| Title | : | The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 031607991X |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780316079914 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 671 |
| Publication | : | First published September 1, 2012 |
| Awards | : | David Gemmell Legend Award Fantasy Novel (2013), Endeavour Award (2013), David Gemmell Ravenheart Award Best Fantasy Cover Art (2013), Goodreads Choice Award Fantasy (2012), Reddit r/fantasy Stabby Award Best Novel (2012) |
He’d thought he had five years left—now he has less than one. With fifty thousand refugees, a bastard son, and an ex-fiancée who may have learned his darkest secret, Gavin has problems on every side. All magic in the world is running wild and threatens to destroy the Seven Satrapies.
Worst of all, the old gods are being reborn, and their army of color wights is unstoppable. The only salvation may be the brother whose freedom and life Gavin stole sixteen years ago.
The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer, #2) Reviews
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Oops, I finished this last week but forgot to update!
It was amazing. -
Gavin Guile has said that he has seven great purposes to fulfill in his lifetime; one of those is to write a seven paragraphs spoiler-free review so that people will read The Blinding Knife and I’m here to help him achieve that.
The Blinding Knife, the second installment in Weeks’s Lightbringer series, successfully excelled over the previous book. On my first read, I remember that I chose The Blinding Knife as my favorite installment of the series; it seems like I’m going to stand by this notion on my reread. There are many reasons to love The Blinding Knife; multi-layered intrigues in its politics, superb pacing, incredible character developments and intricate expansion to its world-building, to name a few. In the first book, there was quite a lot of pages—necessarily—spent towards the purpose of making sure the reader truly understands the mechanism behind the complex magic system; that info-dumpy section is gone now, everything flows naturally in The Blinding Knife because the concept and rules of the magic system has been established clearly in the previous book. Weeks took every foundation firmly planted in The Black Prism and gradually built upon them wonderfully here.
Picture: The Blinding Knife by breath-art (Jian Guo)
One of my favorite elements being introduced in The Blinding Knife would have to be the implementation of the military school story arc into Kip’s life. I know I’ve said this countless times throughout my reviews already, but I really have a soft spot for coming-of-age fantasy that uses magic/battle school trope; I simply can’t get enough of them. I honestly believe that magic/battle school trope is a terrific plot device that’s immensely suitable—not to mention also comfortable to read—to build a young character to maturity. Kip the Lip, Kip Almost, or Kip the Breaker; The Blinding Knife starts to carefully shift Kip into the central role of the series. Seriously, the character development—both physical and mental—that Kip had in this book during his Blackguards enlistment story arc was just awesome. I can’t help but found myself cheering for him so many times; he’s annoying, hilarious, and believable. Plus, we also get to see Kip building relationships with old and new characters which effectively heightened the quality of the series, not just in characterizations but also in world-building and plot complexities.
“If you are not free to say no, your yes is meaningless.”
Two characters—Andross Guile and Teia—interact with Kip a lot of in this book; these two characters ended up being two best characters highlighted in this book and more. Andross Guile is honestly one of the most intimidating characters I’ve ever read in fantasy; he has so much palpable power in his actions and words and it can be felt within all his appearances. Seeing Andross playing The Nine Kings (an in-world game inspired by Magic the Gathering) against Kip constantly was utterly entertaining. What made this duels even better was the fact that it was used to build both of their characters and also to shed light further into the history of the Lightbringer and the in-world game itself. Of course, this doesn’t mean that only Andross is the only Guile that’s worth highlighting; Gavin Guile and Karris’s relationship development was endearing and compelling. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that many events happened between these two, and I found the progression of their relationship a beauty to witness.
“Love is not a whim. Love is not a flower that fades with a few fleeting years. Love is a choice wedded to action, my husband, and I choose you, and I will choose you every day for the rest of my life.”
And then there’s Teia, there’s no way I would conclude this review without talking about Teia; in my opinion, she’s the best female character Weeks ever wrote. It’s not strictly because she has a harsh past and I wanted her to overcome it, or because she has personality that’s easy to root for and her relationship development with Kip and friends were great, but it was also because of her ability as a Paryl drafter that made this book exponentially fun to read. I think Weeks has done a great job of using Teia to expand the magic system of this series, every moment where Teia appeared captivated me and it made me crave for more usage of Paryl drafting.
On the opposite spectrum of Teia, unfortunately, we have Liv, which annoyed the hell out of me. I won’t lie, I found her actions and behaviors more understandable now on my reread, but I seriously found myself annoyed by her decisions and self-righteousness. I actually wanted to read the Color Prince’s POV more than her; it would be interesting to see what goes on inside his head because he’s so devious and cunning with his words rather than being inside Liv’s as she tries to convince herself that all of her fatal actions are right. However, this could actually be the purpose of Liv’s character, to show how deadly the power of blind devotion and faith can bring, and on this Weeks nailed it precisely well.
“Idealists mature badly. If they can't outgrow their idealism, they become hypocrites or blind.”
In this seventh and final paragraph of this review, let me just put it simply that I loved The Blinding Knife more than The Black Prism; it is truly spectacular, contain no shortage of exhilarating twists and turns, and I consider The Blinding Knife to be the height of the series—the next book, The Broken Eye, comes very close to it—so far. It would be a challenging task for Weeks to top what he crafted here. The month of OctoBRENT continues; two books to reread and two weeks left until the final book of the series, The Burning White, is released to the world. I move forward with my adventure in the Seven Satrapies and I’m excited to eventually find out whether The Burning White or maybe my reread of The Broken Eye will top this one or not.
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DNFed at p.275.
I decided to give the author/series a second chance after not being impressed with book 1.
I shouldn't have.
