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Night Angel #1-3
The Night Angel Trilogy
From NYT bestselling author Brent Weeks comes his breakout fantasy trilogy in which a young boy trains under the city's most legendary and feared assassin Durzo Blint.
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art -- and he is the city's most accomplished artist.
For Azoth, survival is just the beginning. He was raised on the streets and knows an opportunity when he sees one -- even when the risks are as high as working for someone like Durzo Blint.
Azoth must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics -- and become the perfect killer.
Devour this blockbuster tale of assassination and magic by New York Times bestselling author, Brent Weeks, which has delighted readers all over the world -- with over one million copies in print!
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art -- and he is the city's most accomplished artist.
For Azoth, survival is just the beginning. He was raised on the streets and knows an opportunity when he sees one -- even when the risks are as high as working for someone like Durzo Blint.
Azoth must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics -- and become the perfect killer.
Devour this blockbuster tale of assassination and magic by New York Times bestselling author, Brent Weeks, which has delighted readers all over the world -- with over one million copies in print!
1264 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
618 people are currently reading
17588 people want to read
About the author
Brent Weeks
94 books23.1k followersIn a small-town Montana school at age 12, Brent Weeks met the two great loves of his life. Edgar Allan Poe introduced him to the power of literature to transcend time and death and loneliness. Fate introduced him to The Girl, Kristi Barnes. He began his pursuit of each immediately.
The novel was a failure. The Girl shot him down.
Since then–skipping the boring parts–Brent has written eight best-selling novels with the Night Angel Trilogy and the Lightbringer Series, won several industry awards, and sold a few million books.
Brent and his wife Kristi live in Oregon with their two daughters. (Yeah, he married The Girl.)
The novel was a failure. The Girl shot him down.
Since then–skipping the boring parts–Brent has written eight best-selling novels with the Night Angel Trilogy and the Lightbringer Series, won several industry awards, and sold a few million books.
Brent and his wife Kristi live in Oregon with their two daughters. (Yeah, he married The Girl.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 715 reviews
January 3, 2011
It takes a special kind of author to write three books and have them sold consecutively on a monthly basis… Typically a fantasy trilogy will take between three and four years from the first through until the last book is released. This allows time for readers to finish a book, have a bit of a change and then re-visit a world about a year later…
When Brent Weeks wrote the Night Angel Trilogy his publishers weren’t prepared to make us wait a year for each book. This ‘one month’ wait between each book was almost unheard of and although it was a bold move… it paid off… why? Simple… people read the books within 30 days and wanted to have the next one in their hands instantly… It was in Brent Weeks’s own words “A huge gamble by the publisher’, but it was one that paid off.”
The first book in the series ‘The Way of the Shadows’ came out in 2008… It is a bold book that to some extent glorifies the work of assassins, justifies the work of prostitutes and paints thieves in at very least a grey fashion. There is rape, there is murder, there is pure evil and treachery – in fact it is a very, very dark series. Our main character is ‘Azoth’, an orphan who has been born into a world completely corrupt and controlled by an organised crime band known as the Sa’kagé. Azoth has survived by finding his way into a low levelled ‘guild’. These guilds are full of young children who basically work together in order to steal food, mug wealthier folk and dabble in minor profit making crime. The older children in the guild literally make the younger children’s lives hell. They demand payment, beat them, steal their food and even force themselves upon the weaker ones…
It paints a terrifying picture and as you can imagine… Azoth is willing to do anything in order to get out. He finds it whilst wading through the disgusting and dangerous gap underneath an Inn’s floorboards to retrieve a few coins that may have fallen beneath the floorboards. Although those within the Inn are unaware of Azoth’s presence – Azoth can see above through cracks in the floor. Whilst hiding underneath a man within the Inn is attacked – he subsequently massacres his attackers with very little effort (even though Azoth thinks he appears drunk) and calmly walks from the bar. Azoth realises that this was Durzo Blint – World Renowned Assassin (Known as a ‘Wetboy’).
After all he has witnessed and the lacklustre future he knows he will have unless he does ‘something’ – Azoth asks Durzo Blint to take him on as his apprentice. Durzo Blint tells him that he is a ‘sole’ individual and doesn’t do partners, apprentices, relationships or anything else – his single focus is his job and that’s why he is the best. With no other options Azoth won’t take no for an answer and Durzo Blint tells him that if he really wants to do this he has to first prove himself by killing his guild master and then walk away from his old life, his old friends and begin making himself useful. He doesn’t want a burden, he wants someone who will be able to do the less important or less-well paid jobs for him.
Azoth of course agrees and is thrust into the life of a WetBoy… Working for the Sa’kagé and getting deeper and deeper into their world. Azoth becomes ‘Kyler Stern’, but soon finds that life living in the shadow of the greatest Wetboy in existence brings about its own problems… the law want him dead, other assassins want him dead and Durzo Blint’s enemies for which there are many… want him dead. As well as constantly having to watch out for enemies, he also has to question his own reasoning for becoming a Wetboy… does he have the right to murder people? Can he cope with the constant push for perfection that Durzo commands, has he condemned his old guild friends by leaving them behind?
————
Although the story is absolutely amazing in terms of pace, twists, action and just about everything else – it is the characters that make the story. In addition to Durzo and Azoth, by the second book we have other characters that include a newly appointed king who is highly opposed, we have Vi who is a female assassin intent on killing Azoth, we have ‘Dollgirl’ who was Azoth’s fixation whilst he was in the guild, a seer named Dorian, a King who intends to take over the world… and all of these characters have their own stories and their own viewpoints… One minute we are hating them, the next we are supporting them. Through all the dark themes within this book there is a story here about love and friendship as well as the power and importance of relationships of all kinds as well. Upon reading this book you will begin questioning your own thoughts on good and bad… your ‘grey-area’ will certainly widen and you will certainly be left loving ‘villains’ and ‘despising’ heroes.
As the book progresses from the first that could be seen as ‘a standalone novel’ almost, the second begins entering ‘epic’ territory. We find out that Kyler and Durzo are part of something far bigger than we imagined during the first half of the first novel. At the start of the first novel Kyler has to make a choice… does he give up or does he fight. The Godking is ready to take over the world and Kyler needs to make a decision… does he let him or does he use the skills he has learnt to fight against him? Does he risk commit to the life of an assassin or now he has made a bit of money does he give up that way of life? Is he falling too deep into the lust for blood?
Questions, Twists, Turns, this book will keep you guessing throughout and has more than its fair share of loveable characters and even absolutely stomach turning characters… one thing is for sure… the characters you read about in this book will never be forgotten. You feel you are actually with these characters, trying for yourself to justify their actions, asking yourself what you would do and it makes for a once in a lifetime ride of suspense, action and storytelling.
Do not miss this series… It will raise your bar on fantasy literature.
When Brent Weeks wrote the Night Angel Trilogy his publishers weren’t prepared to make us wait a year for each book. This ‘one month’ wait between each book was almost unheard of and although it was a bold move… it paid off… why? Simple… people read the books within 30 days and wanted to have the next one in their hands instantly… It was in Brent Weeks’s own words “A huge gamble by the publisher’, but it was one that paid off.”
The first book in the series ‘The Way of the Shadows’ came out in 2008… It is a bold book that to some extent glorifies the work of assassins, justifies the work of prostitutes and paints thieves in at very least a grey fashion. There is rape, there is murder, there is pure evil and treachery – in fact it is a very, very dark series. Our main character is ‘Azoth’, an orphan who has been born into a world completely corrupt and controlled by an organised crime band known as the Sa’kagé. Azoth has survived by finding his way into a low levelled ‘guild’. These guilds are full of young children who basically work together in order to steal food, mug wealthier folk and dabble in minor profit making crime. The older children in the guild literally make the younger children’s lives hell. They demand payment, beat them, steal their food and even force themselves upon the weaker ones…
It paints a terrifying picture and as you can imagine… Azoth is willing to do anything in order to get out. He finds it whilst wading through the disgusting and dangerous gap underneath an Inn’s floorboards to retrieve a few coins that may have fallen beneath the floorboards. Although those within the Inn are unaware of Azoth’s presence – Azoth can see above through cracks in the floor. Whilst hiding underneath a man within the Inn is attacked – he subsequently massacres his attackers with very little effort (even though Azoth thinks he appears drunk) and calmly walks from the bar. Azoth realises that this was Durzo Blint – World Renowned Assassin (Known as a ‘Wetboy’).
After all he has witnessed and the lacklustre future he knows he will have unless he does ‘something’ – Azoth asks Durzo Blint to take him on as his apprentice. Durzo Blint tells him that he is a ‘sole’ individual and doesn’t do partners, apprentices, relationships or anything else – his single focus is his job and that’s why he is the best. With no other options Azoth won’t take no for an answer and Durzo Blint tells him that if he really wants to do this he has to first prove himself by killing his guild master and then walk away from his old life, his old friends and begin making himself useful. He doesn’t want a burden, he wants someone who will be able to do the less important or less-well paid jobs for him.
Azoth of course agrees and is thrust into the life of a WetBoy… Working for the Sa’kagé and getting deeper and deeper into their world. Azoth becomes ‘Kyler Stern’, but soon finds that life living in the shadow of the greatest Wetboy in existence brings about its own problems… the law want him dead, other assassins want him dead and Durzo Blint’s enemies for which there are many… want him dead. As well as constantly having to watch out for enemies, he also has to question his own reasoning for becoming a Wetboy… does he have the right to murder people? Can he cope with the constant push for perfection that Durzo commands, has he condemned his old guild friends by leaving them behind?
