Yep, still 4.5 stars rating after reread (rounded up because Sanderson-DUH!); only because it didn't feel as epic as the initial Mistborn trilogy. This is a very personal story that we have here in Shadows of Self (I guess that's kind of alluded to in the very title of the book), particularly for Wax. It started with a Prologue which is seemingly out of the left field but really fun, and as you progress towards the end you try to bra ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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YA Buddy Readers'...: Shadows of Self (Mistborn #5) by Brandon Sanderson - Starting December 15th 2020 | 10 | 45 | Dec 31, 2020 11:07PM | |
The Procrastinato...:
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60 | 20 | Dec 01, 2020 01:24AM | |
2021 Reading Chal...:
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4 | 22 | Apr 27, 2020 03:48PM | |
2021 Reading Chal...:
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14 | 24 | Sep 26, 2019 11:14PM | |
Goodreads Librari...: Please, combine these editions. | 3 | 16 | Jul 05, 2019 02:06PM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Shadows of Self [Feb 10, 2019] | 35 | 45 | Mar 03, 2019 04:47AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Shadows of Self [Jul 9, 2018] | 60 | 45 | Aug 05, 2018 11:49AM |
Brandon’s major books for the second half of 2016 are The Dark Talent, the final volume in Alcatraz Smedry’s autobiographical account of his battle against the Evil Librarians who secretly rule our world, and Arcanum Unbounded, the collection of short fiction in the Cosmere universe that includes the Mistborn series and the Stormlight
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more
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Mistborn
(7 books)
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