Book Review: The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks.
Genre: High-Fantasy (supposedly ‘pre- industrial’)
Goodreads rating: **** (4 stars).
Read: 13/02/2017 – 19/02/2017.
Are you a big fan of the Lightbringer series? So am I. Which is why, it saddens me to have to say, I think the third instalment of this series is suffering something akin to ‘second-book-it is’.
Warning: There could be spoiler for the previous books (The Black Prism/ The Blinding Knife) beyond this point. There will be no spoilers for this particular book though.
Synopsis: With Gavin lost and presumed dead the Chromeria faces a new prism elect. The political throws of the Chromeria rear their ugly heads and the sinister lost Order of the Broken Eye take advantage of the chaos to infiltrate places of power.
Obviously, as a book suffering ‘second-book-it is’ there was a lack of action and movement; lots of filler in the disguise of irrelevant world building; and character development that (I feel) should’ve happened sooner in the series. And to top it all off – as someone sensitive to such topics and forms of exclusive writing styles, a blatantly weakened female presence.
Let’s start with the action – there is none. Oh yes, lots of political movement, spying and the odd ‘Specials’ class for the Blackguard inductees. But, for the most part the only well-paced, pertinent action happens within the last 100 pages of this 800-page book.
I assume all the political tip toeing is set up for the next book – The Blood Mirror. Heaven forbid none of it ties in with The Blood Mirror, I’ll fucking riot. And, I’m all one for political exploration in books, just not in such bulks without anything in-between.
Don’t get me wrong, this book starts off strong. Our Blinding Knife has transformed into a weapon unrecognisable to what it had once been with a threatening promise to the world as we know it. Gavin is being spoken to by his god, but like all good anti-heroes – refuses to listen. Karris is put in charge of an international spy ring. Teia is being inducted into the Order of the Broken Eye. And Kip is on some island going insane in the best way possible.
But all this potential is ripped down by the fact that we have like five chapters from Gavin’s POV. Possible two os which focus the minimal amount of attention one can to the Blinding Knife. I know a lot of people have issues with Gavin becoming a prisoner to circumstance in this book. My issue lies in him not thinking anymore. His once brilliant mind can hardly focus on anything other than –
“Gavin’s every day had a similar rhythm. Pull. Twist. Push. Twist. Pull. Up, down, life circumscribed in ovals of work and rest and transition from one to the other”
And now, though he could call up their colour and stories and sins and attitudes if he tried, he saw each one of the drafters differently, he pushed them back, away. They became only a name and a sin to be shrived.
Bell Sparrow. Seductress.
And so on and so forth - 42 TIMES. Such blatant filler. Tossing in names and one worded stories of irrelevant people that will never come back up in the story. Few select names were expanded on (not counted in the 42), but only one had any insight into Gavin as a character. The fact that he isn’t whirling around in his head trying to figure out the Blinding Knife just seems so out of character, to me.
Then karris, once mighty Watch Captain White Oak – one of the greatest archers of the Blackguard. Now stripped to Lady Guile – made to wear rich dresses, powders and her hair in lavish styles. All of which hinders her at some point in the story. And, she develops maternal desires while she pines for her lost husband. Don’t misunderstand me here, I like a good female character who personifies femininity – just not when said character spent two books being expressed as the polar opposite. Plus, a strong female character should thrive in said femininity instead of being constantly thwarted by her own fucking dress. Especially seeing as Karris was trained in the most prestigious, elite fighting force in this world.
The thing that pissed me off most about Karris in this book is the act of excusing her rape. I’m not going to quote it because I’m lazy af and it just isn’t fucking worth repeating. But the book spent a chapter with Karris excusing her rape for something she ‘needed’ or something that was the ‘best’ alternative. Obviously, rape is such a sensitive topic and to have a character as strong as Karris raped was a star in the night. A role model for other victims. But having her preform a 180 degree turn, expressing that her rape was ‘deserved’ in some form is an absolute blotch in this book.
The we have Teia, the Blackguard inductee – former slave whose previous status has always been concerning. Trained by previous owners to be violent, sneaky and simply put – morally grey. Teia falls apart at the slightest challenge. She’s too busy thinking of the suddenly thin so therefore more attractive Kip. Or being used and abused by powers above her. Both Karris and Teia – the strongest and only female characters in this series are belittled to nothing but pawns and love interests.
Finally, Kip. He showed the most promise and, if I’m being honest he’s the only characters I feel stood up to his potential. There were a few set-backs, I won’t lie –
“He [Kip] wanted her [Teia] to be free, but he’d still wanter her to owe him, to be eternally grateful, to be somehow therefore subordinate. He wanted her to be free, but he wanted to decide for her how she should use her freedom.”
I know. -Vomits-. The only issues I have with his character is his association with females. He can’t even look at one without falling in love with them and subsequently reverting back to his patterns of self-hatred. On one hand, it’s endearing, to see him struggle with his own image, on the other hand – this struggle is undermined by every character and their mother gushing over his sudden weight-loss/ muscle gain.
There’s points in this book where you learn about the way a city or satrapy used to be 16 years (or more) ago. Zero relevance to the story. Or watch a member of the Order carrying out a routine assassination that again, has zero relevance to the story-line. Chapters with one-off POVs that bring no new information. Character simply talking for talking’s sake or worse – creating tension for tensions sake. All of which could’ve been summed up in a five-sentence paragraph so the story could focus on better stuff. Or, you know, move on with it!
So why not give it a one star rating, you ask? Well, if Blood Mirror disappoints I will be. But, first reason – Kip.
From our weak willed, sheepish boy from Rekton. To a young man stading up to Andross Guile in front of the whole Spectrum. His words become more assured, his lies come quicker; easier. And he develops his resourcefulness to creating and thinking up new ways to incorporate luxin. His own POV carries the type of thought processes I’d expect, and have seen, from Gavin.
“He was hitting the damned thing as hard as he could.
No, he was hitting as hard as he could muscularly. Magically, he should be able to hit harder.
[…] He remembered the wights in Garriston, leapfrogging from roof to roof, shooting luxin downward as they jumped, using the kick to extend their jump. It was the same concept that worked for Gavin’s skimmers and sea chariots. But bother of those interacted more externally. They didn’t have to, did they.
[…] Here goes nothing. He stood with his right foot back, twisted, snapped, and as his right foot came up, he shot green luxin out of it.”
Safe to say, Kip’s developing some of Gavin’s magically focused experimental yearnings. Throughout the book, he talks well beyond his years, offering advice and orders, talking strategy.
The only saving grace for the female characters – both Karris and Teia, is that they at least lock into challenging positions of power by the end of the book. Hopefully that means their futures promise badassery and strength.
The last one hundred pages are the greatest. Full of musket firing, experimental luxin, escapes, deaths, sabotage, hexed, and plot twists. The last one hundred pages feel more like the first two books. Quick paced and constantly moving. The characters don’t rot their personalities like they did during the books idle inaction. Information and developments in those last pages promise a fantastic story in Bloor Mirror.
I go forth excited, but wary.