————
Although the story is absolutely amazing in terms of pace, twists, action and just about everything else – it is the characters that make the story. In addition to Durzo and Azoth, by the second book we have other characters that include a newly appointed king who is highly opposed, we have Vi who is a female assassin intent on killing Azoth, we have ‘Dollgirl’ who was Azoth’s fixation whilst he was in the guild, a seer named Dorian, a King who intends to take over the world… and all of these characters have their own stories and their own viewpoints… One minute we are hating them, the next we are supporting them. Through all the dark themes within this book there is a story here about love and friendship as well as the power and importance of relationships of all kinds as well. Upon reading this book you will begin questioning your own thoughts on good and bad… your ‘grey-area’ will certainly widen and you will certainly be left loving ‘villains’ and ‘despising’ heroes.
As the book progresses from the first that could be seen as ‘a standalone novel’ almost, the second begins entering ‘epic’ territory. We find out that Kyler and Durzo are part of something far bigger than we imagined during the first half of the first novel. At the start of the first novel Kyler has to make a choice… does he give up or does he fight. The Godking is ready to take over the world and Kyler needs to make a decision… does he let him or does he use the skills he has learnt to fight against him? Does he risk commit to the life of an assassin or now he has made a bit of money does he give up that way of life? Is he falling too deep into the lust for blood?
Questions, Twists, Turns, this book will keep you guessing throughout and has more than its fair share of loveable characters and even absolutely stomach turning characters… one thing is for sure… the characters you read about in this book will never be forgotten. You feel you are actually with these characters, trying for yourself to justify their actions, asking yourself what you would do and it makes for a once in a lifetime ride of suspense, action and storytelling.
Do not miss this series… It will raise your bar on fantasy literature.
October 6, 2014
Surprisingly good book. I picked it up on the strength of it's cover blurb and a couple of reader reviews. You won't find any deep truths of life, there aren't any insights into life (well maybe a few) but you will get a good novel. (Actually a set of novels as this is the trilogy in one volume.)
I bought this through the Science Fiction Book Club and read it during an extremely stressful time (I read it in a hospital, in the waiting room or the room of my wife). It helped me out of this world and into a separate one.
This world is a somewhat dark world, but I'd say the word gritty fits it better than the word dark. You will need to follow the magic system here and put it's various components and levels together, not hard, but give it your attention.
BUT once you're into the book the real story is about the characters. Mr Weeks himself referred to this as a ninja story and in many ways it is. This will appeal to many people on many levels. It's adventure. it's "coming of age (a genre I'm not always taken with)", it is of course fantasy and fits I suppose well into the "epic fantasy" shelf. It takes place in a dark, dirty, gritty fantasy city so in a way it's even urban fantasy.You will however find touches of "dark".
I like this one and it comes just short of hitting my 5 star rating, only missing because when compared to the ones I love the most, I can't quite rate it that high. Still a great read.
So, join Kylar, Durzo Blint, Elene and the characters that populate this book. Learn the politics, magic and subtlety of Midcyru. Learn of Wetboys, Magi and Magae...learn about, The Night Angel.
I bought this through the Science Fiction Book Club and read it during an extremely stressful time (I read it in a hospital, in the waiting room or the room of my wife). It helped me out of this world and into a separate one.
This world is a somewhat dark world, but I'd say the word gritty fits it better than the word dark. You will need to follow the magic system here and put it's various components and levels together, not hard, but give it your attention.
BUT once you're into the book the real story is about the characters. Mr Weeks himself referred to this as a ninja story and in many ways it is. This will appeal to many people on many levels. It's adventure. it's "coming of age (a genre I'm not always taken with)", it is of course fantasy and fits I suppose well into the "epic fantasy" shelf. It takes place in a dark, dirty, gritty fantasy city so in a way it's even urban fantasy.You will however find touches of "dark".
I like this one and it comes just short of hitting my 5 star rating, only missing because when compared to the ones I love the most, I can't quite rate it that high. Still a great read.
So, join Kylar, Durzo Blint, Elene and the characters that populate this book. Learn the politics, magic and subtlety of Midcyru. Learn of Wetboys, Magi and Magae...learn about, The Night Angel.
January 22, 2013
Firstly, I skimmed over some of the reviews before I decided to write my own. And one in particular was brought up some negative viewpoints of the plot that, frankly have nothing really to do with the entirety of the story and a social bias; based on ones on perspective on life. (I'm looking at you Paulo). Those so called flaws in fact give the world of MIDCRYU depth.
The Night Angel Trilogy is a compelling and engrossing read. It's very much about courage, redemption and about how Love conquers all. With that I'm saying there is NOT A SHRED of Homophobia or Misogyny in this book. It literally had me on the edge of my seat. I read book 2 in a day. I was up till 5 in the morning. Because I just could not stop reading.
I will say its fair that, certain themes may have been a little borrowed from other series; but it only adds to how well put together the story as a whole is. I'm not a nit picker. I like simple pleasures. This trilogy pleasured me immensely. Brent weeks is a master. And for all you disappointed a bit by the ending; Weeks did say there is a sequel trilogy in the works! YES!!
The Night Angel Trilogy is a compelling and engrossing read. It's very much about courage, redemption and about how Love conquers all. With that I'm saying there is NOT A SHRED of Homophobia or Misogyny in this book. It literally had me on the edge of my seat. I read book 2 in a day. I was up till 5 in the morning. Because I just could not stop reading.
I will say its fair that, certain themes may have been a little borrowed from other series; but it only adds to how well put together the story as a whole is. I'm not a nit picker. I like simple pleasures. This trilogy pleasured me immensely. Brent weeks is a master. And for all you disappointed a bit by the ending; Weeks did say there is a sequel trilogy in the works! YES!!
August 6, 2013
Okay this book is crazy intense! Nothing You think will happen does. I mean Nothing. I have had to put this book down so many times cos it's so gruesome in areas that I either had gotten light headed and broken out into a cold sweat or I had almost thrown up! This book evokes every emotion a person could possibly have and then some. It's like non stop suspense, then action, then warm fuzzy heartfelt feelings, then anger, then sadness etc.. Then the cycle starts all over again. And like I said, everything you think will happen doesn't. I've only guessed 1 or 2 things correctly out of all 3 books. This book makes you insane! As soon as you put it down you have to pick it back up.. And did I mention Kylar? Dude is off the chain awesome.
I have seen alot of good reviews for this trilogy. That is what caused me to read it. Even though it does feel more like, regarding it's popularity, in comparison with a good film that hardly gets any play, unless you see it under the sundance film festival or something. It could definitely use more mainstream love that's for sure...
It's a deep deep story. This is riddled with LOTS of magic, violence, redemption. Evil to it's very core. Major and I mean major sacrifice.. Beliefs, & spirituality. It can be very sexual & sensual but also at times just flat out degrading. But not where the story suffers. These degrading scenes are essential to the character or scene that is occurring @ the time.
Underneath the many layers of all 3 books, it boils down to these 4 questions.. Who are you? What do you stand for? What's your purpose? And when those answers are not in harmony with what you want, will you have the heart to fulfill your purpose anyway?
This Trilogy is beyond deep.. I highly recommend you read it. The deal for the 3 books in one, is worth it.
I have seen alot of good reviews for this trilogy. That is what caused me to read it. Even though it does feel more like, regarding it's popularity, in comparison with a good film that hardly gets any play, unless you see it under the sundance film festival or something. It could definitely use more mainstream love that's for sure...
It's a deep deep story. This is riddled with LOTS of magic, violence, redemption. Evil to it's very core. Major and I mean major sacrifice.. Beliefs, & spirituality. It can be very sexual & sensual but also at times just flat out degrading. But not where the story suffers. These degrading scenes are essential to the character or scene that is occurring @ the time.
Underneath the many layers of all 3 books, it boils down to these 4 questions.. Who are you? What do you stand for? What's your purpose? And when those answers are not in harmony with what you want, will you have the heart to fulfill your purpose anyway?
This Trilogy is beyond deep.. I highly recommend you read it. The deal for the 3 books in one, is worth it.
June 17, 2010
There is something about Durzo Blint that is immensely appealing. Other characters came and went. The main character, Kylar Stern, alternated between cold-blooded killer, immature teen, and weepy pacifist. Yet Durzo was always Durzo, a cold-blood assassin (excuse me, *wetboy*) that was better than anyone in the art of killing. That he has a secret past is no surprise, but when the surprise is revealed in book two, it feels both immense and incredibly amusing.
The first book in the series starts off dark. There's child molestation, murder, and an overall feeling of despair and surrender to everything evil inside men's hearts. While some might not be prepared for how far the author goes, the setting is necessary for Kylar's development, as well at he redemptive themes that become far more prevalent in books two and three.
Despite Kylar's random mood swings, he was an overall enjoyable main character. Like Durzo, he is a killer at the top of his game. The special powers he inherits halfway through the first book are both over the top and yet consistently controlled. It may feel like the author is cheating, but at the same time, I know he's not. Don't read The Night Angel Trilogy expecting anything mundane. Mr. Weeks wants to kill gods, destroy cities, and have his characters play with artifacts older than entire civilizations. It gets a little overwhelming having ten different world-destroying creatures, weapons, and artifacts all being swapped, stolen, and revealed, but by the third book things calm down and start making sense.
Speaking of making sense, Mr. Weeks is not the best at introducing characters you don't know. There are plenty of times I'd be reading, start a new chapter, and then wonder if I had skipped a part somewhere along the line. Random people in random locations get thrown out often. Have faith in the author, though; they'll come around in time, and make perfect sense. MR. Weeks might not be subtle, but he's effective at not messing around.
Would I read more by Mr. Weeks? Most certainly. Other than a few odds and ends, this was a series after my own heart. And all because of Durzo. He's the star of the show whenever he makes his entrance, and by the end, you might find yourself wishing for another book dedicated solely to him.
The first book in the series starts off dark. There's child molestation, murder, and an overall feeling of despair and surrender to everything evil inside men's hearts. While some might not be prepared for how far the author goes, the setting is necessary for Kylar's development, as well at he redemptive themes that become far more prevalent in books two and three.
