Book 3 of Lightbringer by Brent Weeks (26-Aug-2014) Hardcover

This book seemed to last forever, resolved nothing from the second book, and took the plot in directions I just couldn't believe. I was utterly underwhelmed after loving the first two books.

Honestly, I think you're better off just reading cliff notes and hoping that book 4 actually returns to moving the plot forward.

This series is one of my favorite that I am currently in the process of reading. I can say that I while I liked this book, it didn't feel as strong as the first two. It started off kind of slow and I was reading a chapter here and there and then it really picks up in the second half of the book and I blazed through the second half. However, just as other readers are reporting, I felt a little disappointed at the end. It's as if you really want to see what's going to happen and then it plays out pretty much the way you expected. There were a few minor twists here and there to keep things interesting but nothing Earth shattering.

Next, to cover a few things that were somewhat surprising/interesting/unexpected. This author has never really come across as the "gritty" writer to me in the past but he really went over the other side of the spectrum (no pun intended) when it came to language and violence in this novel. It wasn't offensive to me but it felt out of character for this writer and this particular story. It would be like going from writing in the 3rd person to writing in the 1st person. Weird. Second, he is flirting quite a bit with theological arguments which closely mirror real life atheist, agnostic, and theist arguments; something I can't remember a lot of other fantasy writers touching on quite so strongly. Obviously, this is quite a controversial topic and I am curious to how he will wrap it all up.

At the end of the day though, this is a fantastic and interesting world that he has created so even if he didn't knock this one out of the park like the first two, it's still good, still worth reading, and I will definitely be looking forward to the next one. These middle novels can be tricky sometimes when the author is trying to set everything up for the endgame and I still have a lot of confidence that this one will finish strong.

Well I took a long time to get through this one. I started reading it twice over a period of months and finally managed to get through it on the third go. It is a really confusing read. It jumps all over the place, switches from character to character (without reason a lot of the time), and unless you have a big whiteboard character diagram it is really easy to think you are reading about one only to find a few pages later that you are reading about somebody else altogether. I feel like I have re-read most of this book several times just to work out who is telling some part of the story.

There is a lot of unnecessary detail and what feels like filler in a lot of places and I felt the need to skip read a lot.

On the positives, there is still a complex story line being followed and there is a lot to like about a lot of these characters even if there are just too many of them. The world building continues and we learn a lot of new detail plus we get an enormous amount of detail about the history of the planet (mostly boring). For me, this is the end of this series. While I love most of this author's work, this series feels like it is just going nowhere. You get a lot of words for your bucks when you buy this one.

Brent you rock man! I seriously love your witticism! This series is as great as the Night Angel series. Edge of my seat the whole time. I couldn't put it down, and even had dreams about this world of Prisms and shimmer cloaks :-) I can't wait for the next one!

Brilliant, just as expected. Love it when I get to the end of a book and have the 'arh, I saw that coming', and then, 'oh wow, didn't even see that though'. Great writing Brent, can't wait for book 4.

Great book for readers of this series. It gets 4 stars instead of 5 just because Weeks set the bar so high in the original 2 books. This one falls off a little in central character development and overall impact. Certainly worth reading.

Once more I have to wait to continue the story. Brent Weeks has once again renewed my love of reading. This series is an
Amazing one ... just like his Night Angel one. Anyone who likes fantasy and magic I would highly recommend this series to. Great storylines and exciting fights this series blends them perfectly.

Really good epic fantasy. I was a little unsure with book 1 but each consecutive book got better; the story got deeper and more complex. When I finished book 3 I was dissapointed I had to wait for 4.

I would give this a 3.5 or 4. The story elements are there, but I kept feeling like it was leading up to something bigger that never came. I did enjoy it like I do all of Mr Weeks books. This series is scoping out to be overall fantastic. I just felt this book to be lackluster in certain areas.

Good, but not as gripping as the first or second novel. Brent seems to be treading water a fair amount of the time is this installment and I found myself skim reading, which I can honestly say I havent done so when reading his work thus far. I only hope he has done so to set up for an epic finale otherwise he will lose the mantle of my "current favourite fantasy writer".

This a great addition to the Lightbringer series. Lots of great drama, confusion, intrigue and action. I was surprised with the ending, but at the same time it made complete sense. I can't wait for the next addition in story.

I love this writer and have devoured his books. I eagerly waited this one but I was a little disappointed. It was mainly that the central character was not followed as much as I'd like. I think it was also, that all the main characters were very helpless in this one. Hopefully this will improve in the next book.

I liked the first two books in the Lightbringer series, but "The Broken Eye" was a disappointment. The story didn't go anywhere and it was boring. The writing style made the dialog between the characters appeared awkward and it kept me from escaping into the story. I lost interest by the end of the book and will probably skip the next book.

I don't usually get hung-up or notice the grammar errors, but there were many in this book.

I thought this was going to be a trilogy. Wrong. The latest volume meandered a bit without resolving much. But, it was a pleasant journey with enjoyable characters. The wait for the fourth volume begins.

I expected way more of this book. The middle part is utterly boring, you can feel it's just to make a tetralogy of something made to be a trilogy. And now I need to wait until 2016 for the ending. Frustrating. I just hope that it won't work out that there will be a fifth book :)

*SPOILER FREE* So I hate to call it a "filler" book since there were some events that happened that put things in place for the next book as well as some relevelations that are akin to the "Luke, I am your father" type. No Darth Vader isn't the fat kids father. In all seriousness I blew through my first read and when I get around to my second read I may revise my review. I liked the first 2 books better and but I'm starting to dislike Kip the Lip more even as he adjusts to the spotlight cast on him. Something about Kip just drives me insane, its like every other block of dialogue makes me physically groan or wince. I get it, he is a teenager, he was unloved, he has a smart mouth...etc. Stop bashing me over the head with it. I said spoiler free so I will leave it at that. A good book but not the best in the series and I don't understand how they can wrap this all up into a book 4.

Weeks keeps you on the edge of your seat, slowly sliding forward only to leap back in shock as he hits you with a blinding, no pun intended, truth that smacks of spirituality and yet leaves for you to decide the underlying meaning.

Great book. goes into a little bit too much detail sometimes. My biggest complaint is having to continue waiting for the next book right in the middle of a key event. I'm tired of series that leave you hanging for a year or more waiting for a book to come out.

I am a fan of the series, and I personally liked this book. That being said, it does mostly seem to set up what is to come. The characters are further developed, it does take a little while to happen, and without any spoilers I can say that I hope "The Blood Mirror" is everything it is set up to be.

Absolutely incredible. Twists and turns - the characters continue to thrive and come alive in the pages. I devoured this book and now I'll have to wait with baited breath for the next installment! A must-have for any Lightbringer fan!

If you've read and enjoyed The Black Prism and the Blinding Knife: stop reading this review and start reading the book! It has absolutely all of the awesomeness, the stakes, the machinations, the twists, and everything else that made the first two books so great. A lot of the characters have changed over the events in the Blinding Knife, so don't go into this book expecting things to continue as they have been; some characters have grown, while others have been diminished. It is the way of things. If you had sketched the plotlines of some of the characters in this book for me before I read it, I would have said there was no way it could match the fun of the previous installments, but it absolutely does, and it pulled me along at a breakneck pace throughout. This is a true Brent Weeks book: it's not *super* deep, but it poses a lot of tough choices for it's characters, and the characters can't escape the consequences of their actions just by waving their hands. Things happened in this book that genuinely upset me, but through it all I remained completely invested in the characters and their goals. And of course, I was turning the pages to find out what secrets lie at the heart of the Chromeria and its people. Several questions from the first two books are answered, but plenty more remain as or even more inscrutable as ever. I can't wait for the last book!

