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Lightbringer #3
The Broken Eye
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Fantasy (2014)As the old gods awaken, the Chromeria is in a race to find its lost Prism, the only man who may be able to stop catastrophe, Gavin Guile. But Gavin's enslaved on a galley, and when he finally escapes, he finds himself in less than friendly hands. Without the ability to draft which has defined him . . .
Meanwhile, the Color Prince's army continues its inexorable advance, having swallowed two of the seven satrapies, they now invade the Blood Forest. Andross Guile, thinking his son Gavin lost, tasks his two grandsons with stopping the advance. Kip and his psychopathic half-brother Zymun will compete for the ultimate prize: who will become the next Prism.
Meanwhile, the Color Prince's army continues its inexorable advance, having swallowed two of the seven satrapies, they now invade the Blood Forest. Andross Guile, thinking his son Gavin lost, tasks his two grandsons with stopping the advance. Kip and his psychopathic half-brother Zymun will compete for the ultimate prize: who will become the next Prism.
846 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 26, 2014
About the author
Brent Weeks
65 books21.2k 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 2,488 reviews
September 6, 2016
omg dat ending tho
October 17, 2019
4.5/5 stars
The Broken Eye is an installment filled with an intense focus on secrecy, revelations, politics, and world-building.
The Broken Eye is the third—and the second largest—book in the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks; it’s quite crazy to think that this is the third book already and yet I still found myself constantly surprised by the revelations, plot twists, and developments. I’ve mentioned this before, there aren’t many high-fantasy series with a plotting level that reached what Weeks achieved with this series. On my reread, the benefit of hindsight allowed me to witness the hidden breadcrumbs planted into the previous two books that weren’t possible on my first read. I can’t stress this highly enough, as far as the expansion to the plotline and lore of the series goes, The Broken Eye contained a lot of crucial information surrounding the mythology and secrets that have been mentioned several times in the previous two books. The prophecy of the Lightbringer, Diakoptes, Orholam, the Nine Kings, the Order of the Broken Eye, Paryl drafting, & the Blinding Knife; all of these are wonderful and, honestly, needed additions to the series which I’m sure will end up being super important for the remaining of the series.
Picture: The Broken Eye by breath-art (Jian Guo)
Due to the fact that this is the third book of the series, I’m going to refrain from talking about the plotlines to avoid spoilers; I would instead talk about why I loved this book. Majority of the reasons why I loved The Broken Eye were because of the character developments given to the characters, mainly regarding their storylines, abilities, and motivations. Kip and Teia, in my opinion, are the two central characters in The Broken Eye. Although it’s true that in The Blinding Knife Kip had the most perspective chapters to read, even more than Gavin, the story could still be interpreted to revolved heavily around Gavin; this isn’t the case in this book. Almost every major revelations and story progression in this book happened because of Kip. I find this to be quite astonishing; Kip has grown a lot since his first appearance in The Black Prism. He’s now physically stronger, he’s considerably more mature, and he’s gradually learning what it means to be in charge of his life and friends. Seeing how much he changed because of the harsh events forcefully put upon him in the previous two books was the highlight of this book, and maybe even for the rest of the series. It’s satisfying to read about his relationship with Gavin, Andross, Karris, and of course, his friends in the Blackguards.
I also loved how Kip’s story powerfully connects to Teia’s incredible character development. I’ve mentioned that Teia is the best female character of the series in my previous review, and The Broken Eye amplified this notion. Not only she’s the second character with the most perspective chapters, Teia goes through a lot of struggle here, not only physically but mentally and I also found her relationship development with Kip and Karris to be incredibly fun and engaging to read. Plus, it was immensely intriguing to see her develop her paryl drafting abilities even further. The magic system in Lightbringer is complex, multi-layered, and intricate; Weeks did an amazing job in coming up with the magic system of this series, but paryl—plus one luxin I shall not name for now—drafting, in particular, was outstandingly crafted. It’s the aptest style of magic for espionage and assassins; I haven’t read The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks but I’ve heard that it’s a fantasy series with assassins and ninjas as the central focus so this might’ve played a role in enhancing the quality of the sections surrounding spying, deceptions, espionage, and assassinations in this book.
Contrary to what we’ve read in the previous two books, Gavin didn’t have many chapters to read here. His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, Gavin is going through hell. As if there hasn’t been enough damage inflicted upon him, Weeks put him through hell even more in this book. The fact that Gavin doesn’t have many POV chapters doesn’t mean that he’s not important. By this point of the series, his presence and role within the overarching narrative and complexities of the world have become too pivotal to dismiss; every piece of new revelations from his past is something that’s utterly worth remembering going forward with the series, and I’m super excited to find out how it all unfolds. All the other characters, Karris, Ironfist, and the member of the Blackguards, also weren’t neglected; Weeks made sure that every character that has appeared in the series so far has a role instead of just a side character that appeared a few times, and then forgotten.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, The Broken Eye is a book that focuses its narrative on secrets, espionage, and revelations; light cannot be chained, and the same can be said for the truths. The Broken Eye serve as a remarkable halfway point of the series; it provides answers, raises questions, and it shifts the storyline towards an unpredictable fate for the characters. I loved The Blinding Knife slightly more but it doesn’t change my opinion that the plot and quality of the three books in the series so far have been splendid. Only two books left in the series now, I will continue my binge reread onward to The Blood Mirror immediately.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
The Broken Eye is an installment filled with an intense focus on secrecy, revelations, politics, and world-building.
The Broken Eye is the third—and the second largest—book in the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks; it’s quite crazy to think that this is the third book already and yet I still found myself constantly surprised by the revelations, plot twists, and developments. I’ve mentioned this before, there aren’t many high-fantasy series with a plotting level that reached what Weeks achieved with this series. On my reread, the benefit of hindsight allowed me to witness the hidden breadcrumbs planted into the previous two books that weren’t possible on my first read. I can’t stress this highly enough, as far as the expansion to the plotline and lore of the series goes, The Broken Eye contained a lot of crucial information surrounding the mythology and secrets that have been mentioned several times in the previous two books. The prophecy of the Lightbringer, Diakoptes, Orholam, the Nine Kings, the Order of the Broken Eye, Paryl drafting, & the Blinding Knife; all of these are wonderful and, honestly, needed additions to the series which I’m sure will end up being super important for the remaining of the series.
Picture: The Broken Eye by breath-art (Jian Guo)
Due to the fact that this is the third book of the series, I’m going to refrain from talking about the plotlines to avoid spoilers; I would instead talk about why I loved this book. Majority of the reasons why I loved The Broken Eye were because of the character developments given to the characters, mainly regarding their storylines, abilities, and motivations. Kip and Teia, in my opinion, are the two central characters in The Broken Eye. Although it’s true that in The Blinding Knife Kip had the most perspective chapters to read, even more than Gavin, the story could still be interpreted to revolved heavily around Gavin; this isn’t the case in this book. Almost every major revelations and story progression in this book happened because of Kip. I find this to be quite astonishing; Kip has grown a lot since his first appearance in The Black Prism. He’s now physically stronger, he’s considerably more mature, and he’s gradually learning what it means to be in charge of his life and friends. Seeing how much he changed because of the harsh events forcefully put upon him in the previous two books was the highlight of this book, and maybe even for the rest of the series. It’s satisfying to read about his relationship with Gavin, Andross, Karris, and of course, his friends in the Blackguards.
“Don’t judge a man by what he says his ideals are, judge him by what he does. Look at what the Color Prince has done. They’re wrong, Teia. They’re liars and murderers. It doesn’t mean everything we do is right. It doesn’t mean our house doesn’t need a thorough cleaning. I just don’t think we need to burn it to the ground to do it.”
I also loved how Kip’s story powerfully connects to Teia’s incredible character development. I’ve mentioned that Teia is the best female character of the series in my previous review, and The Broken Eye amplified this notion. Not only she’s the second character with the most perspective chapters, Teia goes through a lot of struggle here, not only physically but mentally and I also found her relationship development with Kip and Karris to be incredibly fun and engaging to read. Plus, it was immensely intriguing to see her develop her paryl drafting abilities even further. The magic system in Lightbringer is complex, multi-layered, and intricate; Weeks did an amazing job in coming up with the magic system of this series, but paryl—plus one luxin I shall not name for now—drafting, in particular, was outstandingly crafted. It’s the aptest style of magic for espionage and assassins; I haven’t read The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks but I’ve heard that it’s a fantasy series with assassins and ninjas as the central focus so this might’ve played a role in enhancing the quality of the sections surrounding spying, deceptions, espionage, and assassinations in this book.
“This world has only two kinds of people: villains and smiling villains.”
Contrary to what we’ve read in the previous two books, Gavin didn’t have many chapters to read here. His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, Gavin is going through hell. As if there hasn’t been enough damage inflicted upon him, Weeks put him through hell even more in this book. The fact that Gavin doesn’t have many POV chapters doesn’t mean that he’s not important. By this point of the series, his presence and role within the overarching narrative and complexities of the world have become too pivotal to dismiss; every piece of new revelations from his past is something that’s utterly worth remembering going forward with the series, and I’m super excited to find out how it all unfolds. All the other characters, Karris, Ironfist, and the member of the Blackguards, also weren’t neglected; Weeks made sure that every character that has appeared in the series so far has a role instead of just a side character that appeared a few times, and then forgotten.
“This is how tyrants fall. By destroying their people, they destroy themselves.”
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, The Broken Eye is a book that focuses its narrative on secrets, espionage, and revelations; light cannot be chained, and the same can be said for the truths. The Broken Eye serve as a remarkable halfway point of the series; it provides answers, raises questions, and it shifts the storyline towards an unpredictable fate for the characters. I loved The Blinding Knife slightly more but it doesn’t change my opinion that the plot and quality of the three books in the series so far have been splendid. Only two books left in the series now, I will continue my binge reread onward to The Blood Mirror immediately.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
May 24, 2022
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
3.5 stars. The weakest book in this series thus far, but ends on a promising note
Unfortunately, I thought this book was a rather significant step down from the previous two entries in this series - and while I ultimately did enjoy my time reading it, I did have several large problems with the way it was written.
