Beyond the Shadows (Night Angel Book 3)

Most of my critical thoughts were fleshed out while reading Beyond the Shadows, this third book of Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy, but overall I'm critiquing the trilogy as a whole since many of my notions were formed from both the first and second books as well.

Our hero, Kylar, is a wetboy ... a more expert type of assassin. Like other reviewers have commented, "wetboy" is just simply a dumb name ... wish Weeks had thought up something a little more rugged, more tough, or simply more meaningful. Anyhoo ... the story arc for Kylar himself is interesting enough, especially as he develops skills and puts them to use. But Weeks, in trying to expand the story to encompass a larger, more complete world in which Kylar lives, apparently stretched his imagination to its utmost limit whereupon it failed.

The story transforms from the story of Kylar into the story of the world in which he lives, and this world bears striking resemblances to other fantasy worlds by other, more skilled, authors ... and since I'm not good at innuendo I'll just say it outright: Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Several plot mechanisms in this story seem to be, not outright copies, but clearly influenced by WoT. Perhaps "derivative" is the right word? Chantry/Aes Sedai. Lae'knaught/White Cloaks. A magical essence that comes into the hero and talks to him. Naming sword-fighting maneuvers with pretentious Asian-sounding mystical aphorisms ('Three Mountain Castles' ... might as well go with 'The Reed Bends in the Wind'). Other similarities abound. And it's not just WoT that has apparently influenced Week's writing: there's a pesky love triangle a la Sword of Truth where our hero is involved with both a good girl & a bad girl. *Heavy Sigh* ... Dude, it's been done.

Beyond those pesky quirks (they aren't blatant enough to actually ruin the story, but they did make the story generally less enjoyable for me) the voice of the story takes a turn for the worse with some silly characterizations that are utterly unbelievable for multiple & various tertiary characters. Weeks' imagination simply wasn't up to the task of creating original ethnicities/nationalities for his fantasy world that feel real and are internally consistent. Germanic words/titles (Vurdmeister) mixed with Indian- (Solonariwan) and Japanese- (Oshobi) sounding names all within the same nation/ethnic group. It simply doesn't scan.

I won't say it's a bad story ... it has some originality and the action scenes are generally top-notch. It's just all the little inconsistencies made this a less-than-stellar story over all. I mean, halfway through the 3rd book Kylar suddenly becomes afraid that some people may associate his 'cover name' with the known 'wetboy' ... but his "cover" was blown way back in the first book (IIRC, certainly no later than book 2) ... how could it possibly be of concern at such a late stage in the story? I think Weeks simply forgot that he let everyone know who Kylar was 2 books prior.

My only recommendation to readers who haven't already picked this one up is this: buy used. It's just not worth full price.

I hate giving bad reviews but this book was pretty awful. So many clichés and absurd metaphors (something like the blade slipped into her as easily as a comb through a princess's hair on the 100th stroke) make this book particularly painful.
For what it's worth, the other books in this series are not nearly as bad

Come on in. I've got the perfect item for couples that REALLY love one another. These rings aren't like other wedding rings, they're earrings. Pretty creative, right? It's like you're somehow familiar with the concept of jewelry to symbolize love, but this way it's new and original. This ring goes on the ear. I can see that this creative NEW expression of love has aroused your curiosity.

And speaking of arousal, you haven't heard the best part yet. These earrings let you feel the emotions and thoughts of your partner. You can even have psychic relations when you're miles apart (or should I say furlongs (so that my world seems new)).

Privacy? Who needs it? Am I right? I mean you two are so in love you'll never will want to have even a second of time alone. You want to know when your partner is using the bathroom? Then these are the rings for you -- I mean earrings.

Wait, wait, don't walk out of the store yet. I haven't even mentioned the best part. These earrings come with what every couple is looking for: slavery. But act fast, whoever clamps the earrings on first is the slaveholder. Yes, through your "love" bond you can command the person you love to do whatever you say. That's right, anything. Even idle comments that you don't intend him or her to carry out. (Careful what you say!) What do you mean the idea is repugnant?

Well, what if your spouse was nice about it and didn't use it very much. I mean, you wouldn't mind it if you knew that he or she hadn't exercised their slaveholders rights much, right? A lot of people are interested in surrendering their free will. Heck, I know a guy that didn't even mention it.

Don't go. Have I mentioned that it's a terrific plot device?

Fine, some people just aren't into the bright side of slavery. What that? The Aes Sedai of Tar Valon? Never heard of 'em. You're thinking of the sisters of the Chantry. Go there and ask to talk to the Amrylin Seat, uh . . . I mean, Speaker. You'll find all kinds of non-derivative things there.

To Weeks's credit, this entire trilogy was extremely entertaining and difficult to put down. That said, it certainly had a few problems.

The foremost of said problems is that, in several instances, things simply happen with no explanation whatsoever. Occurrences that have been built up to and leave a reader anxious to read on are simply resolved in a paragraph with no real explanation of the middleground between the onset of the problem and its resolution. While I understand it was probably a product of length guidelines, this came off as being resultant of Weeks writing himself into a conflict that he couldn't write himself out of, which makes for utterly disappointing reading. It seems to me that a few more months in the drafting stages could have fixed up these problems.

I read a blog written by Brandon Sanderson in which he stresses the importance of an author having an intimate understanding of his magic systems, so as to make them more real to readers. While certain elements of Weeks's magic systems are concrete and understandable, too often they seem to have too few boundaries and too little explanation.

Finally, the ending of the book -- of the trilogy -- is, frankly, pretty silly. Being an avid reader of fantasy, I don't use that term lightly, but here it is deserved. A solid conclusion is there, but a final twist is thrown in unnecessarily, and silliness ensues.

Given all of that, some of the character development is fantastic, the world-building is outstanding, and Weeks is just plain fun to read. It's worth your time if you can see past its faults.

It pains me to start with this, but “The Night Angel” trilogy has been an exercise of gradual letdown. I picked up “The Way of the Shadows” several years ago and absolutely loved it. The characters were great, the setting was interesting, the story was intriguing, and I enjoyed the gritty take on fantasy (which is perhaps more common now, but this was one of the first of such books that I had read at the time). “Shadow’s Edge” was a little more mixed. The world got bigger and there were suddenly too many characters vying for attention, none receiving the care and development that they did in the first book. The tightness of the story began to slip with many new plots and subplots being introduced and it began to feel like the author was maybe losing control of where everything was going. But then it packed a punch with a decisive climax that sort of redeemed the book’s negative aspects. I had hoped that “Beyond the Shadows” would use the climactic ending of the second book to launch into a show-stopping conclusion to the trilogy, tying the many plots together and bringing the characters to their full potential. It didn’t. Instead, it continued the painful trend set by the previous book: too many characters, too many stories, and too much going on for any of it to leave much of an impact. All of this coupled with an anticlimactic conclusion led to me taking forever to finish this book. Spoilers follow.

With the Godking defeated, Cenaria welcomes Logan as her rightful King. But the danger is far from over. There’s a new Godking in the North, one with more power than ever seen before. Khali, the sadistic goddess, is also at large, just waiting for the opportunity to unleash chaos on the kingdom again. This is no longer just Cenaria’s fight – it’s all of Midcyru’s. Logan must figure out how to unite the land’s many countries and factions if they are to stand a chance against these new enemies. Kylar, still struggling with the burden of being the Night Angel, is stuck with the job of figuring out how to actually defeat a goddess…and he needs to do it quickly if he wants Cenaria and everyone he loves to survive.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with the plot itself, it just wasn’t the story I wanted to read. Kylar is no longer the main character. He’s also not really an assassin anymore and doesn’t use his abilities as the Night Angel that often. I liked the first book as much as I did partially because it was so cool to see Kylar develop his skills and put them to the test while also being impacted by the grey morality of his chosen occupation. In the second book, he began to explore and develop his talents as the Night Angel. In this novel, I wanted him to truly figure out what that meant for him; given the almost existential crisis he underwent in “Shadow’s Edge,” how could he take the skills of a killer and use them to perpetuate justice? But that’s not what we got.

That aside, the first 200 pages or so seemed to be going in the right direction: tighter story, characters moving forward decisively, and everything just feeling like it was progressing to something great. And then the problems of the last book came to bite this one in the ass. Specifically, everything got too big. The world got too big. Cenaria in the first book felt well fleshed out, but we see so many different places here that there’s no time to characterize any of them. The cast got too big. There are so many point of view characters that the book spends more time jumping from one to the other than it does actually developing the story. Also, many seem unimportant (Solon, for example).

As a result of that, and perhaps most damaging to the novel as a whole, the story got too big. All of these characters have their own plots, and Weeks seems to want to tell them all equally. Unfortunately, there just isn’t room in one book to cover all of these individual stories. He tries anyway, which ends up with a book that’s more plot summary than actual plot. A big event takes place off screen or there’s a time jump preempting a point of view shift, so the character just sort of sums up what happened. For example, Kylar and Durzo Blint need to obtain Durzo’s sword, a practically insurmountable challenge, so Durzo just knocks Kylar out, steals the sword off screen, and presents it to Kylar when he wakes up. It’s not satisfying! To repeat what is perhaps the most beaten to death rule of writing: show, don’t tell! I often felt like I was reading a summary of a book, and I think it came out that way because Weeks let the story get too big and didn’t know how to pare down (or cut out) some of the side plots enough to create an enjoyable book. I can appreciate that he didn’t want to let “The Night Angel” become a series that never ends, but there was way too much crammed into “Beyond the Shadows” for many of the events to be given the attention they needed.

And then there's the ending. I love a book that throws me for a loop and does something I didn’t expect…but there are good surprises and then there are “what the Hell?” surprises. This is the latter. To begin with, everyone just conveniently happens to show up in Logan’s command tent. I mean, some of these characters were in vastly different parts of the kingdom, yet they all just happen to show up at the right place at the right time. Then, as they’re sitting around lamenting that they need a specific gem for a sword, Solon (who was in a different county) suddenly cuts through the back of the tent and has just the jewel they needed. So I was already rolling my eyes. We get some fighting, Kylar does some nifty tricks, Khali (who seems way tamer than she was in “Shadow’s Edge”) appears…and then they all start singing. Ok, ok, I don’t think they were really singing – the singing is a metaphor for how their different types of magic come together, but it comes off as ridiculous nonetheless by how far the author takes this description. And what’s holding them altogether and really defeating the evil goddess? Love…Elene’s pure, selfless love, to be exact. Elene, you see, allowed Khali to use her body as a host, knowing (via a prophetic vision from her God…because her piousness really needs to be played up) that her love would ultimately destroy the selfish goddess. So they sing, Khali dies, the undead army outside is obliterated, and Elene gets a tragic, self-sacrificing death. Yup, at the end of the day, this gritty book series that I admired in the beginning for its shades of grey and moral ambiguity ends in the cliché of good defeating evil, love conquers all. All of the bad guys are all dead and the good guys move on to get married, have children, rule their kingdom, or whatever other noble future awaits them (as the Wolf helpfully tells Kylar in an epilogue of extreme exposition). Oh, and the child (Kylar’s child) that Elene was carrying is somehow magically transferred to an already pregnant Jenine. It’s all just so…disappointing. I had high hopes for how this would end; with all of these talented players, I wanted to see an impressive fight where their combat skills, strategy, leadership, and cunning are all put to the test against a great opponent. I wanted to see the gritty ambiguity that coloured the first installation rear its head and play havoc with our heroes. I wanted an ending worthy of three 600+ page novels. Instead, I got a lame confrontation where everyone conveniently shows up, love defeats the big baddie, and the good guys sing to bring their magic together.

That’s not to say that I hated everything about the plot. There were a lot of concepts that I thought held promise, particularly in regards to Night Angel and the price of Kylar’s immortality, the magic system, the politics…actually, yeah, a lot of ideas had potential. Weeks just never developed them to a point where that potential was realized. I also have to tip my hat to Weeks for creating a story that often kept me guessing. He uses some common tropes, sure, but he has enough twists that I often couldn’t completely predict what was coming, which I always appreciate in fantasy. It’s just a shame that the plot became so bogged down with subplots and character arcs that the story itself didn’t get to shine. It may not have been the story I wanted to read, but that doesn’t objectively make it bad. In regards to character arcs, Dorian’s descent into madness was remarkably well done. This is possibly because I think he got more pages than anyone else, so his story was the best developed (I would also call him the main character of the novel because of this)…and it demonstrates that when the author takes the time to grow the stories and characters, he can come up with something pretty interesting. There’s a lot of promise here, a lot of potential for “Beyond the Shadows” and “The Night Angel” trilogy by extension to be truly great rather than the mess it turned into.

And on a final, plot-related note, to fantasy authors in general: please stop using the cliché of “powerful woman with dubious morals is discovered to be sleeping with her brother!” I know “A Game of Thrones” popularized this, but it’s stopped being such a shocker when everyone uses it. Now I tend to just groan when it pops up in something I’m reading or watching.

Moving from plot to romance, I have to say, Weeks can hit some strong moments when it comes to writing action…but he falls utterly flat when it comes to romance. My general disclaimer is that I typically dislike romance as a whole unless it’s done exceptionally well. I really hated the romance in “Beyond the Shadows.” Our main coupling is, again, Kylar and Elene. I’ve always hated these two together simply because I don’t think they have anything in common, they don’t bring out the best in one another, and I have no reason to want them to succeed beyond the author trying to insist that their love is pure and true. At the start of the novel, they can’t actually touch one another due to the wedding earring that Vi put on Kylar at the end of the second book. This prompts a ton of sexual angst that rivals even that of the previous book. But then Vi conveniently finds a way to circumvent that part of the rings’ magic so Kylar can get married and do the deed with Elene…and while many big events are skipped over and summed up, Kylar and Elene’s first bought of pure, untainted sex isn’t one of them. Well, ok, so we don’t exactly see it through their eyes, we see it through Vi’s, courtesy of the rings. To me, their relationship is boring; they’re portrayed as the perfect couple after they have sex – they never fight, they live in a quaint little cottage, they have sex a lot, Elene gets pregnant, and Vi’s stuck witnessing it all (poor Vi…). At the end of this, I don’t understand why they wanted to be together, why they should be together, and what makes their relationship so strong…and when their love (or, rather, Elene’s love) plays such a vital part in the book’s climax, that’s sort of a problem. I’ve never bought this pair and was dismayed to see it be given so many pages at the cost of other, more important plot points.

Kylar isn’t the only one getting it on this time around. Annoyingly, pretty much everyone is paired up with someone or wants to be. Solon has Kaede, Durzo has Momma K, Dorian has Jenine, Logan had/wants Jenine, and Vi wants Kylar. As is the trend with this book, a couple of the pairings hold some promise of being interesting (or at the very least, the partners have chemistry). Solon and Kaede have a past that lends itself to a steamy romance better than that of Kylar and Elene. Durzo and Momma K have their careers rooted in the seamy criminal underworld and a history of encounters. Dorian has a prophesy leading him to Jenine. Vi understands Kylar and what he’s gone through better than Elene possibly ever could and their individual struggles with physical intimacy would have made for an interesting obstacle. Unfortunately, much like many other things, there’s so much that Weeks is trying to accomplish with this last book that all of these are never developed to a meaningful level (with the exception of maybe Solon and Kaede, who had a lot of chemistry…but they also add the least to the story). We never see Durzo and Momma K together. While Dorian has reason enough to fall madly in love with Jenine, I didn’t quite get why she so genuinely loved him back…it just sort of happened. I really didn’t grasp why Logan was so obsessed with getting Jenine back from Dorian. He acts like they shared a heartfelt romance and they’re destined to be. But why? In the first book, they were engaged for an extremely short period of time and didn’t know each other before they were married. Mere hours later, they were separated and don’t see each other again until the end of this book. Why is he acting like they were childhood sweethearts when they barely spoke to one another? If you’re going to throw so much romance in, at least flesh the couples out. Don’t just tell us they’re in love – show us!