Still a great series but I feel the author was a little unsure of the direction of the story and reverted back to filling the space with a lot of backstory and world building which I feel is a bit late in the day to start doing. Still a cracking read with good action but not as I would like.

Brent Weeks shows so much promise. His characters are vivid and entrancing. But, his plot development? What a mess. I felt like I was reading a mishmash of 5 or 6 books, each of which could have been a great read if they had proper plot development. I kept asking myself, "Where is his editor?" If he had an editor, they should be fired. I wondered if Mr. Weeks didn't just sit down and write this without ever thinking ahead of time about what would happen, just throwing in a bunch more new stuff that also hadn't been developed properly. So much of it seemed hastily thrown together, too many new concepts thrown it, too many tangled messes rescued with "tomato surprise." I felt bludgeoned again and again by obvious choke points in the story that were rescued by throw away cheap surprises. I'm just so disappointed because I know Mr. Weeks can be a great author, if he can only find the discipline to lay out his plots and counter plots and develop his character stories with a little (okay, a lot) more discipline. Wonderfully new ideas wasted in this chaotic, disorganized heap of a story.

Fantastic addition to the series. really moved Kip's character forward and added some huge "Game of Throne"-esque plot twists. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Mr. Week, please do not make us wait too long.

Brent Weeks.....Whats there to say? He rocks that's what. Great third installment of the Lightbringer series. Only downside is that you will read it ALL in as few sittings as possible and then your stuck waiting AGAIN LoL

Whether your talking Kaylar Stern or Kip Guile, Brent Weeks never dissapoints. This book just kept me guessing, rarely took the easy or tradition route.....just a very good, very enjoyable read. Thanks You Mr. Weeks :)

good book but didn't quite match up to the rest of the series so far. could have used less strung out intrigue and more actual events. haven't ever been let down by Brent Weeks and don't know that I would call this a let down necessarily, but I hope the next one goes all out and this was a building book. He has already said that the next one is the last in the light bringer series and then he is going back to Night Angel so I will keep my fingers crossed that this doesn't go down as one of the best starts to a series that died.

What a wonderful installment in this excellent series. The Broken Eye is packed with gripping action, stellar plot twists, and delightful character development.

You will see all the characters you love and hate - Kip, Gavin, Karris, The White, Andross Guile, Teia, Ironfist, Liv, Grinwoody, and many more! Some will be unveiled as as enemies of the protagonists, some will be unveiled as heroes, and sometimes those are not mutually exclusive. You'll be left wondering who is in control and exactly which team are some of these characters playing for.

All things considered, an excellent read. I cannot wait for the next!

Really liked this book a lot. Several lukewarm and negative reviews stated that certain events in the book were overly abrupt, but I thought it flowed very well. That being said, it felt like not as much happened in this book as the previous two, although it was not lacking for action.

All in all a very enjoyable read and I look forward to Book 4.

Another great book from Brent. His story is imaginative and multi-faceted with characters that have become real people in my mind. My only complaint is the wait between books. Other authors put out multiple books per year, but Brent seems to be on a 2 year schedule between books (August 2010, September 2012, August 2014).

Really liked this book a lot. Several lukewarm and negative reviews stated that certain events in the book were overly abrupt, but I thought it flowed very well. That being said, it felt like not as much happened in this book as the previous two, although it was not lacking for action.

All in all a very enjoyable read and I look forward to Book 4.

Another great book from Brent. His story is imaginative and multi-faceted with characters that have become real people in my mind. My only complaint is the wait between books. Other authors put out multiple books per year, but Brent seems to be on a 2 year schedule between books (August 2010, September 2012, August 2014).

This was pretty much crap.

There are some good moments, don't get me wrong, and Weeks is a very good writer in some ways, but this was just lazy.

After you've read the entire back story on a character within the first few chapters (helpful if you need to get caught up on the story,) you don't need that back story repeated every time he/she makes a decision just for emotional effect. Here's the girl who was once a slave (we went over this before,) and someone just called her a slave! Here's six paragraphs on her motivation for that. Oh, an action scene is coming up! Thank God! Wait, let's spend six pages rehashing things we already know, NOT only from the first two books, but from this one as well. It's repetitive and boring. This reads like a poorly-edited episode novel.

The amount of sitting around and doing nothing, and still having the repetitive back story spelled out when someone is sitting around doing nothing, just to remind you of the context of that character, which has been said 10 times earlier 3 chapters before, is again boring and repetitive.

Other reviews have called this filler. That's right on; don't waste your $10. Read a synopsis online before you read the next one to see if it's worth your money. Did I say boring and repetitive? Hope that's not too boring and repetitive for you. Let me tell you about my motivations for writing that as a person whose emotional background was a guy who was bored with how repetitive this book is.

I'm a big weeks fan, I wish he wrote more books. this series is awesome and I realize I have no idea where it's going or how long it will last. but I look forward to all the future volumes. Very interesting alliteration throughout the book. the best I thought was the impish imperial imperious or something like that.

My first thought upon finishing The Broken Eye: "How long until the next book is released?"

I know, rationally, that this book became available less than 24 hours, but that cannot curb my desires for more of the story (and the interesting world it takes place in).

Specifics

The Good:
Length - The length is spot on. It is not too brief nor too long. Each section had a reason to exist within the flow of the book, yet I was not left wishing more more explanation on any single topic.
Editing - Nothing of note missed that I saw (meaning it was done well)
Characters - Complex and properly motivated
Plot - Balanced complexity, intrigue, and engagement
Nine Kings (Card Game) - Handled better than in The Blinding Knife (likely because TBK had to set the groundwork)

The Bad (minor issues)
Long Winded - scenes, lists, or flashbacks are drawn out to emphasize significance... sometimes drawn out too long
Perspective arrangement - often switches characters following a cliffhanger. This breaks my immersion each time the scene changes abruptly and after building to a crescendo without the subsequent resolution to the chapter. Cliffhanger-chapter-endings are good, but they were too frequent.

I would definitely recommend buying The Broken Eye and continuing the Lightbringer series.

Good book. I don't know if it's as strong as the first two but a lot happened and I'm still processing it so maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Definitely worth continuing this series though. This book is longer than the first two, still reads easy though.

As others have said, this book is a filler and a very long setup for the next/last book. I finished it and felt like someone had stolen the rest of the book. It ends just as it feels like it should be starting. You really could shorten this book to a ten page synopsis of the things that happened and move on without missing anything. After pre purchasing this book and waiting for almost eight months, I do feel taken advantage of. It reads ok and what action there is, is good. Overall, a cash cow roll out.

I saw a lot of 3 and 4 star reviews and wasn't sure if I wanted to buy this. After a couple hours of thought I did and I didn't put it down until I had to sleep. Great book, great story, and looking forward to more.