I still do love this world that has been created. It feels very well fleshed out, and I believe I will keep this world in my mind for many years to come. The plot is engaging, and I am invested in the success (or demise) of many of the characters. There are also well done twists that keep me on my toes on a relatively constant basis.
Andross Guile remains the star of this book for me. I hate him, and I love him. I haven't actually read a "bad guy" in a book that has been written as well as he has since The First Law introduced Glokta - both characters that you almost end up cheering in spite of their horrible nature due to how well they are written. Every scene that has Andross in it is instantly amplified with my interest, and I wish he were in all of them.
I thought the ending set piece to be the best one yet, with the last ~50-75 pages of this book being the best part of the book, especially the last few pages that introduce a wonderful plot twist that I genuinely should have seen coming, but thankfully didn't.
Unfortunately I find the magic system to be getting too convoluted. Initially it has the colors of the rainbow as the central feature of the magic system, with each color allowing characters who have that power to do special unique things, as well as causing the characters to have certain emotions while they are using the magic. But later on they start introducing more colors, seemingly just for the sake off adding them, like White, Black, Subred, Peryl (whatever that is) - and then adding strange magical things like seed crystals. It feels complicated intentionally, and it doesn't benefit the story.
I find many of the Battles poorly written and not important. It reminds me of an action movie where nothing suspenseful has happened in a while, so they randomly throw in an action sequence that has no bearing on the plot just to keep the viewer interested. I don't need that in a book, and it would do better just leaving them out.
I also thought the Gavin plot took far too long to get moving in this book, as he didn't have any sort of development until over 1/3 into the book.
In general, I just do not really know where this plot is going, and not in a good way. It feels like every book it takes a new direction, and I end up feeling that this book series would have been better as a trilogy that could keep the plot tighter.
Luckily, the ending of the book did leave me excited to continue on with this series, but I do so with more hesitation than I previously had.
3.5 stars. The weakest book in this series thus far, but ends on a promising note
Unfortunately, I thought this book was a rather significant step down from the previous two entries in this series - and while I ultimately did enjoy my time reading it, I did have several large problems with the way it was written.
I still do love this world that has been created. It feels very well fleshed out, and I believe I will keep this world in my mind for many years to come. The plot is engaging, and I am invested in the success (or demise) of many of the characters. There are also well done twists that keep me on my toes on a relatively constant basis.
Andross Guile remains the star of this book for me. I hate him, and I love him. I haven't actually read a "bad guy" in a book that has been written as well as he has since The First Law introduced Glokta - both characters that you almost end up cheering in spite of their horrible nature due to how well they are written. Every scene that has Andross in it is instantly amplified with my interest, and I wish he were in all of them.
I thought the ending set piece to be the best one yet, with the last ~50-75 pages of this book being the best part of the book, especially the last few pages that introduce a wonderful plot twist that I genuinely should have seen coming, but thankfully didn't.
Unfortunately I find the magic system to be getting too convoluted. Initially it has the colors of the rainbow as the central feature of the magic system, with each color allowing characters who have that power to do special unique things, as well as causing the characters to have certain emotions while they are using the magic. But later on they start introducing more colors, seemingly just for the sake off adding them, like White, Black, Subred, Peryl (whatever that is) - and then adding strange magical things like seed crystals. It feels complicated intentionally, and it doesn't benefit the story.
I find many of the Battles poorly written and not important. It reminds me of an action movie where nothing suspenseful has happened in a while, so they randomly throw in an action sequence that has no bearing on the plot just to keep the viewer interested. I don't need that in a book, and it would do better just leaving them out.
I also thought the Gavin plot took far too long to get moving in this book, as he didn't have any sort of development until over 1/3 into the book.
In general, I just do not really know where this plot is going, and not in a good way. It feels like every book it takes a new direction, and I end up feeling that this book series would have been better as a trilogy that could keep the plot tighter.
Luckily, the ending of the book did leave me excited to continue on with this series, but I do so with more hesitation than I previously had.
February 28, 2017
The Broken Eye is an excellent continuation of a wonderful series, fully worthing your attention.
“Don’t judge a man by what he says his ideals are, judge him by what he does. Look at what the Color Prince has done. They’re wrong, Teia. They’re liars and murderers. It doesn’t mean everything we do is right. It doesn’t mean our house doesn’t need a thorough cleaning. I just don’t think we need to burn it to the ground to do it.”
The characters are better developed than in the previous installment, and more importantly, the secondary POVs are interesting again. Gavin & Kip had the best chapters, but I was also looking forward to Teia's & Karris' chapters as well. I won't deluge in the magic/character/world building since I have done so in the reviews of the previous 2 installments and nothing changed, but I will mention that the tension was keep building, and unexpected circumstances kept occurring all the time. Also, in the final chapter of the book, you will encounter one of the greatest plot twists in the history of fantasy. If you were surprised when you found out Gavin's real identity in the first book, your brain will just melt after reading this one.
Ps. What's with the Greek words? Promachos & Demiourgos was one thing. But Diakoptes? Aka a f*cking light switch? XD
You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/
“Don’t judge a man by what he says his ideals are, judge him by what he does. Look at what the Color Prince has done. They’re wrong, Teia. They’re liars and murderers. It doesn’t mean everything we do is right. It doesn’t mean our house doesn’t need a thorough cleaning. I just don’t think we need to burn it to the ground to do it.”
The characters are better developed than in the previous installment, and more importantly, the secondary POVs are interesting again. Gavin & Kip had the best chapters, but I was also looking forward to Teia's & Karris' chapters as well. I won't deluge in the magic/character/world building since I have done so in the reviews of the previous 2 installments and nothing changed, but I will mention that the tension was keep building, and unexpected circumstances kept occurring all the time. Also, in the final chapter of the book, you will encounter one of the greatest plot twists in the history of fantasy. If you were surprised when you found out Gavin's real identity in the first book, your brain will just melt after reading this one.
Ps. What's with the Greek words? Promachos & Demiourgos was one thing. But Diakoptes? Aka a f*cking light switch? XD
You can find more of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu/
May 2, 2018
The meticulously crafted world of Weeks is expanding, opening up and it feels like it's been energized in The Broken Eye. The solid and original but sometimes obvious magic system shows no limit. It's now simply in the details, in the doctrine of the Chromaturgy and the way it's been twisted that the magic of the author's intricate creation really shine.
September 9, 2014
Honestly how am I supposed to wait a whole year for this book to come out! I just spent all of this past year waiting for Blinding Knife to come out! You know Brent weeks has to be a great author for everyone to be desperate to get his books.
AFTER TWO YEARS OF WAITING I HAVE FINALLY READ IT!!!!
It did take awhile for me to really get into this book but I did around page 200. However that may be because it has been a really long time since I have read the last book and may have forgotten some of the more minor plot details.
All in all I loved this book and think it is probably the best Lightbringer book yet!
My only disappointment is that Gavin wasn't in it as much as I wanted. Kip on the other hand was awesome throughout the whole book. I even liked Andross better.
If you Like Brent Weeks you do not want to miss his latest (and possibly best) book.
AFTER TWO YEARS OF WAITING I HAVE FINALLY READ IT!!!!
It did take awhile for me to really get into this book but I did around page 200. However that may be because it has been a really long time since I have read the last book and may have forgotten some of the more minor plot details.
All in all I loved this book and think it is probably the best Lightbringer book yet!
My only disappointment is that Gavin wasn't in it as much as I wanted. Kip on the other hand was awesome throughout the whole book. I even liked Andross better.
If you Like Brent Weeks you do not want to miss his latest (and possibly best) book.
September 13, 2017
Well at this point I must admit that I think Brent Weeks should have stuck to making this a trilogy. I loved the first book and enjoyed the second even more but this one was only average. There was far too much padding and even the action scenes went on and on until they became tedious.
Just a few moments ago I looked at the blurb for book 4 and discover that Gavin spends most or even all of the next book in yet another prison situation. Come on Mr Weeks - here you have one of the best book heroes ever invented and you are wasting him!
I think I am the lone voice in the wilderness here though. Everyone else seems to love the book so if you are thinking of reading it please take no notice of me. I now have to decide whether I can stomach reading more about Gavin in prison:(
Just a few moments ago I looked at the blurb for book 4 and discover that Gavin spends most or even all of the next book in yet another prison situation. Come on Mr Weeks - here you have one of the best book heroes ever invented and you are wasting him!
I think I am the lone voice in the wilderness here though. Everyone else seems to love the book so if you are thinking of reading it please take no notice of me. I now have to decide whether I can stomach reading more about Gavin in prison:(
September 25, 2014
Yep... I might have to re-read the previous two books to try to remember what happened on them. I should have waited for the series to finish first but Nooooo I could not help reading more of Brent Weeks' books after the Night Angel series
September 11, 2019
“In this life, we are not garments which may be washed and worn again, Karris. We are candles, giving light and heat until we are consumed."
I can't believe this, after all my fears this is my favourite in the series. Somehow the author made my worst plot twist my favourite in the series. I barely even notice that Gavin is in captivity. The book changed course, now Kip is the main character, he has more POV than even Gavin. Karris, Teia, Zymum, Liv and Ironfist still has POV though. But the last three POV was just a few chapter.
“Freedom doesn’t mean a lack of responsibilities. It means a choice between them."
There is still a great plot, religion, feminist, cool fight scenes that I so want to learn and a magic system that I envy.
Characters
Kip is amazing, Kip is now turning into a great young man. Even though he is surrounded by haters, like literally. He is still a good peeson. His friends are also the best. I want them for myself. They are willing to die and do anything for him. That should make him arrogant but it doesn't, he won't let them do that for him, how sweet is that! He has even lost weight, he is turning all the fat into muscle, workout, sparring and fighting for one's life can do that.