The sexism is relentless and the book was so boring. Karris is one of the worst female character I've ever read. You're telling me a woman who has been a soldier for 15 years will feel awkward about being sweaty and "not ladylike" in front of someone?? Garris who I guess is at least meant to be morally grey (the dude owns a sex slave...) was boring to follow. We're left with Kip the oh so awkward fat horny dumb boy -his words every 5 pages, not mine- which I tried to focus on because he is studying at the magical school. I love magical schools. I gave up at page 275 because WTF. No.
Done with the author.
*It made it to my worst books of 2022:
https://youtu.be/yaBImu6ejEM -
An incredible book that improved on the first one in every way
Check out my new youtube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books seconds after I finish the book.
I went into this book with a bit of skepticism. While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and gave it 4/5 stars, it had some pacing issues for me and the ending left me frustrated. This book cleaned up the problems of the first book and was a truly amazing reading experience.
While the book does start off at a frenetic pace, it quickly slows down and delves deeper into the politics of this world. I enjoyed this pace and it left the important moments more impactful as they occurred. You get to enjoy and understand the characters and their motivations more thoroughly, and the book greatly benefits by this.
I absolutely loved that the added dynamic of Kip and his grandfather in this book and the experiences they go through together. It felt perfectly tense, and completely unpredictable in a positive way. I also really enjoyed the aspect of Kip going through his training and how he rose the ranks among his classmates. I'm a sucker for well written "school" plots, and this one knocked it out of the park.
There are a couple wonderful surprises in this book that I will not spoil, but they leave the reader completely shocked. I worried that the huge twist in the first book regarding Gavin would suck out the wind for future twists, but that's definitely not the case and I am left hungry to find out what they will be in the next book.
Kip's inner monologue is incredible, and I love the incessant roasting of himself that he does. This is basically the opposite of what many main POV characters do, where internally they are filled with complete confidence. But to have a main character that tries to project confidence but lacks it internally is a fun shakeup of what you would expect.
The one part that I didn't enjoy much was the final battle sequence of this book -- I think this is the weakest part of Brent Weeks writing style. But fortunately the rest of the book was so wonderful that this didn't detract from the overall impression I was left of the book.
I'm extremely into this series now, and can't wait to jump into Book #3. -
The Blinding Knife delivers more flashes of magic and storytelling brilliance making for a solid second instalment in the Lightbringer Series.
Gavin’s journey continues to surprise me. His actions have taken a darker turn as he has become more and more desperate to find a resolution to all his problems. And it’s not something I expected to see in a fantasy that is not grimdark. He is losing his touch and his power. As such he is becoming less rational and quicker to anger as he still struggles to uphold his many burdens. The world looks to him for salvation and leadership; the world looks to him to make things right. And up until now he has always been able to make the impossible real. It’s a hard pill to swallow and it’s going to take him to some darker places for sure. Interesting times ahead as his magic slips through his finger, everything special about him is gone.
As before, the magic system is remarkably well crafted, and it continues to grow as more of the character’s capabilities are explored. I’ve never read anything quite like it. It’s such a simple idea but it feels complex. It’s by far one of the best I’ve ever seen in fantasy and I love the descriptions that come with it. They really bring this world to life in all its many colours. And we see much of it from the perspective of Kip, a trainee magic user who has not quite come to terms with his potential. His blind luck is starting to be replaced by skill even if he hasn't quite managed to grip his untapped potency.
The villain of the series, the Colour Prince, is slowly emerging and increasing his power. I’m not entirely sure what his motives are at this point, and he remains somewhat of an enigma. I’d like to think he wants more than revenge, though time will tell what he is after. The reals bastard of the story though is Gavin’s father, Andross Guile. He has a Tywin Lannister type vibe as he works towards manipulating his family in order to serve his own ends and legacy. He keeps things interesting and will no doubt cause some real trouble before this story ends. I find myself rooting for him though because despite his lack of morality his tenacity is quite admirable. This isn’t a man who will go down easily.
At times, though, it felt a little slow even for epic fantasy. The narrative has frequent splices of action, however the main plot only ever crawled forward. Certainly, it gave the characters time to grow, but at times it needed more urgency. If I wasn’t already invested in this story, I may have put this down permanently. And that would be a real shame because I do expect great things ahead.
I look forward to seeing where this series goes to next. And I hope it starts to move forward quicker. My expectations are high for how this will all end. I can honestly say Brent Weeks is almost on par with Brandon Sanderson, almost. There’s so much potential here and the balance is almost perfect.
I’m reading this as part of the #LightbringerSeriesReread as organised by Orbit UK. Be sure to follow the hashtag on twitter for more updates from myself and other readers.
For now, though, I’m moving straight onto the third book, The Broken Eye.
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In many ways Brent Weeks’ The Blinding Knife is an exceptional sequel, transcending the former. The very world Weeks has created is enticing and is perhaps why this is such a strong story. Colour has a universal attractiveness, and a world where the ability to split light into colours and shape objects from it, is uniquely appealing. Perhaps the real strength here is that the magic system has such vast capabilities but its flaws are clearly defined so as to make it believable and more desirable because of its delicate nature.
The mark of a good fantasy is that it can surprise you, catch you off guard, really make you feel what the characters are feeling, and this one does with a good, solid kick to the gut. Several times. And each time it feels good. The twists, shocks and heart wrenching blows keep coming and by the end you will be begging for more. The next in the series simply cannot come soon enough. -
We all have limitations, and we all see our own needs first.
This turned out better than I expected, I was dreading Liv’s POV, it was one of the reasons why it took me this long to read this, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. This book is slower than the first, not much happened in the whole book but it was still an enjoyable read. The whole book took place in just a few months. We have fewer revelations here, lots of battle scenes, politics, friendship, romance etc. The book is so diverse, the only book more diverse than this that I know is the Malazan series.
World building and Writing
There is improvement here compared to the first book, not much unnecessary descriptions of buildings that are not relevant, its more comprehensible than the first book. Even at that I still have a little problem understanding how some aspects of the magic works, I wish the author took more time to explain that. The writing is amazing, third person multiple POV, good dose of both internal monologue and dialogue, glad they didn’t overshadow each other.