In my reviews for the first two installments, I discussed Kylar first and then everyone else, but there’s no point in doing that this time around since Kylar doesn’t seem to be the focus in this book. Instead, I’ll just save some time and address almost everyone at once. Sadly, character development is yet another victim of this overly ambitious book. A vast majority of the characters either stagnate or undergo drastic changes to their personalities with little explanation. Kylar doesn’t really move beyond where he was at the end of the previous book, which is a shame since there were so many places his character could have gone. Logan is more pragmatic, decisive, and willing to rule, but that’s also exactly where he was at the end of the last book. Vi has regrettably gone from an intriguing character trying to come to grips with her past (and kicking ass along the way) to having the personality of a wet paper bag. This was perhaps the most disappointing change for me. I loved Vi, not because she was a badass, but because she was complex and had such a strong personality. To see her appear so beaten down and tamed was disheartening (and this was portrayed as a good thing, which made it all the worse). Momma K is barely present and Uly doesn’t show up at all (odd given how she was singled out as having the potential to be one of the greatest magic users ever in the last book). Durzo has changed from competent assassin to hand-shaking, gushing father figure (sure, he’s proud of Kylar, but what happened to the gruff legend from “The Way of Shadows?”). None of these character changes are shown or explained, they just happen. There’s no gradual shift, no understanding of why they’re growing the way they are; that’s all sacrificed to keep the packed story moving.

The single notable exception to this is Dorian who, as I mentioned earlier, has perhaps the most fleshed out arc in the novel. His gradual fall into madness was fascinating and the deterioration of his mind was well executed. Though I was a bit disappointed that he seemed to usurp the role of main character when I was more interested in Kylar’s continued journey, I can’t deny that his story and growth were intriguing.

Then there’s Elene. My God, I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I hate Elene. I felt like I was always waiting for her to get it and snap out of the perfect little bubble she lived in, but it never happened. Honestly, she’s probably as close to a Mary Sue as I’ve come across in recent years. Let’s see…Tragic past; special physical feature that makes her distinguishable; beautiful (and as an aside to that, weren’t her scars supposed to mar her physical beauty? Everyone, including Khali, remarks that Elene is the most attractive woman ever); loved and praised by everyone; unique power or belief that sets her apart (her piety, in this case); perfect romance; good at sex; defeats Evil and saves the day in a way that only she could; dies tragically; and never makes any mistakes that have real consequences. I think the only characteristics she doesn’t meet are being great at fighting and having mysterious origins. Elene is too bloody perfect to be relatable or even likable as a character! She’s pure goodness, and while I understand that that’s the whole reason she’s able to defeat Khali, it doesn’t make for a particularly interesting figure. Unbearably enough, many characters comment that they’ll never be as loving as Elene, as kind as Elene, as forgiving as Elene, as pious as Elene…everyone worships this girl! Her whole character can be summed up simply as: she’s good. In a world populated by grey and (until now) complex individuals, she stands out as being frustratingly (and unrealistically) one-dimensional.

This brings me to the issue that seems to be the most contentious among readers: Weeks’s treatment of female characters. While I don’t think that he’s a misogynist or trying to appeal to Gamergate (really, where do some of you people get your ideas?), I do think he has no idea how to write women. Actually, to go broader, I think he ends up mishandling quite a few characters, and it’s just an unfortunate coincidence that we don’t end up with any particularly admirable or well written women. As for the focus on sex, I honestly didn’t mind it that much given the context of the story. Weeks’s world is one of gender inequality that focuses on the seedy criminal underworld that Kylar, Vi, Durzo, and many of the other characters are a part of. Add the dark fantasy element and, yes, there’s going to be sex…and since women are, as part of the setting, generally viewed as beneath men, it’s going to affect them and perhaps be more significant in their lives. Yes, I wish we’d had at least one strong female character. I feel like the author tried with Kaldrosa (only shows up a handful of times in this book), Momma K (absent for most of the book), and Vi (limited time on screen and a drastic spiral in her development), but none were given enough time to grow and shine. Unlike many, I enjoyed the Madonna/Whore dichotomy…though I definitely preferred Vi (the “Whore”) as the more intriguing character. I don’t think Weeks is trying to say that Elene is good because she won’t have sex; rather, I think her refusal of extramarital relations is just a part of the pious nature that makes her so “good”, but since Elene was handled so unsubtly, it comes off as heavy handed. I guess what I’m saying is that a lot of reviewers are jumping to conclusions and trying to assign the author some sort of agenda rather than looking at the world’s context (and the fact that, frankly, he fumbled a lot of characters). Though I would agree that the women characters we did get were a big letdown.

I hate that I’ve had to be so critical of this book. It had a lot of promise in its premise, details, and characters, but the scope became so inflated that development of everything (including the plot itself) fell by the wayside. The ending was disappointing and plainly aggravating. The first book was easily the best of this trilogy. I’ve read that Weeks’s “Lightbringer” series is significantly better, so I’d be willing to give him another go. “Beyond the Shadows” gets two stars from me. There are some genuinely interesting ideas in here and I can honestly say that I was kept guessing (and I usually reserve one star reviews for books I absolutely hated), but I can’t give it more credit than that.

With Beyond the Shadows, Brent Weeks has concluded his Night Angel Trilogy. I plowed right through the book, finishing it in two or three days. I finished it a couple days ago, but decided to wait while I gathered my thoughts about the book and series as a whole. Now, If I had to sum up the conclusion to this trilogy in one word, it'd probably be "meh". I will be discussing this book as well as the endings of previous books quite openly so *SPOILER ALERTS THROUGHOUT*

Kyler has done the impossible and killed the horrendous Godking. Of course, since we still have one more book to go, this causes tons of problems. Kyler has been linked to Vi through magical wedding earrings, and this creates a weird sort of love triangle between Kyler, Vi, and Elene. On top of that, we have remnants of the Godking's minions trying to summon horrible undead minions as well as Khali, the evil god. To make matters worse, a new godking is consolidating his power back in Godking homeland. There's also the problem of Cenaria beyond surrounded by enemies on all sides. To make matters worse, Logan has refused to challenge Terah Graesin's rule, allowing Cenaria to be ruled by the worst excuse for a queen this side of Midcyru.

Got all that? Good, because that is my first problem with this book and the way this entire series progressed. There is just way too much jammed in here. The original book was really about Kyler and his quest to become the perfect assassin. Now, there's all these characters and side plots and romances and... you get the point. The scope seems to have ballooned to unmanageable proportions and, while reading the book, everything just felt clumsy. Side plots were rushed. Others were just boring and largely irrelevant to the main plot. The biggest offender here is Solon's side story. I really just want to get back to Kyler, I don't care about Solon going off to his homeland to win back his ex-lover and claim the throne. It's forgettable and practically irrelevant to the main plot.

The other problem is the characters. Logan and others again do stupid things because "that's the right thing to do". I'm so sick of the good = stupid trope, and it features here quite prominently. Other characters change almost out of nowhere. Yes, I'm talking about Dorian, the prophet. He goes home to meet his future wife (Jenine, the long-believed-to-be-dead wife of Logan. Yay, more love triangles), gets delayed and decides to become the next Godking. Of course, he sinks into the previous Godking's habits and becomes evil (nevermind that his oh so beautiful and perfect wife encourages him down that path). Then again, right before it all goes down the drain, he wises up and repents. Dorian's plot just annoyed me. Here's a guy that's good throughout and quickly turns bad and then back to good again? Everything about his plotline felt VERY forced and artificial. If you're going to have a character turn bad, make it more believable.

There are tons of plot points that feel stupid and contrived, like Vi sacrificing... something in order to let Kyler and Elene consummate their love without any problems. Other plot points hinted at throughout the last book are quickly discarded and thrown away like the possible splintering of the Chantry by the Chattel women. It's dealt with really stupidly and then tossed aside, completely undoing the build up in the previous novel.

I believe all these problems stem from the fact that what looked like the big bad of the series was dealt with in in the second book. This third book feels like a very long epilogue rather than a continuation of the series. After killing the horrendous Godking, the author has to quickly build up something even more monstrous. And it doesn't quite work.

Despite these problems, I can say that I still enjoyed reading the book. Yes, I groaned and slapped my forehead more times than I'd like, but was still wanted to finish the book and see how everything plays out. The ending isn't too bad, but nothing special.

While it has its share of problems, Beyond the Shadows isn't the worst conclusion to a fantasy series I've read. If you don't mind the decline in quality throughout the series, Beyond the Shadows was an ok read. Could have been better, but could have been worse too.

3 stars out of 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you like when all your loose ends get tied into nice little bows? Do you like when a plot line you've been following suddenly gets a dramatic finish? Do you like when things end? Well, then this book is both for you and not for you! The Night Angel trilogy is epic and massive in scale, scope and another "s" word I can't think of. It's thrilling, has some genuine twists and takes you on multiple adventures where all the characters you want finally coalesce into one final battle (This was Infinity War before Infinity War (but after Infinity war the comic)). Some of the characters you're shipping get together, some don't. Some might die, some might live (some might come back from death...). This is a great ending to a wonderfully gritty and intricate world - and leaves open possibilities for even more books in the future!

If you've read many of my reviews, you know that I often talk about the really good books that leave you feeling changed at the end of reading them. That make you want to stop everything that you're doing and just reflect on what you read, how it affected or changed you, and what you thought about it. This was definitely one of those books and one of those endings that led me to that type of reflection and melancholy once it was over. This was probably the best book in the series, even though I loved the other two, not just because of the powerful ending but also because of the way everything comes together. There is constant drama building in this book that makes it hard to put down as each thread begins to draw tighter and tighter until the point they all begin to strain against each other.

That's what I especially enjoyed about this book; there are multiple story lines happening and each one draws the reader in until they feel emotionally invested in each character. You can see the difficulties as some of the characters are on the opposing side of the battle or haven't picked a side at all but you find yourself pulling for them anyway. A well written character is like that, they don't even have to be a hero for you to end up liking them. Sometimes, villains are my favorite characters because they are well written why the heroes can get one dimensional. Not that this book has that issue, I digress. Weeks's true strengths in his writing is his ability to draw the reader into his world, to see it, feel it underfoot, and to know his characters deeply. It's a superb writer who can make his world come to life in this way and Weeks has really done that in this book.

There are probably some flaws that I might catch on a second reading but as a first time reader, I was in love with the story from the beginning of the first book to the end of the last. It flies by quickly and leaves you wishing that there was more of the story even as you desperately want to find out what happens next. This is a solid fantasy series and I would definitely recommend it.

Brent Weeks has a really likable writing style. I think he has a knack for good characterization, good action sequences, good world building. He is a good writer. He is also an entertaining writer. The whole Night Angel Trilogy was an entertaining series, one that I would suggest to anyone who wanted to be entertained for a quick read. But I wouldn't look for any profound truths or revelations. Beyond the Shadows, however, totally lost me towards the end of the book. I don't want to include any spoilers, so I won't, but the end of the book was so epic, was over the top, it was just too much. I don't, personally, like books that end so neatly. Everything falls into place and that was one element I didn't like. I also understand its a fantasy adventure, but some of the names were a little much pronunciation-wise as well. There is also a huge cliffhanger at the end of the book that I am wondering if Weeks will ever tie up.

If you like fantasy, adventure, and books with alot of action and good characterization, check out the new fantasy adventure A Chance Beginning: Book One of the Shadow's Fire Trilogy

This last title of the Night Angel trilogy left me dissapointed and partially conflicted. I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit and was hoping the final chapter would be back on track to what I liked about it. The second book was good, but deterred a lot from what I thought made the first one great. Shadow's Edge seemed to lose focus and jump around too much, but second books in trilogies often do that. Unfortunately, I found Beyond the Shadows to be more of the same and the worst in the trilogy.

It's hard to judge a series as a whole when some parts I like and some I do no not. I didn't want to review books one and two because I wanted to wait until I was done with the third and review the trilogy as a whole. But now that almost seems unfair. It's as if a different author wrote the first book and partially into writing the next, got bored with the whole thing and passed it onto someone else who had a whole new idea for how the story should go. If I say I dislike the whole trilogy, it'd be unfair to the first book. But enough about telling you that I was dissapointed, I'll explain why.

Book one hooked me instantly as all truly good fantasy novels do. A compelling world, a sympathetic main character, lots of plot twists, no clear line between good and evil. These, along with some fun violence and gritty storyline are the things I love about fantasy, at least "dark fantasy" or "gritty fantasy" as it were. Now even with book one I wouldn't say Brent Weeks compares to the likes of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie or Scott Lynch, but it's better than a lot of fantasy I've read. What I loved about it was Kylar's story and the focus being almost solely on him. I know it's not a first person novel, but to me it read like one. It was like a grittier version of Assassin's Apprentice. I wanted to know what happened to Kylar next and it's what kept me reading.

With book 2 and continuing in this one, the story just explodes and goes all over the place. Is this a bad thing? Some might not think so. They might consider the second two books more exciting for this, but for me it just made me lose interest. I found the more the author expanded the storylines and started throwing more and more character viewpoints in, the less interesting it became, like a radio signal attenuating as it grows and expands farther out. The story was less about Kylar and more about all of the events in the world, all of the different factions and their goings on. I just don't think the world here was quite rich or interesting enough to keep me excited on its own. It was the characters that drew me in.

Without giving too much away for those who haven't read the trilogy (although if you haven't read the first two, you shouldn't be reading too many reviews on book three anyways), another reason I started losing interest with book three was the main plotline itself, or the lack thereof. The largest focus of the trilogy was resolved at the end of book two, and I would've been much more satisfied if the author had found a way to just end it there. Beyond the Shadows seems to be more about everyone picking up the pieces in the aftermath of Shadow's Edge than anything else. The new villains and worries in this last book just couldn't hold my interest.

Another thing that grated on me was the occasional cheesy moments of humor that didn't seem to fit the style at all, an element I didn't notice until after book one. One notable example was the black ka'kari. Not only was it a sentient being but it often gives Kylar advice and makes bad jokes, such as forming a smiley face on Kylar's skin and winking at him when it was being sarcastic. Moments like that were way too out of place and really kill the mood of the story for me.

As you can see, I still gave the book 3 stars. Brent Weeks is not a bad writer. While his prose may not be especially sophisticated, it has a nice flow to it and is very easily readable. And even with the characters becoming less and less interesting, I still found myself caring about them (well, some of them.) Logan Gyre, while predictably noble, has some interesting sides to him. Vi is the best female character in the trilogy and one of my favorite female characters in fantasy. Dorian comes to his own in this book and his storyline is particularly brutal. The Wolf: mysterious and very interesting, one of the sole reasons I decided to read keep on reading and finish book three. Kylar is still an okay character but unfortunately becomes more of a god than the assassin boy I liked in book one and loses empathy from me.

So would I recommend this trilogy to others based on my opinion of this book? It's hard to say and that's where I find myself conflicted. It's hard to tell someone to just stop at book one or two when there will be still so many stories and plotlined unresolved. So I won't recommend either way. Just read what I have to say and form your own opinion about it. I will say that this book hasn't deterred me from Weeks altogether and I might be picking up his new book when it's out in paperback. But if you want an author who's a bit more focused and never loses track of his characters, (even if they are all murderers, mercenaries and scoundrels) read Joe Abercrombie. I'm almost done with Best Served Cold. Now that is some truly amazing gritty fantasy.

First let me say that I WANT MORE! Despite some faults I found (see below), I want to know more about this world and its characters. I am sad that I have now read everything Weeks has put out, minus the novella that I'm not sure I want to get into. He is an entertaining author and I enjoyed this entire trilogy quite a bit. Now onto the bad...

