Shadows of Self

Yes. Shadows of Self continues directly from The Alloy of Law's established world and relationships.

A kandra is a shapeshifter capable of perfectly mimicking any person by consuming their body. The Bleeder is unusual because her motivation is philosophical rather than mercenary — she has a worldview that the heroes cannot simply dismiss as evil.

Yes — his engagement to Steris and his grief over the loss in The Alloy of Law are central emotional threads, and Steris evolves from a comedic one-note character into one of the series' more nuanced figures.

Approximately 383 pages — like The Alloy of Law, it is a shorter, faster read than the main Cosmere epics, designed to be read in a few sittings.

Reading the original trilogy first is highly recommended because this book contains significant spoilers for the events and conclusions of those earlier stories.

This novel is the second entry in the four-book Wax and Wayne series, which serves as the second era of the broader Mistborn saga.

This story takes place within the Cosmere, a shared universe where various series are linked by a common magic system and subtle background threads that reward readers who explore the author's wider bibliography.