Characters
I still can’t decide who I love more between Kip and Gavin, I like them for different reasons.
Gavin Guile is one of the MC, he is not your regular protagonist, he has lots of skeletons in the closet. Despite that he is a good man, there is none of his decision that I don’t agree or understand his reason for doing it. His character development is great, I knew he won’t be boring, despite the way the first book ended but I never expected this, he is more badass than ever, now that is on a race against time. What he did at the ending, even though he said he won’t do it is heart breaking
Kip is more mature than before, but that didn’t happen till like 80% into the book. I get why he is insecure, being a bastard and Tyrean is not exactly a nice combination, not to mention being hated by lots of people, don’t even get me started on the people who wants him dead. But he pulled through all this, even Andross Guile congratulated him.
“You’ve earned my respect, Kip. You’ve overcome adversity that would have crushed lesser men. You’ve surprised me. Not once, but several times. When I think of you, I’m disgusted and disappointed that my son could make… this. And yet, despite this blubber and this loud mouth and this utter lack of self-control, these Tyrean manners and…” He waved a hand, as if there was much more objectionable about Kip but that it was a tangent. “Despite it all, Kip, you consistently win.” His voice grew scratchy. “I have lost my wife and all my boys now, one way or another. Perhaps I am to blame for some shred of that. But you, Kip, you have proved you are a Guile.
Karris White Oak my favourite female character, She is so badass and feminine, I love when female characters are both. Her love life took a turn for the better and I was elated.
I just have to quote this.
Love is not a whim. Love is not a flower that fades with a few fleeting years. Love is a choice wedded to action, my husband, and I chose you, and I will choose you every day for the rest of my life.”
Teia is the newest character, another female and a classmate to Kip, her relationship with Kip is amazing, its unlike that of Liv, am so shipping them together.
Cruxer is a Blackguard in training, he does not have a POV and was rarely in the book, still he is one of my favourite, he is so humble and kind, he is Ironfist in the making. Everyone loves him and he didn’t let that get to his head, he even likes Kip even though most people don’t, am hoping for more of him in the next book.
Liv the idiot, she has more POV than I wanted, I basically skimmed through her part, even her dialogue is annoying, don’t even get me started on the internal monologue.
This that go on in her stupid mind.
She thought she was going to cry, and was furious with herself for it. She was a Danavis. She was brave and strong and she would not break down like a little girl. She was a woman, seventeen years old. Old enough to have children of her own. She would not break down. -
My first thought is to just say WOW! I loved it all. Gavin Guile is my newest favourite book hero and the way this book ended for him was devastating. I have to go straight into the next one to find out what happens to him.
Apart from Gavin there are lots of good things in this book. The magic system is brilliant, the characters delightful, the story totally absorbing. The development of the character of Kip was probably the most important aspect of this book and it is obvious that he has great things in his future, once he accepts that he is not stupid. I liked Teia too and Karris and of course Iron Fist.
I am listening to this series on audiobook and the narrator brings a lot to the table. His different voices for each character all work beautifully.
I am going straight into book 3 even though I know there is still no sign of book 4 being published. Please Mr. Weeks - get busy!!! -
4.0 Stars
Spoiler-Free Series Review Video:
https://youtu.be/OosD4rbJJEs
This second book was gripping and held up so much better on reread. Now that I know the full picture of the series, it makes me better understand and appreciate the character progression. After hating Kip in the first book, he actually became my favourite character in this second. I always love reading about school settings in fantasy so I really enjoyed the sections about his black guard training. I also loved the scenes involving the card games with his grandfather, who became my second favourite character. We learned more about the hard magic system, which continued to be one of the coolest aspects of this series.
Finally, I found that the overall narrative moved along at a good pace and I'm intended to continue rereading through this series.
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**Update to review on second readthrough**
I have to say, I still adore this series, I do think that the second one is better than the first but now being able to see all the foreshadowing of things to come and the set up I think that there is so much to be excited for and I look forward to continuing my reread of this series.
I think this book really builds on the Gavin/Daizen conundrum and the intricacies of the politics start to show themselves a little. Gavin is forced to make some harsh choices and along the way he struggles with his own demons and problems too.
I hate Liv and her naive way of looking at things, really she drives me mad.
Kip continues to take all the beatings you could think of and remain cynical and silly and funny and positive all at once. I think you just have to root for him still.
My rating remains a 5*s
**Update to review on second readthrough**
This book was SO much better than the first one. I did enjoy the first book in this series and I gave it a 4* rating, however considering that all the previous Brent Weeks books I have read have been instant 5* reads I was hoping that the first in the Lightbringer series would be too, but of course that wasn't quite the case.
The biggest niggle or issue that I had with book 1 of this series was that I felt as though there was a lot of focus on explaining the magic and this meant that the characters and plot were not quite as awesome as I would have liked. This book blows the first one away with the complex but action-packed plot and the growth of the characters.
I really loved learning about the different Chromeria politics and intricacies. We see a lot more of the political players and manoeuvres in this book than we got hints at in the first and Kip (the main character) is right in the centre of everything. We get to follow Kip as he tries to integrate into the Chromeria despite the challenges that his past brings, and we also follow him as he battles with becoming a Black Guard.
I absolutely loved learning about Andross Guile and the game of Nine Kings. The scenes between Kip and Andross were a lot of fun and wonderfully constructed so that I was always intrigued as to what the outcome would be. The cards of Nine Kings and Nine Kings in general were all beautifully described and the game sounded awesome for sure! (maybe we'll see that sometime in the future, who knows). I loved how this game was a platform for betrayal and manipulation of our characters, and how there's a lot of crafty tricks that you can employ.