Despite Kylar's random mood swings, he was an overall enjoyable main character. Like Durzo, he is a killer at the top of his game. The special powers he inherits halfway through the first book are both over the top and yet consistently controlled. It may feel like the author is cheating, but at the same time, I know he's not. Don't read The Night Angel Trilogy expecting anything mundane. Mr. Weeks wants to kill gods, destroy cities, and have his characters play with artifacts older than entire civilizations. It gets a little overwhelming having ten different world-destroying creatures, weapons, and artifacts all being swapped, stolen, and revealed, but by the third book things calm down and start making sense.
Speaking of making sense, Mr. Weeks is not the best at introducing characters you don't know. There are plenty of times I'd be reading, start a new chapter, and then wonder if I had skipped a part somewhere along the line. Random people in random locations get thrown out often. Have faith in the author, though; they'll come around in time, and make perfect sense. MR. Weeks might not be subtle, but he's effective at not messing around.
Would I read more by Mr. Weeks? Most certainly. Other than a few odds and ends, this was a series after my own heart. And all because of Durzo. He's the star of the show whenever he makes his entrance, and by the end, you might find yourself wishing for another book dedicated solely to him.
December 20, 2010
There is a lot to love and hate about these books. They are the perfect example the what I like and dislike about modern fantasy. The writing I really enjoyed. Weeks has a very good grasp of character and I was sucked in very quickly as I started to care about the protagonist. The world building and setting was top notch. I also loved that the author was unafraid to move time along. The author was willing to tell the important parts of the story and skip years of back story. What I hate about these books is I can't recommend them to my younger brother. Having just read George R.R. Martian's Fire and Ice saga (or what is written of it so far)it seems every fantasy book now needs an R-rating and the harder the R the better. Weeks defends this some in saying that you have to move from darkness to light. He says, "Hope isn't vibrant unless it has to be chosen over despair." While I agree in principle, I disagree in degree. I think we have culturally lost the power of subtlety. I am reminded of the scene in the Searchers where John Wayne discovers the cabin in which butchery took place. We never see in the cabin and it is far more dramatic and horrifying for it. Today a director would just show us the cabin and use as much blood and gore as possible. We no longer seem to hint at the horrible, we paint it with the widest brush possible.
This same problem cropped up in the authors writing of females characters. In the first book I thought they were created with some taste. In the second and third, they seemed to morph into hyper-sexualized characters. I felt the females who were very interesting became characters written for 16 year old boys. Boys who have no understanding of the complexities of feminine beauty, they only see breast and butts. It started to read like sex sell so just add more. Hence my love/hate relationship with modern fantasy. A great story told, yet told with the broad brush of sex and violence.
This same problem cropped up in the authors writing of females characters. In the first book I thought they were created with some taste. In the second and third, they seemed to morph into hyper-sexualized characters. I felt the females who were very interesting became characters written for 16 year old boys. Boys who have no understanding of the complexities of feminine beauty, they only see breast and butts. It started to read like sex sell so just add more. Hence my love/hate relationship with modern fantasy. A great story told, yet told with the broad brush of sex and violence.
January 16, 2015
There are alot of women complaining about the roles of alot of the female characters in this book because the main (female) characters are on opposite ends of the "sex" spectrum.. One is a virgin and the other is basically a prostitute (not an insult, I mean it literally).
However I think that such an argument for this series is complete bull. I'm sorry if you don't feel like your own lifestyle has been represented in the characters (As, I'm guessing, a female who sleeps with a moderate amount of people?). However, please keep in mind the time and era that this book takes place in. I feel like it almost predates "midevil" times, and if you'll realize with that in mind, his representation really isn't all that off. And, regardless, feelings that your own populace isn't accurately represented in a book is a terribly selfish reason to give it a bad review.
Considering the period that this book was written about, the story is gruesome, and gritty, and real. Their society was ugly at times, but the rawness of that is a huge factor that draws readers in to a far away world with believability that they can get behind- even when it's hard to watch. If you'd rather read a fantasy book written in ruthless midevil days where they incorporate women's rights and bend to all the modern amenities that you stand for, great. But this might not be your book.
With that said, this is my favorite book series of all time. It is equal parts thrilling, original, dark, twisting, just enough hopeful, and always interesting. The narrative changes just enough between characters to keep it interesting throughout the entire book.
Not for the faint of heart, but so, so, incredibly engaging and thrilling.
I'm afraid to say anymore about this series for fear of spoiling it, but I would encourage all readers to try the first book and form an opinion for yourself.
I've read the series twice already and plan on doing it again.
However I think that such an argument for this series is complete bull. I'm sorry if you don't feel like your own lifestyle has been represented in the characters (As, I'm guessing, a female who sleeps with a moderate amount of people?). However, please keep in mind the time and era that this book takes place in. I feel like it almost predates "midevil" times, and if you'll realize with that in mind, his representation really isn't all that off. And, regardless, feelings that your own populace isn't accurately represented in a book is a terribly selfish reason to give it a bad review.
Considering the period that this book was written about, the story is gruesome, and gritty, and real. Their society was ugly at times, but the rawness of that is a huge factor that draws readers in to a far away world with believability that they can get behind- even when it's hard to watch. If you'd rather read a fantasy book written in ruthless midevil days where they incorporate women's rights and bend to all the modern amenities that you stand for, great. But this might not be your book.
With that said, this is my favorite book series of all time. It is equal parts thrilling, original, dark, twisting, just enough hopeful, and always interesting. The narrative changes just enough between characters to keep it interesting throughout the entire book.
Not for the faint of heart, but so, so, incredibly engaging and thrilling.
I'm afraid to say anymore about this series for fear of spoiling it, but I would encourage all readers to try the first book and form an opinion for yourself.
I've read the series twice already and plan on doing it again.
September 21, 2012
i can't believe that people can actually rate these books less than 5 stars and anything less than that is just unbelievable. (those are the people that don't enjoy good books).
THIS IS THE BEST SERIES OF BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!!!!
i honestly think that there need to be more books like this out there, cuz it seems like now a days every single book and their grandPA's story is nothing but a lust filled romance that include the obvious followings:
~some really attractive guy (which in real life would be gay)
~some self conscious bitch that will either be a slut or have zero sexual experience or both, or all the female characters fall into one the two categories.
~a vampire or two maybe a werewolf or four
~a plot so used it's a whore
~and a terrible message to send to our kids. maybe thats why people do drugs. BLAME THE STUPID BOOKS
you see this book has none of the following. there is love mixed into it but not romance. its a thriller, with an amazing plot, unforgettable characters and just wow. just WOW. people come on. i don't even know how to describe the book so i'm just ganna tell you this:
READ THE G*DDAMN BOOK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT MAYBE THICK BUT I HEARD SOMEWHERE THAT SIZE MATTERS AND PEOPLE PREFER IT THATA WAY. ..... or were they referring to a penis.... o.o O.O hmmm.... no definitely the book. :D
THIS IS THE BEST SERIES OF BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ!!!!!
i honestly think that there need to be more books like this out there, cuz it seems like now a days every single book and their grandPA's story is nothing but a lust filled romance that include the obvious followings:
~some really attractive guy (which in real life would be gay)
~some self conscious bitch that will either be a slut or have zero sexual experience or both, or all the female characters fall into one the two categories.
~a vampire or two maybe a werewolf or four
~a plot so used it's a whore
~and a terrible message to send to our kids. maybe thats why people do drugs. BLAME THE STUPID BOOKS
you see this book has none of the following. there is love mixed into it but not romance. its a thriller, with an amazing plot, unforgettable characters and just wow. just WOW. people come on. i don't even know how to describe the book so i'm just ganna tell you this:
READ THE G*DDAMN BOOK LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! IT MAYBE THICK BUT I HEARD SOMEWHERE THAT SIZE MATTERS AND PEOPLE PREFER IT THATA WAY. ..... or were they referring to a penis.... o.o O.O hmmm.... no definitely the book. :D
November 5, 2019
The Way Of Shadows - 5 stars
Shadow’s Edge - 3 stars
Beyond the Shadows - 4 stars
Overall rating: 4 stars
Shadow’s Edge - 3 stars
Beyond the Shadows - 4 stars
Overall rating: 4 stars
February 10, 2017
To give the whole thing stars is really hard...
I did so LOVE book on! It was dark, grim, had great characters and the blood almost ran out of the pages at times... Full 5*
Book two was weaker in my personal opinion. There was a romance part introduced - and I have never been a fan of romance in my fantasy books. That alone wouldn't have been to bad, but I missed a favorite character of mine - and the female part of the romance was just REALLY annoying to me. Always nagging "don't do that..." and such - or at least it felt that way to me. Still a good book, but not a 5* for me.
Book three was more or less like book two in star count, but then there was the ending. I can't tell you anything about it without spoiling the whole thing. Suffice it to say, I HATED the ending. I found it completely wrong and unfitting for a series like this. I literally sat there blinking and wondering what the hell Brent Weeks (whose other series I love book 1-4 without decline) might have had for breakfast when writing it! Maybe it was the wrong mushrooms in the omlette...
So overall I went (5+4+3)/3=4* for the series as a whole.
If I knew before, I think I would have just read book one and stopped there - the overall plot is still open, but the arc of the single book can stand very well on it's own I think. :)
I did so LOVE book on! It was dark, grim, had great characters and the blood almost ran out of the pages at times... Full 5*
Book two was weaker in my personal opinion. There was a romance part introduced - and I have never been a fan of romance in my fantasy books. That alone wouldn't have been to bad, but I missed a favorite character of mine - and the female part of the romance was just REALLY annoying to me. Always nagging "don't do that..." and such - or at least it felt that way to me. Still a good book, but not a 5* for me.