Let me rephrase that. Nothing about these novels was "bad" really, just that I felt I already read it elsewhere. Maybe I have read too much fantasy and now everything reminds me of something else, but in the back of my mind I kept making connections to Wheel of Time (especially with the Sisters), Mistborn (Durzo reminded me a lot of Kelsier) and even Weeks' other series, Lightbringer. It didn't bother me in a negative way; it felt more like when Stephen King makes references to his other works within a book and you feel cool if you catch it. Besides, it reminded me of some of my favorite books, so the thoughts were mostly welcome :)

That aside, this finale was a tidy wrap up that didn't disappoint. In the author's notes at the end, he mentions that he cut a lot out while he was waiting to be published, and I wonder if that might have explained some scenes better. In the Kindle edition, he included a couple chapters about Feir's time in Ezra's Wood, making a new Curoch. I skimmed over these, though they were interesting it was not what I wanted to know about. I'm a person that likes all my questions answered and everything tied up nicely at the end :) The end here was sad and again I was reminded of the Mistborn finale in that the Big Magic Scene happened and then everyone minus certain characters wakes up and sees the new world. I wish the ending had turned out differently, but I save my happily-ever-afters for romance novels. However, what the heck happened after this??? Seriously, I need another book to come out.

I doubt anyone who has read the first two books is really on the fence about this one and needing reviews, but if so, READ IT! It's good and gives a fairly complete (if not to my liking lol) resolution for the characters. I can't wait for him to publish something new!

I enjoyed the action and scale of this book, however I was disappointed by what seemed to be completely missing chapters. The chapter (or 3) properly setting up the motivation for basically the whole world to show up at the same spot to fight... well whoever comes. The chapter on momma k after her meeting or non-meeting with Blint and Urly. The chapter on how Feir dealt with the hunter if at all and the one on how Blint got the sword back and the one on how Vi figured out how to heal what was broken in her (or not but give us something). I could go on and on. Even the war description was pretty half baked.

I also took issue with the plot holes and gaffes and contrivances. Yeh Solon just happened to have a ruby, and for whatever reason the farce wasn't called off after Feir said no go on the sword and Dorian went to war for no good reason at all and ... a statue just woke up for no reason at all with nothing said about her before or after... Smh

Finally the obvious knock off of WOT was irritating. Krulls made from men that looked like malformed man-animals... Okkkkk

This book was too incomplete and forced to ever qualify as high fantasy. I'd suggest that the author browse Guy Gavriel Kay for tips on how to have a cohesive plot and present deep characters.

Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks

Beyond the Shadows is the third book in The Night Angel Trilogy. The first book is The Way of Shadows and the second book is Shadow's Edge. After writing this trilogy, Brent Weeks has gone on to start a new series titled Lightbringer, which includes The Black Prism and The Blinding Knife, due out in the Fall of 2012. He as also written a short story that ties into The Night Angel Trilogy titled "Perfect Shadow", dealing with a main character in The Night Angel Trilogy. Beyond the Shadows is published by Orbit and released December 2008.

After successfully repelling the Khalidor invaders, Terah Graesin assumes the role of Queen of Cenaria, with the rightful king, Logan Gyre swearing his fealty to his new queen. However, the people of Cenaria seem to want Logan as king, so much so that Kylar Stern decides that he has to do something about the queen. But first he has a job to do for the Wolf, who promised Kylar a new arm if he is able to throw Curoch into Ezra's Woods to be lost forever. The Khalidor army is in shambles as the news of the Godking's death travels back to Khalidor. Dorian Ursuul is on his way to Khalidor in order to save Jenine Gyre, Logan's believed to be dead wife, who he believes he is meant to love. But as the mad scramble for a new Godking occurs, Dorian comes out on top, much to his dismay. Elsewhere, the Vürdmeisters' who aren't swearing fealty to the new Godking are planning something that could change the face of the world and it's up to Kylar Stern to stop that as well.

Criticisms:
1) Rushed Middle. There seemed to be almost too much going on in Beyond the Shadows that the middle of the novel felt rushed. Everything that was going on seemed to happen in the blink of an eye in order to get to the conclusion. It was disappointing to not see Solon reclaim his kingdom, so to speak. It was disappointing to not see more of Dorian's reign as Godking, mostly in hopes that it could have changed my personal feelings towards him. There were so many things that happened without the reader actually seeing them and enjoying them happening. Almost every subplot felt rushed during the middle. Just having things happen so fast was quite disorienting and awkward. This didn't allow you to really immerse yourself into the story like you were able to in the previous books. This almost takes you out of the story. What's worse is that when these things all wrap up, it comes off as sudden and disappointing because of the rushed feeling.
2) Dorian. This is a very personal complaint, but a complaint nonetheless. Dorian is unbearable in Beyond the Shadows. In the previous two novels, Dorian generally felt like an interesting character who seemed to have a lot going for him. He was strangely likable in his personality. Even at the start of Beyond the Shadows, he was likable and felt like he had a purpose. But as the story went on, he does so many things that are out of character and down-right dumb, that you just couldn't get behind him anymore. It is explained why he 'turns', but it never felt right to me. He always came off as this noble, good character and to see him become what he becomes felt like a betrayal. Like I said, this is a more personal issue, but still is an issue. Every time that his scenes came up, I had to fight the urge to skip them altogether. I just couldn't understand and get behind Dorian's thinking and hypocritical ways and because of this, he brought down my overall enjoyment of Beyond the Shadows.

Praises:
1) Characters. Once again, the characters are the real stand-outs. Like the first two books, the characters were engaging, interesting, and felt very real. While, almost all the characters were great, there were a few that really stood out. Viridiana, Logan, Jenine, Kylar, and Elene were these stand-outs. Each of these characters went above and beyond what they were meant to do and really enrich the story. Kylar, Logan, and Viridiana have a more direct and noticeable impact, while Elene and Jenine shine in their own way. Elene and Jenine weren't as noticeable as the other three, but really came off as memorable as them. They may play a more supportive role, but it was just as important. Elene really is Kylar's conscious and she is everything that Kylar wishes he could be. Without Elene in this book, and in the entire series for that matter, Kylar would have been lacking something crucial. In Beyond the Shadows, Elene has a bigger role and she fits perfectly into it. Unfortunately, to talk about her in great lengths would spoil the novel, but by the end, you do feel like you were glad to know her. Jenine came off as a surprise. You don't know that much about her and because of that she felt like the wildcard, could she be good or could she a waste? Thankfully she is good. She felt surprisingly developed and interesting for a character who has had very little to say for the past two novels. She's the sole reason I could bear reading Dorian's scenes in the novel. The other three; Vi, Logan, and Kylar, really came into their own. Logan feels like a king. He begins to make the hard choices and starts to think outside the box. You actually can see him as a king. Kylar becomes more 'human'. His struggles with immortality and what it all means really lend a lot of depth to his character and by the end, he seems like a totally new person. Vi, once again, stole the show. I'm going to be honest, I loved Vi. She's the most complex character in this series and to see her become something more, it brings a tear to your eye. With everything that she goes through, you're glad to see how far she comes. When it comes down to it, the characters are what makes The Night Angel Trilogy that good, and with Beyond the Shadows, it is no exception.
2) Beginning and Ending. Beyond the Shadows begins strong and ends strong. The beginning immersed you fast and didn't let you go. While it did lead to a rushed middle, the beginning was an action-packed, fun experience. It threw you into it in such a way that it didn't come off as awkward or sudden. The ending is no different. It's just as action-packed and fun as the beginning. Everything is wrapped up nicely and it almost makes up for the rushed middle of the novel. It does make for a satisfying conclusion to The Night Angel Trilogy.
3) Subplots. There are quite a few subplots in Beyond the Shadows that bring more life into the story. While some of these subplots felt rushed, they still were good on their own. In fact, some of these subplots and stories could have been short stories in their own right. They add a whole new level of realism to the world and how things work there. The subplots really just add more depth to an already deep story.

Side Notes:
1) The Hunter. In Ezra's Woods, there is a creature called "the Hunter". The reader doesn't know what this creature could be and is only given certain information about what the Hunter is and the whole myth of Ezra's Woods. It's nice that the reader the superstition, but it felt lacking. It turns out to be very important in the novel, but doesn't feel like it should have. It felt like a form of deus ex machina.
2) Powers. I did like how Kylar seems to finally have some grasp of his abilities with the ka'kari. They are neat and I really did like how it took Kylar this long to really grasp them, and only still really grasping the surface of them.
3) Cover Art. I complained about the previous two covers. They were not that interesting, visually. Beyond the Shadows finally has a good cover. While it looks similar to the previous covers, it does so much more with what is given. This is due mostly to Kylar's pose. His pose has a lot of personality to it. This is what the other covers were missing, personality. It's still simplistic, but it works a lot better.

Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
Beyond the Shadows is a good book, but is the weaker novel in The Night Angel Trilogy. The weakness stems from the rushed middle portion of the novel. While the past two books felt more balanced in the three acts, the middle of Beyond the Shadows felt like it was trying to hurry up and end things. It would have been nice to see things happen, but instead we are just given little snippets of what all occurred. It really felt wrong that way. On a personal level, I could not bear Dorian. I did not like what he became while still believing he can do good. I understand why, but it felt like a betrayal. Thankfully, the other characters were still fantastic. Everyone was enjoyable to read, except Dorian. But once again, there were stand-outs and they were the usual bunch. Viridiana, Logan, and Kylar really did carry the story and make it that much better. They grew into great characters and I will miss them. Others, like Elene and Jenine, made this story, and those three characters, that much better. Both of them went beyond what they needed to do and in Jenine's case, made Dorian's parts bearable. Beyond the Shadows started strong and ended strong. The beginning tossed you into the action and the ending felt satisfying and nicely wrapped up the series. The subplots that were introduced throughout the story really made the world feel alive, it's just too bad that most of them were rushed through. All in all, Beyond the Shadows was a good way to end the series, but at the same time didn't push it far enough. That said, The Night Angel Trilogy is wonderful and it deserves to be read. It's a great series and now one of my favorite fantasy trilogies of all time. So why haven't you read it yet?

There's a sense that Weeks is reaching for more than just a fun story in the conclusion to The Night Angel Trilogy, "Beyond the Shadows". However, he is never able to get to that level. In the end, this novel is the same as the previous ones. That's not to say Weeks's writing hasn't improved. It actually improved dramatically from the previous installment, "Shadow's Edge", but there are still too many problems and the lack of something more to the story that makes it quite ordinary.

"Beyond the Shadows" picks up minutes after "Shadow's Edge" left off. The Godking Garoth Ursuul has been killed, but that doesn't mean everything is solved for Logan. He is still married to Terah Graesin, who is looking to despose of him so she can become sole rule of Cenaria. There's also the Lae'knaught army nearby looking to take advantage of the weakened Cenarian army, as well as the Ceurans, who are led by Lantano Garuwashi, who in streotypical Asian fashion might be the greatest warrior in Midcyru (samurai, anyone?). Meanwhile Vi has fled to the Chantry after forcing Kylar to marry her over the love of his life, Elene (who also happens to be at the Chantry). Dorian Ursuul has made the trek up north to Khalidor, forever leaving behind his madness, and Kylar has set about his mission to fufill his end of the deal with The Wolf while also finding out his former master, Durzo Blint, is actually still alive. There's a few minor characters who have their own stories as well.

That's a lot of story for one novel. There were times while reading that I felt the trilogy could have been just as exciting if it was extended through five novels. However, Weeks does a better job with his pacing. He gives the characters more time to think and react, and as a result it doesn't seem quite as rushed as before. There are some character realizations that are contrived just to move the story along, and still some points where it moved too fast, but it was a vast improvement from "Shadow's Edge". My largest crticism of the previous novel was the first two hundred pages, which were just clunky, nonsensical, and amateurish. Thankfully, "Beyond the Shadows" makes much more sense right from the start and moves much more smoothly than before. In fact, the first half of the novel was probably the strongest section of the entire trilogy.

My critcism this time around are the very obvious inspirations from other fantasy series. The Chantry is eerily similar to the Aes Sedai from "The Wheel of Time". There's a Duke Wesseros which brings to mind Westeros from George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire", not to mention the forced marriage of Logan in "Shadow's Edge" and the multiple armies scheming around each other is very reminiscent of Martin's series as well. Weeks, despite the many things he has done to seperate his story from the other fantasy series out in the world, still can't quite make it his own.

Besides that, the other issue once again comes down to pacing. The second half of the novel comes across as very rushed as Weeks works hard to bring all the pieces together for the final pages. Nothing really seems organic. There's too much going on to be told to the reader correctly in just two hundred pages. Also, the scenes of Dorian with his lover are just plain awful. They are awkward, unbelievable, and just hard to get through. I found Dorian's chapters to the toughest to read out of them all.

Despite its faults, "Beyond the Shadows" is still fast-paced and fun to read. There's hardly a dull moment, and the short chapters (thankfully better organized) make it easy to read several pages in one sitting. The climax of the trilogy is well done, especially in dealing with Kylar's character. Making him go up against the form that Khali chose was just brutal to read through. Weeks, as always, has plenty of surprises in store, and has a knack for doing the worst possible thing to his characters. You get to find out a lot more about The Wolf, Durzo, and Momma K, as well as getting to see new places outside of Cenaria. And if you can look past the final twist of the trilogy (which was just a bad idea to begin with), The Night Angel Trilogy ends quite well.

"Beyond the Shadows" is still just popcorn fantasy. Weeks tries to make it more than that, but he ends up failing. Read this book (and the trilogy) if you're just looking for something fun to read. If you enjoyed the first two novels of the trilogy, then there is no doubt you will love this one. There are times when it can be difficult to see past all of Weeks's problems as a writer, but I don't regret reading this trilogy, and I look forward to reading his next trilogy.

3.5/5

In this final installment of the Night Angel Trilogy, we find ourselves at the Battlefield of Pavvil's Grove, where Logan Gyre defeated the Khalidorians at the end of Shadow's Edge. Queen Terah Graesin did absolutely nothing to save her people, so she is clearly questioning whether Logan will be challenging her for the throne. As is always the case with Logan, he keeps his promise to be loyal to Terah. Despite everything he has gone through, Logan is an honorable man.

Kylar Stern realizes that he can't allow Terah to live. Under her rule, the Cenarians would suffer and many or most would die. It is in the best interest of the Kingdom for Logan to claim his rightful place as King. Against Logan's direct orders, Kylar sets out to murder the Queen, even knowing that Logan will be forced to give him the death penalty in return. Of course, we readers know that Kylar is immortal and will return from the dead. But Logan doesn't know that, which makes Kylar's death the most difficult decision he has ever had to make. In the end however, Logan is King of Cenaria, and Kylar is finally hopeful for the future.

After Kylar comes back to life, he is finally able to focus on his relationship with Elene. In spite of his magical bond to Vi, Kylar and Elene are able to find happiness for a season with Vi's help. The resolution of this plotline is intense and shocking. You won't be disappointed.

Of course, the big cliffhanger at the end of Shadow's Edge was that Durzo Blint is still alive. Durzo fans will be happy to know that he has been given one last life to live. He is no longer immortal, but he has the chance to live the life of his choosing.

The final epic battle in this series finds Logan Gyre leading Cenaria in an attack on the new Godking and his Khalidorians. Defeating Khalidor may seem like an impossible task, but the destinies of other characters in the book have led to some unusual allies for Logan. Suddenly he is not standing alone. In fact, we find warriors from every Kingdom fighting along side of Logan Gyre.

Coming to the end of a favorite series is both satisfying and depressing. As much as I was desperate to find out how this story would resolve for each character, I'm equally sad to lose my connection to this world. The author did a great job of resolving the primary storylines, but I still had a few questions that will now forever go unanswered. **sigh**

It is probably pretty obvious that I loved this series. I've given all three books top ratings in my reviews. The characters are interesting and complicated whether they are good or bad, the villains and their henchmen are gruesome and deeply evil, and the line between right and wrong is being straddled by even the best people in the story.

