Beyond the Shadows

Some times, I just get profoundly disappointed. When that happens, it becomes quite a challenge to keep on with second, third and fourth chances, which is what I've been doing with Week's Shadow series. I've realized, it is time for Brent and I to break up when I was pondering my review, and thought, "why bother?" You know that feeling you get at the end of the relationship when you know it's not even worth trying anymore? Or--and this might have happened to me today--those times when you might be talking with a paranoid schitzophrenic about needing to eat, and you are wondering whether it's worth talking about dinner when he's talking about aliens poisoning the tap water? It's those times when the effort of listing all the mistakes is show more just too much, or the reception is just too scrambled. The issues won't be understood, let alone fixed. Yes, that's about where I'm at.

Why am I disappointed? The first book was okay, if somewhat full of genre tropes. The second was a narrative mess but had some interesting ideas, except for the sexism. Well, I thought, I can get past sexism, I'm used to it, right? Except after a while, this kind of piggishness is unacceptable in anyone born after 1970. The whore with the heart of gold, the priggish virgin just dying to consummate her love, the assassin with the heart of ice who uses sexuality to trap her kills, the prison whore that uses sex to stay alive, the noble whore who uses her sexuality to win support--catching the motif yet? Oh yes, then there are the dowager sorceresses whose order is dying out because they won't let men be magic users and are kidnapping young women (hello, Jordan). Afraid of women much? Then there is the third book, running wild with more sex stereotypes, crappy narrative and lots of half-baked lectures on madness, justice and leadership.

I suspect that one of the reasons that Night Angel series scores so well is that--bear with me--readers are telling themselves the story. That's right, you five-star reviewers. You don't like Week's writing; you like the story you are telling yourself that fills in his gaping character and narrative holes. Weeks writes screenshots. He illustrates a scene, captures a 10 second or minute video and lets the reader gestalt it together. Why do you like it? Because you fill in the gaps with the stories you like to read and tell yourself, not because anything is particularly original or well done beyond the single concept of the black ka'kari.

Take, for instance, the mythic wood that is death to enter. A couple paragraphs tell us how terrible this wood is, how nothing lives or breathes, that there is only silence. In one scene, sorceress discovers a dead body at the edge from someone who fled there. In another, one group of soldiers attempt to pin the enemy so that they would be surrounded, wood at their flank. Then what happens? Fer goes into the wood, narrative jumps to someone else, then jumps back to Fer reappearing with a sword hilt, a recipe and only hints at a story. You see? What happens there is supplied by my own imagination. Those strange gaps happen at least two or three other times, and it occurs to me that whole novels could have filled in the spaces.

So Brent, I'm breaking up. I shouldn't need to read your trilogy two or three times to 'understand' it, and I shouldn't have to suffer through sexist tropes if I did. Which leads me to my final thought: it's not me--it's you.

One final star.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/01/01/beyond-the-shadows-by-brent-weeks-or-i... show less

In dit derde deel hebben Logan en Dodar hun handen vol. Logan probeert uit alle macht zijn land te behoeden tegen vijanden van binnenuit en van buitenaf. Dodar groeit in zijn rol als Nachtengel, maar komt klem te zitten tussen twee vrouwen. Ondertussen staat er een verrassende nieuwe Godkoning op en maakt een godin zich op om de wereld te verwoesten. Voor Dodar is er nog maar één weg mogelijk: hij moet een godin vermoorden.

