What can I say about Shadow Baron other than I loved it?! There's so much to talk about, and this story built upon the world and characters in truly spectacular ways. It also fixed one of the only major issues I had with the first book, the frantic pacing. There was A LOT going on in Notorious Sorcerer, and it made things seem jumbled and confusing at times, especially with all the complex world-building. The plot of Shadow Baron moved forward at a steady pace and was much easier to follow from the beginning.

The world-building in Shadow Baron was fantastic. It shed light on so many of the mysteries from the first book while also setting up some fascinating ramifications for the next installment. I enjoyed the focus on Bezim and its history. The mundane magic/alchemy was expanded upon greatly, and there were some pretty amazing feats accomplished along with all the new magical creatures popping up. I did miss getting to see the other planes, but the additions to the understanding of the mundane realm more than made up for it. I also really liked the increased focus on Bezim's politics and the barons' role in the society.

Shadow Baron added depth to the characters, as well. Siyon was still a disaster bi icon. lol. He struggled to understand his new powers and the impacts of his decision to become the Power of the Mundane. He was constantly flying by the seat of his pants, even when he tried to plan, and his attempts at fixing things may have ended up causing more problems than he solved. He was chaotic and fun to follow, just as in Notorious Sorcerer. He also experienced grief and loneliness from losing Izmirlian, and there were some beautiful moments that made me feel his loss and understand the reasons he loved Izmirlian so much, which I didn't really grasp in the first story.

Zagiri also had a really interesting story in Shadow Baron. She decided to finally take on some responsibility so that she could make a difference for unregistered alchemists in the city. Her POV provided an inside look at the inner workings of Bezim's government while also allowing for the exploration of how best to reform a broken system. Zagiri struggled with the patience required to change the system from within and had to decide whether burning the whole thing down would be the better option. Her story explored the ethics of revolution in a really profound way that kept me hooked to see the path she chose.

Anahid was the star of Shadow Baron, which made me so happy. I loved her story in Notorious Sorcerer, and this book took her quest to live life on her own terms to a whole new level. She's spent most of her life stifled by trying to be the perfect Azatani woman, and I enjoyed seeing her throw off those shackles in exciting new ways. She slid farther and farther into the seedier sides of Bezim, but that's all I'll say because her journey is best experienced first-hand. The only thing that didn't really work for me was her fling. It felt way too abrupt. I am curious to see what becomes of it in the next book, though.

Overall, Shadow Baron was an excellent sequel that added so much depth to the world-building and characters. It had a great balance of action and character moments with a steady pace that completely drew me into the story. It surpassed my expectations, and I definitely recommend it! Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.