Karris has changed, she is still badass but better. She is more political, she is now scheming amongst Chromeria's elite. Her relationship with Kip and the White is one of my favourite things in this book.
Hatred and envy birth self-destruction in every heart that gives them a bed to breed in.
Gavin didn't have much page space in this book. The little he had showed us his suffering and flashbacks which is super sad. Despite all that I still love him, can't wait for when he gets free and back in power.
Adrasteia aka Teia is playing with fire here but not by choice. I love the woman she is turning into. She still has a little insecurity which is normal for someone who was once a slave.
Praise Jesus Liv only has like 3 chapters, which was 3 chapters too much. I so do not miss her.
Cruxer my baby still doesn't have a POV, I just wish he has one. He is the best of them all.
“Knowing I would die for you, how would you live if you were worthy of that sacrifice? Live that way,” Cruxer said.
“Simple, huh?” Kip asked sardonically.
“Simple. Not easy.”
Kip said, “You’re the best of us, Cruxer. In every way. Don’t you dare die, you understand?”
“Meh, I’m invincible,” Cruxer said. “Now let’s get back, double time. Let’s see if we can work some more of this off.” He poked Kip in the belly, and they both grinned.
Boys. How Teia loved them both.
We got a major revelation about Ironfist which I still don't know what to do with.
And just because I love fashion.
“The very pinnacle of fashion is to wear the hideous with great confidence.”
I can't believe this, after all my fears this is my favourite in the series. Somehow the author made my worst plot twist my favourite in the series. I barely even notice that Gavin is in captivity. The book changed course, now Kip is the main character, he has more POV than even Gavin. Karris, Teia, Zymum, Liv and Ironfist still has POV though. But the last three POV was just a few chapter.
“Freedom doesn’t mean a lack of responsibilities. It means a choice between them."
There is still a great plot, religion, feminist, cool fight scenes that I so want to learn and a magic system that I envy.
Characters
Kip is amazing, Kip is now turning into a great young man. Even though he is surrounded by haters, like literally. He is still a good peeson. His friends are also the best. I want them for myself. They are willing to die and do anything for him. That should make him arrogant but it doesn't, he won't let them do that for him, how sweet is that! He has even lost weight, he is turning all the fat into muscle, workout, sparring and fighting for one's life can do that.
Karris has changed, she is still badass but better. She is more political, she is now scheming amongst Chromeria's elite. Her relationship with Kip and the White is one of my favourite things in this book.
Hatred and envy birth self-destruction in every heart that gives them a bed to breed in.
Gavin didn't have much page space in this book. The little he had showed us his suffering and flashbacks which is super sad. Despite all that I still love him, can't wait for when he gets free and back in power.
Adrasteia aka Teia is playing with fire here but not by choice. I love the woman she is turning into. She still has a little insecurity which is normal for someone who was once a slave.
Praise Jesus Liv only has like 3 chapters, which was 3 chapters too much. I so do not miss her.
Cruxer my baby still doesn't have a POV, I just wish he has one. He is the best of them all.
“Knowing I would die for you, how would you live if you were worthy of that sacrifice? Live that way,” Cruxer said.
“Simple, huh?” Kip asked sardonically.
“Simple. Not easy.”
Kip said, “You’re the best of us, Cruxer. In every way. Don’t you dare die, you understand?”
“Meh, I’m invincible,” Cruxer said. “Now let’s get back, double time. Let’s see if we can work some more of this off.” He poked Kip in the belly, and they both grinned.
Boys. How Teia loved them both.
We got a major revelation about Ironfist which I still don't know what to do with.
And just because I love fashion.
“The very pinnacle of fashion is to wear the hideous with great confidence.”
May 28, 2016
Another fun read with likeable characters, interesting plot and a really unique and well-developed world. This one wasn't quite as good as the last one (mostly due to the fact that the plot meandered a bit in comparison) but it was still really enjoyable and I'm really excited for the final installment.
Gavin's sections in this one were probably the weak-link. The "hero suffering in captivity" plot-line is one that I often find to be pretty dull and it took up pretty much all of Gavin's arc in this one. The upsides were some cool backstory in his flashbacks, his dealings with Eiren Malargos (which were incidentally some of the best written scenes in the entire book. Eirene was a great secondary character who was convincingly written as a good woman who was pushed to some extreme and immoral actions by circumstance and Gavin's quick-witted plotting was a really cool way to show that he could still be formidable even stripped of his magic) and a dramatic fall from grace arc after Gavin seemed like such a Gary Stu back in book 1.
Kip continued his character development and his was probably my favourite arc in this book. Kip found himself in the middle of dramatic schemes and plots while trying to uncover some intriguing mysteries and still continuing his character development and trying to reconcile his various duties into a place for himself in the world. As Kip has become less of a pussy throughout the series he's become more and more likeable and I'm really interested to see how he ends the series.
Karris also had a really strong arc. After disliking her in the first book (because she seemed to be a pretty lazy example of the "action girl" trope) and being largely indifferent to her in the second she underwent some really well-done character development in this one. Her struggles to control her emotions were nicely done and I was a huge fan of her scenes with Kip and the White (who incidentally joined Andross as being an absolutely incredible secondary character in this one and who in hindsight I realize had been pretty swag every time she appeared previously as well).
I wasn't a big fan of Teia in this one as she became something of a Mary Stu. In addition to being a girl who is able to compete with highly trained, grown-ass men in unarmed combat she also apparently has super speshul magical powers that virtually no one else has and that allow her to kill pretty much anyone without leaving any trace (incidentally while I really liked him in his previous appearance I quickly started to dislike Murder Sharpe in this one for much the same reason I dislike Teia. Of course I'm not a fan of the "secret society" trope in general (except for the Stonecutters episode of the Simpsons, which was awesome))(Oh shit double brackets, it's happening!!). I did however enjoy some of the backstory and lore that came up in Teia's sections as well as the mystery and cloak and dagger intrigue.
I also think this book suffered a bit from the lack of screen time of the Colored Prince. In the last book his constant presence (albeit through the POV of annoying Liv, who fortunately had her screen-time slashed and was far less annoying when she did appear) provided a really cool sense of danger as it built him up to be a worthy antagonist to the good guys and hyping up their inevitable collision. This one in comparison seemed to lose some of that focus and intensity. I really appreciated in the last book how Weeks went out of his way to show the struggles the Color Prince encountered and the qualities (intelligence, charisma, ability to make persuasive arguments, strong grasp of diplomacy and military strategy) he showed to overcome them as it did a really cool job of building him up as a dangerous and worthy adversary. Too many books just hand-wave the bad-guys into lucky positions while the heroes toil away (this also appeared in this book to some extent with the annoying Zymun).
Overall this was a really enjoyable read with a strong cast of likeable characters, a cool magic system an intriguing plot and a unique world and I'm really psyched for the finale.
Gavin's sections in this one were probably the weak-link. The "hero suffering in captivity" plot-line is one that I often find to be pretty dull and it took up pretty much all of Gavin's arc in this one. The upsides were some cool backstory in his flashbacks, his dealings with Eiren Malargos (which were incidentally some of the best written scenes in the entire book. Eirene was a great secondary character who was convincingly written as a good woman who was pushed to some extreme and immoral actions by circumstance and Gavin's quick-witted plotting was a really cool way to show that he could still be formidable even stripped of his magic) and a dramatic fall from grace arc after Gavin seemed like such a Gary Stu back in book 1.
Kip continued his character development and his was probably my favourite arc in this book. Kip found himself in the middle of dramatic schemes and plots while trying to uncover some intriguing mysteries and still continuing his character development and trying to reconcile his various duties into a place for himself in the world. As Kip has become less of a pussy throughout the series he's become more and more likeable and I'm really interested to see how he ends the series.
Karris also had a really strong arc. After disliking her in the first book (because she seemed to be a pretty lazy example of the "action girl" trope) and being largely indifferent to her in the second she underwent some really well-done character development in this one. Her struggles to control her emotions were nicely done and I was a huge fan of her scenes with Kip and the White (who incidentally joined Andross as being an absolutely incredible secondary character in this one and who in hindsight I realize had been pretty swag every time she appeared previously as well).
I wasn't a big fan of Teia in this one as she became something of a Mary Stu. In addition to being a girl who is able to compete with highly trained, grown-ass men in unarmed combat she also apparently has super speshul magical powers that virtually no one else has and that allow her to kill pretty much anyone without leaving any trace (incidentally while I really liked him in his previous appearance I quickly started to dislike Murder Sharpe in this one for much the same reason I dislike Teia. Of course I'm not a fan of the "secret society" trope in general (except for the Stonecutters episode of the Simpsons, which was awesome))(Oh shit double brackets, it's happening!!). I did however enjoy some of the backstory and lore that came up in Teia's sections as well as the mystery and cloak and dagger intrigue.
I also think this book suffered a bit from the lack of screen time of the Colored Prince. In the last book his constant presence (albeit through the POV of annoying Liv, who fortunately had her screen-time slashed and was far less annoying when she did appear) provided a really cool sense of danger as it built him up to be a worthy antagonist to the good guys and hyping up their inevitable collision. This one in comparison seemed to lose some of that focus and intensity. I really appreciated in the last book how Weeks went out of his way to show the struggles the Color Prince encountered and the qualities (intelligence, charisma, ability to make persuasive arguments, strong grasp of diplomacy and military strategy) he showed to overcome them as it did a really cool job of building him up as a dangerous and worthy adversary. Too many books just hand-wave the bad-guys into lucky positions while the heroes toil away (this also appeared in this book to some extent with the annoying Zymun).
Overall this was a really enjoyable read with a strong cast of likeable characters, a cool magic system an intriguing plot and a unique world and I'm really psyched for the finale.
September 14, 2019
https://solseit.wordpress.com/2019/09...
The second time around just confirms the stellar review of the first time around. I am amazed at how good this series really is. There is so much content, the world building builds upon itself every time in an incredibly powerful and convincing way each book; the characters are just well defined and developed - the women in this story are authentic to me, they are genuinely powerful women (the White, Karris, Teia) with their weaknesses and they know what to do with strenghts and weaknesses.