In het eerste boek is de leefwereld van Dodar nog beperkt tot vooral de stad waarin hij opgroeit. Het tweede deel focust zich vooral op zijn land. Maar nu in het derde deel worden er landen en gebieden bij betrokken die tevoren hooguit vernoemd werden. Daardoor krijg je als lezer langzaamaan oog voor de schaal show more waarop zich de gebeurtenissen afspelen. De personages zijn stuk voor stuk meeslepend en trouw aan hun eigen opvattingen en karakter. De serie is zo goed geschreven dat je niet eens in de gaten hebt hoeveel karakters er eigenlijk zijn, want je volgt ze moeiteloos. De enige die wellicht wat verder uitgediept had kunnen worden is Neph Dada. Ik heb niet echt een idee wat hem heeft gemaakt tot wat hij nu is en dat vind ik jammer. Maar dat is wat mij betreft het enige kleine minpuntje aan dit boek. De donkere en gewelddadige sfeer, evenals de enorme vaart waarin je als lezer wordt meegesleurd, komen in dit deel echt tot een hoogtepunt. Het is echt een waanzinnig slotoffensief dat hoopvol, maar toch meedogenloos eindigt. In het hart van dit verhaal zit zo enorm veel: bruut geweld, wanhoop, hoop, liefde, haat, vergeving, vreugde en verdriet. Noem een emotie en ik heb hem gevoeld tijdens het lezen van dit boek. Deze serie eindigt nog spetterender dan hij begon en ik ben maar al te blij dat er wat draadjes in het einde verweven zijn, waar Brent Weeks gemakkelijk verder op zou kunnen borduren. Dit was echt een episch eind aan een geweldige serie show less

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Title: Beyond the Shadows
Series: Night Angel #3
Author: Brent Weeks
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: SFF
Pages: 699
Format: Digital Edition

Synopsis:

The kingdom is safe now that the Godking is dead. Ha. The godkings various sons are duking it out to see who will rule in his stead and once that is determined, the winner is coming back for some real vengeance. At the same time another kingdom is taking advantage of the chaos to annex a large of chunk and show more they've brought troops to back up their claims.

Logan won't take the kingship since he pledged his oath to Terah Graesin but she is the worst possible thing to happen. Kylar must kill her to allow Logan to ascend the throne. He must do it in such a way though that it doesn't look like Logan asked him to do it.

Kylar is still linked to Vi and both Elene and Vi are in the Sisterhood. Who want to use Kylar, somehow. Superpowerful magical swords are involved, as are near immortal creatures and a host of millions of undead. Elene gets possessed by Khali but for the purpose of containing it [as it is a fallen angel] so Kylar can kill her with the magic swords and thus truly destroy Khali.

It all comes together in one HUGE battle is so stupendous that I'm not going to even try to describe it. Kylar saves the world at great cost and everyone is sad at Elene's sacrifice and Vi still wants to jump Kylar's bones.

The End.

My Thoughts:

Good stuff!

My only complaints are as follows. The profanity still sticks out. Seeing the F word is just jarring. It doesn't fit. Second, the amount of history we're deluged with from Durzo Blint is a bit much for one book. I'd really liked to have seen a prequel trilogy following his adventures in his various personas.

Other than that? Rock'em Sock'em Robot success!

True love. Magic swords. Magical killer creatures that are unstoppable. Hordes of undead that aren't all human sized shamblers. 2000 women who can control magic? Aes Sedai anyone? That really stood out to me this time. It just seemed a very blatant ripoff where as back in '09 I didn't even make the connection. Either way, I enjoyed it this time around.

The storyline dealing with Dorian Ursuul, the prophet and son of the Godking, was wicked hard to deal with. He sees the future, gives up his gift because of what he sees and then ends up becoming something just as bad as his father ever was. Since he was introduced as a character who wanted to only do good since the beginning, that fall from grace was just brutal! Weeks really digs into what it could cost to see the future.

The violence is not ratcheted down any either. There was one scene where I just put my kindle down and had to catch my emotional breathe. Kylar was bound on a water wheel to kill him for him killing the queen. His own friend Logan, who became king of that action, was the one who had to pass sentence. Logan also knows that Kylar heals super quick, so the water wheel will take days. He breaks a table leg off and just smashes Kylar's arms and legs so that he'll die. A friend having to execute his best friend, having to physically destroy him, it was intense. I had ALL the manly feelz.

While the writing definitely shows that this trilogy was Weeks' first go, it is in no way sub-par. It just isn't as nuanced as experience will make him. Heck, comparing this to the latest Light Bringer Novel, Blood Mirror is a good exercise in watching someone grow their literary wings.

It would be cool if at some point Weeks returned to this universe, but at the rate the Light Bringer novels are coming out, I don't see that happening any time soon.