Some of the other newer characters or characters I particularly enjoyed seeing more of include:
Kip - the main character who is rather self-depreciating and fat, is a slightly irritating character at points of book 1. By book 2 he seems to know a lot more about what he wants to do with his life and how to get there so even when he fails he's trying, and that counts. He's a great character because he starts with a large weakness and slowly he learns the advantages of his body and mind and plays to these. He's certainly one of those who comes the furthest over the course of the book.
Andross Guile - the secret and closeted Red Saitrap who keeps himself to himself but is pretty much pulling all of the strings. He's a manipulative genius with a lot of flair for fiery outbursts and crafty manoeuvres. I loved seeing the interactions he had and how he used Grimwoody for his evil purposes, and they made a creepy and nasty (but wonderful to read about) pair.
Teia - is a wonderful new addition to the story and comes in the form of a slave. She is being kept by a pretty nasty woman, and she's being moved like a player in the game against the Guiles, however, when she soon befriends Kip and sees him training alongside her to become a Black Guard, well loyalties get tested and resolve is difficult. I found Teia and her struggles to be one of the best storylines and also one of the most intimidating. She's been through and goes though a lot in the book, but she's a great character with a lot of personality despite all that. Certainly another character whom I was watching and interested in!
Gavin Guile - is the Prism for the Chromeria and he's a wonderful character with a lot of the plot in this book focussing on him also. He's certainly a little unpredictable and this makes him someone whom it's fun to follow as you're never truly certain just what may happen next. He's also got a lot on his plate and when unpredictable and scary things come into his plotline he faces them head-on and continues to do what he believes is the right thing.
Liv - is a young girl now in an entirely different situation to that of the first book. She's separated from her earlier friends and family and is instead focused on the enemy. Her plot gives us glimpses at the 'other side', which was interesting, yet she is a character I didn't particularly care for and I think the only one who I am yet to grow fond of in any way.
Karris and Ironfist were also both wonderful, although a little more minor, and I think they're both great characters in their own rights too!
The plot itself is largely focused around the battle for power and control between gavin and The Chromeria against the Colour Prince. We get to see both sides, although Gavin and Kip's sides are the focus, and the constant battle is always prevalent in the plot lines. However this book has a whole lot more going on than the first in terms of multiple plotlines and various weavings of the story all coalescing together. There's a lot of smaller character plots which are highly interesting and these feed into the overall story.
We also see an awful lot of magical expansion both in the form of our main characters learning more about their own abilities, and also in terms of learning about new weapons, ideas and colours we didn't know of before. A WHOLE LOT of stuff is always going on, and that does mean that you have to pay attention. However, this is great as it means Weeks is not assuming that his audience are dumb or can't follow it and he gives us lots to chew over and think on, with hints at what might be coming in book 3 interspersed too.
Basically this book was wonderful and even though it took a while for me to read it all (due to uni work and the end of the year) whenever I did get a chance to read it I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn't want it to be over. I already own book 3 and fully plan on starting it sometime very soon :) I can't wait!!
A wonderful 5*s!! -
This was an expansive story with lots of different plot arc intertwining and some cool world-building in the best tradition of epic fantasy. At times it verged into being overly pulpy but it was still a load of fun. Kip's coming of age story was awesome, Teai (Taei? It's Something weird like that and I can't be arsed checking) was a cool character and her sections added an interesting dimension to the book (with cool spy stuff and a new dimension to the world's magic system), Liv's parts provided a really unique and well-executed insight into the rise of the main protagonist of the series, although Liv herself was a dumbass. Gavin's parts were pretty uneventful for the first half or so but suddenly became intense and compelling about halfway through, with some really shocking stuff happening. This was overall a massive improvement on the first book and I'm really interested to see where the series goes from here.
This book had several different plotlines all of which were important to developing the world and plot. For me the most interesting of these was Kip's coming of age story. While Kip could be annoying at times (that whining tho) he was a very unique fantasy protagonist who had a beautifully handled coming-of-age arc. While the "young person coming of age and developing cool powers/abilities" has been popular in fantasy for decades now (and is the bread and butter of the YA genre) I don't think I've ever seen it done better than here. Kip's character growth, the way he learns about the world and involves himself in plots and challenges and the characters surrounding him (especially Andross Guile who was a menacing and formidable villain with some great dialogue. If this is ever adapted the role was made for Charles Dance. The only actor with the cool, menacing authority to play Tywin Lannister and the bad guy from the Ali G movie who dressed like a ladyboy and did an erotic dance in the final scene. No really (skip to 1:50):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-mK1... )). The only similar stories I would rate alongside Kip's would be Blood Song and Jon's parts in GoT (which would probably still be my favourite if only by a narrow margin).
Liv's parts were also very interesting and well-done, even if Liv herself was a dumbass. Through Liv we had the opportunity to get an in depth look at the Color Prince, his motivations (at least according to him), his schemes, his oration and his military strategy. This made him a far more fleshed out and well developed villain than can be found in most fantasy and made the threat posed by his movement all the more real. While Liv's parts weren't as frequent as the other POVs they were effective in reminding the reader of the slowly but irresistibly encroaching danger of the Color Prince and thus creating suspense by driving home what the good guys were up against.
The first half of Gavin's arc was probably the weakest in the book however his return to the Chromeria was followed by shocking violence and suspenseful intrigue. 2 of Gavin's actions were particularly unexpected from a fantasy hero not written by Joe Abercrombie and combined with his loss of power made Gavin a more vulnerable (and so compelling) hero than he was in the first book where he seemed to be something of a Gary Stu.
Teia's (I looked it up) parts were overall an interesting and worthwhile addition to the story. Her weird powers expanded the magical world-buiding and more importantly her sections had some cool political maneuvering and cloak and dagger stuff while the hints about the secrets lurking beneath the surface that were tied up with her powers were also interesting.
Overall this was a really enjoyable read with everything you want out of fantasy: a strong cast of likeable characters, unique and original world-building and good pacing. -
Reread September 2022 - still obsessed.