The ongoing theme to the entire series is a simple question that has been debated throughout history: does the end justify the means?...Is it okay to murder one person if it will save many other lives? Is it okay to lie and manipulate if it means safety? Is it okay to break a promise if you have a really good reason? This book debates all of those questions, but in the end, the answers are different for each character. And in the end, the way of honor and justice prevails. It was brilliantly written.

I highly recommend this series to fans of epic/dark fantasies. This is definitely an adult novel due to the graphic nature of some of the violence.

If you would like to see more of my reviews, see [...]

This is the third and final book in the Night Angel trilogy. It wraps up the series nicely and the multitude of plots are mostly wrapped up neatly. It ended happier than I thought it would given what all of our characters are put through. I listened to this on audio book and it was very well done (please forgive any name/place mis-spellings).

The God King has been defeated but now there are other dangers to Cenaria's kingdom. Kylar wants Logan to accept the Kingship of Cenaria, but Logan wants to uphold his vow to the current Queen. Vi is off to the Chantry to begin her mage training with the Sisters. Elene is on her way to the Chantry to visit Vi and Uly. Basically all of the various kingdoms are perched to attack each other and all of our favorite characters have positions of power throughout the various kingdoms. If I tried to list where everyone was and what they were doing here...this review would turn into a novella.

As in previous novels Weeks does an excellent job keeping the reader engaged with the characters. The characters are life-like and really pull you into the story; they make mistakes, they try their best, sometimes they do good, sometimes they (especially Kylar) make a mess of it all.

The plot was twisted and convoluted and came from a billion different perspectives. It was kind of fun to watch the characters making decisions about their kingdoms without knowing what was happening in other kingdoms. All the secrets come out in the end, but throughout the story so many major decisions are made without characters knowing what is really going on in other parts of the kingdom that it is very ironic. At times this can be a bit annoying because it seems like the characters go off on tangents they don't really need to go down to make the story progress. As with the other books the story is engaging but progresses slowly because of all the different perspectives.

The threesome of Solon, Dorian, and Feir gets a lot more page space in this book. It was good to read about them more. We didn't get to read about Uly much at all; she was talked about in the background but not really present in the story. I missed her.

Weeks has a great writing style to read; very readable with some humor throughout. As with previous books, this is a book for adults. There is a lot of talking about sex, swearing, and many gruesome scenes.

My only big problem with the plot is that the evil that the characters are fighting against is less apparent than it was when they were fighting the God King in the last book. The evil in this book is more sprawling and less concentrated. In fact most of the characters are just trying to hold their kingdoms together and don't even realize that they are dealing with the Goddess Kali until the end of the book. It just makes the end battle a bit less profound.

The book wrapped everything up nicely; although there are some things that point at future stories being set in this world.

Overall this was an excellent conclusion to this series. Weeks weaves a complicated and intriguing story with realistic characters that are very engaging. My only complaints are that the multitude of perspectives the story is told from slows down the progress of the story, the battle the characters were fighting was less about destroying a great evil and more about protecting their individual kingdoms. I did enjoy the way everything was wrapped up. I enjoyed this series enough that I will probably pick up The Black Prism by Brent Weeks at some point. I recommend also reading Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson or The Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher if you enjoyed this series.

Beyond the Shadows is the 3rd and final book of the Night Angels trilogy. I've devoured all three and thoroughly enjoyed this darkish assassin fantasy adventure series. The books follow Kylar (the Night Angel), gutter rat nay assassin now superhero and a broad cast of supporting characters (multiple POVs) as they gather mystical objects, overthrow evil dictators, and purge the land of toxic goddesses. Poisons and daggers and disembowlings, oh my!

By the time you've hit Beyond the Shadows you're either a committed fan of Brent Weeks' lively rapid-fire storytelling or you aren't. There are many loosely connected storylines ranging over different continents, romantic entanglements, and political struggles. Kylar is at the heart of these stories although by this point he is all but unstoppable as he is now immortal. But things stay lively as Kyler manages to get himself into a necessary power-struggle with his best-friend that results in a gruesome death, reconnects with the love of his life only to inadvertently bring about her doom, and has to retrieve a sword of legend from an unbeatable magical monster.

This book is not high fantasy and while the epic scope and changing POV echoes George R.R. Martin, it feels more closely related to Zena Warrior Princess. Characters snark and sneer during battles, warriors battle to save long-lost loves, and while characters meet untimely deaths, Beyond the Shadows maintains the tone of a fantasy romp. So don't let the reference to Zena dissuade you from checking out this really enjoyable series!

PS. The book is much better than the unfortunate cover art which seems to suggest Kylar has a cloud of green noxious gas emanating from his butt.

Beyond the Shadows is the third book of the Night Angel Trilogy. This book focuses more on a realm in chaos and the tough decisions that the leaders must make in order to restore order. There's still plenty of action because the rulers don't see eye to eye. This book also focuses more on character building than the other books.

Plot
The story continues for the characters from the other books. I won't list who they are because some are dead and I don't want to spoil anything. After Shadow's Edge, the realm is left in chaos and rulers are struggling to gain power and restore order. Sacrifices must be made, people must be led, and battles must be fought.

Characters
The characters in this book are excellent. The author does a great job at making sure they read like real people with real emotions. The story is full of characters that you'll love and despise. In this book, the relationships between the characters grow.

Writing Style
The writing style is pretty accessible to just about anyone. It's pretty simple. The action scenes are also well written and easy to visualize. The Chapters are about three to seven pages long, and you'll find yourself reading five to ten Chapters per sitting. In the near 700 pages, there are a few nonsensical sentences and lines of anachronistic dialogue. But these are easy to overlook because the story and characters are very good. The author, Brent Weeks, does a great deal of world building, but never sacrifices the fast pacing of his book to do this. The world is vast and deep and there's just enough detail for the reader to 'get it.'

Dialogue
The dialogue does a great job at portraying the relationships between the characters. Brent Weeks also writes what the characters are thinking as they are speaking. It becomes clear that some characters say things to further their own selfish goals or trying to inspire others to make the world a better place. Some of the dialogue feels like modern day slang, and seemed out of place, but this is easy to overlook.

Maturity
This book is not as brutal as book 2, but it's still for mature audiences because there's language, violence, gore, and sex.

If you want a fast paced, epic adventure, in an original fantasy world, then you should pick up the entire trilogy. The writing style may be too simple or anachronistic for literature fans, but fans of popular fantasy should enjoy these books. Most fans of GRRM would like these books.

Overall, this is a fun trilogy to read. The world is interesting, the action is exciting, and the characters are good. It doesn't feel like a classic, but the trilogy is very entertaining.

What I have enjoyed reading in this series by Mr. Weeks, is the characters. They are complex, they make stupid and smart decisions, they are thrown into situations and have to act / react the best they can. This is the best part of this trilogy.

However, I still find myself scratching my head in spots. This is a long book, and yet it really needed to be a bit longer - just to explain things better. It seems that the author is in such a hurry to explain the action, action, action that he forgets about the reader. Simple questions abound such as why are they here? What is significant about this room, place, setting? Part of the joy of reading fantasy is the back-story, the intricate worlds that are built. The author does not spend nearly enough time explaining why certain situations are the way they are. He is too busy telling you what is going on.

All that to say, I still enjoyed the book. The writing is crisp and almost cinematic.

Pros:
o complex characters
o unpredictable plot - until the end that is
o easy to read despite its length

Cons:
o underdeveloped world
o loose plot twists that are not always well explained

Overall - this is a decent series. Most fans of GRR Martin and Joe Abercrombie will see some similarities here. Read it fast, there is no need to linger.

It is a sign of how well written the first two books were, that I only rate this one 3 stars. It's well written, but overall I felt a third book wasnt really necessary.

The first two books were brilliant. I was instantly transported to the terrible world of Azoth, a 11 year old boy, who tries to keep his friends safe, and avoid being raped by Rat, the bully. He later becomes the apprentice of the most respected assassin in the country. These assassins are known as wetboys, a class above normal assassins.

We follow him as he becomes a young man, and becomes embroiled in regional politics, crime lords,international war, and becomes immortal. Along the way, there are a host of ancillary characters, all of whom play a role in the final successful resolution of the crisis.

Having said all that, I really felt this could have stopped with the death of the GodKing. It was a cliffhanger and suspensful enough, and resolved most of their problems. If Khali was really such a threat, she could have been included in the second book as well.

Because the GodKing was the main bad guy, it meant that this final book took on a different pace, and felt like it was dealing with more trivial issues. Still, it was well written and remained conhesive, until the end, where Mr Weeks lost me when the Hunter touched the sword. I didnt understand how that made a difference, since the Hunter didnt use his power and aim it at Khali. He just came, grabbed the sword and disappeared.

A further thing I found unusual was the disappearance of Uly. Uly became a main character in the second book, featuring quite prominently. But in the final book, there are only references to her. Unusually enough, there were no passages so we could read how Blint related to his duaghter.

So where does that leave us, or me?

The trilogy is well worth it. Each book is long and there's never a wasted word or dull moment, at least not until the third book.

As an aside, there's a few other fantasy books with covers of similar desgin, like Karen Miller. They are also p[retty long, with good reviews on the store, so I think I'll have a look at those too.

Thanks for reading :)

Brent Weeks certainly made a grand entrance into the fantasy world with his NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY. The entire trilogy is refreshing to read, real and emotional, and completely believable. I absolutely loved THE WAY OF SHADOWS and it was one of the best fantasy books I have read in a long time. The stage was set for a grand tale (and it was); but I was slightly disappointed with the execution, at least by comparison to the previous two installments.

After killing the Godking, Kylar Stern takes more of a journey and adventure of self discovery, learning about the Ka'kari and his role as the Night Angel. Old friendships are rekindled and rediscovered, to great success in terms of character development. One area that Weeks has always succeeded with is his character development and personal interactions. This book explores the bond of brotherhood and friendship to great depths, and the sacrifices necessary to save people. In the previous installments, Kylar's love interest, Elene, was a very one dimensional character. In BEYOND THE SHADOWS, she grows so much, and becomes a character that I was now interested in. Furthermore, many characters from the previous two books are featured in a much more prominent light, setting the stage across multiple countries building to a epic battle.

My one disappointment with BEYOND THE SHADOWS was how the format of the book was drastically different from the other two. BEYOND THE SHADOWS has so many more characters and there is so much more going on in their stories that it almost detracted from my favorite aspects of the series: that being Kylar and his growth as a Wetboy and his struggles balancing the life and his destiny. Because of this, there is so much worldbuilding that would have been better introduced previously because there are times of great exposition through dialogues between characters about the history of the realm. BEYOND THE SHADOWS further explores the entire realm, but almost too much for my comfort. I would have liked to have had more of this worldbuilding in the first two books.

Regardless, BEYOND THE SHADOWS is a solid book. THE NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY is one of the best additions to the fantasy genre in recent times. Weeks excels is painting the tragic lives and choices of the characters and their actions are nothing short of believable.

If you like fantasy, you certainly do not want to miss this one.

Good reading,

J.Stoner

THE WAY OF SHADOWS is the concluding volume in Brent Weeks' series, the Night Angel trilogy. It begins right where the last novel, SHADOW'S EDGE left off. The Godking is dead, leaving a power gap in both of the neighboring kingdoms, Cenaria and Khalidor. Logan Gyre by all rights should be king of Cenaria, but a usurper has taken the throne, and Logan's unwilling to submit the country to more senseless bloodshed. In Khalidor, the mad prophet Dorian has seized his father's throne, hoping to lead his homeland to peace and civility. Kylar Stern rushes to reinstate Logan and then prevent Dorian from accidentally unleashing an unspeakable evil that threatens to destroy the world.

One of the best things about this book was that the characters really stuck to what they believed. For example, when Kylar finds out that Logan has allowed the throne to pass to a usurper, he does what he believes will rectify the problem despite Logan's express wish that he let things be. Once Logan becomes king, he has to deal with Kylar's very brutal and very public crime of regicide. Even though he wants to protect Kylar, he has no choice but to publicly execute him. Another interesting character was the lady wetboy, Vi. At the end of SHADOW'S EDGE, she and Kylar have been magically bonded against their will. This bond is incredibly powerful, strong enough to even linger beyond the grave. Kylar is especially resentful of the bond because he's in love with Elene. Vi chooses to allow him to further his relationship with Elene, even though she suffers incredible physical discomfort whenever the couple are together.

The thing I'll remember about BEYOND THE SHADOWS a year from now is the theme of consequences for one's actions. Every major character of the story has to deal with their personal consequences on one level or another. For Kylar and Dorian, it's especially apparent. Kylar finds out that the source of his powers as the Night Angel has a very ugly outcome. Every time he chooses to die and be resurrected, someone he's close to will die in his stead. This news rips him up emotionally because he didn't realize why some of his close friends were dying. Dorian, on the other hand, begins to make small sacrifices once he becomes the new Godking. His intentions are always good -- he wants to be a better ruler than the previous. But he slowly begins compromising what he believes in, and he loses his vision of a better land. In the end of the story, he's become just as much of a monster as the previous Godking.

Weeks does a great job of wrapping up the story that he's presented here in the Night Angel Trilogy, and it's easy to see why this series has received the acclaim that it has.

These are Brett's first books to be published. As he says in some of his other materials he has been working as a full time writer trying to get published for several years and these books show the effort. His main characters are pretty well drawn and draw you in. Very creative twists that obviously took a lot of planning and thought. Good interesting systems of magic with explanations and clear costs and rules to them. The main city where the action takes place is well thought out and is clear to me. Dialogue rings fairly true most of the time. There are a few characters that just didn't take full shape for me and some of his ideas can feel a bit derivative of other major fantasy authors. However - those issues are so obvious as to completely steal away from my enjoyment. There was enough material here that it could've been worked out into four books! I look forward to reading his future stuff.

PS - one warning - these books are very dark and extremely violent. They are "rated R" you might say. Especially the first book in the trilogy includes extreme violence against children. Also - I don't believe Mr Weeks is misogynistic at all - but it seems almost every major female character (especially the attractive ones) must endure some level of violence in order to be found "worthy"... it is a theme there and I can't be clear if Mr Weeks even knows he is doing it...

The finale to the Night Angel Trilogy definitely did not disappoint. I couldn't put this book down. It continued from the second book, where Logan Gyre managed to defeat the Khalidor's armies and where Kylar killed the Godking. The book begins with a new threat from Ceura. Unlike the previous books, where the focus is mostly on Cenaria and its invasion, this book talks much more about the whole continent of Midcyru and its history. The tale of Jorsin Alkestes plays a much greater role, and we see a lot more of how each tale we read before about Jorsin fit into the story of how everything is now.

This trilogy is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The amount of characterization, world-building, and intricate plotlines was phenomenal. I was literally sad to see the book's end, all the while hoping to reach it because I desperately want to know what Mr. Weeks will have in store for the characters on the next page. I hope Mr. Weeks hurry up and write another story set in the world of Midcyru. There're some tales that hints at a future book set in the same world, and I can't wait to revisit all these wonderful characters again. I wish Mr. Weeks would've written a longer epilogue. This trilogy is even worth rereading because so many plots are connected between the three books, that I know I've missed some of them when I read the first book.

I thought the book started off quite well. Coming straight into the action after the main sequence in the last book, Brent weeks developers the characters and the backgrounds a little more in this book. Weeks gives more development to characters like Vi, the buxom wet boy with a glamour ability, Dorian the prophet and a better more in depth explanation about the kahkari and it's origins. I love these kinds of stories, because they draw you in and shower you in explanations and histories that allow you to side with the characters more. Weeks did a real fine job of multiple character story telling and fans GRRM will have no problem sinking their teeth into the this series. The magic systems I think is very developed and if you do not think over critically, you can go along with the pace and not lose a beat of the story. Towards the 500 page mark the story moves significantly faster and I recall saying " um, there is only 189 pages left, how the hell is Weeks going to close this all up?" I found this series on a whim. I usually don't go for covers with random ( what I originally thought to be a ninja) people in striking poses. There is no question, that if you read the second book in the series and liked the characters, the story, it only gets a heck of a lot better.