I am a huge Brent Weeks fan. Read all of his books and read the first two in this series twice each. I own first editions of all the books in this series. The only authors I anticipate a new book from more are Martin, Rothfuss, and Sanderson. I was shocked to realize that I liked The Blinding Knife more than I liked its Sanderson book-two counterpart, Words of Radiance (although I could argue either way). In fact, although I buy the vast majority of my ebooks from the store, I bought this one from ibooks, because their new releases are available a few hours before the store makes them available (I think it's because Apple uses Midnight Eastern and the store uses Midnight Pacific).

All of that said, this book was somewhat of a letdown. It suffers from the middle-child syndrome the second book avoided. My best guess is that Weeks had three-and-a-half great books for this series and decided (or the publisher decided) to stretch it to four, rather than cut it to three. Broken Eye has more exposition, more navel-gazing, and less action than either book one or book two. Also, of the big questions we were left with at the end of The Blinding Knife, virtually all remain unanswered, or are answered unsatisfactorily. Fortunately, despite all this, Liv manages little screen time. Her motivations are pretty murky, she's a little boring, and I'm still kind of confused on what, exactly, superviolet is good for aside from writing coded messages. The Color Prince gets talked about a lot, but his perspective is virtually absent from this book--another reason I think this is one part of a two-part finale.

As usual, Kip is at his best when he's spouting off to a superior. The dialogue is effortlessly written, and the humor is above average as expected. I enjoyed reading The Broken Eye. I wasn't ever bored, exactly. It just didn't advance the plot to the degree I have come to expect in this series. If you want to drag everything out like Robin Hobb, you may. But it works better if that pace is set during book one. It's genre fiction, and though it rises above most of the rest of the category, you still have to give the readers what they want. In this case, in no particular order, that is (1) Kip reaping vengeance on his enemies, (2) lots of drafting and related magic gizmos, (3) battles, and (4) revelations. Most of the action takes place in the last 10% of the novel, and it feels rushed. It was unsatisfying.

On the scale Weeks has set for himself, this book gets 3 out of 5 stars. Compared to everything else being published in the genre, it's a 5 out of 5. I settled on 4. I enjoy this series immensely, but The Broken Eye is the least of the three.

Simply wonderful. Some may bemoan the lack of 'large action', but this does not make it a filler in the series. On the contrary, this is one of the most well-written fantasy books I have ever had the pleasure of reading, and I've read an awful lot of them. Mr. Weeks shows his mastery of so many different aspects of creative writing in this volume, far more than in his previous books. This is just the best he's written.

This book is not only the worst in what was - until now - a fantastic series, it's also just not a good read, full stop. Some of the reasons are as follows:

a) the author goes into far more detail than is necessary about topics that do not progress the story in any way;
b) the Blackguard trainees are immature and often act like the kids they are, saying and doing the most inappropriate things at the most inappropriate times. It would be comical if these guys weren't supposed to be the equivalent of today's special forces;
c) two of the most interesting characters, Gavin and the Colour Prince, are barely in this book;
d) the way in which characters react to each other and situations they're in are simply not believable; for example, Kip owes Gavin everything but at no time do we see him really push to be allowed to go and search for him, nor do we get the feeling that he even thinks about him very often;
e) Kip's development as a character is all over the place - it's as though the author wants to make him into a combination of Gavin and Andross and is trying to make it happen quickly, as opposed to growing the character slowly and believably.
f) the author uses a lot of exposition. It's a lazy way of filling in backstory and it just reinforces for me the feeling that the author really wants to wind the series up and is getting bored. Even the twist at the end - which could have been brilliant - is completely ruined by the author's use of exposition.

There are many more issues with this book but in short, it's boring. Not much happens and when it does happen, it's not good - in any sense of the word. The author has for the most part, removed the most interesting characters, one of whom was also Dazen. In fact, it's almost as though the author removed Dazen simply because he didn't know what else to do with him. The only character in this book who remains interesting is Andross.

My advice? Give it a miss, it's not worth the money. Just read the plot on the Internet, it will take you far less time and you'll get the information you need without having to wade through the mud to get it.

Fantastic! I can't wait for The Blood Mirror! (Please, please write faster Mr Weeks!) I am amazed at how he fit so much information into this book. It's a definite page turner and difficult to put down.

Awesome book. Read it in 3 days after taking the time off work for a cold. Great continuing the story line but man I need the next one to come out so I can see what being the Lightbringer actually means!

I'm quite surprised by the negative reviews for this book. I enjoyed this almost as much as the second book, though it perhaps didn't quite reach the highs of that work. There's a terrific amount of growth for the major characters. It's less action-packed than the second book, but is leaps and bounds ahead of the first book, which suffered due to an overabundance of exposition. There are some good twists and turns, most of which surprised me. There are a few moments that don't quite ring true in terms of characterization, but I suspect that that they will be resolved in the finale. Can't wait for the next one!

I love Brent's books. He has such a smooth writing style that let's you get sucked into his world. It's full of surprises and twists that keep you on your toes. The only downside is having to wait for the next book. Great job Brent.

Book three certainly does not disappoint. I read it in two days, and it kept me up late each evening wanting more. This is a well fleshed out fantasy, unique world with a wonderful blend of magic and (low tech) technology. The characters are believable, and even the "bad guys" are complex with credible motives.

A good mix of story, character growth/diversity/conflict, style, originality, in a fantasy setting as close to original as you can get today. great personality development, and even some theological and philosophical conundrums. engages the mind in many dimensions, not just the fantasy fix part that always itches for more.

This was an amazing book. I wouldn't rate it above The Blinding Knife, but it was close. I'm going to concur with some of the other reviewers and say don't bother with the reviews. If you liked the first two books in this series, stop reading reviews and start reading this book.

I noticed some of the reviewers were upset that not as much happened in the book as they expected. I think these opinions are unfair. The truth is, by the time this book ends, you are going to feel like the whole book was a prelude to the next book. But then, that's exactly how the first book in the series was. When The Black Prism ended, I felt like the bulk of the book was unfinished, and the real action hadn't started yet. That's a lot like how this book is - but that doesn't make it a bad book. It just makes it a little bit frustrating that we have to wait for the next one.

The twists are amazing, but not too much or out of place. The character development is some of Brent Week's best. There's a little less action than the other books, but there's still a lot, and it's good. And the overall story of the series is progressed a lot more than in the first two books. After reading it, I feel like I have a much better idea what the overall series is about. The editing was great, too, for those who are interested.

A bit of a scattered review, but it got my thoughts out.

tldr: Will leave you frustrated at the end that the fourth book isn't out yet. Amazing book, and must read if you liked the first two.

I love this series so much! This book was amazing, but I'm so sad and so frustrated that this didn't conclude the story. While I look forward to reading more about all these characters I've come to love, waiting for more is hard. And I hate seeing so many of them suffer. But it's so well written! More please.

Love this series! This is as creative and surprising and unpredictable as the rest. The world he has created doesn't seem to have too many absolutes, no pure evil or pure good. Have recommended this to several friends.

Love this series! This is as creative and surprising and unpredictable as the rest. The world he has created doesn't seem to have too many absolutes, no pure evil or pure good. Have recommended this to several friends.

