Hot Take Books
Hot Take Books
Hot Take Books by Rich and Ryan
Shadows of Self: Who's the Kandra This Time?
1 hour 25 minutes Posted Jun 22, 2026 at 2:29 am.
] β€” Cold open: the "Brandy Sandy" origin debate + Rich teases a surprise new segment (Ryan is nervous)[~01:55] β€” Intro + framing: Shadows of Self, Mistborn Era 2, Book 2[03:35] β€” Spoiler-free vibe check (first 15 min): should you read it? Go straight from Alloy of Law[~13:00] β€” 🚨 Spoiler warning β€” deep dive begins[13:30] β€” Worldbuilding & Lore: a lot of worlds, not a lot of building; the labor unrest; Harmony too involved[~29:24] β€” Characters (Rich 7 / Ryan 7): Wayne's well scene, Marasi, Milan, Captain Aradell, Team Staris[~45:35] β€” Story (Rich 5 / Ryan 6): the late twist, the recycled "who's the Kandra?" whodunit, Bleeder's spike[~52:38] β€” One-star reviews (including the "check the history books" political read)[1:00:32] β€” "Answers on the Mic": Rich's surprise segment / the trial of Ryan[~1:03:46] β€” 🚨 Cosmere Corner warning (spoilers for Stormlight + Mistborn Era 1 + Warbreaker)[1:04:16] β€” Cosmere Corner: is Trell a Shard? the timeline bombshell, the Cosmere Avengers, hemalurgy/compounding theories[1:24:20] β€” Wrap-upTikTok: @hottakebks Instagram: @hottakebooksShow NotesTimestampsLinks
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Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson | Mistborn Era 2, Book 2 | Epic Fantasy The boys keep the first 15 spoiler-free for the undecided β€” after that, all bets are off.Rich swears he coined "Brandy Sandy" with zero evidence and full confidence. Ryan files it as fact anyway. Shadows of Self is the lowest-rated Cosmere book the boys have ever covered. Rich's line of the night β€” a lot of worlds, not a lot of building. Wax discovers hemalurgy like he skipped Era 1, Harmony won't stop chatting like a guy at the bus stop, and the twist lands too late to hurt.Wayne still walks off with the book. Rich plants his flag on Team Staris. Plus: the angriest one-star reviews on the internet, a "check the history books" moment, and a Cosmere Corner that spirals into Trell, a timeline bombshell, and Rich's Avengers comparison.Verdict: BorrowEpisode Type: SpoilerTakeBook: Shadows of Self by Brandon SandersonSeries: Mistborn Era 2 (Wax and Wayne), Book 2 β€” part of the CosmereScore: Worldbuilding/Lore (the low point, lowest of the three) / Characters 7 (Rich 7 / Ryan 7) / Storyline Rich 5 / Ryan 6Verdict: Borrow[00:24] β€” Cold open: the "Brandy Sandy" origin debate + Rich teases a surprise new segment (Ryan is nervous)[~01:55] β€” Intro + framing: Shadows of Self, Mistborn Era 2, Book 2[03:35] β€” Spoiler-free vibe check (first 15 min): should you read it? Go straight from Alloy of Law[~13:00] β€” 🚨 Spoiler warning β€” deep dive begins[13:30] β€” Worldbuilding & Lore: a lot of worlds, not a lot of building; the labor unrest; Harmony too involved[~29:24] β€” Characters (Rich 7 / Ryan 7): Wayne's well scene, Marasi, Milan, Captain Aradell, Team Staris[~45:35] β€” Story (Rich 5 / Ryan 6): the late twist, the recycled "who's the Kandra?" whodunit, Bleeder's spike[~52:38] β€” One-star reviews (including the "check the history books" political read)[1:00:32] β€” "Answers on the Mic": Rich's surprise segment / the trial of Ryan[~1:03:46] β€” 🚨 Cosmere Corner warning (spoilers for Stormlight + Mistborn Era 1 + Warbreaker)[1:04:16] β€” Cosmere Corner: is Trell a Shard? the timeline bombshell, the Cosmere Avengers, hemalurgy/compounding theories[1:24:20] β€” Wrap-upTikTok: @hottakebks Instagram: @hottakebooksShow NotesTimestampsLinks