End of the journey.
Good and fitting final. Touching, moving with powerful emotions.
My deepest admiration is for Elena. Hat's off.
Kylar, Durzo, Count Drake are my favourites. Even the Wolf.

However, there a few glaring drawbacks that I cannot dismiss.
First of all, the whole trilogy was a bit short on history of Midcyru. Brent Weeks has probably realised it and attempted to force feed us large chunks of it in the last book but it didn't go very smoothly.
Second, too much was squeezed into one book. Too many events, too much info. It all felt a bit rushed. Not the ending, but the whole Beyond the Shadows.
A few questions were left unanswered or unclear? Such as, why Kylar could not defeat magic of wedding rings with black ka'kari if it was devouring any other type of magic, or how did Elena come up with the idea/knowledge that Khali was a disembodied spirit who needed a willing person to sacrifice her body?

I would say that Brent Weeks has created superb characters but world building was a weak side of the Night Angel trilogy. All in all it is a very good story (7 out of 10), page turner.
I believe the ending is open enough to write more in Midcyru's world, maybe with some familiar characters. Who knows? I am looking forward to read it.

This was a fantastically fast paced conclusion to the trilogy! At the end of the previous book, all characters have been split up to accomplish their own part in saving the world (even though they didn't know what part they played and why). Dorian played a pivotal role setting all key characters on their path, while he gave up his memory of the future to find his love. Weeks does not let the reader know what it is Dorian is trying to accomplish by giving up his most powerful gift and the reader is left guessing throughout this last story about Dorian's true motivations.

At the end of the second book we discover that Durzo is alive! Kylar and Durzo do major bonding in this book and he discovers that he has only tipped the iceburg of his powers. Elene plays a small, but important role. Vi, one of my favorite characters (because she is so complex), suffers and sacrifices--something I don't think even she would have believed she would have done six months ago. Solon is very sexy and macho (he had a small, but fun part--at one part I even laughed). As Dorian predicted, Feir creates a great magical thing.

Some characters that were major in previous books were only barely mentioned in this one. I did not regret this because I felt they played their part and accomplished what was needed of them. This was a wonderfully created book. I thought the world creation was finely done and the characters, down to the very smallest, was extremely well-rounded. I highly recommend this trilogy!

This novel, no, this series has been the most awesome, magnificent, frustrating, and rage inducing set of books I have ever had the honor of reading. It made me cry, it made me rant, it made me set it down for months in pure frustration for what the characters were going through, but I picked it back up, just to torture myself a little more. There is no way, absolutely no way to see the true ending of this series from the first book, so if you stop there, if you even stop at the second book, you have no idea about the extreme plot-line and story you will be missing. There were a few problems, but problems that only made the story better in my opinion. Towards the middle and end every chapter is from the point of view of a different character, but that only adds to the feeling of necessary speed and the want of success and the need to make things turn out right. But, even though this writing technique brings such life to the characters and story-line, it frustrates the reader because you know that there is something that is happening beyond the words of the chapter, and you want to know what it is, but you can't know because another character is screaming from the next page and grabbing your attention due to their extreme predicaments. When the novel wraps up though, all of those lost details fall into place, you learn what the large things were, and you piece together the small hints, and you realize what all of those characters had to go through, and your heart breaks. As the story winds down, so does the quick changes in character; the writing style becomes more detailed as it had been before; and the characters think more than they say and do. This leaves one with the sense of hope and understanding, and with the delivery of the last revelation, the style immediately shoots up to the tempo it had in the middle of the climax. And it stops. I admit to holding the book for a good long while before it hit me that, yes, it is done. The trilogy is over, and these characters will never speak again from these pages. Unless you reread it, of course.
All in all, this was, and is, an awesome trilogy. It has made me want to read the rest of his books, which I am looking for now. I highly recommend it for anyone with a love of magic, battle, mystery, thousand year plots that even the people then didn't know of, and stories that can tear every emotion out of you within a ten minute time span.
I love these novels, and so will you. Just be find the time to read 100 chapter books, and you won't regret it!
Lastly, Brent Weeks, if you see this, please, please,please, continue that last little plot line! I want to read about Kylar's, Logan's, and Jeni's reactions. I can see them having grand adventures, and giving everyone else a heart attack while they are at it.

It doesn't end with a whimper, but the other way. In the previous two outings of this series we had several more of the unexpected plot twists that had elevated this series beyond the stereotype of the genre.

So my opening is stereotypical as a review for an ending to a trilogy, as is the story. Weeks however delivers action, depth, plot and fun along the way. It makes us look for more than we get, as if Weeks almost rushed to tie up a few loose ends, but adds in some new dimensions so that we have something to look forward to in a promised sequel that casts the story further into the future.

In the first two books Weeks succeeded because we thought we were on familiar ground and he stood everything on an ear. We knew our hero was indestructible, though at first in the series we were unsure who exactly it was. But as the series finished up we see that the survival of our hero had its price. We find that as everything is tied neatly, not all was made happy, but was made satisfactory.

The third book of a trilogy has to give us a conclusion and Weeks did that. Just as you know that the Motion Picture Academy has to acknowledge Peter Jackson by the third movie for the entire Trilogy, so too do you have to give kudos to Weeks for bringing the series to its end. It is worth reading again, and as a whole, though in hindsight, this book needs a little more to make it rival the previous two.

Other reviewers have good points about Kylar being so powerful at this point, which means less assassin stuff and a bit less suspense. The ending was a bit cliche, but it left me with a satisfying fealing. Week's magic, which was unbounded in the first two books, became consistent at the end. I had a harder time putting down this book than the first two.

Weeks puts the reader in a gritty, harsh, world and creates interesting characters you care about. There are some cool themes and ideas, and some great scenes (like Logan in the Maw with its sinew-chewing horrors). The books are fast-paced and have enough action to keep you entertained. The books steal a bit from existing works (like Hobb's Farseer Trilogy), but also contains enough originality to be unique.

One drawback is that it reads like Weeks kind of makes up magic as he goes along ("Oh so now Blint has that power too? Oh, that's possible in this world too hu?"). But his world and its magic become consistent and make sense by the end. It was also fairly predictable, and the main character's internal struggle got a little old.

But all-in-all I feel confident dark fantasy fans will like The Dark Angel. I enjoyed these books and missed the characters when I was done.

I couldn't have asked for more for the conclusion of this great series. All of our characters join together in this book for an epic conclusion that will bring 4 kingdoms together, or tear the entire world apart.

The first 400 pages or so of this novel are strong. The side plots that took a back seat in previous installments are given much more airtime, and we learn plenty about our favorite characters. We get a sense that all of the plots are going to come together in some way, and it is very exciting. Then, we sit around and wait for 200 or so pages. Vi learns/teaches some magic, Kylar gets some more training, kings are thinking, and some people are plotting. I wanted to see everything come together in a spectacular way. I didn't expect it to occur so close to the end, and take such a short time. Other than that minor irritation this book delivers just as the others have delivered. Mr. Weeks has improved on making the side plots important and understandable, and the characterization is spectacular. We learn new things about the Night Angel's power and Durzo's past, which is great. We also get to learn plenty about every character presented previously. If you liked the first two books in this series, you will enjoy this. If you haven't read this series yet.....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?! Read it!

What can I really say about this last trilogy that I haven't already said about the previous two novels? Honestly not much! These books are just that good, for a first time author Weeks has created a masterful debut Fantasy series. As with the previous two novels this book is written brilliantly with Great in depth characterization and a beautifully set back drop.

The story has progressed a great deal from the second novel, there is a new Queen in Cenaria, alas for her nation she proves to be a corrupt incompetent who only cares for her own power. The true King Logan is off hunting the last of the God Kings armies while his friend Kyler tries to warn him that he is marching into an ambush that could destroy him and any hope for the future of Cenaria. As for Kyler he will learn the bitter truth of his immortality he must also figure out a way to save a nation and restore a King to his throne, along the way he will meet old friends and older enemies.

All in all I can honestly say this is one of the best debut Fantasy trilogies i've ever read, if you're stuck for something to read then this will definitely make you sit up and think. Brilliant trilogy!

This book was absolutely amazing. The combining of the other two books in the night angel trilogy to put an end to the trilogy couldn't have worked out any better than the way that Mr. Weeks did it. The massive story line was well thought out and was written in a style that makes Mr. Weeks look more like a seasoned author than a new author.

There was so much that happened in Beyond the Shadows that the story line itself was compelling enough to keep even the most avid reader entertained with something completely new. The six different stories that were happening throughout the book finally came together to amass for a huge conclusion. The final battle couldn't of taken place at a more appropriate place.

I don't think that I can give a review that befits this book. I have read a lot of books and I can't seem to get this one out of my head. The ending was so different than anything that I foresaw that I am still blown away. To give an adequate review of what I'm talking about I would have to include spoilers and I absolutely refuse to do that.

I look forward to reading more Brent Weeks in the future and can't wait to see how he advances after this novel. As a new author Brent Weeks has shown that he can and will bend the laws of novel writing and that he will advance in his writing style.

I was really looking forward to this final piece of the trilogy. I liked the first book, and really loved the second one. This one was somewhat disappointing, and not just because it didn't meet too high expectations. The plotting was good, with some nice twists, the worldbuilding was interesting enough and there was the same cast of quite interesting characters.

The main problem is that the story is too rushed. Weeks tried to cram two books into one, it seems, and that didn't work well. Some important matters were glossed over, and some scenes written with a frenetic pace that made me disconnect. The biggest casualties were the characters, who developed in such leaps and bounds that lacked the natural, step-by-step development necessary for the reader to follow and embrace that growth. A pity, really.

Again, there were some nice twists, which were well thought out, like the price Kylar pays for his immortality. There were also some scenes that annoyed me, especially a deus ex machina moment where something literally falls out of the sky to save a character.

I hope that Mr. Weeks keeps developing, because there is a lot of good in his writing. This series deserved a better ending, though.

End of the journey.
Good and fitting final. Touching, moving with powerful emotions.
My deepest admiration is for Elena. Hat's off.
Kylar, Durzo, Count Drake are my favourites. Even the Wolf.

However, there a few glaring drawbacks that I cannot dismiss.
First of all, the whole trilogy was a bit short on history of Midcyru. Brent Weeks has probably realised it and attempted to force feed us large chunks of it in the last book but it didn't go very smoothly.
Second, too much was squeezed into one book. Too many events, too much info. It all felt a bit rushed. Not the ending, but the whole Beyond the Shadows.
A few questions were left unanswered or unclear? Such as, why Kylar could not defeat magic of wedding rings with black ka'kari if it was devouring any other type of magic, or how did Elena come up with the idea/knowledge that Khali was a disembodied spirit who needed a willing person to sacrifice her body?

I would say that Brent Weeks has created superb characters but world building was a weak side of the Night Angel trilogy. All in all it is a very good story (7 out of 10), page turner.
I believe the ending is open enough to write more in Midcyru's world, maybe with some familiar characters. Who knows? I am looking forward to read it.

This was a fantastically fast paced conclusion to the trilogy! At the end of the previous book, all characters have been split up to accomplish their own part in saving the world (even though they didn't know what part they played and why). Dorian played a pivotal role setting all key characters on their path, while he gave up his memory of the future to find his love. Weeks does not let the reader know what it is Dorian is trying to accomplish by giving up his most powerful gift and the reader is left guessing throughout this last story about Dorian's true motivations.

At the end of the second book we discover that Durzo is alive! Kylar and Durzo do major bonding in this book and he discovers that he has only tipped the iceburg of his powers. Elene plays a small, but important role. Vi, one of my favorite characters (because she is so complex), suffers and sacrifices--something I don't think even she would have believed she would have done six months ago. Solon is very sexy and macho (he had a small, but fun part--at one part I even laughed). As Dorian predicted, Feir creates a great magical thing.

Some characters that were major in previous books were only barely mentioned in this one. I did not regret this because I felt they played their part and accomplished what was needed of them. This was a wonderfully created book. I thought the world creation was finely done and the characters, down to the very smallest, was extremely well-rounded. I highly recommend this trilogy!

This novel, no, this series has been the most awesome, magnificent, frustrating, and rage inducing set of books I have ever had the honor of reading. It made me cry, it made me rant, it made me set it down for months in pure frustration for what the characters were going through, but I picked it back up, just to torture myself a little more. There is no way, absolutely no way to see the true ending of this series from the first book, so if you stop there, if you even stop at the second book, you have no idea about the extreme plot-line and story you will be missing. There were a few problems, but problems that only made the story better in my opinion. Towards the middle and end every chapter is from the point of view of a different character, but that only adds to the feeling of necessary speed and the want of success and the need to make things turn out right. But, even though this writing technique brings such life to the characters and story-line, it frustrates the reader because you know that there is something that is happening beyond the words of the chapter, and you want to know what it is, but you can't know because another character is screaming from the next page and grabbing your attention due to their extreme predicaments. When the novel wraps up though, all of those lost details fall into place, you learn what the large things were, and you piece together the small hints, and you realize what all of those characters had to go through, and your heart breaks. As the story winds down, so does the quick changes in character; the writing style becomes more detailed as it had been before; and the characters think more than they say and do. This leaves one with the sense of hope and understanding, and with the delivery of the last revelation, the style immediately shoots up to the tempo it had in the middle of the climax. And it stops. I admit to holding the book for a good long while before it hit me that, yes, it is done. The trilogy is over, and these characters will never speak again from these pages. Unless you reread it, of course.
All in all, this was, and is, an awesome trilogy. It has made me want to read the rest of his books, which I am looking for now. I highly recommend it for anyone with a love of magic, battle, mystery, thousand year plots that even the people then didn't know of, and stories that can tear every emotion out of you within a ten minute time span.
I love these novels, and so will you. Just be find the time to read 100 chapter books, and you won't regret it!
Lastly, Brent Weeks, if you see this, please, please,please, continue that last little plot line! I want to read about Kylar's, Logan's, and Jeni's reactions. I can see them having grand adventures, and giving everyone else a heart attack while they are at it.

It doesn't end with a whimper, but the other way. In the previous two outings of this series we had several more of the unexpected plot twists that had elevated this series beyond the stereotype of the genre.

So my opening is stereotypical as a review for an ending to a trilogy, as is the story. Weeks however delivers action, depth, plot and fun along the way. It makes us look for more than we get, as if Weeks almost rushed to tie up a few loose ends, but adds in some new dimensions so that we have something to look forward to in a promised sequel that casts the story further into the future.

In the first two books Weeks succeeded because we thought we were on familiar ground and he stood everything on an ear. We knew our hero was indestructible, though at first in the series we were unsure who exactly it was. But as the series finished up we see that the survival of our hero had its price. We find that as everything is tied neatly, not all was made happy, but was made satisfactory.

The third book of a trilogy has to give us a conclusion and Weeks did that. Just as you know that the Motion Picture Academy has to acknowledge Peter Jackson by the third movie for the entire Trilogy, so too do you have to give kudos to Weeks for bringing the series to its end. It is worth reading again, and as a whole, though in hindsight, this book needs a little more to make it rival the previous two.

Other reviewers have good points about Kylar being so powerful at this point, which means less assassin stuff and a bit less suspense. The ending was a bit cliche, but it left me with a satisfying fealing. Week's magic, which was unbounded in the first two books, became consistent at the end. I had a harder time putting down this book than the first two.

Weeks puts the reader in a gritty, harsh, world and creates interesting characters you care about. There are some cool themes and ideas, and some great scenes (like Logan in the Maw with its sinew-chewing horrors). The books are fast-paced and have enough action to keep you entertained. The books steal a bit from existing works (like Hobb's Farseer Trilogy), but also contains enough originality to be unique.