Rarely have I so anticipated a book, and never have I been so disappointed. Everything that makes the first two books so engaging is gone. All that is left is a sinkhole of endless introspection full of repetitive self-doubt that leads to no character evolution. Save yourself the trouble - read the plot summary on wiki and wait for the next book. Hopefully it will be better

This is a great novel. I loved it from start to end. Though it mostly served to explain events, tie up loose ends, and serve for a precursor to the finale of the series, I found it hard to put down. Lots of nice twists and surprises keep you intent. Great work.

Another wonderful step in this series. The only problem is I went through it so fast I now have to wait for the next book. But that is part of reading a series as it comes out. We do learn more about the world and its mythos. Kip makes strides in his character and other characters shine as well. The action scenes were exciting. And the ending caught me by surprise.
Now the wait.

I have enjoyed Mr. Weeks books since the Way if the Shadows showed up mistakenly on my door step. Everyone of them has enthralled me to no end. This one is no exception. Great story lines, great characters, and a witty and amusing writing style that keeps you turning pages long after you were supposed to go to bed. Great job!

I highly recommend this book and series. The characterization is good, the plot line was only a little bit of what I expected. I think most would say, as I do, that it is another strong effort in a good series. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Wow. Another great chapter in The Lightbringer Series. The overall story arc is very much a setting the pieces story, but it sure is a lot of fun taking the journey. There is a lot of development for the characters in this book, but not a lot of development of the grander saga.

I found myself itching to get to the end of some chapters, but flipping the pages to see if a chapter was going to end soon on others. Of course, the chapters that seemed to move the slowest where the ones that shifted perspective to another character right when the tension was highest with a character you were just reading about. The end of the book comes fast. The last hundred pages or so do not slow down and let you breath. Once the dominoes start falling, you cannot stop the greater design. You have to keep turning the pages. One. After. Another.

Looking forward to the next installment Mr. Weeks. Hopefully, you were secretly working on it at the same time as this one, because 2 years or more from now will be too long to wait.

There were times while reading this that I wished Weeks would just get to the story. Do we really need to hear all that much about how Dazen/Gavin felt as a slave at the oar, or as a prisoner? What about Teia's prolonged struggle with her self-image? After finishing the book, though, I have a sense that the length of those passages were necessary to set up their transformations in the next book, and so I don't regret the time spent. Can't wait for the next one.

I've been a fan of Mr. Weeks since discovering his Night Angel books at my local bookstore, and I've read every one of his books since. A lot of character growth and world development happen in this book, which I personally enjoy. I'm so glad to see Kip gain some self-confidence.

Highly recommended to anyone who has read Weeks' past works. If you haven't, start now.

An excellent book. A superb addition to the series. Be prepared to have dramatic mood swings as you make your way toward the end. And to become seriously depressed when you learn that their will be a two year wait until the next installment

This is such a fantastic third installment of the series! I was so excited wait for this book to come out, (the rest of this series was amazing as well and hooked me in), but I told myself that I wasn't gonna read it in one sitting or a single day so that I could enjoy it for even longer! While I did hold up to that promise it was very hard to set the book down so that I could sleep, there were a few night that I stayed up until 3 am without realizing it.

Read this series and get this book! 5 stars amazing! Such depth to the characters that it feels real, along with a twisting and deliciously complex plot makes this series and book one of the best I've read so far. Can't wait for the next one

Another exceptional book in an exceptional series. I have a short list of writers who keep me enthralled and engrossed the way that Brent Weeks does. A very. Short. List. I am grateful that this series isn't over yet, and I will once again share the joy, the anger, the hatred, the fear, the laughs, the uncertainty, the sadness, and the love of these wonderful and terrible, relatable and contemptible characters who enrapture me, and the fabulous depth of the world in which they live.

Awesome book! Was a little worried when I bought it due to a couple of bad reviews, but this kicked ass. This series needs to go on for another 12 books! But only if Weeks can write them all in the next year ;)

Awesome book! Was a little worried when I bought it due to a couple of bad reviews, but this kicked ass. This series needs to go on for another 12 books! But only if Weeks can write them all in the next year ;)

The story is amazing with enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes, but not gratuitous ones that make you throw away half the story. The entire series is awesome. I can't wait for the fourth book.

As a third book in a great series this is a must read book. That said... it is a filler novel. There are a few revelations and some character building but I was surprised at how little actually happens. This lack of major events combined with the excessive use of other viewpoints in lesser importance characters kept me from enjoying this novel as much as the previous ones. I finished it last night with a neutral "eh" You'll have to read it though so make the best of it and lower your expectations going in.

Beware... in the Ebook version the book ends at around 93 percent as there is the same huge appendix of world and magic info that was in the previous books.

I like this book the best so far of the three. That said I realize there will be some disagreement on that. This book explores the depth and character progression much more than the other books do and that is where I see some have felt it short changed on more "action" orientated aspects of the two previous books. I wouldn't argue that but the detail and scope of what we learn and how it effects the characters is much greater in detail. I love that kind of writing if done right and here it is. If you really enjoy that kind of stuff too then you'll love it. If not still enjoyable but not as much as the first two.

I was so excited for this book. I stayed up late, read at work and I finished it feeling... underwhelmed. Weeks took characters that you had invested in and ruined them. Is this a filler novel? Yes. Is it necessary for the story progression? Perhaps. I like finishing a book and being left with the feeling that you can't wait for the conclusion. I just don't care anymore and that is perhaps the worst feeling ever after reading a novel.
Obviously, if I write why I was left this way then I will be ruining it for others and I don't want to be that person, but I will say don't be surprised if you are left uncaring about this series afterwards.

I was advised by a fellow blogger that upon finishing The Broken Eye I would basically lose it. Though I didn’t flip any tables, throw dishes, or generally rage, I did sit there with my mouth agape for a few moments before thinking that I had it coming. Weeks had set me up yet again and I was so unprepared. The ending wasn’t even the biggest surprise in the book- there were countless other twists and turns, which is one of the biggest reasons I’ve been devouring the Lightbringer series.

Brent Weeks writes his characters vibrantly. As a reader I can connect with their emotions and situations, and I love many of them. Kip, Teia and the rest of their Blackguard squad keep me endlessly entertained and any situation involving them is essential. I could go on for pages about them, but to keep it short and sweet, their success and Kip’s continuing epicness will please me to no end. Gavin and Karris are also have a special spot in my heart as the star-crossed lovers. Other characters are so easy to loathe, but also deserve a certain degree of respect for their… guile. Yes, I did that. Andross Guile is a devious spider, at the center of a complex and powerful web. That clever old geezer is playing a long game, to be sure and I cannot even guess at his true endgame. Zymon (though he appears only briefly) is a chocolate covered turd. He appears winsome and sincere, but he’s rotten inside and without a scrap of humanity.

This particular segment of the Lightbringer tale had me cringing several times- such a visceral reaction can be difficult to pull from me, but not in this case! I get nervous every time Kip starts babbling, so I was internally screaming “NO KIP SHUT UP!” pretty frequently. And poor Gavin, wow. He’s really had a streak of awful luck. There’s so much on the line for so many of the characters that it’s literally one crazy thing after another! The story line in The Broken Eye may be the best one yet, though I hope that The Blood Mirror will exceed my expectations as well.

