And here we go for the second part of my reading catchup in which I discuss Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. [book-info]Shadows of Self is the second in Sanderson’s Wax and Wayne series (or the fifth Mistborn, however you like to look at it) and is set in the same world as the Mistborn trilogy only several hundred years later at a point in which the society is on the cusp of becoming industrialised. It has a deliberate steampunk feel to it. Sanderson is known as a master of worldbuilding, plot, pacing and magic systems and that is certainly borne out in Shadows of Self. The plot is imaginative, the pacing excellent and the magic system/worldbuilding outstanding as always. However, the more (recent) books of his I read, the more I realise I’m not very fond of his writing style. For me, personally, the informal style does not match the setting. It could be this is a deliberate choice by the writer – I know from his work on The Wheel of Time and The Stormlight Archive that he can use a more formal style…
Like September, October is another big month for book releases. Here are a few of the ones about which I am most excited. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard – The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan. This, along with Robin Hobb’s Fool’s Quest and Marissa Meyer’s Winter are among my most anticipated books of the later half of 2015. For those of you who don’t know, Sword of Summer is the start of a new series by the author of the Percy Jackson series which, this time, focusses on Norse mythology. Riordan’s books are always funny, engaging and exciting and I have no reason to suspect this one will be any different. Knowing what I know of the Norse pantheon, the opportunities for high jinx seem limitless. Sword of Summer will be released on October 6th and I have it preordered in both Kindle and Audible versions. Also on October 6th Brandon Sanderson is releasing another book. Dang, that guy is prolific. Does he actually sleep? This month it’s the turn of Shadows of Self, the sequel to his Alloy of Law, a steampunkesque novel set in his Mistborn world. I love the world Sanderson created in…