Broken Eye

I was so excited by the previous books that I was halfway through The Broken Eye before realizing that it was an inexplicable slog. With over a thousand pages before it, numerous cliffhangers and loose threads to resolve, even without author fiat, the narrators should have had sufficient momentum to carry the plot forward.

Instead, The Broken Eye is a directionless mess. Brent Weeks took the incredible action-packed climax of The Blinding Knife and called a timeout. Everything is put on hold. Gavin and Kip find themselves without agency, removed from events of importance while the world passes them by. Karis is written out of the story, with as many narrative chapters as Aliviana. The war, always the backdrop, barely warrants a mention. The only character who is doing anything of value is Teia.

This is partially due to the ambiguity of our antagonists, something I previously praised. It's a very tense and thrilling novel where you're not quite sure who is the enemy, but when there's no clear villain, we need short-term goals. The Blinding Knife spent much of its page count on Kip's entrance exams into the Blackguard, but no such goal exists in this book. Characters wander from scene to scene like a slice-of-life novel, accomplishing minor tasks without any overarching plan, despite there being an actual war in the background.

Yet somehow I still felt the desire to read just-another-chapter. And credit where credit is due, I love it when authors recognize that defeated foes shouldn't just fade away after a protagonist deals with them. They're given life off-screen and return simmering with resentment. It breathes realism into a world. Events of import continue to occur in the background and secondary characters that disappeared from our narrators viewpoint continue to live their story.

Sadly, their story appears to be more interesting than the one we're reading.

Recommended with reservations - pre-existing goodwill should see you through the first mediocre half, and the last quarter has Brent Weeks returning to his fine form.

What a pleasant surprise to realize that what I thought was a trilogy actually has a few more books planned! Unfortunately the fifth, and final (maybe?) book isn't released yet so I'm running head first in to what will be another story I'm waiting for finish.

Power is any action that results in consequences. But real power is action that results in the intended consequences.

With two more books to go in the series Brent Weeks is ramping up nicely because The Broken Eye was the strongest in the series. The story picks up right where it left off and it was go-go-go straight to the ending.

There was a lot of content in this story that events earlier in the book are blending in to The Blinding Knife. I feel like Kip's enslavement with Zymun was in a previous book, but no, that started this story off. The pacing of the book was well done and I never felt overwhelmed with how much was going on everywhere.

A little madness keeps you from going crazy.

All characters saw good progression in their development. Kip and Gavin received most of the attention but everyone, big or small, saw progressions. From mad ship pirate Gunner to the Blackguard inductees led by Cruxer and even Andross Guile.

I don't root for the bad guy often, but learning more about the political landscape in Chromeria I am starting to cheer for what Andross is doing to manipulate decisions and put himself in a place of power. The fact I can cheer on Andross Guile is a testament to how good the story has progressed and unwrapping the layers of the characters.

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. You burned more brightly than most. It has a cost.

Front to back this was a solid book and even had a few surprises thrown in. That ending...my goodness! Epilogue #1 was a bombshell but Epilogue #2 was on a different level.

I re-read the first two books to enjoy this one more and I did. I like how all story lines find a kind of closure towards the end but still leave me waiting for the next book.

I haven't yet been able to start reading anything else, since I finished this book two days ago. I am pondering re-reading immediately because around two thirds in I couldn't put the book down anymore and spent all Sunday morning and afternoon devouring it. Way too fast.

I miss Kip, and Gavin, and Karris and ... the others.

And still one of my favorite magic systems of all times. Maybe even better than Mistborn.

If you haven't picked up this series yet: your loss.

Also: you don't have to kill everyone to make them and their friends suffer. This book shows how.

I am still not sure about Andross. He's so mean. But I am guessing he might be Snape after all.