Book three was more or less like book two in star count, but then there was the ending. I can't tell you anything about it without spoiling the whole thing. Suffice it to say, I HATED the ending. I found it completely wrong and unfitting for a series like this. I literally sat there blinking and wondering what the hell Brent Weeks (whose other series I love book 1-4 without decline) might have had for breakfast when writing it! Maybe it was the wrong mushrooms in the omlette...
So overall I went (5+4+3)/3=4* for the series as a whole.
If I knew before, I think I would have just read book one and stopped there - the overall plot is still open, but the arc of the single book can stand very well on it's own I think. :)
February 10, 2017
I decided to pick up the "Night Angel-Trilogy" because it was the highest rated book in my to-read list. Unfortunately I don't think it merits that reputation. Here's why:
The Good
- Great, epic fantasy story
- Overall great writing style
- Very well written depictions of battles and other tense moments
- Light, pleasant sense of humor
- Nice variety of people and cities. Each with their unique and captivating culture and politics.
- I loved the variety in magic systems, no One power or anything, but different types with different sources, different possibilities and different prices;
- The Khalidoran culture in particular was a very interesting one.
The Bad
- Way too many clichés, it got utterly annoying at times
- Very little character building. I really thought that the internal struggle for Kylar could have had a little more depth)
- Bland characters (Seriously, Jarl & Elene?)
- Stereotype depictions of women. Either you're a gorgeous, radiating angel, or you're a sexy slut who constantly craves to "fuck" or, more often than that, "be fucked"
- Small peef, but if you're going to build a new world with different countries, is it so fucking hard to give them names that are unique? I got all confused with Cenaria and it's Cenarians vs. Ceura and the Seurans and the Sa'ceuri. To top it all of, one of the artefacts is called Iures. And what is it with giving everyone an impossible first and last name and then using the firstname, lastname or both at random when talking about that character. That is fricking annoying, I suddenly have to keep track of double the amount of names. .
- I think it's some kind of literal crime to repeatedly use "Then" to describe sequences of events, this was very acute when listening to the audio book.
- The love romance is a huge part of the story, but it all feels very juvenile to me. It might be that I just react to it like this because I'm older and that time is long past, but still, the whole moralizing Elene's "no sex before we're married" vs Vi's "fuck me if you want, I don't care" philosopies got very frustrating.
- Lastly, a lot of the scenes had this "Hollywood-feel-good" feel to it,
and it annoyed me a lot. This book was supposed to be gritty and real, and while there was plenty of that, there was way to much "added" drama.
The conclusion
All in all, I enjoyed the story enough to be pulled in and to be drawn to continue reading. Unfortunately there were way to many annoying moments when I wanted to throw it aside and I found myself yelling at the characters for their stupidity.
I'm going to give this 3 stars, because I did like the story and the writing style.
The Good
- Great, epic fantasy story
- Overall great writing style
- Very well written depictions of battles and other tense moments
- Light, pleasant sense of humor
- Nice variety of people and cities. Each with their unique and captivating culture and politics.
- I loved the variety in magic systems, no One power or anything, but different types with different sources, different possibilities and different prices;
- The Khalidoran culture in particular was a very interesting one.
The Bad
- Way too many clichés, it got utterly annoying at times
- Very little character building. I really thought that the internal struggle for Kylar could have had a little more depth)
- Bland characters (Seriously, Jarl & Elene?)
- Stereotype depictions of women. Either you're a gorgeous, radiating angel, or you're a sexy slut who constantly craves to "fuck" or, more often than that, "be fucked"
- Small peef, but if you're going to build a new world with different countries, is it so fucking hard to give them names that are unique? I got all confused with Cenaria and it's Cenarians vs. Ceura and the Seurans and the Sa'ceuri. To top it all of, one of the artefacts is called Iures. And what is it with giving everyone an impossible first and last name and then using the firstname, lastname or both at random when talking about that character. That is fricking annoying, I suddenly have to keep track of double the amount of names. .
- I think it's some kind of literal crime to repeatedly use "Then" to describe sequences of events, this was very acute when listening to the audio book.
- The love romance is a huge part of the story, but it all feels very juvenile to me. It might be that I just react to it like this because I'm older and that time is long past, but still, the whole moralizing Elene's "no sex before we're married" vs Vi's "fuck me if you want, I don't care" philosopies got very frustrating.
- Lastly, a lot of the scenes had this "Hollywood-feel-good" feel to it,
and it annoyed me a lot. This book was supposed to be gritty and real, and while there was plenty of that, there was way to much "added" drama.
The conclusion
All in all, I enjoyed the story enough to be pulled in and to be drawn to continue reading. Unfortunately there were way to many annoying moments when I wanted to throw it aside and I found myself yelling at the characters for their stupidity.
I'm going to give this 3 stars, because I did like the story and the writing style.
November 28, 2016
Hey all, just want to quickly give you all a heads up! This review does contain spoilers. So if you do not want to be spoiled I recommend you read the whole trilogy, and then come back here. I hope you enjoy my mini overview of the entire trilogy, as well as review of "Beyond the Shadows". (Third book in trilogy)
I want to start off by saying Beyond The Shadows was an outstanding conclusion to a high fantasy trilogy. It was outstanding, and although it wasn't my favorite of all time, I still really loved watching the subplots tie together and finish out.
I started the Night Angel trilogy last summer of 2015, and I think it was one of the greatest reading decisions of my life. Reading books one and two were a fly by, then life got in the way and I spent some time away from the series. As I returned and finished the last book, I found that a great deal had changed in the world of Kylar.
Another thing I want to point out: this trilogy is one of the first adult high fantasy novels I've ever read. It isn't particularly a genre I read and enjoy often, so I don't have any credentials in the area, but it seems that this was an ideal series to go for.
The first two novels in the trilogy really kept you hooked. The Way of Shadows was written in a way that felt like you were thrown into someones life, which was completely enthralling. You get the opportunity to view several perspectives, but mainly Durzo's and Azoth's. Because Durzo and Azoth are so much alike, they create a very concrete foundation for second and third book, although they don't know quite how similar they are. To see through the eyes of an experienced, older wetboy, as well as a amateur apprentice bring a typical but not necessarily overdone style to the books.
Then in Shadow's Edge we follow the perspective of Azoth, or Kylar. (The name he goes by in his late teens to early twenties). I enjoyed Shadow's Edge as much as I enjoyed The Way Of Shadows, and in it, we see Kylar's character develop in the most intriguing of ways.We also see him go through the twists and turns becoming a man, and having family responsibilities with his girlfriend Elene. However, this aspect actually bothered me the most throughout the second novel. Kylar and Elene are in an intimate relationship, but their differences in beliefs are apparent, and Kylar's character becomes annoyingly whiney as his relationship is falling apart. Now I enjoy burning romance as much as anyone, but Weeks seems to add too much for my taste.
I have to say that's the only thing that completely irked me from the second book. I mean there were a few minor things that also bothered me, but nothing that I would necessarily complain about.
All in all, book two in the Night Angel trilogy was quite enjoyable.
Now book three in the Night Angel Trilogy literally blew my mind away, it wasn't at all what I expected. It wasn't horrible and it wasn't at all what I expected the ending of an epic high fantasy novel to be. From how the first two novels in the series were, I figured that the finale would be somewhat similar. So we start off with Azoth learning to be a wet boy at a young age in book 1. In book two, we see Azoth who is now Kylar, figure out who he really is, and fight with his inner demons. But in book three, he basically conquers the entire world, and does the impossible, which is great right? Except that I've seen that so often, and it feels like Kylar wasn't really meant to be a leader or in a position of power. It seemed that his character was really unbalanced and indecisive. Kylar didn't know right from wrong, and as he took control of so much, knowing that he wouldn't really be an ideal person to do so made reading it became unnerving and tiring. It almost seems like since this was a high fantasy series, Weeks felt called upon to make sure the main character was the great victor, but Kylar still has so far to go when the story ends.
But that's just my personal opinion of "Beyond The Shadows", in the "Night Angel Trilogy".
I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, and getting the opportunity to watch the characters within the story grow.
I want to start off by saying Beyond The Shadows was an outstanding conclusion to a high fantasy trilogy. It was outstanding, and although it wasn't my favorite of all time, I still really loved watching the subplots tie together and finish out.
I started the Night Angel trilogy last summer of 2015, and I think it was one of the greatest reading decisions of my life. Reading books one and two were a fly by, then life got in the way and I spent some time away from the series. As I returned and finished the last book, I found that a great deal had changed in the world of Kylar.
Another thing I want to point out: this trilogy is one of the first adult high fantasy novels I've ever read. It isn't particularly a genre I read and enjoy often, so I don't have any credentials in the area, but it seems that this was an ideal series to go for.
The first two novels in the trilogy really kept you hooked. The Way of Shadows was written in a way that felt like you were thrown into someones life, which was completely enthralling. You get the opportunity to view several perspectives, but mainly Durzo's and Azoth's. Because Durzo and Azoth are so much alike, they create a very concrete foundation for second and third book, although they don't know quite how similar they are. To see through the eyes of an experienced, older wetboy, as well as a amateur apprentice bring a typical but not necessarily overdone style to the books.
Then in Shadow's Edge we follow the perspective of Azoth, or Kylar. (The name he goes by in his late teens to early twenties). I enjoyed Shadow's Edge as much as I enjoyed The Way Of Shadows, and in it, we see Kylar's character develop in the most intriguing of ways.We also see him go through the twists and turns becoming a man, and having family responsibilities with his girlfriend Elene. However, this aspect actually bothered me the most throughout the second novel. Kylar and Elene are in an intimate relationship, but their differences in beliefs are apparent, and Kylar's character becomes annoyingly whiney as his relationship is falling apart. Now I enjoy burning romance as much as anyone, but Weeks seems to add too much for my taste.