The Broken Eye was yet another strong installment in a top notch fantasy series. I loved that Kip has really toughened up and gained a few skills for all his hard work, though he does tend to let his mouth engage before his brain does. Gavin had some terrible set-backs, though it provided valuable insight into his earlier years as Prism and showed that he’s not quite as amazing at everything as he was initially. Character growth was impressive in this one all around. There are deeper mysteries than I would have expected, and Weeks only has two more books in which to wrap up those new threads- CAN HE DO IT? Yes, of course he can… but can he do it well? I’ve already begun The Blood Mirror, so that review won’t be much further behind.

After setting up the stakes in the second book, the third book in the series comes at you in two ways. On the one hand, the political thriller this book takes is wonderful and rich, but on the other hand, sometimes it drags too much with Gavin stuck on a boat, contemplating life. Like we get it, my dude, you've lost the very thing you based a lot of your identity on and are justifiably angry at a God you don't really believe in. But Week's spends maybe a few too many pages with Gavin stuck serving his time - which is a function of the plot but also not as riveting as you'd like it to be. Kip, on the other hand, is both annoying and hard not to root for. This book really slow burns his development into a leader, and it's actually wonderful to see his and Karris' friendship mature. Things move fast and slow, and the fast things are sometimes a bit too fast and the slow things are sometimes a bit too slow - until you get to the ending and all of a sudden the rollercoaster drops and you're screaming your head off.

Well...I always thought that I wanted Harry Potter's Invisibility Cloak, but now I think Teia's shimmercloak would be way cooler! I wonder where I can find me one of those.... ;)

Anyway... I really enjoy this series, with its colorful magic system, well-written world building, and well-developed characters (although I hope to see more of the Color Prince in future novels). As a fan, this third installment did not disappoint at all. It started where Book 2 leaves off and kept me hooked throughout the whole story.

First, some of my ongoing thoughts on the magic system. I know I've said this in reviews of other books in this series, but I really love the idea of magic being associated with the colors of the spectrum, with power wrapped up with the ability to see and use such colors. Brent Weeks really paints a vivid picture as his characters use these colors to influence the course of events. As I read this book, even more so than the first two, I can definitely see how strongly Weeks must be influenced by Brandon Sanderson's writing, as he uses colors similarly to the way Sanderson uses metallurgy and mist walking in the Mistborn books (and I think it would be interesting to put Teia and Vin in a room together ... they might find they have things on common :)). I also see a bit of George R.R. Martin here (maybe we can lock Andross Guile and Tywin Lannister in a cell together and see how that works out :P). However, many fine fantasy writers have been influenced by the work of others and have incorporated other ideas into their work to create unique worlds and stories with a new approach to magic. (J.K. Rowling comes to mind, for instance ...something she has admitted, but this does not diminish her Harry Potter tales)

Now, when it comes to the plot itself of course, I don't want to give any spoilers, so I'll just say that the story was intriguing and moved along especially well in the first and last part of the book. There seems to be quite a bit of filler in the middle of the book and while there was a good amount of important background information about the formation of the Order and the true story of Lucidonious here, there were several times when I felt like the momentum stalled and the action itself could have moved a bit quicker. However, even those sections held my attention and once the action kick started into motion, it was non-stop. And the ultimate payoff was well worth it.

Of course, like so many books in a series, the non-conclusive conclusion, with cliff-hangers-a-plenty, leaves me asking "Ok, so when is Book 4" going to be published? ;)

This book is a slog. It has moments of really good, exciting narration but is absolutely plagued by down time, talking, and thumb twiddling. There is such an incredible amount of wasted space in these pages. I feel like you could honestly pluck out 300 pages and not lose a thing. The amount of time spent arguing about what should happen, scheming or politicking for power, or just training is astounding. It's a shame because the other books in the series didn't have the same problem and when the story doesn't get in its own way, it's actually quite good but there is just too much nothingness in here for me. The pacing is demonstratively slow and you'll spend hundreds of pages just hoping for something, anything, to happen.

After seeing 'The Broken Eye' on the the store Best of 2014 list, and having not read any of Bremt Weeks books, I took a leap of faith and I started at the first book of the series. Man O' man can I truly say that I'm glad I did.

The books aren't perfect- I suppose no author is- but the authors growth in book after book is apparent. I've read, in this, that many have found The Broken Eye as the weakest- or a let down/ cash cow. I humbly disagree.

While this book doesn't have the persistent battle themes of the second book, or awesomeness of Gavin in book one- it does pivot the series to the series own namesake (aka Lightbringer); it expands Teias character tremendously and it (I believe) throws a feint at the reader (who's the primary nemesis?)....

However, plot points are important- the authors mastery of prose hums with vibrancy here: Gavin's dream sequences; Kip in the forest (early); Kip in Big Jasper (late).... These are what making the book a lasting work: and one which has me looking forward to book 4.

Very highly recommended to Jordan / Sanderson / Epic Fantasy fans.

I like this book the best so far of the three. That said I realize there will be some disagreement on that. This book explores the depth and character progression much more than the other books do and that is where I see some have felt it short changed on more "action" orientated aspects of the two previous books. I wouldn't argue that but the detail and scope of what we learn and how it effects the characters is much greater in detail. I love that kind of writing if done right and here it is. If you really enjoy that kind of stuff too then you'll love it. If not still enjoyable but not as much as the first two.

This review is for the audio version. The narration was clear and easy to listen to, and the narrator employed a wide and appropriate vocal range.

Regarding the story itself, I never really got into it. I found the prose to be repetitive and somewhat listless, and the point of view almost indiscernible at times. One significant event early on was told from a distance, with the occasional reminder the POV character is watching from a window. It left me detached from what was happening, and was virtually an omniscient narrator pretending to be close point of view.

I could rustle up no interest in the politics, the magic, the Orders. This, admittedly, may be a failing of mine rather than the author's. I found a lot of the mise en scene contrived (aren't they all? But in the best writing, the reader forgets and becomes immersed in the world) and bearing little or no relation to any points of reference I could make use of in the world I inhabit. Naturally, others have taken to Mr. Weeks' world building like ducks to water, so I am willing to concede once more that the fault is mine.

At its simplest, The Broken Eye just did not resonate with me; there was nothing to draw me into the story, and a lot of things that kept me at arm's length (the aforementioned POV issues, word and phrase repetition, and worst of all, long passages of reflection about what had happened previously, most of which caused the plot to grind to a halt). I found little or no humor in the characters, and far too little conflict in the story in those crucial early stages. Action scenes, by and large, lacked immediacy.

It may be that I am simply out of touch with the genre. Mr. Weeks is up there with the best of the so-called "new-wave" writers, but thus far I have not enjoyed any of this new fare, save for some of Joe Abercrombie's works. I'm still stuck somewhere between R.E. Howard and David Gemmell.

Another winner from Brent Weeks, and I was lucky enough to read it just as the next book in the series is due to come out October 25th. The numerous characters' storylines weave among each other like a perfectly crafted quilt, or a choreographed dance, one step here leads to another step somewhere else, all of which build to an overwhelming success of a story. There is humor, magic, violence, intrigue, plot twists, political maneuvering, and a story that actually progresses the plot.

Brent Weeks writes the kind of fantasy novels most other authors can only dream of. Looking forward eagerly to the next one.

