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A review by tani
Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks
5.0
Well, Brent Weeks finally did it. He drew me completely and finally into a story, and I loved it! I thought that the first two books of this series were solid, but just lacking that crucial bit of inspiration that pushes a book over into 5 star territory for me. Beyond the Shadows, however, brought that final piece with a bang. After going a bit slow for the first 200 pages, I blew through the last 500 in two days, and it was worth it.
For me, a five star read has two key qualities. One is an emotional connection with the characters. If I don't care about the characters, the odds that I will give a book more than 4 stars are extremely low. the second quality is compulsive readability. I want to be unable to put that book down. When, after spending most of a Sunday afternoon reading this book, I started to tear up in sympathy for one of the characters, I knew that this was probably going to be a five star read for me. And I was right.
Here's the thing, though. Although I personally loved this book, I don't expect that will be true for everyone. If you didn't really care for the first two books, don't go into this one expecting something different. You won't find it. Brent Weeks consistently writes books that are fast-paced with lots of action, lots of violence, and a few shocking revelations. These are popcorn reading for the fantasy fan, but if you're not a fan of popcorn, these books are never going to get any better for you.
However, if you liked the first book just fine and the second didn't alienate you, then you will probably like this book as well. Like the others, it is well-plotted and moves quickly. The characters continue to be treated with the same thought-out regard that they have been for the first two books, and despite the action emphasis, Weeks does not forget to develop things emotionally. For me, the characters were what really made this a great book. Kylar, Vi, and Elene did so much growing throughout these books, and I truly enjoyed seeing where their growth led them. As I said, I definitely cried at a few of the moments in here, having seen them come through so much.
I think my only regret is that there are so many loose ends. I would actually really like to see a follow-up to this series that answers some of the questions that were left hanging. My husband and I have so many questions that need to be answered! Fingers crossed that there is someday some kind of resolution.
For me, a five star read has two key qualities. One is an emotional connection with the characters. If I don't care about the characters, the odds that I will give a book more than 4 stars are extremely low. the second quality is compulsive readability. I want to be unable to put that book down. When, after spending most of a Sunday afternoon reading this book, I started to tear up in sympathy for one of the characters, I knew that this was probably going to be a five star read for me. And I was right.
Here's the thing, though. Although I personally loved this book, I don't expect that will be true for everyone. If you didn't really care for the first two books, don't go into this one expecting something different. You won't find it. Brent Weeks consistently writes books that are fast-paced with lots of action, lots of violence, and a few shocking revelations. These are popcorn reading for the fantasy fan, but if you're not a fan of popcorn, these books are never going to get any better for you.
However, if you liked the first book just fine and the second didn't alienate you, then you will probably like this book as well. Like the others, it is well-plotted and moves quickly. The characters continue to be treated with the same thought-out regard that they have been for the first two books, and despite the action emphasis, Weeks does not forget to develop things emotionally. For me, the characters were what really made this a great book. Kylar, Vi, and Elene did so much growing throughout these books, and I truly enjoyed seeing where their growth led them. As I said, I definitely cried at a few of the moments in here, having seen them come through so much.
I think my only regret is that there are so many loose ends. I would actually really like to see a follow-up to this series that answers some of the questions that were left hanging. My husband and I have so many questions that need to be answered! Fingers crossed that there is someday some kind of resolution.