Reread October 2019 - loved it just as much the second time around!
Ho-LY SHIT! I expected some of the things at the end, but a whole lot of stuff happened in the last four chapters or so, so like the last 20 pages, and I'm not okay. I don't have the next book, but I need it NOW! Usually, the second book isn't just as good. This one? It's better. Also, I've been mostly listening to the audiobooks for this series just because of time constraints, and I love the narrator. I need to get the next book right now. I don't know what to expect. I'm still in shock about some of the things. -
I'm going out on a limb here by saying that I'm a fanboy. The limb of my respect is very strong and thick, so even Kip can climb out far above the colorful land below and never need to worry about breaking the tree.
Kip was always the underdog, and who doesn't love the underdog? His story is by far the strongest in the books, and it doesn't take a genius to see he's being set up for so many more great things. One shouldn't refer to the title of the series. The fun is seeing exactly how he arrives to that end.
Gavin took a little getting used to, especially because he rightly considers himself to be an anti-hero, while strangely devoting his life to doing great and even good things. It's an odd sensation to be gently held by a razor's edge between divinity and demon-hood, and be completely unable to see the distinction in yourself. Fortunately, we've got the color prince as a foil for gavin and then we've got gavin's current course at the end of the novel. I do feel nostalgic about him and his lady love. I've got a very strong feeling that things will turn out all right for him in the end. Of course, if Mr. Weeks ever reads this review, he might decide to spite me. :) I hope not.
Liv, on the other hand, is useful for seeing the other side, although I still think hers is the weaker reasoning, despite her growing up as a quasi-slave, abused by the system. She had no bones to pick with with Gavin or Kip, and personal loyalty has often been known to trump ideology and charisma. A character like her is absolutely necessary for the story, but I have to wonder if Liv, herself, needed to be that character. I'm just musing about it. We are, after all, setting the stage for even more huge and god-like battles to come, so I will still side on Mr. Weeks decisions for her and I will certainly hope for a great deal of characterization for Liv to make what has come before much more worthwhile.
A Third and Fourth books will certainly paint all of the characters in different colors, because Mr. Weeks has already shown us that he is a painter that will give us many broad-strokes on his canvas, and isn't that particular about burying previous strokes under the new. Indeed, you can't do otherwise if you've chosen to have such a furiously quick pace in storytelling. I give respect, here.
I can't wait for the new books, of course. :) -
*** 4.55 ***
A buddy read with Eon and Sarah at BB&B.
Another very adventurous, exciting and enjoyable read! It is the second in the series, so it does have some more set-up and transitional passages, but we got to know more about those who have surrendered to their colors, about how terrifyingly insane the Color Prince is, and how much of a curse the blessing of drafting magic could be even for the best of people...
Gavin is loosing the Colors, which is the sign that a Prism is dying and the magic of the colors he is loosing has started acting out of control all over the world. People, drafters, animals and even nature itself are acting out of the typical patterns and all existence is out of balance.... The Old Gods are waking up and Gavin, along with Kip and the Black Guard are fighting for the survival of Chromaria - the world, the system and the religion... Even while many of them are suffering a crisis of faith. The existing system is crippled and something needs to change, but overthrowing it would be even more disastrous for the fragile peace than any deficiencies it has at present...
Some of the people who should have been most helpful to the Prism have been seduced by the freedom the rebellion promises, and I spend many a pages screaming at them for being such wilfully blind idiots!!!
Gavin is great, Kip is hilarious, Tiya is a firecracker, and Kerris is who I would want to be if I was 20 years younger:-) Andrews the Red scares the hell out of me, to a degree where I am much more terrified for our guys when they have a short meeting with him than when they go to war and battles... Scary old school tyrant!!!
I continue loving this series, the world building, the magical structure and the characters, despite them not being as multilayered as they could be. I never give up hope that the series would even get better:-) I can not wait to jump into the next book and see where BW is going to take us!!! Also, many thanks to my buddies - buddy reads make fun books even more fun and I would recommend it to all who have the time to get into a book club or reading group! It enhances the already wonderful experience!!!
I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find joy in the pages of a good book!!! -
The intrigue and entertainment level went up a notch or two in this second installment of Lightbringer series. The first book was really good, but this one was really DAMN good.
I'm not real big on books with a lot of politics involved. This one seemed to have just the right amount for my tastes. It all mixes so well with the type of governing system used. The characters involved play off of each other so well, and get others mixed up in the plots and schemes. Very well done!"Freedom isn't the highest good. Power is. For without power, your freedom can be taken."
The magic was a lot more interesting to me in this installment. Probably because it took me most of book 1 to figure it out. But we won't go there. I enjoy how the magic system works and the physical laws tied to it and the effects on the magic user. Interesting stuff! All the hints of magic lost ages ago. I have a feeling things are going to get really interesting going forward where magic is involved.
Oh, and lets not forget the characters. Almost every POV was interesting. They are all involved in their own lives, and troubles, and worries. The sections of the book when you get a sole version of a specific character and when they are interacting with other characters meshes the story together really well. There are some slow spots throughout the book, but not many and they don't last long."Evil is simple and empty. Evil has no mysterious depths. We stare into a dark hole and fill it with out fears, but it is only a hole."
The end of this book was done brilliantly. Almost all of the POV's ended in cliffhangers. If I had to wait for the next book I would probably have been pissed, but I don't so I'm not.
I have been told books 3 & 4 are even better than this one. I'm already about halfway through book 3 and I am very pleased so far. If your a fantasy lover, you have to get your hands on this series. It is one of the best I have read in a while."They made this system. They made so that we can't change it from within. They made it so we must kill to break it. If we be monsters, we're monsters made in their image."
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars **** -
3.5⭐️
Right, so, a few unpopular opinions ahead so let’s get to it. The biggest of which being that there was a little TOO MUCH of Kip and TOO LITTLE of Gavin and Karris for my liking.
