Wow, this book...

I won't say that much about it now because I'm in the throes of severe book-longing.  You see, I just finished the first book in a trilogy my brother has been saying for years is just amazing.

I have no words.  I will try to find them later.  For now... oh-my-goodness-it-blew-me-away-it's-so-very-very-good-superlative-extraordinary-wonderful-amazing-exhilarating-I-haven't-read-anything-this-good-in-years-except-maybe-some-old-favorites-I-was-re-reading-and-I'm-not-so-sure-about-them  *whew!*.

So all I'm really trying to say is, Wow, The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks.  So you should all go out, beg, borrow, or buy a copy of the first book, The Way of Shadows, and read it.  Fair warning:  It's very dark at first, pain without meaning, no hope in sight, a horrifying atmosphere, and everyone doing evil of one sort or another, including some serious sadism, murder, and rape, and at first I didn't really like it much.  But to quote the author in a Q&A in the back:  "There is darkness and grit in these books, but I think that's balanced and ultimately overcome with hope and redemption.  It's simply a matter of whether you think hope is wan and weak, or robust.  Is your idea of hope when a brilliant girl who does all her homework wants to ace a test?  Is your idea of redemption turning in a coupon at the grocery store?  Hope isn't vibrant unless it has to be chosen over despair.  Redemption is cheap unless there's a suffocating darkness in which even a hero is tempted to hide.  I see these books as a fight to escape from darkness to light, which is reflected in the titles."
In my opinion, he accomplishes exactly what he describes here.  It's beautiful.

Hm, guess I had more words than I thought.  But I'll have more still later.

That's my book recommendation to all of you.  ...Now if you'll excuse me, I've got two more books to read before I can next eat or sleep or e-mail you or generally do anything.  Um, yeah, I'll try to be a little more moderate than I just implied, but it'll be difficult.  So long.