I cannot wait to dive into the next book and then, finally, book #5!
- - - -
I want to make some sense of this book - yet, I just finished it so it is going to be an "emotional" review.
First and foremost, I am so glad this book focused .
I did not have a problem with any character
Where to start as to characters?
Kip : I have so much fun when his story line starts (or resumes). It was such an amazing trip for him (and for me as a reader).
Teia. What is there not to love about a young, strong, independent, stubborn and reliable person like she is? I cannot wait to see what will happen to her in the next book .
Karris is my favorite of all, especially now that her life really took a different turn!
Gavin himself is really going through hell here.
The White is an amazing mentor. I am really glad her character is just touching the right notes at all times. I wonder if there is going to be a short story about the young White. I would totally read it!
The story itself is just getting better and better. It introduced more depth, history, mythology, folklore. It is just an amazing book to go through because it unfolds so many aspects that trigger my curiosity. I end the book by having a much better understanding of the world, the political and religious system.
In essence, I am going to be in a dark place until The Blood Mirror will be published!
The second time around just confirms the stellar review of the first time around. I am amazed at how good this series really is. There is so much content, the world building builds upon itself every time in an incredibly powerful and convincing way each book; the characters are just well defined and developed - the women in this story are authentic to me, they are genuinely powerful women (the White, Karris, Teia) with their weaknesses and they know what to do with strenghts and weaknesses.
I cannot wait to dive into the next book and then, finally, book #5!
- - - -
I want to make some sense of this book - yet, I just finished it so it is going to be an "emotional" review.
First and foremost, I am so glad this book focused .
I did not have a problem with any character
Where to start as to characters?
Kip : I have so much fun when his story line starts (or resumes). It was such an amazing trip for him (and for me as a reader).
Teia. What is there not to love about a young, strong, independent, stubborn and reliable person like she is? I cannot wait to see what will happen to her in the next book .
Karris is my favorite of all, especially now that her life really took a different turn!
Gavin himself is really going through hell here.
The White is an amazing mentor. I am really glad her character is just touching the right notes at all times. I wonder if there is going to be a short story about the young White. I would totally read it!
The story itself is just getting better and better. It introduced more depth, history, mythology, folklore. It is just an amazing book to go through because it unfolds so many aspects that trigger my curiosity. I end the book by having a much better understanding of the world, the political and religious system.
In essence, I am going to be in a dark place until The Blood Mirror will be published!
May 10, 2015
How can people rate a book that has yet to be written?
October 5, 2016
Assistant Peter Recommends: The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks
Hello there! Brandon Sanderson's assistant Peter here. This is the start of a sporadic feature on Brandon's blog where I recommend something to you. (This was originally posted on Brandon's blog, but I'm also posting it here on GoodReads.) But don't worry, this probably won't happen very often. I am also going to recommend something else to you next week, but then who knows when the next time might be? Not I. Since you never can tell when something awesome is going to come along.
Today marks the release of the third book in the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. Many of you have probably read Brent Weeks's books before, but if you haven't, you're in for a treat.
Now, when I read a book, I often prefer to go in pretty much blind. I hardly ever read the website description, the cover flap, or the back of the book, because I want to preserve as much of the surprise as possible. Of course, that makes it hard to know what to read in the first place.
But this may help: If you've come here, you obviously like Brandon Sanderson's writing. Well, when I read the first Lightbringer book, The Black Prism , two years ago, it was the most entertaining book without the name Brandon Sanderson on the front cover that I had read in years—and in many ways it was very much like reading a book that had Brandon's name on the front cover. I loved every minute.
If that's enough of an endorsement for you, then you should go out and read The Black Prism now. But let me get the caveats out of the way:
Sexual content: There is some, a bit more blatant than in Brandon's book Warbreaker (for comparison). I think there were two minor scenes in the first book, one or two in the second book. The third book has slightly less, yet it is an important plot point. There's a scene where someone's thought process in this area is explored, and it perfectly captured the emotional state inherent in such a situation. Very well done, Brent.
Language: There's profanity. Not everywhere, but if as a reader you like to avoid certain words, you won't avoid them in the third book. It feels like there's a bit more profanity in this book than the previous two, but it's hard to say. There are not any characters who are horribly foul-minded, which I appreciate.
Writing style: Brent does one thing with his writing in this series that takes some getting used to, and that's not italicizing internal thoughts. That's a writing trend that can work very well in first-person narrative, but it can be a bit jarring in third-person narrative where the thoughts switch to first-person as thoughts usually are. After a while my brain gets used to it while reading, but it's a bit unusual so I'm letting you know ahead of time.
Now, just saying "read it if you like Brandon's books!" might not be enough for you. Let me talk a little about why I like the Lightbringer series. (I hope this doesn't get too disorganized.)
As I was reading the new book The Broken Eye a couple of weeks ago, this conscious thought crossed my mind: Books like this are why I read epic fantasy. Strong male and female characters, well-defined magic, politics, fighting, cosmology, emotional entanglements, the works. There are times like in the middle of The Way of Kings where you really don't know where everything is going, but you're along for a great ride, and everything pulls together eventually. Lightbringer delivers.
Let me point out one thing in particular. Sometimes I read a book and the characters exist sort of in a vacuum, as if they sprang out of nothing. In real life, everyone has a family, and family members are often the source of conflict. In Lightbringer, fiction reflects reality, and all the important characters are connected in one way or another. There's the two brothers Gavin and Dazen, who ripped apart seven nations in the war between them years ago. There's Kip, Gavin's bastard son who was raised never knowing his father. There's Karris, who was supposed to marry Gavin years ago, but fell in love with Dazen, and is now a bodyguard who kicks butt. There's Liv, whose father was a general for Dazen and then joined Gavin after the war, and who can't understand why her father would switch sides like that. There's the Color Prince leading a new rebellion, and the talented hothead Zymun, and both of them have connections to the other characters that are not immediately revealed. There's Gavin's father Andross, who is or seeks to be the power behind the throne. His interactions with his grandson Kip in the second book are a type of generational conflict I haven't seen before, and it was highly refreshing.
The political system is also fascinating. The relationships between semiautonomous nations show a very fluid dynamic with a lot of shades of grey. It was pretty clear by the second book that there's something seriously wrong with the society of the Chromeria, though it was also clear that the Color Prince's proposed solutions had their own issues. Now in the third book we start to see some of the historical reasons for what's wrong with this world, but we're still scratching the surface. I'm really looking forward to finding out more as the series continues.
Now, a note about the structure of this series. When I read the first book, The Black Prism, it felt revolutionary to me, fresh and new and exciting. The second book The Blinding Knife continued the story, though it felt less revolutionary, but instead was evolutionary. The characters and the exploration of the magic system bumped to the next notch, but did not immediately astound me. I came to realize that's just fine. I can't expect every book two to be as eye-opening as every book one. Nor is this a trilogy where everything will be wrapped up by the third book. (I think it's slated to be at least five books.) Book one set the stage, and future books let everything play out. Some books are great standalones, one-and-done, but some stories are meant to take up multiple books where you still can't wait for more.
The Broken Eye continues the trend started by the second book. There are some "oh my goodness" moments where you have to begin to reinterpret many things that have gone before, but for the most part you're with characters you love while they get closer to their goals or make well-meaning mistakes that screw up their lives even more than they were before.
Something else I should shoehorn into this post just because Brandon is a huge Magic: The Gathering fan is that starting in the second book there's a familiar-seeming card game that plays an important role. That seems like a risky move on the author's part, but he really pulls it off.
For those who enjoyed the first two books and want to be reassured about the third book, here's what's going on with the characters.
Gavin: Always an interesting character to read about, in this book he becomes more of a reactive character than an active one, which changes what it's like to be in his point of view. But he still has that Gavin attitude, and still shows why I want to root for him despite his flaws.
Karris: Really comes into her own in this book. She's had a lot of the spotlight before of course, but here she takes on the role that will carry her through the next books. She has to face down some consequences from her past, and make hard choices. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Teia: Continues her awesomeness from the second book. It's with Teia that we see the most exploration of a new side of the magic system, so there's a lot of sense of wonder there. Her role is also one of the most dangerous, which had me on the edge of my seat.
The White: One of my favorite characters in this book. That's all I want to say about her, really. Just go experience what she does.
Kip: It's with Kip's storyline that we also see an expansion of the cosmological aspects of the book. There's a point somewhere after the 2/3 mark of the book where something happens that...well, it's one of those "oh my goodness" moments I mentioned above. The sparring with his grandfather develops in interesting ways, and he also comes into his own as a leader. His interactions with former rivals in Blackguard training show a lot of growth. His emotional progress is fascinating on many levels, and it's a testament to Brent Weeks's character-building skills that Kip ends up in quite a different place from where he was at the start of the series, but every incremental change is completely natural. His insights into other characters also show a lot of maturity, and a certain scene where he talks about Ironfist and his brother Tremblefist was masterfully written.
Liv: After taking a major role in the second book, we see much less of Liv this time around. What she does is still important, but it's mostly setup for the next book. I loved her in the previous book so her reduced role here was a bit of a disappointment, but she's clearly pivotal to what will happen going forward. And what we do get of her is good stuff.
Something else that you should not expect in this book is another huge battle. The battles of this book are on a more intimate scale, but they're no less important than what happened at the end of the second book. Yet these intimate conflicts also let you glimpse the grander war that's been going on behind the scenes for centuries, of which a rebellion like the Color Prince's is merely an outer symptom.
Ultimately, it's hard for me to say anything more useful than what I said above: Books like this are why I read epic fantasy. Go read and enjoy.
Hello there! Brandon Sanderson's assistant Peter here. This is the start of a sporadic feature on Brandon's blog where I recommend something to you. (This was originally posted on Brandon's blog, but I'm also posting it here on GoodReads.) But don't worry, this probably won't happen very often. I am also going to recommend something else to you next week, but then who knows when the next time might be? Not I. Since you never can tell when something awesome is going to come along.