One drawback is that it reads like Weeks kind of makes up magic as he goes along ("Oh so now Blint has that power too? Oh, that's possible in this world too hu?"). But his world and its magic become consistent and make sense by the end. It was also fairly predictable, and the main character's internal struggle got a little old.

But all-in-all I feel confident dark fantasy fans will like The Dark Angel. I enjoyed these books and missed the characters when I was done.

I couldn't have asked for more for the conclusion of this great series. All of our characters join together in this book for an epic conclusion that will bring 4 kingdoms together, or tear the entire world apart.

The first 400 pages or so of this novel are strong. The side plots that took a back seat in previous installments are given much more airtime, and we learn plenty about our favorite characters. We get a sense that all of the plots are going to come together in some way, and it is very exciting. Then, we sit around and wait for 200 or so pages. Vi learns/teaches some magic, Kylar gets some more training, kings are thinking, and some people are plotting. I wanted to see everything come together in a spectacular way. I didn't expect it to occur so close to the end, and take such a short time. Other than that minor irritation this book delivers just as the others have delivered. Mr. Weeks has improved on making the side plots important and understandable, and the characterization is spectacular. We learn new things about the Night Angel's power and Durzo's past, which is great. We also get to learn plenty about every character presented previously. If you liked the first two books in this series, you will enjoy this. If you haven't read this series yet.....WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?! Read it!

What can I really say about this last trilogy that I haven't already said about the previous two novels? Honestly not much! These books are just that good, for a first time author Weeks has created a masterful debut Fantasy series. As with the previous two novels this book is written brilliantly with Great in depth characterization and a beautifully set back drop.

The story has progressed a great deal from the second novel, there is a new Queen in Cenaria, alas for her nation she proves to be a corrupt incompetent who only cares for her own power. The true King Logan is off hunting the last of the God Kings armies while his friend Kyler tries to warn him that he is marching into an ambush that could destroy him and any hope for the future of Cenaria. As for Kyler he will learn the bitter truth of his immortality he must also figure out a way to save a nation and restore a King to his throne, along the way he will meet old friends and older enemies.

All in all I can honestly say this is one of the best debut Fantasy trilogies i've ever read, if you're stuck for something to read then this will definitely make you sit up and think. Brilliant trilogy!

This book was absolutely amazing. The combining of the other two books in the night angel trilogy to put an end to the trilogy couldn't have worked out any better than the way that Mr. Weeks did it. The massive story line was well thought out and was written in a style that makes Mr. Weeks look more like a seasoned author than a new author.

There was so much that happened in Beyond the Shadows that the story line itself was compelling enough to keep even the most avid reader entertained with something completely new. The six different stories that were happening throughout the book finally came together to amass for a huge conclusion. The final battle couldn't of taken place at a more appropriate place.

I don't think that I can give a review that befits this book. I have read a lot of books and I can't seem to get this one out of my head. The ending was so different than anything that I foresaw that I am still blown away. To give an adequate review of what I'm talking about I would have to include spoilers and I absolutely refuse to do that.

I look forward to reading more Brent Weeks in the future and can't wait to see how he advances after this novel. As a new author Brent Weeks has shown that he can and will bend the laws of novel writing and that he will advance in his writing style.

I was really looking forward to this final piece of the trilogy. I liked the first book, and really loved the second one. This one was somewhat disappointing, and not just because it didn't meet too high expectations. The plotting was good, with some nice twists, the worldbuilding was interesting enough and there was the same cast of quite interesting characters.

The main problem is that the story is too rushed. Weeks tried to cram two books into one, it seems, and that didn't work well. Some important matters were glossed over, and some scenes written with a frenetic pace that made me disconnect. The biggest casualties were the characters, who developed in such leaps and bounds that lacked the natural, step-by-step development necessary for the reader to follow and embrace that growth. A pity, really.

Again, there were some nice twists, which were well thought out, like the price Kylar pays for his immortality. There were also some scenes that annoyed me, especially a deus ex machina moment where something literally falls out of the sky to save a character.

I hope that Mr. Weeks keeps developing, because there is a lot of good in his writing. This series deserved a better ending, though.

Wow, this is the type of book that makes me wish the store had a 1 to 10 rating system, because I've given other books 5 stars that do not measure up to this one. This review is essentially spoiler-free and contains my thoughts on the trilogy as a whole, because it is essentially one huge book chopped into 3 parts in my opinion.

The plot in many "epic fantasy" series can sometimes plod along because of what basically feels like "filler" with nothing much happening for long stretches. Not so with this series. This series has enough plot development for 10 books, and the result is that you are never bored or waiting for the author to just get on with it. There are always scenes to look forward to reading in this series.

For those of us who like to identify with the main character and vicariously "live" through him, you'll really enjoy this. Why? Because there are a number of really, really cool scenes where the main character has an immense amount of power, and uses it either for justice/good, or to put some idiot in their place. My god that's satisfying. Especially when the rest of the book is so entertaining.

Another thing this author does well is that the supporting characters are, for the most part, not boring to read. A lot of times you get characters in other series that you end up just skimming or skipping altogether to just avoid the suffering, but not so in this case. There were maybe only 1 or 2 chapters throughout the series that I skimmed (in a series with probably around 200 chapters), and that's very low for me.

My only real gripe is with the 1st book and the first 20-30 pages or so which are tough to get through due to somewhat graphic depictions of child abuse and a large number of unfamiliar (and unnecessary imo) terms regarding differences in architecture/cultural styles. Get through those first few chapters though and you're well on your way to having a great time.

In summary, this series is well worth the money, a 9/10 for me, and this last book is an excellent and satisfying conclusion.

I read a lot of Sci-Fi books. I really enjoy the majority of them and even if they're a little dull, I pull through. There are several main stories that you follow which twist and tangle in and around each other. You find your feelings for various characters changing throughout the book. I found it extremely hard to put this book (actually all three books) down once I picked them up. This is much to the chagrin of coworkers and my boss and my husband and my daughter. They survived... right? However, on a happier note, it's the first time my husband has picked up a book that isn't a graphic novel or magazine in about 5 years. He's currently on the third of the series and I've already loaned the first book to another friend.

Pros: Fast paced, colorful, has unexpected actions (yes, people you like will die), love the cliff hangers Brent leaves you with
Cons: The main character seemed a little whiny, but I dealt with it.

If you finish this book and enjoy something with similar style of action and good story, I suggest Michael Hicks Kreelan series. There are three trilogies and he suggests First Contact to start with.

I fell in love with the first two books. Brent Weeks definitely knows how to make someone dangle on a string. But this book... well, it read like a book that had too many strings to tie up.

Like.. What happens to the entire nation of Khalidor? So Dorian goes mad. What happens to all his concubines, and all the neat political buildup, and all that? What happens to his eunuchs? His Hands?

And how does he know how to use Curoch? And... why were they -singing-? And what happened to his brother? And why didn't Logan send a delegation to the brand new Godking instead of declaring war? It seems out of his character to not at least consider a peaceful solution.

For that matter, I never quite got it clear where exactly the Black Barrow is. Or where any of the other countries were in proportion to each other. I know I could just have checked the map, but the point was simply that I never got a clear geographical image in my head.

In the first two books, the geography and imagery were crystal clear; in the third, people just seem to flit from here to there in, well, no time at all. Kylar gets to the Black Barrow in great time from a totally different place; Dorian seems to flit right from his palace to the battlefield; so on and so forth. Elene somehow ends up in front of Khali's rotted away bones as a host, and the last we saw of her was in the Chantry. THere should be a sense of time passing, when it comes to crossing a continent all on your lonesome.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is that in this last book's effort to tie and finish the story, it neglects vital parts; such as worldbuilding (by the very end climactic bit, I mostly had no idea where everyone was at that moment), and a few good closures (ergo, Durzo's reunion with Mamma K and Uly, which I spent the whole first book rooting for). It neglects the world in favour of the people, and the war in favour of the motives (who is Logan even attacking? The Black Barrow or Khaliras? Nyah or Dorian? Or is he just attacking at random? If he were attacking for Jenine, why was he at the Black Barrow and not Khaliras? Furthermore, Jenine is a wife; she would logically have been in Khaliras. In fact, -Dorian- should have been in Khaliras, directing the whole army via his supersleuth illusionpower that his dad used in Book 2. Maybe I missed something?)

But enough about the book's failures. I'm giving it a 4. I had better say why it's worthy.

Despite what I said earlier, the book does a decent job of tying up most questions; I especially liked Solon's plotline, and the twist of Kylar's deaths was absolutely unexpected and incredible. <3 <3 In addition, the Wolf and the ka'kari were pretty great characters and brought some much liked humour to the book. The humour was what kept me going and made me laugh. In fact, the best points to the book were the common reactions between characters; the romance and love, the intrigue and death, the friendship and loyalty. The Night Angel trilogy in general excels at close-group relationships. Beyond the Shadows only breaks down when confronted with a huge mass of characters all coming together.

I adored the friendship between Durzo and Kylar (and since I'm only writing this one review, I might as well throw in that Lilly, from the second book, was an incredible character), and Kylar and Drake, and Drake and his God. It is not often a fantasy book does not revile piety or ignore it; touches from real life religion make it more real. In this case it was very well done.

So to sum up my review; I think this was altogether a good book. It suffered from some confusion and a few plot holes, and could have been better; but a reader can get over them. Overall? It was worth it to finish the series.

Cenaria has a new Queen and Logan's honour forbids his killing her, even though she may destroy the country, but Kylar has no qualms about ending this threat, though it is going to cost him more than he ever imagined. In the meanwhile the Godking's death has spawned a new play for power that may destroy the world entirely.

This has been a wonderful fantasy series. Its one of the best I have read in a really long time. Once you start on these books it's hard to put them down - quite literally. This is a satisfying conclusion to this trilogy. So many strands from the previous books are bought together in an ending you don't see from book 1 that makes it all very satisfying. Having said that I'd truly love to see another Kylar book.

Kylar is the star of these novels without doubt, but having said that all the other characters are drawn so well that they barely feel secondary. Each single instalment of this series has more action and plot development than some entire trilogies I have read in the past. These books are highly recommended to fantasy fans and I'm looking forward to the author's next book.

"Beyond the Shadows" starts off like the literary equivalent of "The Empire Strikes Back," and that's a great thing. Weeks takes us rapidly from character to character, all of whom are spread out, and moves his chess pieces around as rapid-fire action and plot twists are revealed. The first 450 pages of BTS are a quick-paced romp of a read, and a cause for celebration!

If only there weren't another 200 pages left...

The last part of the book is a battle royale with all the characters meeting up like they're staging a reenactment of the Lord of the Rings grand finale. Characters pop in and out with no rational explanations for how they get there. One major character suddenly has the ability to metamorphasize his body, and grow wings and fly like a bird! While some characters have new powers and appear as by magic, others disappear as if they were mere footnotes to the series.

Overall, this was fun book and a good conclusion to an entertaining series. I can easily forgive plot holes when a book has so much going for it!

Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks is the third and final novel in the Night Angel Trilogy. The first book in the trilogy is titled The Way of Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy) and the second is titled Shadow's Edge (The Night Angel Trilogy). As I read this novel, I began to become more and more depressed; simply because I knew that with each page I turned I was that much closer to the end of such a wonderful trilogy. While Mr. Weeks may be a new author, there is nothing beginner about his writing or stories. Here are my thoughts on this novel.

The plot of this novel feels different from the first two books. Where the first two books were more intimate in setting and scope, in this book the reader is really introduced to the world of Midcyru. Readers begin to understand the vast and storied history of the world and each region within the world. The one aspect that I liked above all others in regards to the plot was things that were hinted at, and briefly talked about during the first two novels rear their head and are explained in great detail in this book. Normally, in this section of my reviews I give a rather brief idea of what to expect in terms of plot. However, with this novel, I don't think that's really possible as so many things happen in this novel. What I can say is if you have read the first two books in this trilogy and can think of a plot line that has yet to be resolved; it is resolved in this book. Yet, not all plot lines are resolved in ways that readers would want, or expect, them to be resolved. Mr. Weeks holds true to his ability to drag his characters through hell and back, and not all of them come back. I was very pleased to finish this book and not have any loose ends not tied up from the previous books, just for the sake of teasing the reader about possible future novels. The ending fit the feeling and theme of the first two books perfectly.

If you like a novel with rich and detailed characters, you will most certainly enjoy this book. There are numerous characters that not only receive face time, but also have their own significant character development. I can not recall reading a novel with this many characters who all get this amount of development, and not lose track of the story or another character. All of the characters that readers would expect return in this novel; Kylar, Logan, Dorian, Solon, Vi, Neph Dada, Terah Graesin, Sister Ariell, and many more. One thing that may get overlooked by some readers is that while there are many characters, each one comes across as a unique and different character. They all have their own motivations, specific ways they talk, they all have flaws. It's simply amazing that this level of character development could occur with each of these characters and still keep the story moving. Each character has a specific purpose for the story, there are no fluff characters in this book. You can be sure that if a character is in a scene, there is a specific reason for that scene and character being there. The back stories of the character are varied and interesting. It is so rewarding to a reader when a great plot is mixed with great characters, and that is exactly what has occurred in this book and trilogy.

One minor criticism about this novel:

Through the first two books, and parts of this book as well, the story moves at a frenetic pace and it makes the events feel dire and important. However, there are a couple times in this book where the pace slows dramatically as certain plot points and decisions are explained in great detail. The only reason I list this as a criticism is because when this occurs it feels out of place with the rest of the storyline.

Some things I liked about this novel:

1 - The depth of the story line. All of the sub plots, the main story arc, and how it all comes together at the end of the novel is fantastic. For a trilogy to cover as much as this trilogy does, and wrapping up most of it in the third book, is nice. It seems the growing trend in fantasy right now is to write multi-volume sagas. Here it is a simple trilogy that covers everything it takes other authors to cover in eight or none books.

2 - The characters. I enjoyed how each character was a separate individual, there were very few clichés used in this novel and if they were they were not presented as the traditional cliché. Each character elicited some type of reaction, which is something I have rarely run into in a fantasy novel.

3 - The amount of world building that went into this novel, and trilogy. It is never more evident than in this book how much history the world has. Each area has a different feeling to it as well as having its own separate history. I applaud Mr. Week's efforts in making this world come alive. There were several times where the world was almost another character.

Rating this book as a single novel, it is a fantastic read. Rating this novel as part of a trilogy, it ranks up there as one of the best trilogies I have read in a very long time. Mr. weeks has not only made his mark on the fantasy genre, he has kicked in the doors and announced he is here to stay. The quality of these books, the world building, plot development, and character development makes reading Mr. Week's books a joy. Fans of the fantasy genre should not hesitate to pick up these books; there is something in these books that everyone will enjoy. People who are simply looking to dip their feet into the genre would also be well advised to dive into this trilogy. I will certainly be recommending this book, and trilogy, to anyone that will listen. I only hope that our wait to revisit Midcyru is short. I can not wait to see what Mr. Weeks has in store for readers. I have little doubt that he will have a long and successful career. This was simply a joy to read, well done Mr. Weeks!

Throughout these three books I liked the dark feel and the main core of characters were interesting and fun to read about. The action and pacing were good overall.

The bad things about these books is the author would introduce a character every five chapters or so, delve into them, but then not return to them again for a while and by then I had forgotten (or never found out completely) why they were so important. I thought there were just too many peripheral characters who he tried to incorporate into the story.

I found that each of the three books really could have been much shorter. The fantasy genre is still suffering from authors who write books that are too long and overly complicated with peripheral characters that really don't add much to the story.

I'm not sure if I'm going to read further books from this author or not, even though this trilogy wasn't bad, it was just too long and the payoff didn't warrant such lengthy volumes.