I was really disappointed with this. I thought the first book was great, and the second book showed promise. But this book just labored. The Main Character of the first two books spends nearly this entire book in chains (literally), getting weaker and lamer as the book goes on. As to other characters, it felt like Mr. Weeks doesn't know who he wants to be his protagonists.

I still think the writing is good and the conversations witty (though I hate the anachronism of modern American cuss words), but plot wise this felt like books 8-10 of the Wheel of Time series. NOTHING HAPPENS and you are just waiting for the plot to move forward. Another analogy would be stretching the one book Hobbit into three movies.

I agree with other reviewers who surmised a three book series was stretched to four. I get that these guys have mortgages to pay, too, but I'm still disappointed.

This is another installment to the Lightbringer series. This gets into some of the politics of strategic arrangements of kingdoms. It also brings in some backstory information on several of the characters. Kip is also coming into his own in this installment and finds out how much of a pawn he is in his Grandfather's game. I look forward to the next book.

Brent Weeks captivated me with the Night Angel trilogy. I picked up the Lightbringer saga because of how infatuated I was with his introduction into my world. At first, I was confused ( I was petrified ). It seemed like his writing had taken a step back from where he was with the Night Angel books.....Easier reading, less description. After giving it a chance and reading into it though, the simplicity turned into beauty and the beauty became captivating. It isn't totally on par with his first three books, but the Lightbringer series is nothing to turn a nose up to, it's worth it to invest yourself into this universe and it's something completely unique in the way magic works. Give it a chance, you'll like it.

Spoilers. What do you expect?

Both the previous books in this series have been solid four star books. I'm disappointed to be giving this a three star review, and wondering if it's too much.

A lot of the content could have been cut. The editing wasn't complete, and there were whole passages where the meaning was unclear. I felt that there was some desperation on the author's part to create something that was different to the Night Angel series, that someone had told him it was sort of the same and he panicked. Some of the book's broad points I appreciated, the fact that Andross Guile's conversion from wight to sane drafter had changed him a little, Gavin/Dazen's arrogance growing and how it lets him down. But these were minor parts in an ensemble story, and weren't properly executed. A lot of the voices sounded the same, the women and the men and the young and the old, and philosophies that differed with the author's will were hard to find. The Order of the Broken Eye want basically the same thing that the Chromeria wants; they are a younger brother feeling slighted that he didn't inherit. Which brings me to my next point. I may have been at fault, but the various nobility that are mentioned throughout are hard to keep track of, not something I have a problem with in books such as these. Samila Sayeh was boring, and I couldn't detect madness in her voice. Hopefully it wasn't meant to be there. Ben-Hadad was given hardly any time, as was Cruxer, both interesting characters I would like to have heard from, and apparently important. Overall, we could have done without being inside the characters heads if individual voices can't be created and maintained for each of them. Kip ... seems to me the only really well done character in the novel that was given enough space on the page to prove it. Too much, though. His spiritual journey takes up more time than it needs to be conveyed to the reader, and he repeats himself a lot in his inner monologue, taking each time to be the first that he thinks something. Though this happens elsewhere in the novel, maybe it is the author and not Kip.

That section with Abaddon/Diakoptes. Hopefully something can be made of it in the next book. Unless it was meant to be the lunatic ravings of a dying mind and nothing else.

Just Brilliant. This series of books just keeps on getting better and better. It's one of those books you look forward to reading all the time. Everytime you have a spare minute you just have to read it. I really enjoyed it. Wish there were more books like this (like The Wheel of Time, Fire&Ice, Stormlight Archives or The Name of the Wind Series). It's not childish and it's full of twists. Packed with new developments. You get to feel for so many characters. I hope the next book on the series comes out very soon.

Although possibly not as good as the first two (but perhaps that was because I'd forgotten a lot) I really enjoyed this book. Actually, the main reason I didn't give it 5 stars was:

* Some of the character interaction is a tad unrealistic - esp Andross/Kip, as well as everyone being able to read everyone else's thoughts by their facial expressions.
* Is there really a psychopath gene in the Guile's bloodline? It seems so. And they are a bit too evil to be believed.
* It drags on a little bit - Although a lot of it is fast paced, I'm sure a few sections could have been cut down a little.
* The universe really is out to get Gavin, Kip and Teia. Every turn, something is thrown against them! I know this is part of the story, but its just a little too much sometimes.

Perhaps that sounds a little harsh. I really do love this series and enjoyed reading this one - just a little less than the first two. There are lots of surprises at the end, but another two years to wait for the next one! Drat you, Mr Weeks!

I must say, Brent Weeks didn't skimp on books 2 or 3. They were great, and I certainly didn't see the twist ending in book 3 coming. Man! And I certainly appreciate the correction of the passive voice that was so evident in book 1. If you are a fan of magical fantasy worlds like Robin Hobb's work or George R.R. Martin, take a look at Brent Weeks's Lightbringer series. It's well worth it. Five stars across the board!

It's rare to find fantasy that breaks and builds up your heart so completely, as do the very best books of all. The intricacy of the magic unfolds consistently and with such incredible depth of mystery. Religious war, mythical beings shrouded in history's foggiest lenses, and complex political machinations provide a backdrop for the drama of these beautiful characters. I have fallen in love with so many. Kip, Teia, Karris, Orea, Gavin, Ironfist.... Weeks has come into his prime with his own style in this book. is a master magician, playing our heart strings with luxin, exposing all of our deepest flaws to the light.

It is hard to find quality writing in the Fantasy Genre. Extremely hard. That is why I was so excited to have stumbled upon Brent Weeks. He has a way of absorbing me into a book to the point where I can't put it down until I am asleep, and in that regard this novel was just like its predecessors. The hardcover was 750 pages and I finished it in roughly a week.
Weeks is one of only a few authors that have ever had me waiting with baited breath on their next novel. Perhaps only J.K Rowling, Brent Weeks, George R. R. Martin, Peter V. Brett for a time, and as I am ashamed to say, Terry Goodkind fooled me past book 3 (I wont say how far past, but I was very young then).
Unfortunately, as it turns out, Brent Weeks is not a very good 3rd-book writer. As I was disappointed with the final book in the Night Angel trilogy, I was also disappointed with The Broken Eye - but actually for the complete opposite reason. Where Beyond the Shadows felt rushed and cliche, The Broken Eye was paced much, much slower than the previous two novels and was far less polished. There were chapters tossed in that featured never-before-seen characters that could have (and should have) been removed without consequence. There were scenes of interaction between main characters that were bizarrely out-of-character and extremely cheesy to the degree that they felt like the belonged in a young-adult fantasy film featuring Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson. There was a pivotal action sequence that felt as if it were written as a free-write and was unrealistic to a disappointing degree. And frankly there were just too many WTF??? moments, including ***<SPOILER>*** we'll just call it the ethereal library scene***</spoiler>***. Among quite a few others.
Despite not adhering to Weeks's previously-set standards, the book is eminently readable and I am still looking forward to the next novel.

I have really enjoyed this series, but this 3rd book has not kept the previous pace of action. The writing is brilliant at times and while I enjoy it overall, I believe its complexity gets in the way of the story. The character development is great and I naturally want certain anticipated events to happen, but its seems this book really drags on with out the closure. Perhaps that is brilliant writing or the intended effect, to each their own preferred style. I still believe its a good read for fantasy readers. Its not the same old fantasy story. Enjoy.

