Paeter's Going To Trial!

For those who don't follow my other blog (www.spiritblade.net/blog), I've been selected for the jury on a trial that will be running this week and next. So I may not be able to keep up with posting consistently. But check back Friday or Saturday for my review of "Clash Of The Titans"!

The Night Angel Trilogy (Book Review)

The Night Angel Trilogy, by Brent Weeks (Book Review)


I believe this will mark the first time I've done a book review using the same rating system that I use for movies. I usually don't read books or fantasy series until they are complete and available in paperback. By that time I feel like I've "missed the boat" already and lose motivation to write a review. But a few months ago I took a chance on a new author named Brent Weeks, who published his first trilogy completely in paperback and in three consecutive months. (A brilliant marketing scheme on his part!)

The Night Angel Trilogy is comprised of the books "The Way Of Shadows", "Shadow's Edge" and "Beyond The Shadows". It is sword and sorcery fantasy with possibly the darkest tone I have yet read in this genre. Although the trilogy features an ensemble cast of characters, it centers on Kylar Stern, a mystical super assassin called a "wetboy". The trilogy starts with his humble beginnings as a member of a street gang and follows his career as he becomes one of the most deadly and efficient killers who ever lived.

Weeks does a fantastic job of pulling me into the minds of these characters. While many fantasy authors pride themselves on "world-building", Weeks has made the effort to present his world through the eyes of his characters, engaging me emotionally from the very first page. And this is a world that lends itself to intense emotion.

The story is set in a corrupt city and centers on corrupt people. Prostitution and sexual abuse and all kinds of human depravity figure prominently in the story and the language associated with these themes is very harsh. The "f-bomb" is very common throughout many chapters of all three books, as well as other language that may be more or less offensive to some. But the way in which these harsh words are used is anything but careless. Weeks' writing contains a clear sense of right and wrong. And while nearly every character in this story is corrupt in some way, the author portrays this corruption as tragic and makes us long for a better world.

The story is violent and filled with intense action, deadly combat and incredibly powerful magic. Those seeking fantasy of this nature will not likely be disappointed. The deadly world of assassins is a dark one, but captivating to peek into. The planning and brutal execution of assassinations is a strong point of these books. If you like Batman stories that focus on all the brainpower and planning it takes for Bruce Wayne to become a terrifying urban legend, you'll love Kylar and his "Night Angel" persona. (I wouldn't be surprised if Brent Weeks was a comic book fan.)

The story includes some politics to follow, but these elements are introduced slowly enough to keep track of and never overshadow characterization or story. I would advise, however, that readers pay careful attention as new characters are introduced. Otherwise you may later discover that a character you skimmed through has become a lead player in the story, and you don't quite remember who they are. (This was the case for me.) As the trilogy progresses, more characters are introduced and "screen time" is more evenly portioned out. So don't rush and know that there will be a few more characters to keep track of that are important, especially once you reach the third book.

There is a very clear objective morality in these books. Many fantasy authors guide their characters by "what feels right". They create tension by letting their character be insecure regarding what they ought to do. By contrast, Weeks' characters very often know morally what is the right thing to do. The tension comes from them having to make the right decision, which often results in pain or sacrifice on their part. Or from living with the consequences of making a decision they knew was wrong. The combination of these heart-wrenching decisions and watching the characters lose what they most hold dear is a primary part of what makes this trilogy so captivating.

I can't be certain, but I highly suspect that Brent Weeks is a man who, if not professing to be a Christian, has at least spent a great deal of time reading his Bible. (Update: Brent Weeks discusses his faith with me in an interview!) This is possibly the only mainstream fantasy novel I have read that takes place in a polytheistic society in which a "One True God" religion is portrayed favorably. Themes of morality, justice, wrath, forgiveness and redemption run clearly through many chapters in all three books. There are also more parallels to Biblical stories or teaching than I can count. In nearly a dozen instances, the Bible is almost quoted word for word, depending on which translation you're reading. And one particular scene between a king and a prostitute in "Shadow's Edge" mirrored the account between Jesus and the adulteress(John Chapter 8) in a way that made my eyes brim with tears. These elements will be detectable to various degrees depending on the reader's familiarity with the Bible, but this is not a "preachy" book. Rather, it paints a picture that makes us long for what could be.

Out of nowhere, Brent Weeks has exploded onto my bookshelf and, in my estimation, stands toe-to-toe with an author like Terry Goodkind. Well done, Mr. Weeks. Now when will your next book be released?


Quality: 9.0/10

Relevance: 9.0/10


And don't miss my two-part interview with Brent Weeks, in which he discusses his faith for the first time in an interview!

www.spiritblade.net/paeter
www.spiritblade.net/podcast

Jury Duty?

I'm scheduled for jury duty tomorrow, but I have yet to find out if it will actually happen. The last two times it was my turn, I never made it to a courtroom. Maybe the third time is the charm?