I have to say that's the only thing that completely irked me from the second book. I mean there were a few minor things that also bothered me, but nothing that I would necessarily complain about.
All in all, book two in the Night Angel trilogy was quite enjoyable.
Now book three in the Night Angel Trilogy literally blew my mind away, it wasn't at all what I expected. It wasn't horrible and it wasn't at all what I expected the ending of an epic high fantasy novel to be. From how the first two novels in the series were, I figured that the finale would be somewhat similar. So we start off with Azoth learning to be a wet boy at a young age in book 1. In book two, we see Azoth who is now Kylar, figure out who he really is, and fight with his inner demons. But in book three, he basically conquers the entire world, and does the impossible, which is great right? Except that I've seen that so often, and it feels like Kylar wasn't really meant to be a leader or in a position of power. It seemed that his character was really unbalanced and indecisive. Kylar didn't know right from wrong, and as he took control of so much, knowing that he wouldn't really be an ideal person to do so made reading it became unnerving and tiring. It almost seems like since this was a high fantasy series, Weeks felt called upon to make sure the main character was the great victor, but Kylar still has so far to go when the story ends.
But that's just my personal opinion of "Beyond The Shadows", in the "Night Angel Trilogy".
I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy, and getting the opportunity to watch the characters within the story grow.
March 2, 2012
The first books starts out well enough, but the plot quickly spirals out of control and the author starts stealing elements from all sorts of other fantasy. You can tell they're stolen because there's no reason for them to exist they way they do within the context of the story. There's so many moments where it just seemed like the author either wrote himself into a corner, and just made up a way for the characters to escape. And all the twists and revelations are undercut by the fact that all the relevant information is usually only introduced a sentence ahead of the revelation. Here's an non-spoiler example:
"Hey you know magical thingy-a?"
"Well, yeah, I know thingy-a."
"Well actually, it's totally this other magical thingy called b, that I haven't introduced in the story yet."
"Oh, oka-"
"But wait! It's totally relevant to this other thing I haven't introduced yet!"
The same goes for the philosophy behind the book. The author gets increasingly sloppy as the books go on, abandoning even the pretext that the "one god" the moral characters reference isn't just the judeo-christian god. Of course the bad characters are polytheistic. There are some nice insights I think the author points out in the book, but he beats the reader over the head with them over and over, telling them directly what the characters motivations and moral significance are.
Ugh, the whole thing is just wasted potential.
"Hey you know magical thingy-a?"
"Well, yeah, I know thingy-a."
"Well actually, it's totally this other magical thingy called b, that I haven't introduced in the story yet."
"Oh, oka-"
"But wait! It's totally relevant to this other thing I haven't introduced yet!"
The same goes for the philosophy behind the book. The author gets increasingly sloppy as the books go on, abandoning even the pretext that the "one god" the moral characters reference isn't just the judeo-christian god. Of course the bad characters are polytheistic. There are some nice insights I think the author points out in the book, but he beats the reader over the head with them over and over, telling them directly what the characters motivations and moral significance are.
Ugh, the whole thing is just wasted potential.
October 29, 2018
I reviewed each individual book in this series but I also wanted to rate the series as a whole.
I'll cut to the chase and say three stars for the series and that's an average because there are so many things that are great and just as many things that are terrible.
It is very long and could be cut in half without losing any of the story. I know it's fashionable to write long sprawling epics but you have to be able to fill the pages with plot and characters otherwise you're just wasting my time.
It is epic though. Grand world changing epic.
Huge cast of characters which it builds slowly so you aren't overwhelmed with the character volume (and this is a good thing).
My biggest issue with the series is pacing. Every single book I felt like throwing out at some point because of the pacing. Imagine reading 400-500 pages and not being interested in anything and then having an author pack an entire trilogy worth of action and plot twists in the last 200 pages...that was my experience.
The series had really great characters but here's my problem - I didn't care about any of them. I read some books and I'm totally invested in the characters, I feel bad when bad things happen to the characters, I get excited when good things happen and all of that just draws me in and makes me love a book. And then you have things like the Night Angel Trilogy which had three dimensional characters who grew, who developed, had good back story but for whatever reason they just did not connect with me.
Plot was really good (it was the pacing that killed the plot).
So we've got some great characters running through a good plot in a really interesting world but it's paced all wrong and I don't care about any of the characters.
So......we'll average it out to three stars.
I can't honestly recommend the books or the series. I know a lot will disagree with me and I've always said that my reviews are based on my enjoyment of the book and not the literary merit of the books.
I'll cut to the chase and say three stars for the series and that's an average because there are so many things that are great and just as many things that are terrible.
It is very long and could be cut in half without losing any of the story. I know it's fashionable to write long sprawling epics but you have to be able to fill the pages with plot and characters otherwise you're just wasting my time.
It is epic though. Grand world changing epic.
Huge cast of characters which it builds slowly so you aren't overwhelmed with the character volume (and this is a good thing).
My biggest issue with the series is pacing. Every single book I felt like throwing out at some point because of the pacing. Imagine reading 400-500 pages and not being interested in anything and then having an author pack an entire trilogy worth of action and plot twists in the last 200 pages...that was my experience.
The series had really great characters but here's my problem - I didn't care about any of them. I read some books and I'm totally invested in the characters, I feel bad when bad things happen to the characters, I get excited when good things happen and all of that just draws me in and makes me love a book. And then you have things like the Night Angel Trilogy which had three dimensional characters who grew, who developed, had good back story but for whatever reason they just did not connect with me.
Plot was really good (it was the pacing that killed the plot).
So we've got some great characters running through a good plot in a really interesting world but it's paced all wrong and I don't care about any of the characters.
So......we'll average it out to three stars.
I can't honestly recommend the books or the series. I know a lot will disagree with me and I've always said that my reviews are based on my enjoyment of the book and not the literary merit of the books.
February 18, 2018
Ho letto La via delle tenebre. Ero davvero curiosa di iniziare la serie di questo autore, lo punto da una vita e quasi non ci credevo quando finalmente, finalmente!, sono riuscita ad iniziarlo. L'inizio è stato abbastanza traumatico, perché è un po' troppo crudo per i miei gusti e avrei fatto volentieri a meno di diverse scene. Però è un libro che merita tantissimo, con un protagonista che mi fa ben sperare per i seguiti. La storia è avvincente e, anche se cupa, mi ha coinvolto completamente!
I've read Il tempo delle tenebre. The first half of the book is not so good and I was a little bit disappointed (and yes, maybe it was also Elene's fault. I liked her a lot in the first one but here I didn't like her so much. I was happy for her and Kylar, but she really want to change him and that cpuld not end well). But from the half to the end it was a really good book and I was hooked up. I'm dying to read the third one!
I have read also the third one,Oltre le tenebre.
I have waited a lot between the second one and this one, so when I started it I didn't remember all that happened in the previous book and I was a little bit confused, but I catch up quite soon and enjoyed the reading immensely!
In this book, I really liked Elene and Vi, even if I didn't love them in the second one, and I loved the story. The first book was a dark one, a really dark one, but this third book is, in some ways, so full of light! And I loved it, I was scared because I was really fearing the ending but I enjoyed all of it, the reading, the sense of waiting and fear, and the end... yes, it's not the best ending ever, but I was satisfied with it and I really enjoyed the reading.
I've read Il tempo delle tenebre. The first half of the book is not so good and I was a little bit disappointed (and yes, maybe it was also Elene's fault. I liked her a lot in the first one but here I didn't like her so much. I was happy for her and Kylar, but she really want to change him and that cpuld not end well). But from the half to the end it was a really good book and I was hooked up. I'm dying to read the third one!
I have read also the third one,Oltre le tenebre.
I have waited a lot between the second one and this one, so when I started it I didn't remember all that happened in the previous book and I was a little bit confused, but I catch up quite soon and enjoyed the reading immensely!
In this book, I really liked Elene and Vi, even if I didn't love them in the second one, and I loved the story. The first book was a dark one, a really dark one, but this third book is, in some ways, so full of light! And I loved it, I was scared because I was really fearing the ending but I enjoyed all of it, the reading, the sense of waiting and fear, and the end... yes, it's not the best ending ever, but I was satisfied with it and I really enjoyed the reading.
May 29, 2009
A fantastic read if you like violence, action, vengeance, and political intrigue. I also love the fact that almost no characters are sacred, and most people can be killed off in the course of the series. There are tons of plot twists in each book, and most of them were big surprises.
My only major criticism of the books is the romance: I don't like romance very much, but if it's described in a concise, believable way I can handle it. Hell, I can even appreciate it if it's more like Gregory Maguire's descriptions in Wicked and Son of a Witch. Unfortunately, the romance in these books were long, boring, and felt exaggerated. It wasn't bad in the first book, but it becomes a larger part of the story in the second and third books. I found myself skipping most of the romantic parts after a few sentences because I found them repetitive and boring. I hope that Weeks cuts down on the amount of sappiness in his next books, because it definitely took away from the grittiness of the books. Romance is fine in small doses. Romance is also fine if it feels genuine. I think most "genuine" romantic descriptions I've read have been short, and left much to the imagination. I think that allows the reader to put their own memories of love into the book, rather than reading something that could end up reading like an emo teenager's diary.
Basically, the romantic distraction is the only reason this series didn't rate five stars. It's written very well overall, and will keep you guessing the whole time. The second and third books keep filling out the world's cultures and mythology, and I can't wait to see what Weeks writes next.
My only major criticism of the books is the romance: I don't like romance very much, but if it's described in a concise, believable way I can handle it. Hell, I can even appreciate it if it's more like Gregory Maguire's descriptions in Wicked and Son of a Witch. Unfortunately, the romance in these books were long, boring, and felt exaggerated. It wasn't bad in the first book, but it becomes a larger part of the story in the second and third books. I found myself skipping most of the romantic parts after a few sentences because I found them repetitive and boring. I hope that Weeks cuts down on the amount of sappiness in his next books, because it definitely took away from the grittiness of the books. Romance is fine in small doses. Romance is also fine if it feels genuine. I think most "genuine" romantic descriptions I've read have been short, and left much to the imagination. I think that allows the reader to put their own memories of love into the book, rather than reading something that could end up reading like an emo teenager's diary.
