Quick Synopsis – In the follow up to Notorious Sorcerer we follow Siyon and friends deeper into alchemy and the politics of Bezim. We have old friends, new foes, and shocking business ventures. Can Siyon live up to being The Alchemist and balancing the mundane plane?

Song This Reminds Me Of – I Miss You – Adele

Publication Date – Nov. 14, 2023

Rating – 3.5 out of 5 ⭐

Review – Notorious Sorcerer was one of my top reads of 2022. I loved the magic system and the characters. The stakes felt so real to me, and I was absolutely heartbroken at the end. Do not read this review if you haven’t read the first and don’t want spoilers.

Shadow Baron picks up pretty soon after the events of the first book, and Siyon is now the Alchemist. He is the source of the mundane and, for some reason, he can now see threads of power as they relate to all planes. He still wants massive change because unregistered alchemists are still being arrested, and Siyon is still fighting for them. Siyon is also mourning the loss of Izmirlian and is haunted by the loss. He keeps dreaming of him and suffocating darkness. But maybe the darkness is not a dream as creatures from other planes are breaking through and delving into the mundane.

Siyon is tasked with protecting Bezim, or the council will only crack down more on the lower classes of alchemists because it can’t be the rich azatani causing any problems. The main characters, Siyon, Anahid, and Zagiri, are a little more disconnected this time around as they each explore their storylines. Siyon and Zagiri are thrown into politics and class warfare, whereas Anahid wins a flower house at a card game and is thrust into the criminal underworld of Bezim. They each come together at different points, but Anahid is very separate from the other main storylines. I liked her B plot, but it was a little loose when it came to being looped back into the main storyline.

Anahid’s storyline was a great story and really outlined the powerlessness of women (even rich women) in Bezim. She really comes into her own and allows herself to want more for herself. However, I still didn’t love the storyline because I felt like it didn’t really develop any plot. Maybe it will mean more in the next installment, but for now, it was just a lot of character development that didn’t seem like it mattered to the story.

Siyon’s exploring what the power of the mundane and pulling power into Bezim made me keep turning the page after page. There were a few moments of frustration where I just wanted the character to make a decision, but I understand his wariness. Shadow Baron was a much more political book, highlighting the differences in classes and how different strata of people in Bezim interact with the magic of the world. There could have been more exploration of these differences, but overall I was happy with the storyline, and I can’t wait for the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!