I'll be making a phone call soon to see if I even have to appear. If so, then I'll go in tomorrow and hopefully be selected! (I know, call me weird. But I wanna do it!)

Stay tuned...

Eowyn Rocks!

No, I don't mean the "Lord Of The Rings" chick, but the vocal artist whose geeky LOTR dad gave her the same name. (A man after my own heart.)

Last week I was trying like crazy to find a new Christian artist to listen to that had a dark sound that was either Industrial Electronic or that had some electronic production value. I'm a huge fan of the band "Red" and figured I'd never be likely to find anything else like them in the realm of Christian music. But then I stumbled onto Eowyn while sifting through a TON of bad music and she totally grabbed me.

I'm not usually into female vocalists. Mainly because I can't sing along in the strongest part of my vocal range. And Eowyn utilizes the break in her voice a little too often at times. But she otherwise has a wonderfully smooth voice and does a fantastic job of haunting my thoughts while suspended by a dark Industrial Rock sound. She has three albums out, but her current sound is newly developed with the album "Silent Screams".

Looks like it came out in 2008 and she's been releasing a new CD about every two years. So hopefully we'll hear something new from her soon! I will likely wear out "Silent Screams" in just a few weeks!

Repo Men (Movie Review)

Repo Men is the story of a future in which those who cannot make payments on the artifical organs they have purchased are hunted down by Repo Men who reclaim their organs, often killing them in the process.

Although the previews for “Repo Men” don’t show much in the way of science fiction aside from the basic premise, this is clearly a sci-fi action movie with the visuals to back it up. It’s not a flashy movie with a great deal of money thrown into effects, but there is plenty to see that reminds you that this is the future we’re dealing with. The modest effects look great while being subtle enough to keep us grounded in reality.

Jude Law is our hero and Forest Whitaker plays his eager partner. Both bring engaging performances to their roles, as does Live Schreiber, who plays their heartless, greedy boss.

The action in this movie is wonderfully choreographed and brutally intense. Just when I think I’ve memorized every possible fight move or takedown the silver screen can show me, movies like Repo Men and The Book Of Eli remind me that there are still a few creative people left in Hollywood.

Now, stop me if you’ve heard this one before. In the future there are law enforcement officer who enforce laws that we might consider inhumane. There are two officers who work closely together, but one of them, our hero is put in a position where he must now be hunted like the many he has hunted down before. This causes him to doubt the nature of the laws in place and to seek to bring about change for everyone. He may even develop a romance with a woman who is also being hunted by enforcers.

If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen Logan’s Run, Minority Report or Equilibrium. And if you’ve seen any of those movies, you’ve seen a significant portion of “Repo Men”. The formulaic nature of this movie is easily its weakest point and tends to diminish the other great elements present.

Also, the concept of Repo Men reclaiming human organs has already been covered recently in the lesser known but highly intriguing and enjoyable sci-fi rock opera movie “Repo: The Genetic Opera”. (If you want something MUCH more unique, go find a copy of this one to rent.)

The ending of Repo Men has potential to provide a welcome surprise, but if you pay close attention and enjoy trying to think ahead while watching movies, you probably won’t be taken off guard.

It’s possible that the subject of marriage will come up after viewing this movie, especially if you value lifelong commitment in marriage and believe in the unity of the family/ It appears that the filmmakers don’t. Although the hero’s marriage is rocky, it doesn’t seem doomed. But when our hero spends enough time away from his wife and son, he doesn’t have a hard time “falling in love” with another woman and starting an affair that the film portrays as a warm, romantic fulfillment of our hero’s needs. Although the phrase is never used in the movie, this is the natural outcome of the “follow your heart” mantra when applied consistently to relationships.

While this movie is cool and engaging in several ways, it uses a tired plot concept without including enough separate unique elements to make it memorable.

Rated R for strong bloody violence, grisly images, language and some sexuality/nudity.

Quality: 8.0/10

Relevance: 8.0/10

www.spiritblade.net/blog

Pancakes!

I'm making pancakes! I love pancakes! Here is a poem about my pancakes:

Pancakes are so good to eat.
Pancakes are a special treat.
Pancakes are as good as meat.
Pancakes do not taste like feet.
Pancakes.

The end.

I Need New Music!

I've got 10 bucks of i-tunes money that I have no idea how I'm going to use. I don't want to buy any videos, the latest offerings from The Echoing Green and Andy Hunter aren't what I'm looking for. (Too bright or mellow respectively.) Red is nowhere near releasing a new album. There are no film scores I want. No video game scores either.

I'd love to find a dark, industrial artist that uses a solid lead vocal (lots of out of tune vocalists out there) and maybe some orchestral or "epic" elements to their sound. Or another band like Red that values melody flavored with screaming with a hard rock sound and some epic elements all complimented by some electronic production value.

And if it happens to be Christian music, that's icing.

Any recommendations? Or is that bit too specific?