Basically, the romantic distraction is the only reason this series didn't rate five stars. It's written very well overall, and will keep you guessing the whole time. The second and third books keep filling out the world's cultures and mythology, and I can't wait to see what Weeks writes next.
September 14, 2009
In my not-so-humble opinion, Outstanding! I loved being able to effortlessly identify with his characters regardless of my personal experience. I was able to create that mental motion picture in my head without having to change reels, adjust the frame, or change the scenery. *sigh* i guess thats just a long-winded way of saying excellent job at presenting background without distracting from the story. Characters were lovable, believable, and most of all enjoyable. The plot was, seemingly, well planned out. I've put you on the shelf next to my Orson Scott Card, Patrick Rothfuss, and *very tiny writing* stephanie meyers. I hope he doesnt take as long *cough* as Patrick*cough* to turn out books.
January 20, 2016
Very enjoyable trilogy.
June 17, 2009
AWESOME! I loved this book, i loved this world and it's depth-- there is history and the history ties together with the present. I loved Momma K, I loved Durzo, I loved Vi-- I LOVED Kylar. They were so complex.
Logan started off dry until he went into the Hole. Then he became super awesome. And Elene...I liked her at the beginning when she was Doll Girl. But as she was a teenager and she was just all over Kylar-- she sounded like such a girl. It put me off a lot from her. And I understand she's a good character and in the end she's great but...eh. I thought she lacked something. She was less of a character and more of a symbol-- of light, purity, hope, and love. All of the things Kylar wanted.
Momma K was so in charge. Loved her to death. Durzo was good in his own way and flawed. And when you found out about his history (all 700 yrs of it) you were amazed and you understood. Kylar was cool. He was the killer that didn't want to be. He wanted power for one reason but he didn't want it the way people thought...he was just so real for me. Strong, assured, funny...and unsure. He was a great hero.
I loved Vi from the first time she came into the book. And then when you found out more about her, how she was beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside, and all her struggles and how she wanted more than what she was...she was awesome. I loved her, I loved how she loved Kylar.
Dorian, Solon, and Feir, following their foretold paths, were pretty fricking awesome. I don't like what happened to Dorian at the end. I don't think he really deserved it. I liked Solon enough and Feir too.
The ending was mostly awesome. I just think I got jipped after the very last part. There should have been MORE. But, it's okay. That can't take away the awesomeness of the series.
Logan started off dry until he went into the Hole. Then he became super awesome. And Elene...I liked her at the beginning when she was Doll Girl. But as she was a teenager and she was just all over Kylar-- she sounded like such a girl. It put me off a lot from her. And I understand she's a good character and in the end she's great but...eh. I thought she lacked something. She was less of a character and more of a symbol-- of light, purity, hope, and love. All of the things Kylar wanted.
Momma K was so in charge. Loved her to death. Durzo was good in his own way and flawed. And when you found out about his history (all 700 yrs of it) you were amazed and you understood. Kylar was cool. He was the killer that didn't want to be. He wanted power for one reason but he didn't want it the way people thought...he was just so real for me. Strong, assured, funny...and unsure. He was a great hero.
I loved Vi from the first time she came into the book. And then when you found out more about her, how she was beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside, and all her struggles and how she wanted more than what she was...she was awesome. I loved her, I loved how she loved Kylar.
Dorian, Solon, and Feir, following their foretold paths, were pretty fricking awesome. I don't like what happened to Dorian at the end. I don't think he really deserved it. I liked Solon enough and Feir too.
The ending was mostly awesome. I just think I got jipped after the very last part. There should have been MORE. But, it's okay. That can't take away the awesomeness of the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2014
This is a wonderful series that I had a lot of trouble putting down. I would recommend this series to anyone that enjoys fantasy, and especially those that are fans of Brandon Sanderson and Michael J. Sullivan.
April 6, 2015
Много ми се искаше да оценя по-високо трилогията на Брент Уийкс. Тя се превърна за мен в онова нещо, известно като gealty pleasure, сривайки амбициозния ми читателски списък и дори държейки ме будна по нощите.
И си имаше защо, въпреки че накрая се разочаровах.
Първият голям плюс за тази история според мен са ярките характери,обрисувани умело, макар и често в едър щрих, до степен да им съчувствам, да се дразня, да ги обичам или мразя, или пък да недоумявам защо са точно такива реакциите им в определени ситуации.
Атмосферата на мрак, безнадеждност, жестокост и вражди също стоеше добре през цялото повествование. Може би заради нея сравняват автора с Мартин. Лично аз не бих се плъзнала в тази посока на сравнения, а и не съм фен а Мартин.
Брент следва онази линия в съвременното фентъзи, която води към създаване на нови форми на магия и причудливи магически артефакти с - трябва ли да се споменава? - огромна мощ. Разбираемо и го приветствам.
Но не мога да пренебрегна минусите, такива, каквито ги виждам аз.
Авторът се е опитал да създаде свят, обитаван от различни култури, но явно му е дошло множко, защото те са обрисувани набързо, а при някои паралелите с реалността или с други произведения се правят автоматично и, поне при мен, не са в полза на трилогията. Искаше ми се да узнавам повече неща за отделните страни, но авторът препускаше да разплете някаква ситуация или да заплете друга. Злоупотреба с невръстни безпризорни деца, реминисценции, метаморфози на персонажи, невъзможна любов, пророчества и перверзна жестокост, и разбира се - изначално зло в различни превъплъщения - се въртят като в калейдоскоп и оставят усещане за красиви, но нетрайни конфигурации, които няма как да проучим по-проникновено.
Не се мина и без сестринство. Ами, жените, владеещи една разновидност на магията, както вече знаем, си имаха школа и някои се опитваха да влияят на политиката в своя изгода, но дори това не беше довършено; пък и не беше нужно. Слава богу, че поне не кръжаха на ята като компютърна мултипликация сестри, каквито познаваме от Колелото и Дюн:), но нищо чудно, Брент няма време и за това, което в този случай е облекчение за читателя.
Финалът на заключителната част много ме разстрои. Не че нямаше относително щастливи завършеци, но там вече препускането премина в галоп и всичко се обясни и разплете с неимоверна бързина, разцъфтяха хиляди цветя, а добрата героиня, която много ме дразнеше през цялото време(колкото и да страдах за ужасното й детство в гилдията на невръстните крадци, извърши саможерта за спасяването на света. И не само защото беше мнооого добра, ами и защото се чувствала незначителна, докато възлюбеният й е бил през цялото време значителен.
Въпреки това мрънкане, историята ни държи - независимо дали умираме от желание да разберем какво става по-нататък, или ругаем персонажите и автора:). Можело е да се получи изключително фентъзи, но се е получило само добро. Е, все пак е първият опит на Брент Уийкс. Ще видим как се справя с Призмата:).
И си имаше защо, въпреки че накрая се разочаровах.
Първият голям плюс за тази история според мен са ярките характери,обрисувани умело, макар и често в едър щрих, до степен да им съчувствам, да се дразня, да ги обичам или мразя, или пък да недоумявам защо са точно такива реакциите им в определени ситуации.
Атмосферата на мрак, безнадеждност, жестокост и вражди също стоеше добре през цялото повествование. Може би заради нея сравняват автора с Мартин. Лично аз не бих се плъзнала в тази посока на сравнения, а и не съм фен а Мартин.
Брент следва онази линия в съвременното фентъзи, която води към създаване на нови форми на магия и причудливи магически артефакти с - трябва ли да се споменава? - огромна мощ. Разбираемо и го приветствам.
Но не мога да пренебрегна минусите, такива, каквито ги виждам аз.
Авторът се е опитал да създаде свят, обитаван от различни култури, но явно му е дошло множко, защото те са обрисувани набързо, а при някои паралелите с реалността или с други произведения се правят автоматично и, поне при мен, не са в полза на трилогията. Искаше ми се да узнавам повече неща за отделните страни, но авторът препускаше да разплете някаква ситуация или да заплете друга. Злоупотреба с невръстни безпризорни деца, реминисценции, метаморфози на персонажи, невъзможна любов, пророчества и перверзна жестокост, и разбира се - изначално зло в различни превъплъщения - се въртят като в калейдоскоп и оставят усещане за красиви, но нетрайни конфигурации, които няма как да проучим по-проникновено.
Не се мина и без сестринство. Ами, жените, владеещи една разновидност на магията, както вече знаем, си имаха школа и някои се опитваха да влияят на политиката в своя изгода, но дори това не беше довършено; пък и не беше нужно. Слава богу, че поне не кръжаха на ята като компютърна мултипликация сестри, каквито познаваме от Колелото и Дюн:), но нищо чудно, Брент няма време и за това, което в този случай е облекчение за читателя.
Финалът на заключителната част много ме разстрои. Не че нямаше относително щастливи завършеци, но там вече препускането премина в галоп и всичко се обясни и разплете с неимоверна бързина, разцъфтяха хиляди цветя, а добрата героиня, която много ме дразнеше през цялото време(колкото и да страдах за ужасното й детство в гилдията на невръстните крадци, извърши саможерта за спасяването на света. И не само защото беше мнооого добра, ами и защото се чувствала незначителна, докато възлюбеният й е бил през цялото време значителен.
Въпреки това мрънкане, историята ни държи - независимо дали умираме от желание да разберем какво става по-нататък, или ругаем персонажите и автора:). Можело е да се получи изключително фентъзи, но се е получило само добро. Е, все пак е първият опит на Брент Уийкс. Ще видим как се справя с Призмата:).