★★★★☆ show less

Book Info: Genre: Dark epic fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of dark epic fantasy
Trigger Warnings: murder, killing, assassination, violence, rape (mentioned but not seen), torture, mutilation, stealing, slavery

My Thoughts: After the first book in this series, it turns more into adult fare. I neglected to mention this in the review for book 2. Also, although not as bad as the first book, this one again has a number of editing errors, including misused words and many missing words. I just can't fathom how this happened; aren't publishing houses supposed to have superior editing staff?

However, all in all, this is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. The ending is a bit abrupt after all the build-up, incorporating a show more certain element of deus ex machina, but at the same time it makes sense based on the hints that are dropped over the course of books 2 and 3. The author has said he plans to write further books in this universe, set at a point some years in the future, and I will definitely be watching for those. Many of my problems with the first book, such as overuse of tropes, is cleaned up by the end of the series; you can see how the author has grown in writing. I will, in fact, be seeking out more works by this talented author. If you enjoy dark, gritty fantasy that has elements of redemption and hope, then definitely check this trilogy out.

Series Information: The Night Angel Trilogy
Book 1: The Way of Shadows, review linked here
Book 2: Shadow's Edge, review linked here
Book 3: Beyond the Shadows

Disclosure: I purchased the omnibus edition of the trilogy for myself. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Logan Gyre is king of Cenaria, a country under siege, with a threadbare army and little hope. He has one chance—a desperate gamble, but one that could destroy his kingdom.

In the north, the new Godking has a plan. If it comes to fruition, no one will have the power to stop him.

Kylar Stern has no choice. To save his friends—and perhaps his enemies—he must accomplish the impossible: assassinate a goddess. show less

Every hint, every misdirection, every barely noticed event comes together in ways that make perfect sense, but surprise you nonetheless. Brent Weeks forces his characters to make impossible, painful decisions at every turn. The type of multilayered decisions where no matter what, somebody will suffer the consequences and often that somebody is the person they love most. The type of decisions where the right one is rarely the obvious choice and even self-sacrifice is not always the right path to take. Add to this mix characters you truly care about, and you have an emotional character driven story that grabs you and does not let you go right up to the last page.

Full Review Here: Dragons, Heroes and Wizards

“That was the Night Angel, perhaps the only man in the world you need fear.”—Brent Weeks, “Beyond the Shadows”

Ass-kicker extraordinaire Kylar Stern has returned as the ultra-fearsome Night Angel in the concluding volume of Brent Weeks’ excellent Night Angel Trilogy, “Beyond the Shadows.” The latest novel follows closely on the heels of Weeks’ noteworthy debut “The Way of Shadows” and the equally enjoyable follow-up “Shadow’s Edge,” all three novels published within a three-month window. (An inspired marketing choice by the publisher, Orbit. One I wish other publishers would follow.)

“The Way of Shadows” followed Kylar’s transformation from street urchin to Durzo Blint-trained wetboy, from a weak boy who show more desires to be all-powerful to an all-powerful superhero who discovers how damning that power truly is. In the process he struggles with his dual persona, the shadow and the real. He’s like Batman/Bruce Wayne, two disparate identities within the same person, one real, one illusionary. In “Shadow’s Edge” Kylar searches for salvation, hoping to eliminate the illusion and embrace his true self. Love is his life preserver. But digging yourself out of such a serious self-inflicted hole can be difficult, and Kylar struggles between his two lives, constantly riding the edge.

“Beyond the Shadows” then is the price Kylar must pay to be free. Free of the constraints and shadows and the prison his life has become. Free to live his life, truly. It is the price of his salvation. And the price is extraordinarily steep.

To avoid spoiling the previous two novels in the trilogy, I’ll forego the plot synopsis of “Beyond the Shadows.” It’s too difficult to discuss the storyline of the current novel without referring to certain pivotal past events. Without revealing too much I can say that Kylar is once again called on to save Cenaria. However now he’s taking the fight to the Khalidorans, striking at the very heart of their evil, the goddess Khali.

Now that the series has ended it’s clear that anything that can be said about one of the books is applicable to all of them given the close proximity of their release dates. They all share the same strengths and weaknesses. The trilogy reads like a cohesive whole, more like a single novel than a multi-volume set.
Certain shortcomings from the previous novels like Weeks’ generic worldbuilding are present here also, but in his defense he’s never had the opportunity to address these concerns. To be fair to him, “Beyond the Shadows” should be viewed more as a continuation of Weeks’ debut novel rather than his third book.