This novel concludes Brent Weeks' brilliant Night Angel Trilogy. While there are a couple of minor bumps in the writing, this book is a great achievement.

The trilogy grows in scale as the reader progresses: Book 1 is the city, Book 2 is the country, and Book 3 encompasses the (world) continent. Similarly the danger increases in scope. I thought the monster at the end of Book 2 was an impressive and dangerous creation until I got to Book 3.

Weeks remembered that the most important thing about writing a story is having an ending. It's what distinguishes the Lord of the Rings from the Wheel of Time. It's Babylon 5 over Star Trek Deep Space 9. Many novels (and TV shows) do a great job of building interesting plots, but have seemingly have no resolution in mind, so that if/when a resolution happens, it seems forced or rushed.

Weeks writes an end to the many plotlines he created, and in so doing, satisfies the reader completely.

While I like Brent Weeks writing style, it seems he got bored or rushed by the end of the series and just degenerated into reusing scenes from other books.

The highs are
Great visually inspiring scenes.
Great background in the first book to ground the main characters life.
Fully flushed battles.
An really interesting world to play in.

The lows:
At first the idea of a wetboy worked for me, but then it seems that Brent had to take every magical idea from Jordan, Goodkind, Tolkien and Jesus and integrate it into his book. He should set the bounds of his world in the first book and work from there to see where it goes.

Out right copying of scenes from other books. Where is the wonder when you know the end of a scene because you already read it in the bible, WOT, etc.? Also do you recognize this character: Charming rogue with a magical icon that stops all direct magical attacks and turns him into the worlds greatest hand to hand fighter and finally has trouble with women?

Another big issue I have is a recurrent theme that all women sell their stuff. Every key female character in the series ended up being disgraced by the end of the last book but all the wonderful men forgave them. Righhhhhht - great plot device there...

And if all women are "bad", how do you turn a blundering assassin into the great savior of mankind. You might say the Messiah.

Too bad a series that started with great promise just went down hill all the way to the end.

This review is for the whole series. Excellent. Just plain excellent.

My ONLY problem with these books... is their covers! Not he art, which I like, but the descriptions of the books on them. Laughable I know. But It really bothered me when I thought about the HEART of this story to see "The perfect killer has no conscience" says on the front. What? This isn't a series about an assassins, it's about the Night Angel, and so much more. The cover, the desciption on the back... so inadequate to say the least. I set the books down and looked at the covers and read the backs then reflected on the series I had read. I can only say I hope that whoever authorized these had not read them. If they had read them... well, they ought to be fired. Honestly, I almost didn't read the series because I had no interest in a book that glorifed assasins. HA! What a shame that would have been.

OK-ish!

I'm not sure what was wrong with this book/series. It had all the ingredients of a superb fantasy book; a really great basic tale, interesting and fairly well developed characters, magic, great battles, interesting and intriguing villains, love with some erotic qualities, and above all, the unexpected. So what is missing...what's wrong?

When I started this 3rd book I thought the author had finally 'got it right' but by the end I was left scratching my head, wondering about some of the unexplained events and appearances of people and objects. There were areas that were developed only to be 'dropped', seemingly forgotten; items that were lost and then turned up, unexplained. There were areas where I could hardly wait to turn the page to find out what would happen and other areas that I had difficulty understanding what was going on. A little more completion of some of the tales, a little more explanation as to how things transpired and/or were accomplished would have added so much to this 'almost' great tale.

Conclusion:
This book had all the trappings of something special; all the ingredients of truly great fantasy were there...just untapped. A good editor could have been invaluable to Mr. Weeks. Good fantasy...just not great. 3 1/2 Stars.

Ray Nicholson

The story redeemed itself from the atrocious teen drama in book 2. That stated, it still is lacking. This adventure is more well rounded, but there is an unbelievable element to the convenience of having every problem already lining up to a solution where at the end, everything just conveniently works out perfectly and everyone is happy. Seems like parts of this story were adapted from the Bible, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and 90210, the tv show. Personally, I prefer stories that are more original ideas. If you've already read the first two books, might as well finish the series.

The first two books in this awesome trilogy do a fantastic job of involving you as a reader. However, the third book proved to be disappointing.

Pro's:
1. Fantastic world building with complex yet understandable history
2. Strong character development (for the most part)
3. Exciting weapons and powers
4. Believable description of emotion for intense situations

Con's:
1. Wishy-washy magic system. It seemed the magic was concrete at parts and then lost all form the next moment. Strictly limited power at points in the story, and then unlimited power the next.
2. Too many unexplained side stories (Logan's "tattoo")
3. The ending!

I understand that this is an "Epic Fantasy" trilogy, but that does not mean that every single issue must be resolved at the end. In 3 short chapters what seemed like a damned world turned into Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory with flowers and meadows and blue skies. Quite literally each character's conflict was abolished at the end of the book with the exception of one. Only one important character died. While I am not in favor of killing off main character willy-nilly, I do embrace realism and want to see sacrifices made for the good of the plot.

While the end of the trilogy feels more like a fairy-tale than a fantasy, it is still worth reading, particularly the first two books.

"Beyond the Shadows" painfully concludes "The Night Angel Trilogy" where Azoth, whom I originally found interesting, becomes almost as annoying as Elene and Vi. The reader encounters political intrigue involving the Chantry but nothing ensues by the end of the book. The saga obviously follows Kylar Stern, the Night Angel, but the strongest characters Dorian, Feir, and Solon have select chapters dedicated to their essential exploits.

After the first third of the book I lost interest in the main characters Kylar, Logan (he does have a great scene in Chapter 56), and Vi other than the compelling Dorian the prophet. Momma K has a fascinating enigmatic background eluded to cleverly and the restorative power of the black ka'kari has a balance I found shocking but vague in nature. I never determined what happens to the ferali magically created by Logan's companions from the Hole after Pavvil's Grove and the important and powerful Uly's fate remains unresolved. The haphazard yet cliché finale provides many opportunities for further adventures but at this time I do not care.

A better detailed map of the significant terrains and comprehensive appendix including the many characters would have been useful.

P.S. The review dated after this one has an excellent point about the black ka'kari! Totally overlooked it...

Thank you.

Wow what a great ending to a great series. Mr. Weeks continued to deliver fantastic writing, wonderful characters that you truly care about, and a great world that it is all set in. Not to mention the interesting magic system in these books. I checked out this audio book from my local library. Same reader on this book as the other two in this series. He did a great job again. Overall I would have to say I am very satisfied with this series. I enjoyed these books so much and I am excited to start Mr. Weeks next series.

I cannot remember the last time I have been so effected by the conclusion of a series of books. There is always a bit of sadness in finishing a book or book series, but when I reached the end of Beyond the Shadows it felt as though I was saying goodbye to some much loved friends. Throughout the Night Angel series Brent Weeks has created some of the most intriguing and engaging characters in the modern fantasy genre. Much like ourselves the characters in Week's books are complex, conflicted individuals who are continually struggling to make what they see as the right decisions in the moral, social, and religious malaise of everyday life. By the end of this stunning book no character is the same as when they started and you are left with the feeling that there is much more story to be told in the future. It was a pleasure to read such a refreshing and new author in modern fantasy and I'm looking forward to reading much more from Weeks in the future.

The Night Angel series is fantastic. A different set of extremely well-developed characters from what you normally see in the fantasy genre. It's fast-paced, has a gritty plot with wry humor and great political intrigue. Epic magic and battle. Weeks is amazing here and the most recent series, the Lightbringer is even better still... Look, I could go on and on, but just go ahead and read the first couple pages of The Way of Shadows... It doesn't stop getting better and it's good from "go"

Maybe it's just because I was so wrapped up in the characters and plot, and action, honor, and astounding, realistic dialogue that I liked this book so much. Oh wait, all of those things are EXACTLY why I liked this trilogy so much. If you like action trilogies and can handle a little science fiction, I promise you that this trilogy will not let you down. I know, I know, the term wetboy is questionable, the fact that the word shadows is in every book is questionable, and the silly pictures of the wetboy on every cover of the series is questionable. The content of these books IS NOT QUESTIONABLE, IT IS FREAKIN' AWESOME. I recommend this trilogy to absolutely anyone who loves science fiction action.

This is a vastly entertaining book. If you've gotten this far and are wondering whether to read Book 3, it would be pretty difficult to be disappointed.

Weeks has perfected his style by Beyond the Shadows and there are far less flaws in this book than the previous two. His ability to cram 5 or 6 storylines, each with its own character perspective, into this book is no small feat. I actually wouldn't have minded if the book were three times as long. It doesn't feel too rushed though if you've been reading the rest of the series. Weeks has a way of writing significant tidbits and checking in on characters every so often that is very effective. It leaves quite a bit to the imagination, but his world-building by this point has also become very skilled so my mind was able to fill in the gaps quite well.

There is still the occasional hitch in vernacular and syntax where Weeks decides that one of his characters should talk like a 17 year old ghetto chick from Queens, but it only happens once or twice and the story is moving so fast I barely noticed.

There's a lot of character building in this book that takes people up and drags them down in interesting and unforseen ways.

Finally, the climax and ultimate battle are pretty awesome. Weeks hits a pretty sophisticated chord that walks the line between happy and sad very effectively. I really enjoyed this book and it reflects very well on the rest of the series.

I can also say, without a doubt, that Brent Weeks is a vastly better author than when he started these books. I can't wait to read his next book.

This is the culmination of the series, and everything feels like it's rushing to the climax. Initially I read it and put it down, reading the other two back to back, meant that I needed a little break. But once I started I couldn't put it down. It's a rollicking ride with lots of revelations and a few tears. I liked the cost of immortality, I really did. I liked how Kylar and Vi and Elene worked out. I liked Logan. Jeni was a bit too perfect (especially for a 16 yo!) but I loved Dorian and how his character was slowly revealed.

All in all a very satisfactory ending to an excellent series. I look forward to buying more of Brent Weeks' works!

How many beginning authors can think up a plot big enough to fill 2,100 pages, invent a world, populate the story with a mix of complex characters, and wrap it all up in a satisfying fashion? Not many, which is why I'm proud to give this book (and the trilogy) a solid four stars. (I reserve 5 for all-time favorite works like LOTR, East of Eden, etc.) As with the previous two books in the series, I was disappointed when it ended, and even though I tried to prolong the process, I ended up gobbling it in a few days just as I did with the others. For fans of genre stalwarts like George R. R. Martin, I commend this new author to you--you won't regret it.

The trilogy was excellent, but of the three books, the third was the weakest by far. I'm assuming most people by now have read the books, who are reading this review, so I'm going to give away a few things. Largely, Kylar has given up being an assassin/rogue by book 3, which is disappointing. Using his skills as an assassin was what made the first two books interesting. In book three he's more of a Superman character relying on the power of the kakuri to do magic. So he's more of a magic user than a rogue/assissin in book 3.
The one time that a real rogue is needed to steel back the sword we don't see any of it. Durzo drugs Kylar and when he wakes up Durzo has stolen the sword. This could have been an interesting chapter in which Durzo is forced to use all his hiding and sneeking abilities to avoid detection but we get none of that.
Ending battle was pretty intense. Kylar does backstab a huge titan using some of his assassin ablities but the way it was done is not realistic. Ending though was generally a let down. Khali seems to have been a lot more powerful in book two, then she was tamed down for book three. Maybe this is because she was outsmarted by Elene but seems like a weak plot device.
One very interesting aspect I haven't seen discussed much in these reviews is how the author shows how individuals justify evil acts in their own minds, either to survive or in pursuit of what they think is a higher good. It's pretty chilling to see, and done in a realistic way so you can understand why people with good intentions nonetheless do despicable things. One character in the novel who is one of the ultimate heroes descends to some awfully low levels, at one point raping a 13-year-old girl, and some other almost as bad things. I'd say this was one of the best depictions of how good people become corrupted by the lure of evil and choose to do evil as a means to an otherwise good end, and how once a person starts down this path they end up sliding all the way.
I'd like to see Weeks write more about this world. But book three focused too much on magic. Book one, where magic barely ever comes into play was a much better book. Magic can become too much of a deus ex machina, which it did in book 3.

I have to admit, I wasn't completely sold on the story after reading the first in the trilogy. But it certainly got progressively better -- in the pace and substance of the story and the development of the characters. I became more and more immersed in the tale and started to care about the characters.

In the end, I'm glad I continued reading the series until its conclusion.

These novels are some of the best fantasy novels that I've read in a long time. To those who are dubious about fantasy novels due to their in-depth, and sometimes pompous, description of politics and trivial, chapter eating quests, don't worry - Weeks doesn't bog down his novels with tedious material. He gets right into the meat of the story and keeps on digging.

A few complaints:

As a final book in the trilogy, I do have to say I was a bit disappointed in the ending. It's hard to let a storyline that you've loved and followed breathlessly for thousands of pages sum itself up in just a few short chapters.

There is very little character development in this third book - most of the characters have already been fleshed out by now, but there are still a few disappointments. Elene and Uly being two of them. Elene's character feels flat and one dimensional compared to the spectacle of emotions that runs through the rest of the novel. Even the "support" characters feel more fleshed out than she does, and she's the pin on which the whole novel hinges. Her one emotion, love, feels a bit cheap when confronted with the grittier, more realistic characters that we meet during this trilogy. Uly, who had such a big role in the second novel, is not even present. She has not one line in this novel - not one.

The Chantry shows up late in the "game of thrones", if you will, and it feels exactly that - late. with so little mention in the earlier books, and becoming so pivotal in this one, it feels a bit tacked on.

Aside from these few minor complaints, this book is entertaining and amazing to read.

The Bottom Line:

Fantasy novels are notorious for taking their readers on an adventure the likes of which they will never see in real life. Readers learn what it means to be mages, kings, or even assassins (or, really, "wetboys"). Brent Weeks not only shows us what it means to be the fantastic, he shows us what it means to be something more infinitely precious: human.

Fast paced action, incredible plot twists, and characters that are really the shining glory of this trilogy added to a gritty realism, and an ending that leaves you panting to know more (but not irritated that you don't know enough), creates a set of three novels that you will read again and again for the pure pleasure of it.

I eagerly await more novels from this author!

Kick'in trilogy. After the first book, I felt like the range of the characters versus the setting was a little claustrophobic. There was just so much potential and no where to go... The second novel solved that dilemma by adding the rich tapestry of a struggling kingdom. This final novel really hit the nail on the head. We get character development, plot closure and a vast, panoptic view of the possible future. I recommend this trilogy to friends who like fantasy / action that isn't too 'off the wall' - similar to Lies of Locke Lamora, Prince of Nothing and such.

This novel's climax is abrupt and not everything that happens at the end of the book is adequately set-up beforehand. Characters in this novel lack the grit and believable self-interest of the first book and don't really undergo any significant development over the course of the story. In all, this is an extremely disappointing conclusion to a story that began very well. At the beginning the world was interesting an the characters developed in believable ways, but by the end the details of the world are glossed over and is instead replaced with a lot of talk about the feelings of characters who have become cardboard cutouts of themselves. When I think of how good this series could have been compared to where it went I can only feel profound disappointment.

Easily one of my favorite series and contends with the greats of Robert Jordan’s Wheel is Time, Terry Goodkind’s Sword if Truth or Michael J. Sullivan’s Ryria Chronicles! Beautifully detailed characters, amazing duels and battles, heartbreak, and humor. You emotionally connect to the characters and inspired by there strengths and weaknesses.

I loved the series. This book was a great conclusion with an open ending, as you would want if you really liked the world. Prequels and sequels are definite possibilities.

I did feel that some of the storylines had missing parts which would have added value to the overall fabric of the series, but it would have made for a larger novel and probably necessitated another volume.

I highly recommend the series.