December 20, 2013
I don't know what to make of this series. It had a lot of interesting ideas. But some of the recurring, heavy-handed themes (e.g., celibacy as virtue; positive sexuality existing solely in the context of marriage between a man and a woman; sexuality between men and extra-marital sex between heterosexuals placed exclusively in the provinces of brutality and deviation; thinly-veiled musings of Christianity) were off-putting, and constantly interfered with the more interesting issues with which the characters wrestled (e.g., the morality of criminality while living in extreme, structural poverty; justice versus retribution; the ramifications of immortality; murder as a tool of either social correction or control). I admit Mr. Weeks' moralizing was not nearly as bad as Terry Goodkind's escalating, jarring, and foolishly unsophisticated Ayn Rand objectivism bullshit. But again and again I found myself forced out of Mr. Weeks' narrative by those annoying and oddly anachronistic flourishes. I imagine if I'd done an ounce of research on the author, I would have heard about these things and not read the series in the first place. So I suppose I have only myself to blame.
I liked the series progressively less as I pushed through it. By the end, I was completely done with the characters and the world they inhabit. I would not recommend these books to others.
I liked the series progressively less as I pushed through it. By the end, I was completely done with the characters and the world they inhabit. I would not recommend these books to others.
January 17, 2012
The story was, at the core, good, yet I felt that the author was constantly writing himself into corners and then coming up with a new piece of backstory. And why does this keep happening? Because the story has to keep ratcheting up with greater and greater challenges.
September 6, 2012
There's a good book buried in here, but it's buried too deep.
March 19, 2016
Brent Weeks is a fantastic author. He is a breath of fresh air that the fantasy series has desperately needed for some time now. Don’t get me wrong- there didn’t cease be excellent authors in the field, but I certainly felt there was a lack of aspiring new comes for a while. Long established authors continued to pump out excellent works (Butcher, Martin, etc) but where was the new guy? I found them- they are Weeks and Brett (see Warded Man, Desert Spear).
What makes Weeks so excellent is that his character development and creation is stunning. There is a very large cast of characters and yet each one is so deliciously distinct that there is never any confusion either from the author or the audience. I find that in other books with very large castes, the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey for example, sometimes the characters seem to morph into each other or are mirror figures. You have to ask yourself ‘for clarity, could this have been done with one person?’ In a lot of books the answer is yes, but in Weeks’ book to see any one character disappear would be devastating. They are all so equally entertaining and wonderful, even the ones you don’t particularly like, could all have their own series, and I would read ALL of them. Each has a particular backstory that is unique, and even though I would categorize this as medium to high fantasy, I don’t feel that any of them or overdone. In fact, it wets your appetite for more. You find yourself asking more and more questions about each of the characters and nations that Weeks has created.
And, unlike Lackey, the characters do not own the story. There is still a plot that works its way through all three books without flaw. Now, I’ve heard many people say “plot driven books are boring,” and that isn’t true. A poorly written plot driven book is boring. Weeks has a brilliant aptitude for describing action in a way that does not make it seem trite or boring, but instead is vivid, fascinating, and accurate, at least accurate for a ninja. The action moves the plot along, the characters move the plot, and the plot is deviously intricate itself. You won’t see what’s coming, I can promise you that. You might not even notice that the plot has been working itself to one focal point the entire time, you will be so absorbed into the books, and at the end you will just say ‘wow.’ That’s how it ought to be- every part so subtle that you can be absorbed so entirely into the world, that you don’t recognize devices you’re just in the moment.
My only down grade to the book would be the entirety of the world. It is like Weeks got so excited and wanted to have a bit of everything – religious zealot paladins, entire evil sorcerer countries, samurais, ninjas, rice paddies, everything from Renaissance Europe to feudal Japan. Is there anything necessarily wrong with this? No, it contributed to the wonderful variety of back story and characters, but at times it did seem like a bit much. I still gave the book 5 stars, so don’t let this stop you.
The whole series has so much life and flavor that you are doing a great disservice to yourself if you fail to read it. You need to read it for Durzo Blint if anything. If I had read these books before I got my last dog I probably would have named it Durzo instead of Sparta, they are both fitting names for that evil-kraken-monstrosity of a dog (who is the light of my life).
What makes Weeks so excellent is that his character development and creation is stunning. There is a very large cast of characters and yet each one is so deliciously distinct that there is never any confusion either from the author or the audience. I find that in other books with very large castes, the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey for example, sometimes the characters seem to morph into each other or are mirror figures. You have to ask yourself ‘for clarity, could this have been done with one person?’ In a lot of books the answer is yes, but in Weeks’ book to see any one character disappear would be devastating. They are all so equally entertaining and wonderful, even the ones you don’t particularly like, could all have their own series, and I would read ALL of them. Each has a particular backstory that is unique, and even though I would categorize this as medium to high fantasy, I don’t feel that any of them or overdone. In fact, it wets your appetite for more. You find yourself asking more and more questions about each of the characters and nations that Weeks has created.
And, unlike Lackey, the characters do not own the story. There is still a plot that works its way through all three books without flaw. Now, I’ve heard many people say “plot driven books are boring,” and that isn’t true. A poorly written plot driven book is boring. Weeks has a brilliant aptitude for describing action in a way that does not make it seem trite or boring, but instead is vivid, fascinating, and accurate, at least accurate for a ninja. The action moves the plot along, the characters move the plot, and the plot is deviously intricate itself. You won’t see what’s coming, I can promise you that. You might not even notice that the plot has been working itself to one focal point the entire time, you will be so absorbed into the books, and at the end you will just say ‘wow.’ That’s how it ought to be- every part so subtle that you can be absorbed so entirely into the world, that you don’t recognize devices you’re just in the moment.
My only down grade to the book would be the entirety of the world. It is like Weeks got so excited and wanted to have a bit of everything – religious zealot paladins, entire evil sorcerer countries, samurais, ninjas, rice paddies, everything from Renaissance Europe to feudal Japan. Is there anything necessarily wrong with this? No, it contributed to the wonderful variety of back story and characters, but at times it did seem like a bit much. I still gave the book 5 stars, so don’t let this stop you.
The whole series has so much life and flavor that you are doing a great disservice to yourself if you fail to read it. You need to read it for Durzo Blint if anything. If I had read these books before I got my last dog I probably would have named it Durzo instead of Sparta, they are both fitting names for that evil-kraken-monstrosity of a dog (who is the light of my life).
July 13, 2018
Hhhmmm, what to say, what to say.
This trilogy didn't age well for me. I read the three books separately a couple years back and I absolutely loved them. It was fresh, and new, and probably a testament to the many other shitty fantasy/assassin YA books I was binging on at the time that this seemed like a great find. Coming back to it years later . . . it was not that great. The romance, the characters, the writer's sexism towards every female character made the book sub-par. Although there was a decent plot, it didn't balance it out.
The things that annoyed me mildly back then suddenly became all consuming. And the longer they went on for, the more and more they soured this book as it progressed.
I didn't much read the book for the romance this time around, more interested in the world building and the character development but whatever romance there was surrounding our main character, Kylar the Night Angel, was just bleh. Weeks tried to convey him as an emotionally mature, helplessly in love, tragic hero, but really? The kid was just annoying. He stalked his "love" Elene from afar as he tried to come to terms with his guilt over her mutilated face, then tried to hang up assassinating for her while inner monologuing about how "pure" and "radiant" she was. His self pity knew no bounds. Oh no! How could someone so pure love a creature of the shadows like he was??
No one is that pure. Sit down. All it did was make Kylar annoying, and Elene boring. If a character's flaws are that she's pushing our hero away and not having sex with him because her morals are that high, then, I'm sorry, but she's boring. And when later she's like, oh no, I was too moral, I tried to change him and he left me, bc I'm not good enough! like giiiirl, my pity boat for you has sailed. You're boring!! And the fact that she was why Kylar was so motivated , , , it all fell flat.
Weeks, have you ever looked at a female? Like, more than one? The man's descriptions of his female characters we all "curvy in all the right places", "[name] curves enticed [man]", "full lips", "curvy breasts", etc. Every woman in this book that wasn't an antagonist apparently was one and the same! Wake up, Weeks! Women aren't all hourglass shaped! Their personalities are not what they look like! Their brains aren't in their big tits! If all you can come up with for a female description is 'she was curvy' and 'big boobs' it's not just lazy, frankly, it's disgusting. Making all the female characters carbon copies of each other and saying that beauty and intelligence go hand in hand, it's sexist. It's boring to read. It makes the book trashy, and non=original. Anyone can make boring female characters. Authors, especially male authors, need to step it up. And we as the audience have a responsibility to call these men out on it.
If a book doesn't have any strong female characters, frankly, it isn't worth reading. If I can read it and say "yup! This was definitely written by a man" it's not good enough. Sorry.
This trilogy didn't age well for me. I read the three books separately a couple years back and I absolutely loved them. It was fresh, and new, and probably a testament to the many other shitty fantasy/assassin YA books I was binging on at the time that this seemed like a great find. Coming back to it years later . . . it was not that great. The romance, the characters, the writer's sexism towards every female character made the book sub-par. Although there was a decent plot, it didn't balance it out.
The things that annoyed me mildly back then suddenly became all consuming. And the longer they went on for, the more and more they soured this book as it progressed.
I didn't much read the book for the romance this time around, more interested in the world building and the character development but whatever romance there was surrounding our main character, Kylar the Night Angel, was just bleh. Weeks tried to convey him as an emotionally mature, helplessly in love, tragic hero, but really? The kid was just annoying. He stalked his "love" Elene from afar as he tried to come to terms with his guilt over her mutilated face, then tried to hang up assassinating for her while inner monologuing about how "pure" and "radiant" she was. His self pity knew no bounds. Oh no! How could someone so pure love a creature of the shadows like he was??