I understand why that was and Kip’s part in this series (at least I think I do) but doesn’t mean I liked it.
For the most part, I couldn’t stand him. Yes, he goes through some good character development and comes out of his ‘shadow’ (in a way) and all that jaz. And there were times that I found myself rooting for him but he came off as a self-centred brat and very arrogant at times. I just found him irritating.
One of my favourite character types is the underdog who goes through shit, conquers his/her fears and finally shines against all odds. Love it. Give me anything like that and I’ll devour it. But I felt none of that connection with Kip. Maybe the next one?
However! Nothing compares to the disdain I felt for Liv. Idiot, know-it-all Liv. I hated her right from the beginning in book one and Blinding Knife only made me... want to snap her neck off.
Everything she did, everything she said boiled my blood and I hated every decision she made. Oh how she irked me. She was just so damn UNLIKABLE. And pointless.
Also, something that infuriated TF out of me was how, whenever we’re introduced to a female, the first thing we’re made to know (as well, the first thing the men describe) is her physical appearance above all else. And this is literally with EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER. I seriously don’t understand why. 🤦♀️ As if that’s all she’s good for and brings to the table. Her looks.
All in all, I did love the book, though it way seem otherwise. I loved every bit of Karris and Gavin’s chapters and there definitely could’ve been more.
Wow, did not mean to make it this long at all! -
After establishing the magic system and how things generally work in this world in the first book, this book concentrated a lot more on plotting, intrigues and the main conflicts and immediately was so much more enjoyable. Most characters had a special and interesting role, there were unexpected twists and only a few parts I thought were a bit boring
Similar to first book, the second one as well ended strong with some plot twists and sort of kind of cliffhangers. And made me figure to not read the "#2.5 Gunner's Apprentice" just yet. Probably after the third book...
Once again I enjoyed this book talking about how women are affected, in this case by archery, how their breasts might make it harder and how men might be blind to this issue. As well as how many men would feel like fighting and winning a female does not mean they were strong. Plus a very strong bit on men forcing themselves on women and how to act in situations like these. I liked the raw connection with real world and echo of what women experience in very unexpected situations. It's not as much how it was written, more that it was mentioned at all, often such things are either brushed over or not mentioned at all. So I think it's cool.
Now, just need to figure out what everything meant and get on with the next one. -
https://solseit.wordpress.com/2019/08...
The second time just confirms how incredibly good this book and the series is; how innovative and how well outlined the overall story and each character's storyline is. Just impressive.
- - - - -
This was such an amazing ride. It has it all as during the first one - only maybe it was even a it better because I already know the characters!
The excitement following the end of the book is really overwhelming and I actually ended up hoping for the best for each of the characters I love! This is such a great book! I cannot stop recommending this series, it is such an impressive work of art - I am at a loss for words to better convey this concept. Yet this is a great book, not only for the characters, not only for the writing, not only for the pace but especially because of the magic system, in my opinion.
The world building and magic system are just at another level. I have not read anything so well constructed in a very long time. It is so precise, the details match with each other. It is just an amazing read - the writing is good and the pace is just the right one at all times!
Also, the audiobook is really good! It kept me company during my commute to work and back and I guess this is the reason it took me so long to finish. I just loved the company this book kept me!
Kip is by far my favorite of all. His new nickname is amazing and I really enjoy every single line he speaks and thinks. Funny, humble, strong, powerful and talented. The perfect character for his role. Also, I cannot wait to see how the new relationship he is embarking in will work!
Aliviana lost all the respect I had for her - especially for the sacrifice she made at the end of the first book. I really hope she regains her senses.
Gavin is a great Prism. I constantly picture him as Michael Fassbender somehow. And he is hot. And I am so happy for the romantic element in there that is finally going in the right direction!
Andross - I hoped for a very long time he would be the grandpa Kip deserves. Clever and cunning person.
Karris is just great. Strong, powerful, (secretly but not so secretly) in love with a man she cannot have. She is just an extremely important pillar. I cannot wait to see more of her resolution and strength in the next books!
Iron Fist is the best of all. I really smiled at all the times he was part of the book. He is an amazing character with a very dark past yet he made the most out of it. Great fighter, perfect boss, the caring for his people is just coming across so clearly. It is a character that cannot be loved.
Finally - and I could continue forever, I have something for each of them really but I want to draw a line - Teia. I loved her, she is such an amazing and talented person, a perfect companion to the Black Guards and to the main characters. I have the impression she might be more relevant in the next book but who knows!
Have you read it? If not, what are you waiting for! Book 4 of the Lightbringer will be out shortly, start reading because if you love fantasy and/or magic, this is the book for you! -
Kung-Fu Panda With Gore
There are five reasons for which I would have ranked the novel lower than it deserves, were I a member of the despicable tribe of reviewers who allow personal biases - and even the extent to which they approve or not of the character’s behavior – to distort appreciation of mastery and technique. But, since when Zarathustra sprach, he sprach about me – I am immune to those petty un-Vulcan emotions.
Reasons I would have hated the book were I not Homo Superior:
1. I don’t dig plots about wizard kids in wizard schools with wizard bullies, friends, and love interests. Blah.
2. I don’t dig plots about tough but just drill sergeants making a bunch of trainees manlier and brotherlier and toughier and justier.
3. I don’t dig plot twists based on everyone being everyone else’s long lost son/daughter/uncle/lawyer/butler/grandfather
4. I don’t dig books where all important adult male characters are Magnificent Bastards™.
5. I don’t dig plot rhythms which mirror those of a TV serial. I prefer movie-derivative rhythms if they have to be derivative of something.