And as a continuation of the magic started in “The Way of Shadows,” “Beyond the Shadows” succeeds spectacularly. It’s the most poignant and emotionally fulfilling of the trilogy. There’s a real heart beating underneath. Credit Weeks’ strong sense of characterization for making Kylar, Elene, Logan and Vi feel like old friends. They feel real, which they should near the end of a series. We understand their hopes and dreams and desires now. And we accept them, hoping for the best (or possibly worse) for each of them. This emotional bond with the characters drives the book to an extremely enjoyable and satisfying conclusion. Weeks provides closure to Kylar’s journey through the way of shadows. Loose ends are tied up beautifully and there is a sense of completeness to the narrative.

Throughout the series, Weeks’ storytelling has been wonderful, his fast pacing and fertile imagination keeping the proceedings consistently enjoyable and vastly entertaining. The one aspect that really stands out is his incredible sense of plotting. Over the course of three books, the narrative never bogs down, exciting and significant events happen one after the other. The story always moves forward. It’s impressive for a new author to have such an innate sense of storytelling. There’s also been an inherent joy and infectious energy to the novels that’s missing from most fantasy. Weeks’ passion seemingly infuses every page and the effect is intoxicating for the reader.

Significant twists that have absolutely stood the narrative on its head have defined the series to this point, and “Beyond the Shadows” may have the most shocking and clever twist of them all. The price Kylar must pay for his immortality is revealed about half way through the novel, and it’s jaw-dropping. This revelation utterly transforms the story up to that point, coloring Kylar’s history in a completely new shade. The stakes change significantly, going from a two-dollar table to no-limit in a heartbeat. It’s the finest moment in a series that has had its share of memorable ones.

Last Word:
Fun, entertaining and poignant, “Beyond the Shadows” is a wonderful and satisfying conclusion to the Night Angel Trilogy. It’s a bustling bundle of energy, fast-paced, cleverly plotted and filled with heart-stopping jolts. Brent Weeks establishes himself as a serious fantasy player and has me eagerly anticipating his next book. One of the best books of the year. show less

On one hand, it's over. It's a solid series with a lot of interesting world building that kept me turning pages right up to the end and managed to wrap up a surprising number of plotlines up into a huge final battle. If that's all you're looking for and you've already read the first two books, go ahead and read this one. It's the first two books, only bigger.

On the other hand, I still don't like Kylar. He's too powerful almost without ill effect (other than the cost that finally gets revealed for coming back from the dead; that was a well deserved punch to the gut).

I liked Blint, but I still think he should have stayed dead. It would have been much harder for Kylar to come to terms with all his powers, but honestly, I think I would show more have preferred that.

Logan seems to have gotten over his time in the Hole fairly quickly and with no real ill effect. And on top of that, he ends the day with some sort of magical dragon powers that aren't really explained and only sort of have any bearing on the story. A lot more could have been done there.

Plotwise, there are several large gaps where time skipped ahead and it felt like we were missing things. I felt like we were building towards a big final battle (which we were), but perhaps we could have dropped a few of those plotlines entirely in order to explore others?

For example: what in the world was up with Dorian's arc? I liked him through the first two books, but he's just absolutely twisted in this book. There's something there about how power corrupts, but I don't think it was explored nearly enough to allow for his fall, especially as a point of view character. And then at the end, he comes back so suddenly? Meh.

Worldbuildingwise, we finally got a few answers that I was looking for. Who is Khali and how does she work? (That was a cool twist). We learn a bit more about Kylar's sword, the ka'kari in general, the black in specific, and about the Krul and related beasties. Of those, the last was rather interesting.

On the other hand, two things I would have liked to see a lot more about where the Chantry and Ezra's Wood. For how core they are to the story, we really don't see that much about them. For the former, you could have an entire series based around there and skip the too-powerful black ka'kari entirely for a few books. For the latter, it's built up to this crazy thing and then ... just sort of resolved off screen?

Overall, I'm glad I read the book. It certainly had some issues, but despite all of the above, I actually enjoyed it. I'm curious to see if Weeks' other, later series keeps the good and works past some of the questionable parts. show less