Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks is my kind of fantasy and it was nice that I got to read a complete trilogy in the course of a few months without a long wait between books. Weeks does what I usually attribute to Robin Hobb, and that is create characters I really give a crap about. Kylar Stern is another Fitz Chivalry and that is a huge accomplishment in my book. I am also a sucker for a good love story wrapped up inside my fantasy, and the Elene and Kylar story is one. I’m a softie for that sort of stuff, I will admit it. The characters in the book get to grow and they are not perfect, nor should they be. Weeks allows the reader to see their mistakes, and understand that they are “normal” people with faults like the rest of us. This is where the author shines, his ability to get the readers attached to the characters and then puts them in emotional situations.
Brent gives me a fantasy dish without all the crap that I do not like. I do not like books that have so many characters that I have to use the index to remeber who people are. Weeks gives us just enough characters to make it interesting. If your book feels like I am back in school studying, or if it is just plain confusing, or feels like the author is talking down to me, then screw that book. No worries here, Weeks is good on all accounts.
The authors writing style is fast paced with non stop action, which is great in this kind of epic fantasy. At the same time though Weeks keeps us attached to Kylar and all the secondary characters swirling around him. The story itself is not complex, but it does not need to be as the main thrust of the enjoyment of this story is character driven. Vi, Momma K, and Durzo sit at the top of my list as other well crafted characters in this story, being strong enough characters in their own right.
I felt the book ended a bit abruptly though, with all the loose ends coming together in a manner that was a bit quick for me. Dare I say that we might have actually had time to build to a fourth book instead? I do not know, but the Night Angel Trilogy fits into the fantasy that I like, and kicked ass. Weeks does answer most of the questions that the reader might have with the whats and whys of what happened. He also brings in bits and pieces from the first two books for continuity, which I always look for.
Kylar goes from ophan to hero at breakneck speed and even with the small flaws one can strain to find with the trilogy, at the end of the day, their is only one question that matters. Was it enjoyable? Very much so, Beyond the Shadows now sits as one of my favorite trilogies. Considering that this was Week’s first real work, I am looking forward to reading what else he puts out in the future.
EncodeD lives somewhere in the USA with a few kids, a few dogs, and someone that cooks. EncodeD reads, plays video games, watches tv, basketball, raquetball, and hangs with the family.