What can I say to the Night Angel Trilogy? One of the best I've read in quite awhile!! Its a great series and Beyond the Shadows is a great book to finish off the series. I'm just really bumped that it was only three books in the series cause I was looking for more but Brent Weeks did a smart move cause other books that prolong a series always ended up being repetitive someway or the other. Love the series and great buy for anyone interested in a different take on assassins and magic!

Although I typically don't like fantasy because the 'rules' seem to change as the book progresses, i.e. there are new capabilities that are discovered just in time to solve the current problem, somehow although the author kept pulling out new capabilities and rules the underlying foundation of the characters was good and engaging.

These books are amazing, I read a huge quantity of sci-fi/fantasy and these made my Top 5! It has been a long time since someone wrote something to make it on my list with Ender's Game, Deed of Paksenarrion, Dune, and The RiddleMaster of Hed. I was intensely impressed at this gold mine. I am eagerly watching for the books that Brent Weeks writes in the future!

Now that I am done raving, a product description: The books are excellent, a blend between the swashbuckling mysterious of The Lies of Lock Lamora and the action pack awesomeness found in Jim Butcher or John Ringo. Great character developement, they force you right along every page. I called in sick to work because I got the book at 9PM and didn't finish it until 6AM the next day! The first book had a slight bit of confusion, but it was resolved very nicely in the second book and finished beautifully in the third with a refreshing blend of sorrow and hope!

I hope this review inspired [i]everyone[/i] to buy these books!

Beyond the Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy)The book Beyond the Shadows is a well written conclusion to this triology. The writer brings the story to the crux of issues that plauged Kyler Stern and his loved ones and gives us new information about what has happened in the time Kylar was gone. Granted, there were a few gaps between important details, like the reason for Kyler and Elene's Chiled was moved to Jenine, the book shows you the true price of the Black Ka'kira. I mysef never even knew this book series even exsited. All in all this book is magnicintly written adn people everywhere will laugh cry and generally have a good time with Kyler Stern and his myriad ofinteresting and delightful characters

Absolutely fantastic. I wish I could go into more depth, but most of what I want to say involves spoilers. You will probably love this book (and this series). I've read quite a bit of fantasy and this is easily my favorite trilogy of books - no doubt in my mind.

Brent Weeks took an interesting concept, developed it to a point, and then seemed to lose focus, or simply not have decided on a way to end the series before it was actually time to write it.

Without any spoilers, the climactic scene of the book took place in a room that was given a fancy name, as if we should already know all about it. That place had never been mentioned before, was not described, we were not given the slightest bit of back-story, and yet, the climax of the book took place there. As a reader, this was a major let-down, as there were a dozen places that would have more MEANING for me.

This is one of the problems I had with the book, and the conclusion of the series as a whole. There were several "aha" moments that were tossed out as if the author couldn't decide how to incorporate them into the story, and inserted them into random scenes. It came across as amateurish. I wanted to like the close of the story, but it just came across as almost accidental.

The Night Angel trilogy was a terrific find. Although I was attracted at first by the nifty covers (of the paperbacks) once I started reading Book 1, I was hooked. I loved how the characters grew from small parts to Epic Hero throughout the story. The books feel terrifically deep with all sorts of nifty details of past history, adventurers and accomplishments. I found some of the language (Viridiana particularly) excessive and not needed. A touch of editing required perhaps? However, in summary, highly recommended.

Other readers have described the story, which draws you in from page one of book one and keeps you hooked. Just one gripe - if the black kakari is THE devourer of magic, why couldn't it devour the magic of the earrings?

Anyone who likes these books will also enjoy Carol Berg, Michelle Sagara, Patricia Briggs, Patricia Bray, Michael Stackpole and Raymond E Feist, inter alia (and vice versa!).

It is what it sets out to be, entertainment.

Weeks delivers...
- an light, quick page-turning read
- relatable characters, who behave and grow true to their natures
- a fast moving plot(enough action and story for 6 books--no fluff here)
- an interesting world with imaginitive political, social and criminal groups, all with their own agendas
...AND BEST OF ALL, you don't have to wait 10 years for the author to finish it!

All said and done, one thing matters for a work of this type, was it a fun ride/read?

Big YES here, to all three books.

I really enjoyed this entire series. I'm giving this book a four star review instead of a five because I'm not usually a fan of heroes that have a "dark" edge to them. I also felt the book's flow was awkward at times and the author didn't spend as much time discussing some things as he should. But other then that these books were fantastic. I had a hard time putting them down and I loved the action. I enjoyed most of the characters but felt some could have used more development. I liked the world he created and I think he did a good job keeping the reader entertained. Well done!

As the novel moves into the final installment, the world you've spent hours upon hours reading about comes to its final adventure. And what an adventure it is. This book is filled with exciting action and the end, while I won't give any spoilers, does tie up the loose ends that bring great closure to the novel. All in all, a compelling conclusion to a fantastic trilogy.

I listened to that story - all three volumes and I LOVED them! I actually wish the story was longer. Though, I have to say that I wish the ending was a bit different. I am after all a sucker for good endings and it ended well, but if I could I would alter it slightly to my liking. Brent Weeks should write the next volume!

Just like the two previous books in the Night Angel Trilogy, the final novel is truly excellent. I was glued to the pages the entire time. Brent Weeks writes incredibly realistically. Sometimes in life there are storms and the sun doesn't always shine. Brent Weeks' characters face their storms head-on in order to appreciate the rainbow on the other side. Events happen in the story that I never expected, and when the truth finally unfolded, I was amazed. The books in this series, especially Beyond the Shadows, are at the top of my list of "The best books I have ever read". And considering how much I read, that is saying a lot!

I picked up the first book at random because the cover art caught my eye. That was about 2 weeks ago. I couldn't put down the book.

I devoured book 2 in a couple of days.

I went into book 3 with a bit of melancholy, knowing that this was going to be the conclusion of a great series who's characters I knew I was going to miss.

Brent Weeks has created an amazing world with deep likable characters. Here he brought everything together to a wonderful conclusion. The plot-lines were all tied off in a very satisfying ending, but still left enough room to expand from there.

I will definitely be following Weeks books closely and I have recommended this series to many friends and co-workers

Dark, gritty, and oh-so-good. If you like fantasy, this is a must-read, keep-on-your-shelf, recommend-to-a-friend trilogy. Well-developed characters, edge-of-your-seat suspense, intricate but not convoluted plot... Good stuff.

It's been a long while since I was last so impressed by a fantasy novel. Typically, fantasy plots are predictable and marginally above bland but Brent Weeks weaves a tale so rich with flavor that you'll not want to stop. My only complaint? I wish he would come out with more books already!

It's amazing, and still deftly done in Weeks gripping and dramatic style.

You'll move through chapters, and be surprised with the timing of all the plot twists.

Truly a very very good book.

this trilogy kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning till end. I love the way Brent Weeks makes everything come together in the end. It keeps me wanting to read more of his books. i was disappointed and frankly a bit sad when Beyond the Shadows ended. It would be amazing if Brent Weeks adds on to this fantastic trilogy. i highly recommend this trilogy

Great magic objects, a fine hero, interesting cosmology. Secondary folks are too flat. End was too hurried. I wondered a bit at the morality- why some characters were so sexually pure, and others anything but....

This series did remind me of Star Wars. The series took off from the first page of the first book.
I love the twists and turns on this series. It was exciting. The ending was really good. A def must read.

I picked up the first book at random because the cover art caught my eye. That was about 2 weeks ago. I couldn't put down the book.

I devoured book 2 in a couple of days.

I went into book 3 with a bit of melancholy, knowing that this was going to be the conclusion of a great series who's characters I knew I was going to miss.

Brent Weeks has created an amazing world with deep likable characters. Here he brought everything together to a wonderful conclusion. The plot-lines were all tied off in a very satisfying ending, but still left enough room to expand from there.

I will definitely be following Weeks books closely and I have recommended this series to many friends and co-workers

Dark, gritty, and oh-so-good. If you like fantasy, this is a must-read, keep-on-your-shelf, recommend-to-a-friend trilogy. Well-developed characters, edge-of-your-seat suspense, intricate but not convoluted plot... Good stuff.

It's been a long while since I was last so impressed by a fantasy novel. Typically, fantasy plots are predictable and marginally above bland but Brent Weeks weaves a tale so rich with flavor that you'll not want to stop. My only complaint? I wish he would come out with more books already!

It's amazing, and still deftly done in Weeks gripping and dramatic style.

You'll move through chapters, and be surprised with the timing of all the plot twists.

Truly a very very good book.

this trilogy kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning till end. I love the way Brent Weeks makes everything come together in the end. It keeps me wanting to read more of his books. i was disappointed and frankly a bit sad when Beyond the Shadows ended. It would be amazing if Brent Weeks adds on to this fantastic trilogy. i highly recommend this trilogy

Great magic objects, a fine hero, interesting cosmology. Secondary folks are too flat. End was too hurried. I wondered a bit at the morality- why some characters were so sexually pure, and others anything but....

This series did remind me of Star Wars. The series took off from the first page of the first book.
I love the twists and turns on this series. It was exciting. The ending was really good. A def must read.

Allow me to preface my review with the statement that I did in fact enjoy this trilogy. Both the world setting and characters resonated with me and the writing was eminently readable.

That said, I found "Beyond the Shadows" to be a disappointment. The ending in particular left me underwhelmed. Weeks concludes his trilogy in a saccharine and all to pat manner. Love represents a major concept in these novels. Therefore, I have no problem with the meditations on the subject which permeate this trilogy but I find the trite sentimentality of the "all conquering power of love" ending tired.

The expansion of some characters powers also seemed unwelcome to me. One character (I won't spoil whom) shows such a vast and varied array of powers that many of his actions in the first book are completely undercut.

Finally, although I admire Weeks' for resisting the fantasy staple of the never-ending series, The Night Angel books would really have benefited from the decompression allowed by a fourth book. Events in the final third of "Beyond the Shadows" fly past with a dearth of explication probably due to space limitations.

Don't let my criticisms dissuade you from reading this series. If you are looking for enjoyable, light fantasy fair you can not do much better than Weeks' trilogy.

As soon as i finished the first book I had to read the others, and it was well worth it Kings of Awakening Vampires and Purebloods

I am reviewing the third book for those of you who do your homework on the ENTIRE series. Before I get into the book I should say that I read ALOT of scifi and fantasy novels and I am just as enthralled by the "popcorn" novels as I am by the more epic/serious novels today. Now that is out of the way, onto the novel.

This trilogy is one I would categorize as "popcorn" or enjoyable. I was never really challenged by it but I was just swept along for the ride, and for the most part it was an enjoyable ride, outside of a few sections in the first book. So I knew exactly what I was getting into when I began the third novel. There is alot to enjoy within the book, more great fight scenes, situations el dramatique, and the usual bouts of conscience. However... there was a point in the third novel where I was saying in the back of my mind, "Please, for the love of pete, don't DO that... its way to silly/clichéd/overdone/predictable." From the moment the plot point was introduced I saw it coming and HOPED that the author would stray from his usual predictability and I hoped in vain. So when I read what happened I literally threw the book across the room and have not touched it since ( been several months now ). Some of you will be shaking your head at me thinking, "And WHY are you writing a review of a book you have not finished?" And I have to say it's because I have NEVER done that before. The book wasn't terrible it just hit the "over clichéd" limit I did not know I had.

Weird thing is I can even reason out the plot point that made me put the book down violently; the author kind of wrote himself into a corner and took the easy way out. I have also reasoned out that even if the author does something clever with it even THAT will be predictable and probably clichéd. So I have come to the conclusion that I will not be picking the book up any time if at all and figured I should let others know. So all this text is pretty much saying that the books do not really get any better than the first and YES it will stay as clichéd and predictable all the way through till at least where I left off. Again, I have NEVER done this before and I really wasn't kidding when I said I have read alot, from Sturgeon to Jordan and then some. Well alot of "some" really.

Only reason I am not spilling the beans on what exactly made me put it down is because I LOATHE spoilers.

And there is my two cents. In the end I would really only recommend this trilogy if you have nothing else you even "might" want to read next.

this trilogy...it is epic and original, gritty and touching, and ultimately moving with a cast of characters so rich they jump from the page into your imagination. I am giving it as a set for Christmas to multiple people :) you know how some things are so thrilling you wish you could go back and do them again for the first time...well that's how I feel about this series.

Start at the beginning!!

How many great books have I read that end on a lame, or sour note. Not the case with this last book in the Night Angel trilogy. It will leave you hungry for more. Outstanding, can't wait to see what Mr. Weeks writes next. Bravo!

I loved this trilogy. The characters were easy to relate to and the story is intricately written. The evil characters are gritty and at times horrifying. Brent Weeks beautifully weaves the plot together and keeps you guessing throughout the whole journey. I wept at the end.

I found the entire series very entertaining with likable characters and lots of actions. Unfortunately, where I found the first book relatively unique in the genre, the second and now third book seem to fall back into the same formulaic sword and sorcery fantasy I've ready countless time. Beginning in Shadow's Edge and more so in Beyond, there are obvious similarities from series like Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire, Sword of Truth, etc... The plot conveniences in the final book were too frequent to ignore, making the ending seem rushed and artificial.

The first book in this series was very promising and intriguing, I read it right through. The second was barely acceptable, but one could notice some serious flaws and I had much more trouble finishing it. This - is just terrible.

The christian religious moral spread EVERYWHERE through the book is disgusting and makes the book completely un-plausible. Lots of storylines are left hanging, and the story concludes with a succession of ridiculous events. By the end, I didn't know if I wanted to cry or laugh for how bad it is.

The author showed some talent in the first book, but that's it. To summarize: a pity.

Please leave this book on the shelf.

I'm writing this review after reading the complete series for the third time, and still it captured me enough to finish all three books in two weeks. Brent Weeks is a incredible author, and I look forward to reading every new book he writes.

This was a poor ending to the trilogy. There were too many plot lines to be resolved and it felt like there were quite a few chapters missing. I have the distinct impression that the author got tired of the story/setting and slapped a quick and easy happy ending on just to be done with it. What's the point of coming up with a bunch if interesting characters/settings/concepts if you just skip over them, especially if they are rather important to the plot? Read the first two books but skip this one.

I finally finished this trilogy even though I never got any enjoyment out of it.

My main problem is the writing. Especially in Beyond the Shadows huge chunks of the story that were important/interesting would be completely skipped over and I would be left trying to puzzle out how something happened.

Spoilers -
For instance when Elene decides to leave and join Logan's army, that's fine. But when she somehow ends up in Khalidor as a captive with no explanation and apparently with a plan to destroy the goddess Khali with love that is completely out of the blue...that's just bad writing. Why didn't Weeks tell us how Kylar retrieved Curoch from the forest? The lame prophecy of how everyone ends up at the end could have easily been done in a way that made more sense. Uly is completely left out as a character. Vi acts completely out of character with her selfless love schtick at the end. All of the female characters were stereotypes that were never fleshed out. And don't even get me started on how Jenine is suddenly pregnant with Kylar's kid.
End Spoilers

I think there could have been a lot of potential with this series, but the editing was terrible and important scenes were completely cut out. I didn't care what happened to the characters and would have stopped with the first book if it weren't for my obsession with knowing how things ended. I wish I'd never picked up the first book because it was a colossal waste of time. There's much better fantasy out there, no need to pick up this series.

This was one remarkable series! The storyline was dark and sometimes depressing but this only added to its greatness. There is no way you can read this series without being engulfed into this world. This is simply writing at its best. Kudos to the author.

I have read this story line from the beginning and love it thus far. I would suggest everyone to start at the beginning even though you do get a great read from each individual book but there is so much involved with all the characters for a complete understanding.

This book is by far the best in the trilogy, Brent Weeks really knows how to tug at the readers emotions and play them like a violin. I couldn't put the book down and am really sorry to be leaving Kyler's world after only 3 books.