Well, now that this is out of the way, I can proceed to say that the book itself is a Magnificent Bastard™ child of a number of classics I also grew up on. There’s nothing wrong with that: we live in a postmodern society where original genre ideas last glimmered briefly somewhere around 1970, but have been in decline since 1940. The question is do you combine the pre-existing components masterfully, and do you use quality source material.
Mr. Weeks has done admirably on both counts. The sea battles are wonderfully reminiscent of Wagner’s Kane adventures. The smaller sea incidents, where Gavin whooshes across the sea massacring wights, are a mirror image of Le Guin’s Ged doing the same with a number of dragons. There’s even an evil twin – a real flesh and blood one, not a shadow one – whom Gavin has locked in an absurdly complex system of interconnected prison cells which are a welcome reminder of Philip Jose Farmer’s World of Tiers classic, and the identical shenanigans the immortals there were up to. Oh, Kickaha…
...The hero worship is 100% David Gemmell, and in a good way, like David Gerrold is 100% Heinlein lecturing libertarian worship in a good way.
Big issues are tackled in the book, like slavery and prejudice, and one of the crowd of villains – The Color Prince – is your typical Acid Guru, who brainwashes young idealists like Liv into accepting his psychedelic Marxism that denies petty bourgeoisie morals:
[She blinked, aware of some change in the atmosphere, a freer brush of the wind than a closed tent should allow.
The Color Prince stood outlined against the morning light in front of the open tent flap. He held up a finger so she didn’t speak and wake Zymun. He motioned that she was to come with him.
A wave of shame went through her. She felt like a whore, caught by her father with a boy she didn’t even love. The feelings crested, and she quickly drafted superviolet. It was like the first puff of ratweed in the morning, except the luxin made her think more clearly. The feelings were the vestiges of small-town religiosity. Besides, the Color Prince believed in freedom, free choices. She was young. She could do whatever she wanted. There was no need to feel shame here.]
…with its Mensonite overtones of having to torture and kill a gazillion of people so that Helter Skelter and true freedom will finally arrive.
The prose style and character descriptions and behavior are very much a mix of Ender’s Game and Baen-style military fiction of the likes of David Drake, David Weber, Eric Flint, Timothy Zahn (especially him, in moments it was totally Blackcollar/Cobra stuff but with magic instead of cybernetic enhancements) and co. In other words, Mr. Weeks has applied the lessons of battle sci-fi and alternative history to contemporary fantasy, and appears to have done so very much to his advantage.
And the titular Kung-Fu panda: Fat Inept Kid with a Heart of Gold – Kip (who is everyone’s son, uncle, and master simultaneously), is charmingly pulled off, and one actually roots for him all the way.
Bravo to Mr. Weeks for a spectacular genre success, and one hopes that this is just the beginning of a long evolution of the author.
-
awesome stuff so far about 100 pages in - had to reread Black prism and greatly enjoyed it again on the 4th or 5th read; great news that there will be four books in the series as the author needs another 1000+ pages to finish it
I finished the novel staying again way too late and turning the pages too fast towards the end to see what happens and I plan to start a reread later in the day to enjoy the book at leisure.
A few points (review on publication which means either Sept 11 or when i see it in stores if early out) and will try to have no real spoilers:
- slightly different structure as Kip takes center stage, though Gavin appears a lot of course; I liked how the "official" opposing side was handled using Liv's pov too
- great ending at a tbc place with one major reveal and one twist (the reveal is something which I remember speculating a little in Black prism and thinking, no, cannot be, but still this is Brent Weeks so yes it could; gotta look at those lines there and read them now ...)
- major universe expansion, geographical, magical and "theological" as there are new colors, old and new gods and new countries which may become important later
- major character expansion with cool stuff like Seers, Mirrors, prophecy cards and "history cards" that are sort like recording video of our time, though of course you need magic to access them
- twists, turns, lots of great moments, tragedy and triumph, narrative pull
Like with Black Prism the major shortcoming of the novel is that it ended as i would have loved 600 pages more again (the book stands at ~630 pages of text, plus character list, plus glossary and the map in front is useful too)
And the title, well Blinding Knife indeed...
Overall, just great stuff, exuberant epic fantasy that I could read thousands of pages and a top 10 sff of mine for the year
now rereading it and Black prism sort of together and hunting for clues especially in the light of the ending
FBC Rv:
http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com... -
4,5 / 5
Dolu dolu 800 sayfalık bir kitap okudum. Aman burayı da çok uzatmış, şurası gereksiz uzun olmuş dediğim tek bir yer yoktu. 800 sayfanın tamamında bir şeyler oluyor. 500.sayfa cıvarında heyecan yapıp ne olacak diye düşünmüştüm (ki dallanıp budaklanmadan bana göre iyi bir kurguyla çözümlendi) ama kitabın son sayfasını çevirdiğimde daha fazla heyecan ve merakla kalıverdim 😏 Umarım İthaki 3.kitap için de 2 yıl bekletmez 😒 -
2019 Update:
Fuck this book. It's too great to exist. Gollie.
Original Review:
THE BLINDING KNIFE reaps the rewards of THE BLACK PRISM's blood, sweat and tears. With all the tedious staging firmly in the past, this book starts with a bang and keeps banging until the finale which concludes with a bang. For a book fueled by politics and religion it really packs a punch.
THE BLINDING KNIFE veers directly into urban fantasy while not losing any of its high fantasy pizazz. The story centers mostly on The Chromeria, the school for drafters located in the urban center known as the Jaspers. We follow the king of smart asses, Kip Guile as he struggles to find his place in a family and the Black Guard. Through this plot line we get to know Kip's hateful grandfather Andross Guile better which greatly improves the story. Andross is the evil prick that this world needed to truly set it off. We also meet some of Kip's contemporaries which is both interesting and fun.
Meanwhile we follow Kip's uncle/father, Gavin as he rallies a war against the insidious Color Prince who is attempting to resurect the old gods to topple the current powers that be at the Chromeria. And Gavin has to do so quickly because he is living on borrowed time...