No one is that pure. Sit down. All it did was make Kylar annoying, and Elene boring. If a character's flaws are that she's pushing our hero away and not having sex with him because her morals are that high, then, I'm sorry, but she's boring. And when later she's like, oh no, I was too moral, I tried to change him and he left me, bc I'm not good enough! like giiiirl, my pity boat for you has sailed. You're boring!! And the fact that she was why Kylar was so motivated , , , it all fell flat.
Weeks, have you ever looked at a female? Like, more than one? The man's descriptions of his female characters we all "curvy in all the right places", "[name] curves enticed [man]", "full lips", "curvy breasts", etc. Every woman in this book that wasn't an antagonist apparently was one and the same! Wake up, Weeks! Women aren't all hourglass shaped! Their personalities are not what they look like! Their brains aren't in their big tits! If all you can come up with for a female description is 'she was curvy' and 'big boobs' it's not just lazy, frankly, it's disgusting. Making all the female characters carbon copies of each other and saying that beauty and intelligence go hand in hand, it's sexist. It's boring to read. It makes the book trashy, and non=original. Anyone can make boring female characters. Authors, especially male authors, need to step it up. And we as the audience have a responsibility to call these men out on it.
If a book doesn't have any strong female characters, frankly, it isn't worth reading. If I can read it and say "yup! This was definitely written by a man" it's not good enough. Sorry.
October 7, 2010
I really enjoyed this Trilogy. I read this series rather quickly and it's been a little while now since I've finished it so, take that into consideration as you read my review.
What I can remember of this series is that it's really good reading. The action scenes are fast and intense. The world is detailed and alive. The characters are well thought out and described. Overall, very well written series. Kylar has an unknown power within him. This power can be used for many things, one of which is Assassination. Those who have this power are called "Wetboys". Through a twist of fate Kylar becomes the apprentice of the most renowned Wetboy ever. This will forever change the course of his life, a life that will lead him along the path of becoming the most powerful Wetboy of all time.
Over the course of three books Mr. Weeks creates a world that is totally believable. Kylar is a very well written antagonist. I was totally invested in his life and found myself wanting to be his friend, to be like him, to be him. Page after page I was drawn in, deeper and deeper like Alice through the rabbit hole. My favorite scenes are the fight scenes. These are out of control and expertly written in great detail. Every pivot, breath, clash of weapon against weapon, and drop of sweat is explained. In a word, Awesome. This is consistent through all three books. I do have a con to add to this review...
The final book felt rushed and wasn't as good as the other two. I can't help but wonder if Mr. Weeks was contractually bound to three books. The third could have been broken into two books and been better for it. This is the only gripe that I have with the whole series. The third book does do a decent job of wrapping up the series but doesn't clear up all of the lose ends. Certain characters disappear without getting their comeuppance which really rankles my hide. The story jumps with very short explanations that should have taken pages. However, it does wrap up the main characters and for that, it is worth it.
I must give a warning that Mr. Weeks doesn't go lightly on the level of violence in this series. The violence is very graphic. There is also rape, homosexual innuendo and child abuse which could be very disturbing to some. There is very little foul language that I can remember, however the language that is present is just one 4 letter word. This is a mature series intended for adults.
In closing I highly recommend this series. I have to admit that the final book shares similar flaws as the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. However, Mr. Weeks doesn't commit the serious flaw of reversing his characters personalities at the last minute. Read this series and enjoy.
What I can remember of this series is that it's really good reading. The action scenes are fast and intense. The world is detailed and alive. The characters are well thought out and described. Overall, very well written series. Kylar has an unknown power within him. This power can be used for many things, one of which is Assassination. Those who have this power are called "Wetboys". Through a twist of fate Kylar becomes the apprentice of the most renowned Wetboy ever. This will forever change the course of his life, a life that will lead him along the path of becoming the most powerful Wetboy of all time.
Over the course of three books Mr. Weeks creates a world that is totally believable. Kylar is a very well written antagonist. I was totally invested in his life and found myself wanting to be his friend, to be like him, to be him. Page after page I was drawn in, deeper and deeper like Alice through the rabbit hole. My favorite scenes are the fight scenes. These are out of control and expertly written in great detail. Every pivot, breath, clash of weapon against weapon, and drop of sweat is explained. In a word, Awesome. This is consistent through all three books. I do have a con to add to this review...
The final book felt rushed and wasn't as good as the other two. I can't help but wonder if Mr. Weeks was contractually bound to three books. The third could have been broken into two books and been better for it. This is the only gripe that I have with the whole series. The third book does do a decent job of wrapping up the series but doesn't clear up all of the lose ends. Certain characters disappear without getting their comeuppance which really rankles my hide. The story jumps with very short explanations that should have taken pages. However, it does wrap up the main characters and for that, it is worth it.
I must give a warning that Mr. Weeks doesn't go lightly on the level of violence in this series. The violence is very graphic. There is also rape, homosexual innuendo and child abuse which could be very disturbing to some. There is very little foul language that I can remember, however the language that is present is just one 4 letter word. This is a mature series intended for adults.
In closing I highly recommend this series. I have to admit that the final book shares similar flaws as the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. However, Mr. Weeks doesn't commit the serious flaw of reversing his characters personalities at the last minute. Read this series and enjoy.
April 22, 2012
Brent Weeks created a great world and a cast of wonderful characters. Durzo Blint ranks high on my list as one of the best assassins in fantasy, and he has a lot of competition there. In Night Angel, the assassins are called "wetboys" and Durzo not only rules the ranks, his character comes with a few surprises-nice ones. All too often, an assassin or hit man border being one dimensional. Not the case with Durzo. He is complex, and at times, is both likeable and detestable. Just the way it should be. And if having Durzo Blint isn't enough, Weeks dreamed up another fantastic character in the form of the apprentice, Kylar.
The antagonists in the books are worthy of respect, and they, too, come with a full and mysterious past. The plot is thick, and well-thought out, and the worldbuilding is just as I like it. I can picture it, imagine myself skulking down the alleys, and roaming the peculiar places on the outskirts, yet Weeks accomplishes all this without wasting valuable pages.
A few times during books two and three I felt the tiniest bit of rushing on the plot, but, at least for me, I'd rather a book be moved along a tad too fast than dragged out. Another great thing that Weeks managed to do was to fill the books with secondary characters worthy of his two protags. Every one of them felt real, even if only on the scene for a few pages.
I had quit reading fantasy for almost a year until someone told me about this series and I am very glad I picked it up. I'll be getting his next series as well. Good work, Brent. Keep it up.
The antagonists in the books are worthy of respect, and they, too, come with a full and mysterious past. The plot is thick, and well-thought out, and the worldbuilding is just as I like it. I can picture it, imagine myself skulking down the alleys, and roaming the peculiar places on the outskirts, yet Weeks accomplishes all this without wasting valuable pages.
A few times during books two and three I felt the tiniest bit of rushing on the plot, but, at least for me, I'd rather a book be moved along a tad too fast than dragged out. Another great thing that Weeks managed to do was to fill the books with secondary characters worthy of his two protags. Every one of them felt real, even if only on the scene for a few pages.
I had quit reading fantasy for almost a year until someone told me about this series and I am very glad I picked it up. I'll be getting his next series as well. Good work, Brent. Keep it up.
March 11, 2015
This trilogy has its weaknesses. Most of the characters are deeply unlikeable (which is a problem when that includes characters we are clearly supposed to care for - I loathe Durzo, Momma K and Vi, only like Elena because Kylar loves her, and while I think we were supposed to like Dorian so we'd feel bad for his descent into evil and/or madness, I was uniformly annoyed by him from his first appearance to the last). The criticism that Weeks has no idea how to write women in general is also not without merit. And he really does tend to go overboard in his dedication to the gruesome and the cruel (this stuff is one giant trigger warning and would make your usual grimdark tale seem like Care Bears).
BUT!
All that said, the world-building and the concepts truly worked for me, the action kept me at the edge of my seat, the story got me very emotionally involved, and the few characters I liked, I ended up being ridiculously invested in - Kylar, the protagonist, grew into someone I really cared for, and Logan Gyre was so amazing he got added to my all time favorite fictional characters list.
Most importantly, I couldn't put the damn book down - I read through dinner, through the night, through breakfast. And for that, I can forgive Brent Weeks anything. Well, most anything. After descriptions of the Pit, I am going to be a vegetarian for a month.
BUT!
All that said, the world-building and the concepts truly worked for me, the action kept me at the edge of my seat, the story got me very emotionally involved, and the few characters I liked, I ended up being ridiculously invested in - Kylar, the protagonist, grew into someone I really cared for, and Logan Gyre was so amazing he got added to my all time favorite fictional characters list.
Most importantly, I couldn't put the damn book down - I read through dinner, through the night, through breakfast. And for that, I can forgive Brent Weeks anything. Well, most anything. After descriptions of the Pit, I am going to be a vegetarian for a month.
February 26, 2013
These books are amazing. I bought the series because I needed something to read while waiting for Winds of Winter (A song of Ice and Fire book 6) and finished them in a week. They are well written and it is easy to find yourself reading them for hours without realizing it. The characters are often faced with tough choices and you feel for them when they have to live with the consequences of them. There are many similarities between these books and the Game of Throes books as well as many differences. They are not so different that that Game of Thrones fans should shun them but different enough that readers that found it hard to read or didn't enjoy the Game of Thrones book can pick them up and enjoy them. These differences are in my opinion what help the series surpass the Game of Thrones books (that might just be that they have finished and I don't need to wait until 2015ish for the next part of the story which isn't even the end of it.) The story is fast paced and grips you right from the outset. By the end of the books you have really connected to the characters and feel all the feelings they do (be that pain, happiness or something else.) BUY THESE BOOKS.
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