Today marks the release of the third book in the Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks. Many of you have probably read Brent Weeks's books before, but if you haven't, you're in for a treat.
Now, when I read a book, I often prefer to go in pretty much blind. I hardly ever read the website description, the cover flap, or the back of the book, because I want to preserve as much of the surprise as possible. Of course, that makes it hard to know what to read in the first place.
But this may help: If you've come here, you obviously like Brandon Sanderson's writing. Well, when I read the first Lightbringer book, The Black Prism , two years ago, it was the most entertaining book without the name Brandon Sanderson on the front cover that I had read in years—and in many ways it was very much like reading a book that had Brandon's name on the front cover. I loved every minute.
If that's enough of an endorsement for you, then you should go out and read The Black Prism now. But let me get the caveats out of the way:
Sexual content: There is some, a bit more blatant than in Brandon's book Warbreaker (for comparison). I think there were two minor scenes in the first book, one or two in the second book. The third book has slightly less, yet it is an important plot point. There's a scene where someone's thought process in this area is explored, and it perfectly captured the emotional state inherent in such a situation. Very well done, Brent.
Language: There's profanity. Not everywhere, but if as a reader you like to avoid certain words, you won't avoid them in the third book. It feels like there's a bit more profanity in this book than the previous two, but it's hard to say. There are not any characters who are horribly foul-minded, which I appreciate.
Writing style: Brent does one thing with his writing in this series that takes some getting used to, and that's not italicizing internal thoughts. That's a writing trend that can work very well in first-person narrative, but it can be a bit jarring in third-person narrative where the thoughts switch to first-person as thoughts usually are. After a while my brain gets used to it while reading, but it's a bit unusual so I'm letting you know ahead of time.
Now, just saying "read it if you like Brandon's books!" might not be enough for you. Let me talk a little about why I like the Lightbringer series. (I hope this doesn't get too disorganized.)
As I was reading the new book The Broken Eye a couple of weeks ago, this conscious thought crossed my mind: Books like this are why I read epic fantasy. Strong male and female characters, well-defined magic, politics, fighting, cosmology, emotional entanglements, the works. There are times like in the middle of The Way of Kings where you really don't know where everything is going, but you're along for a great ride, and everything pulls together eventually. Lightbringer delivers.
Let me point out one thing in particular. Sometimes I read a book and the characters exist sort of in a vacuum, as if they sprang out of nothing. In real life, everyone has a family, and family members are often the source of conflict. In Lightbringer, fiction reflects reality, and all the important characters are connected in one way or another. There's the two brothers Gavin and Dazen, who ripped apart seven nations in the war between them years ago. There's Kip, Gavin's bastard son who was raised never knowing his father. There's Karris, who was supposed to marry Gavin years ago, but fell in love with Dazen, and is now a bodyguard who kicks butt. There's Liv, whose father was a general for Dazen and then joined Gavin after the war, and who can't understand why her father would switch sides like that. There's the Color Prince leading a new rebellion, and the talented hothead Zymun, and both of them have connections to the other characters that are not immediately revealed. There's Gavin's father Andross, who is or seeks to be the power behind the throne. His interactions with his grandson Kip in the second book are a type of generational conflict I haven't seen before, and it was highly refreshing.
The political system is also fascinating. The relationships between semiautonomous nations show a very fluid dynamic with a lot of shades of grey. It was pretty clear by the second book that there's something seriously wrong with the society of the Chromeria, though it was also clear that the Color Prince's proposed solutions had their own issues. Now in the third book we start to see some of the historical reasons for what's wrong with this world, but we're still scratching the surface. I'm really looking forward to finding out more as the series continues.
Now, a note about the structure of this series. When I read the first book, The Black Prism, it felt revolutionary to me, fresh and new and exciting. The second book The Blinding Knife continued the story, though it felt less revolutionary, but instead was evolutionary. The characters and the exploration of the magic system bumped to the next notch, but did not immediately astound me. I came to realize that's just fine. I can't expect every book two to be as eye-opening as every book one. Nor is this a trilogy where everything will be wrapped up by the third book. (I think it's slated to be at least five books.) Book one set the stage, and future books let everything play out. Some books are great standalones, one-and-done, but some stories are meant to take up multiple books where you still can't wait for more.
The Broken Eye continues the trend started by the second book. There are some "oh my goodness" moments where you have to begin to reinterpret many things that have gone before, but for the most part you're with characters you love while they get closer to their goals or make well-meaning mistakes that screw up their lives even more than they were before.
Something else I should shoehorn into this post just because Brandon is a huge Magic: The Gathering fan is that starting in the second book there's a familiar-seeming card game that plays an important role. That seems like a risky move on the author's part, but he really pulls it off.
For those who enjoyed the first two books and want to be reassured about the third book, here's what's going on with the characters.
Gavin: Always an interesting character to read about, in this book he becomes more of a reactive character than an active one, which changes what it's like to be in his point of view. But he still has that Gavin attitude, and still shows why I want to root for him despite his flaws.
Karris: Really comes into her own in this book. She's had a lot of the spotlight before of course, but here she takes on the role that will carry her through the next books. She has to face down some consequences from her past, and make hard choices. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Teia: Continues her awesomeness from the second book. It's with Teia that we see the most exploration of a new side of the magic system, so there's a lot of sense of wonder there. Her role is also one of the most dangerous, which had me on the edge of my seat.
The White: One of my favorite characters in this book. That's all I want to say about her, really. Just go experience what she does.
Kip: It's with Kip's storyline that we also see an expansion of the cosmological aspects of the book. There's a point somewhere after the 2/3 mark of the book where something happens that...well, it's one of those "oh my goodness" moments I mentioned above. The sparring with his grandfather develops in interesting ways, and he also comes into his own as a leader. His interactions with former rivals in Blackguard training show a lot of growth. His emotional progress is fascinating on many levels, and it's a testament to Brent Weeks's character-building skills that Kip ends up in quite a different place from where he was at the start of the series, but every incremental change is completely natural. His insights into other characters also show a lot of maturity, and a certain scene where he talks about Ironfist and his brother Tremblefist was masterfully written.
Liv: After taking a major role in the second book, we see much less of Liv this time around. What she does is still important, but it's mostly setup for the next book. I loved her in the previous book so her reduced role here was a bit of a disappointment, but she's clearly pivotal to what will happen going forward. And what we do get of her is good stuff.
Something else that you should not expect in this book is another huge battle. The battles of this book are on a more intimate scale, but they're no less important than what happened at the end of the second book. Yet these intimate conflicts also let you glimpse the grander war that's been going on behind the scenes for centuries, of which a rebellion like the Color Prince's is merely an outer symptom.
Ultimately, it's hard for me to say anything more useful than what I said above: Books like this are why I read epic fantasy. Go read and enjoy.
September 7, 2016
*** 5+ ***
The BB&B BR with Eon & Sarah is still going strong!
When I love a book or series this much, I tend to suck at reviewing it! After all, what can I start talking about first? And how can I say anything without giving it away?? And how can I do it any justice???
As You see, this will be another one of those where I have lost all sense of objectivity and have become all emotion and fangirling... Maybe it is a good way to tell you - i love this book and series, and the only way I know how to express my feelings is by encouraging one and all to go, get it, and read it!!!
The world is complex, the magic system innovative, the mythology layered and deep, the characters - fan-freaking-tastic!!! The whole package is a work of art and adventure, wrapped up in chocolate and ice-cream, and served with a fine wine!!! Need I say more? Go get it!!!
"... “To hold fealty to your own and to call it a high virtue is ludicrous. Even animals protect their own. It is a good, but it is a common good, an easy one. It’s a miser who says he grows rich not for himself, but for his children. His vice is not thus magically made virtue.” ...
The Clan of Guile is getting more and more interesting, lead by the most devious megalomaniac Andross Guile, who is about to start pulling the strings of the new generation of Guiles, but maybe this time he has bitten more than he can chew... Karris is as wonderful as she is complex, full of warring feelings of guilt, shame, love and faith in the better good... Gavin is broken... Broken, and although he keeps on fighting, is there going to be a point when he will give all up and wallow in defeat?? Teia is amazing! The ex-slave is learning and fighting to find her place as a free person, and she has become one of my favorite characters. Kip is Kip- he really goes through a growth spurt in this book - not only physically, but emotionally as well, and hopefully starts showing the promise of a great man to come... The White is AMAZING, as always. The Black Guard Captain Ironfist is ... well, I would have said the most dependable and loyal friend you could have, but.... Ooohhhhhhh, my heart hurts... Tisis is showing an unexpected vulnerable and real side of her character, which made her grow in my esteem. And I don't even want to mention Viviana - she is lost to sense and logic at this point... I am not sure if i want her to find her way back anymore either... She has disappointed me for the last time...
"... “Don’t judge a man by what he says his ideals are, judge him by what he does. Look at what the Color Prince has done. They’re wrong, Teia. They’re liars and murderers. It doesn’t mean everything we do is right. It doesn’t mean our house doesn’t need a thorough cleaning. I just don’t think we need to burn it to the ground to do it.” ...
So, this was a book full of emotional and plot roller-coasters and I am soooooooooo ready to get to the next one!!! Once again folks, why have you not read this series yet??? It is very, very entertaining!!!
"... “I die and go to a library? Sure, it could be worse, but I’ve spent a lot of time in libraries this year. Quite enough time, really. Do I have to stay forever? Where do I go pee?” ...
I wish you all Happy Reading and wondrous Fantastical journeys!!!!
The BB&B BR with Eon & Sarah is still going strong!
When I love a book or series this much, I tend to suck at reviewing it! After all, what can I start talking about first? And how can I say anything without giving it away?? And how can I do it any justice???
As You see, this will be another one of those where I have lost all sense of objectivity and have become all emotion and fangirling... Maybe it is a good way to tell you - i love this book and series, and the only way I know how to express my feelings is by encouraging one and all to go, get it, and read it!!!