THE BLINDING KNIFE is a great book and is a model of what non-Sanderson modern fantasy should be.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. -
I am really excited to see how this great series continues. Finally the release date is coming up soon. I really love the new book cover, the colours are amazing and that is great considering how colour is sooo important when it comes to this series.
Yes!!! I finally have this book after waiting a year. I am about half way done it and I love it!
I finally finished this book! I was not disapointed at all! This is an amazing fantasy novel and it is one of Brent Week's best novel yet! This is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read and I recommend this book for all fantasy lovers this book will not disapoint! -
*** 4.35 ***
"... “The master who fears the choices his people will make enough to take those choices away isn't worth serving.”
“Might doesn’t make right. Might makes reality.”..."
Very flawed, but a very fun and imaginative series. I love it, despite of its flaws and I would recommend it to those who like Fantasy to at least try it and see if it is for them. Definitely would recommend strongly for the younger readers, middle grade and above. It is OK to just enjoy for the entertainment value:)))
"... “Love is not a whim. Love is not a flower that fades with a few fleeting years. Love is a choice wedded to action, my husband, and I choose you, and I will choose you every day for the rest of my life.”..."
“Dangerous knowledge is often hidden under ponderous grammar and obscurantist vocabulary.” -
Executive Summary: A vast improvement over
The Black Prism. It still has all the same flaws of the that book, but in far less quantity.
Audio book: I read rather than listened to the first book in this series. The fact that
Simon Vance was the narrator helped push me over the edge on continuing this series after being rather underwhelmed by the first book.
As expected, he does an excellent job with a great variety of voices and inflections that just make the story come alive. If you do audio books and want to read this book, I highly recommend going this route.
Full Review
I'm hard pressed to say why I like this book so much better than
The Black Prism. It contains all the same elements that drove me nuts in the first book: Cartoonish villains, juvenile wish fulfillment, and stupid and obnoxious characters; albeit in lesser quantities.
I think it's a combination of things. I love the magic school trope, and we get a lot of that here, at least to some degree. We also get more of Iron Fist who was probably the only character from the first book I liked the entire time. There is the addition of Teia, who I like a lot despite sharing some of the same annoying characteristics of Karris. However, she's got more of an excuse.
You also finally get a lot more explanation of the magic that I found lacking in the first book. There is still a hand waving, but I found myself no longer caring as much.
Kip is still obnoxious though. I think this book would be a lot better with a different protagonist. I like the idea of doing a parody of the chosen one trope, and I think it works well for this series. I just wish he did it different somehow. I did find myself much more tolerant of Kip by the end of the book however, but far from liking him.
Gavin and Karris are both mostly enjoyable, though some of their parts were pretty eye rolling. Andross Guile makes for an interesting antagonist at times, but is over the top in his actions far too often. At least he's less of a cartoon character than some of the other antagonists.
I think that this series is going to be relegated to "guilty pleasure". I don't find it to be a book that can be held up as excellent as some might, but it is a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to the next book much more than I was looking forward to this one. -
Done reading THE BLINDING KNIFE - Book 2 in Lightbringer Pentalogy.
Author's Writing Style: 5 STARS. Yay - It is entertaining from start until the end. There are 115 short chapters in total. Brent Weeks added a number of chapters in which he writes in first-person POV. These are something new. I love how stronger the voice can get when a characters talks using the pronoun i.
Nay - I was sleeping late and I was losing weight, Lol. I was always tempted to read one more chapter then one more chapter again until I forget the time to zzzzZz.
Characters' Development: 4 STARS. Yay - The first 50% of this sequel focuses on Kip - the low self-esteemed bastard son of Gavin Guile who plays the role of the Prism. Kip formally begins his education in Chromeria, a magic school for drafters. Some teachers dislike him while others love him. There are times he downplays his academic performance to give chance for others. Despite of labeling himself as fat and ugly, Kip excels than everyone else right before his official training.
Nay - The Dazen-Gavin switch identity still confuses me. This is one of the backstories I'm interested to dive into but since the previous book until now, this part is seemingly overshadowed by the current events of the story. I don't get the point of putting your brother in a colored prison for 16 years only because of sibling rivalry and love triangle. Clearly, these two brothers have not let go and moved on. They let their past control their present until one of them lives in high pretense.
Love triangle is inevitable between two brothers or two best friends. Been there, done that. Yet, you cannot force a woman to love you even if your rival is dead. Love is a fluid feeling. It happens naturally. A man can no longer dictate what he wants to happen once a woman decides who she loves more.
Plot: 3 STARS. Yay - It begins with Gavin requesting Kip to destroy a rival for his throne. Kip wants to impress his promiscuous dad; therefore, he does what he wants. Nay - I hate over-the-top endings, these are bigger than my imagination can go, but to be fair, an extreme ending makes this sequel more unforgettable. Book 3 next! -
DNF στο 70%
Ενώ το σύστημα μαγείας της σειράς είναι ένα από τα πιο εντυπωσιακά που έχω συναντήσει, δυστυχώς σε αυτό το βιβλίο δεν υπήρχε κάποια ιδιαίτερη πλοκή για να μου κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον. Πέρα από τα κεφάλαια του Κιπ με τις κάρτες, στα υπόλοιπα δε συνέβη τίποτα σημαντικό(😴) ενώ ένα πολύ ιδιαίτερο storyline διακόπηκε εντελώς ξαφνικά. Το πιο ενοχλητικό κομμάτι, όμως, του βιβλίου ήταν διάφορες σκέψεις και πράξεις των ηρώων που ήταν απολύτως περιττές και άβολες...
Ίσως κάποια στιγμή να συνεχίσω τη σειρά, γιατί πολλοί λένε πως στο 3ο βελτιώνεται, αλλά δε νομίζω να συμβεί στο κοντινό μέλλον😁😂
