Shadows of Self

Kandra Assassins, Civil Unrest, and the Heartbreaking Crucible of Harmony's Path

Spanning twelve and a half riveting, deeply emotional hours, *Shadows of Self* darkens the gaslamp adventure of The Alloy of Law into a gripping noir detective thriller with immense Cosmere implications. In the booming metropolis of Elendel, underlying socio-economic tensions reach a boiling point. The working class, laboring in harsh factories beneath the reign of corrupt city governors, threatens open insurrection, stoked by the fiery populist rhetoric of labor agitators.

Matters turn catastrophic when a mysterious assassin infiltrates a private party of corrupt officials, slaughtering them with chilling precision. Waxillium Ladrian is summoned to investigate, only to discover that the killer is Bleeder—a rogue, insane kandra who has removed one of her divine Spikes to escape the mental control of the god Harmony (formerly Sazed). Able to consume corpses and adopt the physical identity of anyone in the city, Bleeder orchestrates a campaign of political chaos designed to overthrow civilization itself. Wax, struggling with his personal devotion to Harmony, finds himself caught between divine mandates and harrowing human tragedy.

Michael Kramer delivers one of the most powerful performances in his storied narration career. Kramer navigates the rapid banter between Wayne and Marasi with effortless charm, but it is his handling of Wax’s devastating emotional climax that elevates this audiobook into a masterpiece of fantasy tragedy. Delivered with immaculate sound design and crisp pacing, this credit is an absolute essential for all Cosmere listeners.

Mistborn Series Reading Order: • The Final Empire (Era 1, Book 1 – 24h 39m) • The Well of Ascension (Era 1, Book 2 – 27h 14m) • The Hero of Ages (Era 1, Book 3 – 26h 18m) • The Alloy of Law (Era 2, Book 1 – 10h 48m) • Shadows of Self (Era 2, Book 2 – 12h 37m) • The Bands of Mourning (Era 2, Book 3 – 14h 42m) • The Lost Metal (Era 2, Book 4 – 19h 12m)