The world is complex, the magic system innovative, the mythology layered and deep, the characters - fan-freaking-tastic!!! The whole package is a work of art and adventure, wrapped up in chocolate and ice-cream, and served with a fine wine!!! Need I say more? Go get it!!!
"... “To hold fealty to your own and to call it a high virtue is ludicrous. Even animals protect their own. It is a good, but it is a common good, an easy one. It’s a miser who says he grows rich not for himself, but for his children. His vice is not thus magically made virtue.” ...
The Clan of Guile is getting more and more interesting, lead by the most devious megalomaniac Andross Guile, who is about to start pulling the strings of the new generation of Guiles, but maybe this time he has bitten more than he can chew... Karris is as wonderful as she is complex, full of warring feelings of guilt, shame, love and faith in the better good... Gavin is broken... Broken, and although he keeps on fighting, is there going to be a point when he will give all up and wallow in defeat?? Teia is amazing! The ex-slave is learning and fighting to find her place as a free person, and she has become one of my favorite characters. Kip is Kip- he really goes through a growth spurt in this book - not only physically, but emotionally as well, and hopefully starts showing the promise of a great man to come... The White is AMAZING, as always. The Black Guard Captain Ironfist is ... well, I would have said the most dependable and loyal friend you could have, but.... Ooohhhhhhh, my heart hurts... Tisis is showing an unexpected vulnerable and real side of her character, which made her grow in my esteem. And I don't even want to mention Viviana - she is lost to sense and logic at this point... I am not sure if i want her to find her way back anymore either... She has disappointed me for the last time...
"... “Don’t judge a man by what he says his ideals are, judge him by what he does. Look at what the Color Prince has done. They’re wrong, Teia. They’re liars and murderers. It doesn’t mean everything we do is right. It doesn’t mean our house doesn’t need a thorough cleaning. I just don’t think we need to burn it to the ground to do it.” ...
So, this was a book full of emotional and plot roller-coasters and I am soooooooooo ready to get to the next one!!! Once again folks, why have you not read this series yet??? It is very, very entertaining!!!
"... “I die and go to a library? Sure, it could be worse, but I’ve spent a lot of time in libraries this year. Quite enough time, really. Do I have to stay forever? Where do I go pee?” ...
I wish you all Happy Reading and wondrous Fantastical journeys!!!!
October 19, 2016
The BB&B BR with Choko & Sarah is still going strong!
Five Prismatic stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Broken Eye is the third book in The Lightbringer series so expect spoilers below guys.
I warned you right? SPOILERS.
Ok, ok. Tagging it.
The writing was as good as I have come to expect from Mr Weeks. It feels like he has quite a lot of fun writing these and I happily admit am that I having just as much fun reading them. Without out doubt, this is one of the most original fantasy series’ I have ever read and I do not hesitate to recommend it. The magic system is superb, the characters are fantastically real, and the author is one of the very few writers who seem to be able to blindside me entirely with his twists and revelations and this book is no exception. *tips hat
I can hardly contain my excitement for the next book in the series, The Blood Mirror and hope that if you have not yet read this series that you give it a try and hopefully love it as much as I do.
Five Prismatic stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Broken Eye is the third book in The Lightbringer series so expect spoilers below guys.
I warned you right? SPOILERS.
Ok, ok. Tagging it.
The writing was as good as I have come to expect from Mr Weeks. It feels like he has quite a lot of fun writing these and I happily admit am that I having just as much fun reading them. Without out doubt, this is one of the most original fantasy series’ I have ever read and I do not hesitate to recommend it. The magic system is superb, the characters are fantastically real, and the author is one of the very few writers who seem to be able to blindside me entirely with his twists and revelations and this book is no exception. *tips hat
I can hardly contain my excitement for the next book in the series, The Blood Mirror and hope that if you have not yet read this series that you give it a try and hopefully love it as much as I do.
September 24, 2022
4.0 Stars
Spoiler-Free Series Review Video: https://youtu.be/OosD4rbJJEs
I liked a lot of the twists and turns in this third entry. While not a perfect series, I thought this one was much stronger than the previous book, particularly in terms of the female characters. I read this one incredibly fast because I was just so hooked in by the various storylines. At this point, I love several of the protagonists and love to hate the villains even more.
Spoiler-Free Series Review Video: https://youtu.be/OosD4rbJJEs
I liked a lot of the twists and turns in this third entry. While not a perfect series, I thought this one was much stronger than the previous book, particularly in terms of the female characters. I read this one incredibly fast because I was just so hooked in by the various storylines. At this point, I love several of the protagonists and love to hate the villains even more.
August 22, 2019
Yes, I loved the re-read of this one just as much as the previous two and I have already started book 4. Can't wait for the final one to come out as I forgot so many of the plot twists and the crazy amazing-ness which I now remember. I have to admit that I really think Weeks outdoes himself in this one and the next with the mind-bending magic and plot twists, they just keep on coming and I feel like I never know what may happen next, and yet he does tie things up well too!
Overall, fantastic again and without trying to spoil things T and Kip are still my faves, I am glad Liv is a more minor character in this one, and seeing Gavin and Karis struggle to figure everything out is great. Also Ironfist and the White have some amazing conversations and moments in this book!
5*s again!
Overall, fantastic again and without trying to spoil things T and Kip are still my faves, I am glad Liv is a more minor character in this one, and seeing Gavin and Karis struggle to figure everything out is great. Also Ironfist and the White have some amazing conversations and moments in this book!
5*s again!
November 1, 2019
The Broken Eye is the third book in the Lightbringer series and the best so far by my standards. Brent Weeks has toned down the pace slightly in this installment. There is still plenty of action and excitement. But this seemed to be set up as more of a chess match, or even better, like a game of Nine Kings if you are familiar with this series.
I said in my review of the previous book that I wasn't big on books with a lot of politics. The politics in this series just seems to appeal to me though. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and my reading tastes are changing. Who cares as long as I enjoy the story right? I say this because the politics really ramp up in this book. Add in the secret societies, espionage, hidden agendas and you have a mixture that makes for one hell of a read.
One of the main themes of the story so far was kind of put on the back burner here. Which I am completely fine with. If the next two books bring the story together like I think they will then it will be well worth it. Following script with the two previous books, the ending of The Broken Eye left a few of our characters futures up in the air. Also, I was a little caught off guard by a couple of character revelations as well. Say what you want about Brent Week's books, but he knows how to write a damn good conclusion to each installment so far.
Each book in this series continues to be better than the one before. I usually find one weak link in a series of this size, but so far so good. Also, the conversations I've had regarding this series have me very excited for the final two volumes. But expectations can be a curse. I only hope mine will be exceeded and I can wander around aimlessly for days trying to find a new series to read. Because this one was that damn good. Oh, the life of a reader. Isn't it wonderful!!!
Actual Rating: 5 stars *****
I said in my review of the previous book that I wasn't big on books with a lot of politics. The politics in this series just seems to appeal to me though. Maybe it's because I'm getting older and my reading tastes are changing. Who cares as long as I enjoy the story right? I say this because the politics really ramp up in this book. Add in the secret societies, espionage, hidden agendas and you have a mixture that makes for one hell of a read.
"As a wolf hungers for meat so a man lusts for power. It us unwise to get between either one and his prize. This is not condemnation but a fact. And only a fool allows herself to become the prize."
One of the main themes of the story so far was kind of put on the back burner here. Which I am completely fine with. If the next two books bring the story together like I think they will then it will be well worth it. Following script with the two previous books, the ending of The Broken Eye left a few of our characters futures up in the air. Also, I was a little caught off guard by a couple of character revelations as well. Say what you want about Brent Week's books, but he knows how to write a damn good conclusion to each installment so far.
"Power is any action that results in consequences. But real power is action that results in the intended consequences. Real power is impossible if not guided by wisdom."
Each book in this series continues to be better than the one before. I usually find one weak link in a series of this size, but so far so good. Also, the conversations I've had regarding this series have me very excited for the final two volumes. But expectations can be a curse. I only hope mine will be exceeded and I can wander around aimlessly for days trying to find a new series to read. Because this one was that damn good. Oh, the life of a reader. Isn't it wonderful!!!
Actual Rating: 5 stars *****
October 27, 2019
Still a great read. Has some issues, but nothing major.
September 12, 2014
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/09/12/b...
Things are definitely picking up in this third book of the Lightbringer series…but is it going to be enough?
Obviously, if you’ve made it this far, you’d probably have a good grasp on what’s been happening by this point. Gavin Guile, the Prism who stole his brother’s identity is lost to the open seas, captured and enslaved by pirates with his color sight – and thus his ability to draft – gone. As rescue missions mount, his absence is felt by the entire Chromeria, especially by Kip Guile. Without the protection of his father, Kip is left to face up against his bully of a grandfather alone. With his position in the Blackguard in question and his smart-alecky mouth constantly getting him into trouble, he’ll need all the help he can get to survive the conspiracies and secret power plays between all the factions warring for control.
Overall, I think each book in the series is an improvement over the former. I’ve mentioned before how fascinating it always is to see an author’s writing evolve before your eyes, and I think I am witnessing this with Brent Weeks. Of course, there are still the occasional quirks that pop up in his prose which drive me nuts, such as his attempts at humor that often fall flat, or certain word choices (totally a personal thing – and I realize an author can do or say whatever they want in his or her world, but seeing slang terms like “butt”, “gross” and “booger” in an epic fantasy novel still has this way of grinding my gears). On the whole, however, I still feel Weeks’ style is continuing to become more polished and refined when it comes to his characters and storytelling.
It’s all basically coming together, slowly but surely. That said, a part of me still feels this series suffers a bit from a case of the “epic for epic’s sake” syndrome. There are sections in this novel that drag on unnecessarily, and I felt this most keenly at the beginning. Like the previous two installments, I found myself questioning whether things were going to go anywhere, which happened a lot more than I cared for, which has hindered my enthusiasm for this series and kept me from jumping completely on board. In all three books, it always felt like most of the significant developments in the story tended to come towards the end.