I've read some of the other reviews and it seems a lot of people say the same thing: that this book is a filler book, that there isn't enough action, or that this book has middle book syndrome. I disagree. This book has a lot going on with a lot of different characters. There is a lot of great character growth, and really great tension between characters (mainly revolving around dear ol' grandfather). The difference between this book and the last is that much of the story has to do with that intrigue and character's plotting. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and I actually enjoyed it. I don't usually prefer stories with a lot of intrigue and little action, and every time I started a chapter in this book I would almost put it down thinking that I wasn't going to enjoy it. But within a paragraph or two it sucked me in every time. I can see how people who loved the last book with all of the physical action and tension would find this one less exciting, but I don't think it's any worse of a book, just different. I give four stars rather than five though, because like many of the other readers, I still prefer more action. This book had lots of action at the end that made me unable to put it down, but throughout the rest, due to the nature of the type of story it was easier to set aside for a day. Also, I felt that the overarching story for this book was so much smaller. In the blinding knife, the whole story between gavin and his father felt HUGE, epic, making the ending all that much more awesome. This book didn't feel as epic, the story smaller, as if it could have been a side plot. Still, the ending was great and I can't wait for the next.

As a voracious reader of fantasy, I've read just about every series out there. The Sword of Truth series, the Kingkiller Chronicles, the Codex Alera series, and The Stormlight Archive just to name a few. What usually bothers me is is just how straightforward the story arch can be. The good guy is miraculously good, discovers incredible powers, fights against bad guy (who is nothing but evil), and succeeds at the very last moment. Sometimes characters are intended to seem intelligent yet they succeed almost purely on luck. In some series the plot will be varied and fascinating, but the writing style will be so verbose you find yourself sloggin through pages and pages to get to the next big thing. Then the story becomes an excercise in waiting for something you know is going to happen.

Brent Weeks' writing style, however, is none of that.

To me the most interesting thing about Brent Weeks is not the twisting and turning of the plot. It's the careful attention he gives to the pacing. He'll cut away from a certain character, leaving you desperately wondering what happens next, but then move into something else completely fascinating and new. You'll forget for a moment how desperate you are to see the next big event. Instead the new perspective is always a perfect compliment, enhancing clarity and furthering the plot in ways that the main story arch could never provide. Even if you do get bored, it wont be for long. There's always something crucial to be seen or learned just a few pages away.

If you like complex world-building that's beautifully creative and easy to understand...
If you like a fast-paced storyline yet appreciate character development...
If you like to see evil and good and everything in between all mixed together...
If you like characters who act as intelligently or stupidly as their personality demands...
If you like social commentary through a diverse cast who each believe in their own principles...
If you like a plot that moves forward by more than the characters' need to not die or not let the bad guy win...
If you like a story that has no clear endgame...
If you like good writing that doesn't bog the story down by being overly styled or descriptive...

This is the series for you.

As others have observed this is classic filler material. We make a little headway in the first few chapters, a little headway in the last few chapters, but for a novel of this length we spend most of our time meandering about without advancing the plot, and that's not a good thing. This is not episodic television, this is an 800 pg novel. There should be more purpose in each installment than simply advancing our characters from point A to point B - a trap that often ensnares writers in length series.
Weeks falls into the trap of many modern fantasy writers, using decent writing ability and an interesting setting to cover up mediocre plotting. It's ironic that many reviews compare him to Sanderson, who is guilty of the exact same crime. With so much filler material this particular novel also gives you a more in depth view of the primary characters, however our protagonist is unfortunately rather 2D and doesn't stand up very well to such scrutiny. Many fantasy characters are poor caricatures, and that's fine when the story is being driven by action and world creation, but becomes problematic when we're focused on political machinations in a single location for hundreds of pages. The reader is left with nothing to do but dissect the character - not good when the character is only skin deep.
Hopefully the next installment will be a return to the action adventure of the first books in the series, because the more we focus on characters, the poor dialogue, poor motivations, lack of consistency, and lack of character progression have a hard time standing up to the light.

This action packed book takes you on merry chase to discover truth. Kip Guile is The Lightbringer but no one else believes it. Andross Guile is trying to move people like a game of Nine Kings. Gavin Guile really Dazen is trying to prevent further war but is thwarted into being galley slave. Karris White Oak Guile is being trained by the White to be spy master. Who will come out on top? Answers in The Broken Eye.

Wait until the next book. The entirety of the Broken Eye can be summed up in a paragraph (but I will save the spoiler). That said; the real reason that I wanted to give this just two stars is that, unlike the previous two books, there is more filler than substance. The book didn't even get to explain what the broken eye is, just alluding to its nature. Andross (the Red) is made out to be super-human in this book, which isn't supported by the previous books (maybe the editor cut out the links in logic....). There was even a part where Kip has an out-of-body experience, which is a fumbled attempt to pull disparate plots together. Maybe in the fourth book Weeks will go back to the winning formula in the Night Angel Trilogy (but even with that series he had to put together an epilog (novella) some of the pieces together after the third novel). I kept hoping that the book would pull out of its tailspin, but ultimately just stopped. My advise is to wait for the fourth book to come out and read the Wikipedia entry for this book.

Another great book in the series. I am a huge fantasy fan and avid reader. I have read all of the usual names you would see in a top 20 list. I am a fan of Brent weeks and think this series is fantastic. The characters are all interesting and this story has a unique Magic system. I can see how some of the other reviews thought this was a filler story since we still have a lot of questions and this story barely touched some of the key characters. However, a lot did happen and i thought it was hard to put down. I can't wait for the next book. I strongly recommend this series to any avid fantasy reader and you should start from the beginning.

Complete filler, the story is pretty much put on hold and all action or cool twists and fast pacing that were in the first two books, and made them great, is missing.

Lots of character development for the uninteresting characters while the interesting ones are put on the backburner until the next book, lore is dished out in small unsatisfying morsels.

The one good thing is the extremely cool flashback chapters , which there are far too few of in favor of pages and pages of descriptions of weapons or combat training.

The biggest flaw would have to be Kip, as he is the "main" character of this book yet at the same time he is given almost NO character growth over most of the book. A truly masterful feat of writing that had me bored out of my mind as he constantly pondered over the same topics over 800 freaking pages.

It's funny because a filler book in a series is the perfect time to actually have some character development before the conclusion, but almost none of the characters change between page 1 and the end. You could skip this book, pick up the next one and every character would be exactly the same as book 2.

Almost saves itself with the ending, but by then I was just annoyed.

Wow, I'm crushed. My (previously) favorite author has brought the Lightbringer series low with a clear filler novel overtly pandering to the female reader. This novel is too long by several hundred pages, and can be summed up as a novel featuring ineffectual political machinations that would do G.R.R. Martin proud, character ruminations about previous missteps that do nothing to advance the plot, and a heaping dose of gender reversal. Yes, complete with Xena, Warrior Princess-worthy empowered female saves worthless - sorry, "useless", as the novel puts it - male and goes on to receive great honors despite serious character flaws, near-total unpreparedness, and major skill deficiencies for such duties.

