Night Angel Trilogy

So I know it’s been a little bit since I’ve written. I promise I’ll work harder on this.

So, I’m just going to tell you about this series I finished reading. It’s called the Night Angel Trilogy(hence the title of this post). It’s about a young boy/man who becomes an assassin. I had seen it in the book store and thought it looked interesting. So, I got it for my brother. I mean, a story about an assassin? That’s perfect for guys. right? Well, I gave it to him for Christmas and he let me read it after him. And I was impressed.

It’s by Brent Weeks and it’s his first novels. For a first-time author, it’s very good. In fact, I think it is very well written for a seasoned author. The viewpoint jumps between characters and focuses on the collapse and re-birth of a kingdom. While the first book spans years of Azoth/Kylar’s life(the main character) the next two books are in about a year time span. Even though there are many “big” characters interwoven, you are able to get a full grasp on each of them. Several of the minor characters are little more than a description and thought from someone, but that’s all you need to know about them. Often times, some authors will get so wrapped up in the minor characters you forget about the main ones. However, I think Weeks does a great job highlighting which characters are important.

There are several instances, however, that I feel were a little rushed. A character, Solon, goes home after being gone for 12 years and his interaction with his ex-lover feels very quick and pushed. It was hard to get a firm grasp on what he was exactly doing and how he was able to then swoop in later. The timing of it seems a little off. There are a few other times like this, but overall, the pacing was good and kept your interest.

Now, another reason I liked this trilogy so much was because of the content. Yes, the main character works to become an assassin. However, there is more to his story than kill, kill, kill. Weeks brings up the thought of one God and many gods and a goddess and how it affects those that believe different things. How characters respond in different situations is based on their beliefs and ideals. Those who think that in life you live and die are cynical, hard, and angry. The ones who believe there is good in people and there is a higher purpose for life, react accordingly. This is not to say the characters are cookie-cutters. “Good” people will have moments of anger or hatred and try to hurt others. The “bad” people have moments of compassion and love. It shows that some people can change. But there are true antagonists and protagonists. And the struggles go beyond “hm, should I kill this guy or not?” But there are all the conflicts: man v nature, man v man, man v self. And it makes for a very well-rounded and interesting story.

I’m not going to lie. I was reading it and felt a twinge of jealousy. If I could give a book as good as that for my first, I would be able to die happy. It was a very well-written and executed story. Yes, there were some ‘problems’ but every book has those and Weeks was so that you could ignore them and get to the meat of the story. So, I would recommend reading these to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy/scifi book. I know they are on my re-read list.

Advertisement