The parting twist here in The Broken Eye is a great example of how Weeks keeps these books interesting. There are a lot of elements left up in the air now – who’s who on which side anymore? Where do everyone’s loyalties lie? There are many things that aren’t as they seem. I can’t say that the rest of the book held up to this level of excitement and suspense, but getting to this point was worth it, at least.
Plus, the magic system based on chromaturgy is expanded upon once again, and I swear it becomes more interesting and unique with every book. I have never encountered anything quite like it before. Magic users in this world can harness light and draft luxin, a substance that can take on unique properties depending on the color it was drafted from. Most drafters are usually sensitive to only one color, and their powers and even their personalities and emotions can be influenced by this. In The Broken Eye, we discover even more new abilities and ways to draft and manipulate the spectrum.
I’m also feeling much more sympathetic towards the characters. I continue to be curious about Weeks’ plans for Teia and Karris. They are both developed very well in this book, with tough choices to make and crucial roles to play. I like how each woman has their internal struggles, and that their stories are important to the overall narrative and not just throwaway plot threads. I also felt for Gavin, who is deep into the “hero’s setback” section of his journey. Considering how poorly I thought of him in The Black Prism, it surprises me a little now that he’s become the darling of the series. But seeing as I liked this book more for it, I’m definitely not complaining.
Kip, however, is still posing a bit of problem. They don’t call him “Kip the Lip” for nothing. This is where a lot of the author attempts at being clever and funny falter; Kip is simply not endearing himself to me, no matter how awkwardly charming Weeks is trying to make this character come across. I have a soft spot for unlikely heroes, but more often than not, Kip’s antics and clumsy dialogue simply makes me cringe. I never thought it possible that I could feel embarrassment for a fictional character.
Now, for the difficult part. I’m still trying to decide whether or not I will continue with this series. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been enjoying these books. True, my excitement might not be through the roof or anything, but I like them just fine. But with my reading time at a premium and the to-read list continuing to grow, it’s hard to justify all that with “I like them just fine” or the 3-3.5 star ratings I’ve given for each book in the series. If I also didn’t have to take page count into consideration this would have been a no-brainer since I hate giving up on a series, especially one that shows a lot of promise, but these are undeniably large tomes. On the other hand, I’m aware Lightbringer will also end at four books, so if that stands, I’ll probably go ahead and finish it up with The Blood Mirror. We shall see once we get closer to publication.
Things are definitely picking up in this third book of the Lightbringer series…but is it going to be enough?
Obviously, if you’ve made it this far, you’d probably have a good grasp on what’s been happening by this point. Gavin Guile, the Prism who stole his brother’s identity is lost to the open seas, captured and enslaved by pirates with his color sight – and thus his ability to draft – gone. As rescue missions mount, his absence is felt by the entire Chromeria, especially by Kip Guile. Without the protection of his father, Kip is left to face up against his bully of a grandfather alone. With his position in the Blackguard in question and his smart-alecky mouth constantly getting him into trouble, he’ll need all the help he can get to survive the conspiracies and secret power plays between all the factions warring for control.
Overall, I think each book in the series is an improvement over the former. I’ve mentioned before how fascinating it always is to see an author’s writing evolve before your eyes, and I think I am witnessing this with Brent Weeks. Of course, there are still the occasional quirks that pop up in his prose which drive me nuts, such as his attempts at humor that often fall flat, or certain word choices (totally a personal thing – and I realize an author can do or say whatever they want in his or her world, but seeing slang terms like “butt”, “gross” and “booger” in an epic fantasy novel still has this way of grinding my gears). On the whole, however, I still feel Weeks’ style is continuing to become more polished and refined when it comes to his characters and storytelling.
It’s all basically coming together, slowly but surely. That said, a part of me still feels this series suffers a bit from a case of the “epic for epic’s sake” syndrome. There are sections in this novel that drag on unnecessarily, and I felt this most keenly at the beginning. Like the previous two installments, I found myself questioning whether things were going to go anywhere, which happened a lot more than I cared for, which has hindered my enthusiasm for this series and kept me from jumping completely on board. In all three books, it always felt like most of the significant developments in the story tended to come towards the end.
The parting twist here in The Broken Eye is a great example of how Weeks keeps these books interesting. There are a lot of elements left up in the air now – who’s who on which side anymore? Where do everyone’s loyalties lie? There are many things that aren’t as they seem. I can’t say that the rest of the book held up to this level of excitement and suspense, but getting to this point was worth it, at least.
Plus, the magic system based on chromaturgy is expanded upon once again, and I swear it becomes more interesting and unique with every book. I have never encountered anything quite like it before. Magic users in this world can harness light and draft luxin, a substance that can take on unique properties depending on the color it was drafted from. Most drafters are usually sensitive to only one color, and their powers and even their personalities and emotions can be influenced by this. In The Broken Eye, we discover even more new abilities and ways to draft and manipulate the spectrum.
I’m also feeling much more sympathetic towards the characters. I continue to be curious about Weeks’ plans for Teia and Karris. They are both developed very well in this book, with tough choices to make and crucial roles to play. I like how each woman has their internal struggles, and that their stories are important to the overall narrative and not just throwaway plot threads. I also felt for Gavin, who is deep into the “hero’s setback” section of his journey. Considering how poorly I thought of him in The Black Prism, it surprises me a little now that he’s become the darling of the series. But seeing as I liked this book more for it, I’m definitely not complaining.
Kip, however, is still posing a bit of problem. They don’t call him “Kip the Lip” for nothing. This is where a lot of the author attempts at being clever and funny falter; Kip is simply not endearing himself to me, no matter how awkwardly charming Weeks is trying to make this character come across. I have a soft spot for unlikely heroes, but more often than not, Kip’s antics and clumsy dialogue simply makes me cringe. I never thought it possible that I could feel embarrassment for a fictional character.
Now, for the difficult part. I’m still trying to decide whether or not I will continue with this series. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been enjoying these books. True, my excitement might not be through the roof or anything, but I like them just fine. But with my reading time at a premium and the to-read list continuing to grow, it’s hard to justify all that with “I like them just fine” or the 3-3.5 star ratings I’ve given for each book in the series. If I also didn’t have to take page count into consideration this would have been a no-brainer since I hate giving up on a series, especially one that shows a lot of promise, but these are undeniably large tomes. On the other hand, I’m aware Lightbringer will also end at four books, so if that stands, I’ll probably go ahead and finish it up with The Blood Mirror. We shall see once we get closer to publication.
February 17, 2015
I don't think this rating will come as a surprise to anyone who was following my updates.
I was massively disappointed with this book and even the strong finish couldn't drag it back to 3 stars. I am going to keep this review brief because there isn't much to say to be honest. It is a book of side stories and info about the main characters with almost zero plot forwarding until the last few chapters. All of what was read in this book could have and more importantly should have, been added to the first two books. Character building should not be a book three in a series. Not only did I find the read boring, but worse, I felt like I completely wasted my money, which is not what I would expect from an author like Weeks in the middle of a series.
Given that I really didn't like book one either, I would find this series difficult to recommend.
I was massively disappointed with this book and even the strong finish couldn't drag it back to 3 stars. I am going to keep this review brief because there isn't much to say to be honest. It is a book of side stories and info about the main characters with almost zero plot forwarding until the last few chapters. All of what was read in this book could have and more importantly should have, been added to the first two books. Character building should not be a book three in a series. Not only did I find the read boring, but worse, I felt like I completely wasted my money, which is not what I would expect from an author like Weeks in the middle of a series.
Given that I really didn't like book one either, I would find this series difficult to recommend.
September 16, 2022
Updated September 2022 - I completely forgot what went down in the last chapter, and it took everything in me not to scream at the bomb that was dropped. The babies sleeping next to me would not have been happy LOL
Really need an option for more than five stars. This isn't enough. I'm blown away by this series, especially the revelations in this one. I'm questioning everything I thought I knew, and I absofuckinglutely LOVE IT
Really need an option for more than five stars. This isn't enough. I'm blown away by this series, especially the revelations in this one. I'm questioning everything I thought I knew, and I absofuckinglutely LOVE IT
April 10, 2017
So far the best book in the series with a lot of shit going on....all the time!! Never a dull moment
September 11, 2017
2.5 stars
Another divergent rating from a lot of my buddies on Goodreads. And I'm rounding it up simply because there were some great moments in this book, which as whole just felt like it dragged on and on and on and on..
It's been awhile since I've felt so divided on a book before. These characters are good and I really liked them back in book two, but The Broken Eye seemed to have stretched out the character development on the downward trajectory as far as I was concerned. I thought that I am supposed to care more, not less about these characters by the third book, but alas, it was not the case.
Kip and Teia had some amazing moments but at the same time both were given to so many instances of self-pity and self-bashing that I wanted to scream sometimes. Karris was the saving grace in this book with Gavin being out of commission, as was the White - I just could not get enough of the White. As for Andross, he's becoming more of just a big bully in my eyes - fine, a very smart and savvy one - but still a bully. And Gavin - sigh, my hero Gavin - I was hoping for some awesomeness but alas it was not to be, almost but not.
I probably didn't care about half the events in the book and I'm also not sure how I felt of the revelation at the end as well. The scene succeeding that was really heart-wrenching but was it enough to make me continue reading this series? I really am not sure at this point, especially now that I realised that Blood Mirror is merely the penultimate and not the finale.
Another divergent rating from a lot of my buddies on Goodreads. And I'm rounding it up simply because there were some great moments in this book, which as whole just felt like it dragged on and on and on and on..
It's been awhile since I've felt so divided on a book before. These characters are good and I really liked them back in book two, but The Broken Eye seemed to have stretched out the character development on the downward trajectory as far as I was concerned. I thought that I am supposed to care more, not less about these characters by the third book, but alas, it was not the case.