****SPOILER ALERT****

I suppose a large part of what galls me with regard to Karris' rescue of Gavin (Dazen) is how horribly tacked-on and anticlimactic it feels. Chapter after chapter after chapter of exposition about the wordplay and brutality of Gavin's capture, imprisonment, ephemeral (and false) freedom, and capture once more is contrasted so starkly with the alacrity with which Marissia and Karris discover AND foil the threat to his life. We've read hundreds of pages about his captivity, and within a scant few pages she has learned of the threat and has successfully disrupted it - with just-in-the-nick-of-time delivery, of course.

*****END SPOILERS****

If the reader is counting on any sort of meaningful progress out of previously established protagonists Kip and Gavin, they need not apply. These two are along for the ride as the litany of strong, beautiful women take the helm while the rudder of the U.S.S Lightbringer is at full lock, dragging the reader through a torrent of nauseating and meaningless detail.

There was a single chapter of the book that (obliquely) speaks to the greater purpose of the series, and even that is shrouded in so much obvious mysticism and jargon as to be near worthless. What a shame that after 3 books and >800k words, Weeks still hasn't seen fit to reveal even a glimpse of the end state.

Teia was one of my favorites in the Blinding Knife, but Weeks' somehow converted her into an unfeeling person with titanic sense of self entitlement. Frankly, she sees way too much screen time in the Broken Eye, and I found myself skimming the bulk of her chapters - particularly those in the first half of the novel. She expects much of Kip and everyone else, but gives little in return, and eventually it gets tiresome to read about her unending dissatisfaction with her lot in life, despite those all around her propping her up (even her enemies).

Karris is back, of course, but somehow Weeks' has shoehorned her into a role that is the complete antithesis of what he spent the previous two books establishing. It appears that he looked at the roles he needed to fill and simply couldn't think of a better candidate from the cast of characters he had already built. Since he didn't want to write in (or flesh out) other characters, he simply crammed her into a new role that could not have been more inappropriate for her. And, naturally, she's marvelous. She's a hypocrite (self admitted), yet unrepentant; she's uncaring; she's (still) impetuous; she's tactical in lieu of strategic; she's governed by jealousy; and she maintains the arrogance and entitlement of her inherited class. Sounds perfect...for the Blackguard.

There are many (many) scenes with Kip and his grandfather in a (largely fruitless) battle of wits, but they are too many and needlessly detailed. Kip's few other scenes of personal growth are more thrust upon him than earned

Reading about Gavin throughout the novel is one long, long depressing ride that never lets up. I'm not one for puppy dogs and rainbows at the end of a gritty film, but wow, this was really a downer for me. Worse, it didn't particularly serve to advance the plot of the series much either. We get a few hints of his past that had not been revealed, but they are extremely limited and of little value.

Weeks' Night Angel works were among my favorite novels, which makes this review even tougher to write. Sadly, based on the thoughts expressed within his blog, he sees the Broken Eye (and the Lightbringer in general) as professional progress. I couldn't disagree more. I will not be reading the fourth.

As other reviews have indicated, this book is two-thirds filler and one-third plot.

Mr. Weeks attempts to move the plot in an exciting direction through introducing various sub-plots and plot-twists. Unfortunately, the result resembles the middle books in the Wheel of Time series...drawn out plot, not much action. Not much resolution to the prior sub plots. Frankly, this series is in danger of getting out of hand. If the next book shows Brent Weeks pulling a Robert Jordan, (letting the whole series start to buckle under the weight of long tomes where nothing happens), I'll pass on future installments.

Mr. Weeks is a brilliant writer, but he would do well to emulate Brandon Sanderson's knack for pulling together character development and worldbuilding and plot development all in the same volume.

Excellent Book. I glanced at a couple of the reviews here on the store and was surprised at the number of people quick to call it a mediocre filler book in the series. I don't know about other readers, but I am not the kind of person who only cares about the major plot points and fight scenes. I read to be entertained, and the character development and dialogue in the Broken Eye sucked me into this world more than the fight scenes alone can do. Gavin's first real exposures to failure and weakness were numbing to read, while Kip's adventures and rants of hilarious (though often insightful) rhetoric kept me chuckling aloud. Some of the Black Card Scenes might have seemed out of place or a filler, but I think they contribute to reader's ongoing revelations about the past, legends, and magic of the world in which this series is set. Furthermore, they provide crucial pieces of perspective to Kip on his way to being a wiser hero.

I found the latest book in the Lightbringer Series to be highly entertaining. Many plot twists, engaging fight scenes, moral insights, green Bouncy Balls of Doom, and yes, awkward young love, all contributed to a great read. I highly recommend.

Meh. Okay but not good. Annoying characters, pedestrian story. Couldn't wait to put it down. Picked up another in the series, read the first sentence and put it back. I've read a lot worse, but I've also read a lot better.

So many things happen in this book it could have been split into two. Instead we have an amazing story woven for us, the reader, that just keeps going and going and never runs out of steam. In fact, the events herein make for what will be one of the most insane and amazing books every when we get the next one. So many intricate relationships created and torn asunder. The lightbringer shall shine soon and is going to be utterly amazing!!!!! 5 stars. Read it and enjoy

This is a fantastic continuation of the Lightbringer story, with lots of twists and turns for the main characters. The evolution seen in Gavin, Kip, and even Andross Guile keeps you turning pages as the most colorful characters in a world that revolves around color shake the political landscape of a world at war. If you liked the first two books, you should love this one. If you haven't read the first two books, go do that, because otherwise this book will make no sense to you.

Remember your readers are your customers. Make each book action-packed and exciting. Do not draw a series out to make an extra dollar. I used to wait all year for a new BW book, but now - like many authors - you fill your book full of bonding agents and stretch it out to another release when it's not necessary.

Not as good as 1 and 2, but not bad either. Definitely fills out the world more and delves deeper into the characters making them more human. I would describe it as heavy on philosophy with bits of Weeks' action thrown in to keep it moving.

This is a interesting series. It's got a lot going for,it unique magic system interesting characters and the story is solid. The books unfold pleasantly and keep you captivated. Overall they mak for a good fantasy read and set up for a good fourth book.

A lot longer than it should be. Brent Weeks seems to have run out of ideas and is asking for the reader to follow him through an maze of implausible plot twists and turns. I am no longer waiting with bated breathe for the next book.

The words on each page could have been replaced with an illustration of a large hand with the middle finger extended and it would have been roughly the same reading experience.

If there is a fourth book, I will just read a synopsis somewhere.

Brent WEEKS is a CHEATER CHEATER CHEATER. I went into this novel expecting a rousing conclusion to what was a a pretty good series. This was again, pretty good. Lots of excitement, intrigue, etc. There were, however, those long meaningless passages that authors throw in to inflate the page numbers. I would up skipping perhaps 1/4 of the book and lost nothing of the plot or interrelationships. The second half of the book appeared to be setting the stage for a rousing conclusion. I was psyched. Everything was coming together. Then.. in the last 200 pages.... Weeks ripped away the ending and started a completely different story and story line. It had NOTHING to do with the preceding three volumes. The characters are off to a different life, the bad guys are good guys, the hero is sidelined. It is all complete nonsense to just get us to buy the next book. No way. CHEATER CHEATER CHEATER.