Kip and Teia had some amazing moments but at the same time both were given to so many instances of self-pity and self-bashing that I wanted to scream sometimes. Karris was the saving grace in this book with Gavin being out of commission, as was the White - I just could not get enough of the White. As for Andross, he's becoming more of just a big bully in my eyes - fine, a very smart and savvy one - but still a bully. And Gavin - sigh, my hero Gavin - I was hoping for some awesomeness but alas it was not to be, almost but not.
I probably didn't care about half the events in the book and I'm also not sure how I felt of the revelation at the end as well. The scene succeeding that was really heart-wrenching but was it enough to make me continue reading this series? I really am not sure at this point, especially now that I realised that Blood Mirror is merely the penultimate and not the finale.
January 2, 2022
Bloody hell! This is what a book should be! Twists, turns, defeat and triumph, this is easily the best book in the series thus far.
No critiques. This book rocks. If you haven't started this series by now, drop everything you're reading and pick it up!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
No critiques. This book rocks. If you haven't started this series by now, drop everything you're reading and pick it up!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
October 30, 2015
This is a book which I have been meaning to get to for quite a while (since the ending of the second was rather explosive) and I am so glad that I finally got the chance whilst doing an illustration project. It was the perfect time for me to read (or rather listen as I have the audiobook) and enjoy the story because it was fast and exuberant, fun and shocking all at once and it keep the creativity and determination flowing. This is the continuation of the story from books #1 and #2 but honestly, this one was better than both of them for me because I practically *lived* inside the world and was alongside all the characters whilst I was drawing. Everything about this series is just getting better the further into it we go, and I have to say with some of the revelations we have at the ending of this (and some of the events) I just NEED book #4 NOW! After Robin Hobb's new book this has just shot up to the top of my most-anticipated-sequel list!
Moving on to what this books does better. Once again we're following Kip, a young boy in training to become a Black Guard. He's also the son of the Prism (basically the ruler of the world) and he has very powerful Superchromat abilities (he can 'draft' lots of 'colours' and use them as 'magic' - very simplistic version but I don't want to give it away and it's a system which becomes clearer the more to read the books). Kip is a fairly self-deprecating character at first, but by this point of the story we have seen him develop and grow thanks to the events which have forced these changes. He still has his moments, but honestly I kind of love him as a character now even though he can be a bit whiney at times :D
Next we have Gavin Gyle - The Prism himself. Gavin is full of himself and rude to just about anyone, but actually beneath all that he's doing his best for the Chromeria (leading people who rule and govern) and the land generally. He's a pretty brave character and he too has changed and grown in ways I wouldn't have imagined at the start of book #1, but it's a great journey to follow. Seeing the way that he deals with the horrors he has to face in this book was both terrible, gruesome and fascinating...
We have Teia too who is a slave. She's also in Blackguard training, and she's a pretty badass young lady with some serious fiestyness to her. Equally she has been through, and continues to go through, some horrendous stuff. I admire her, love her, and definitely wouldn't want to be her becuase her life has been rough and although it's made her who she is, I wouldn't wish it to be real. She's a stoic friend and a kind person, but she frequently gets the rough end of the stick in this and seeing her cope led me to moments of fear and despair and hope all at once.
Finally (although there are a ton of other characters I could also mention) there is Karris who is a fully-fledged Blackguard and is nearing the end of her life as a drafter due to the sheer amount of power she's drafted in her life so far. She's more than above-average and she knows how to get things done and get them done well. I think she's a great character too and I think that the way that Weeks lets his female characters be both fierce and vulnerable does a credit to them in making them more real, just as the male ones are.
Some others to mention; Ironfist & Tremblefist - both fabulous Blackguard leaders and brothers , Craxus - a valuable leader and friend to Kip, Liv - an annoying, yet very powerful drafter , Andros Gyle - Kip's grandfather and Gavin's Father and a nasty, manipulative creep to all!
There are some excellent scenes within this and some fabulous moments of horror, disgust, intrigue, mystery, marvel, magic, suspense, and so much more. I definitely would recommend the audiobook as I think it enhanced my experience, and equally I would say that the book is paced super well. Never did I feel bored or annoyed, but always I was interested in where it would go next and my goodness there were some twists and turns!!
I am hugely excited to learn what happens next, and I will, of course, be getting book #4 asap after it comes out! Highly recommend this series! 5*s :)
Moving on to what this books does better. Once again we're following Kip, a young boy in training to become a Black Guard. He's also the son of the Prism (basically the ruler of the world) and he has very powerful Superchromat abilities (he can 'draft' lots of 'colours' and use them as 'magic' - very simplistic version but I don't want to give it away and it's a system which becomes clearer the more to read the books). Kip is a fairly self-deprecating character at first, but by this point of the story we have seen him develop and grow thanks to the events which have forced these changes. He still has his moments, but honestly I kind of love him as a character now even though he can be a bit whiney at times :D
Next we have Gavin Gyle - The Prism himself. Gavin is full of himself and rude to just about anyone, but actually beneath all that he's doing his best for the Chromeria (leading people who rule and govern) and the land generally. He's a pretty brave character and he too has changed and grown in ways I wouldn't have imagined at the start of book #1, but it's a great journey to follow. Seeing the way that he deals with the horrors he has to face in this book was both terrible, gruesome and fascinating...
We have Teia too who is a slave. She's also in Blackguard training, and she's a pretty badass young lady with some serious fiestyness to her. Equally she has been through, and continues to go through, some horrendous stuff. I admire her, love her, and definitely wouldn't want to be her becuase her life has been rough and although it's made her who she is, I wouldn't wish it to be real. She's a stoic friend and a kind person, but she frequently gets the rough end of the stick in this and seeing her cope led me to moments of fear and despair and hope all at once.
Finally (although there are a ton of other characters I could also mention) there is Karris who is a fully-fledged Blackguard and is nearing the end of her life as a drafter due to the sheer amount of power she's drafted in her life so far. She's more than above-average and she knows how to get things done and get them done well. I think she's a great character too and I think that the way that Weeks lets his female characters be both fierce and vulnerable does a credit to them in making them more real, just as the male ones are.
Some others to mention; Ironfist & Tremblefist - both fabulous Blackguard leaders and brothers , Craxus - a valuable leader and friend to Kip, Liv - an annoying, yet very powerful drafter , Andros Gyle - Kip's grandfather and Gavin's Father and a nasty, manipulative creep to all!
There are some excellent scenes within this and some fabulous moments of horror, disgust, intrigue, mystery, marvel, magic, suspense, and so much more. I definitely would recommend the audiobook as I think it enhanced my experience, and equally I would say that the book is paced super well. Never did I feel bored or annoyed, but always I was interested in where it would go next and my goodness there were some twists and turns!!
I am hugely excited to learn what happens next, and I will, of course, be getting book #4 asap after it comes out! Highly recommend this series! 5*s :)
August 28, 2014
Urgh... Middle book syndrome! I love this world very much and the characters even more. I enjoy politics and battles and magic a lot and can subsist for a long time on just the micro elements of good stories. But this? Nothing happened. The book ended with many of the main characters a mere step from where they began--Gavin from captured to captured; Kip from fleeing to fleeing, Betrayers continue to betray, and there are a few "oh, snap!" moments here, but they're a little bit expected (looking at you, big guy) and not quite as punchy because you feel like redemption is there even before the betrayal sinks in. The most fascinating reveal is that Andross isn't quite the puppet master we thought, at least not the only one. But we mostly hate him, so it's not quite as fun.
I understand the need for middle books. I really do. And, in spite of everything bad I have to say about this, **i still enjoyed it.** You will too. But, objectively, this was a bit of a disappointment from someone with as much talent as Weeks.
I understand the need for middle books. I really do. And, in spite of everything bad I have to say about this, **i still enjoyed it.** You will too. But, objectively, this was a bit of a disappointment from someone with as much talent as Weeks.
September 9, 2014
Is this a little bit of filler? Yes. After the conclusion of this novel, I can't wait for the 4th and final installment to close out the story lines of these characters Week's has made me learn to love/hate/love to hate. Much of what we were left with in the Blinding Knife does not get resolved here.
With that said, Brent Week's "filler" is still top-notch and a joy to read.
The war with the Color Prince seems to float in the background. It is still being waged, but there are no battles or chapters focusing on the Color Prince and his army.
We get a lot of Andross Guile's machinations in the Chromeria. The storylines with Teia are a big improvement over Liv's (increase of Teia = reduction of screen time for Liv).
Kip seems to be in an "awkward" stage. Gone is the little fat kid trying to survive his Black Guard training. Here, a 16 year old Kip learns to live on his own a little (being separated from Gavin) and tries to find his way in matters of love, friendship and adulthood.
Gavin deals with his loss of color sight.
This is a great book with our favorite characters. The dialogue and inner voices are as entertaining as ever. I just couldn't give it 5 stars since it focused on a lot but "moved" the storyline very little. With everything that needs to be resolved and answered, we seem to be looking at (and waiting for) a seriously packed final book #4.
With that said, Brent Week's "filler" is still top-notch and a joy to read.
The war with the Color Prince seems to float in the background. It is still being waged, but there are no battles or chapters focusing on the Color Prince and his army.
We get a lot of Andross Guile's machinations in the Chromeria. The storylines with Teia are a big improvement over Liv's (increase of Teia = reduction of screen time for Liv).
Kip seems to be in an "awkward" stage. Gone is the little fat kid trying to survive his Black Guard training. Here, a 16 year old Kip learns to live on his own a little (being separated from Gavin) and tries to find his way in matters of love, friendship and adulthood.
Gavin deals with his loss of color sight.
This is a great book with our favorite characters. The dialogue and inner voices are as entertaining as ever. I just couldn't give it 5 stars since it focused on a lot but "moved" the storyline very little. With everything that needs to be resolved and answered, we seem to be looking at (and waiting for) a seriously packed final book #4.
May 8, 2017
That ending has killed me :'(, thanks Brent weeks for stomping on my heart. RTC if I ever stopped crying
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