Review of "A Chasm of Night" by Peter Eliott

Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)

A Chasm of Night is the climactic final installment of the Shadow Bidder fantasy series by Peter Eliott!

What a journey it has been! These three books have had their ups and downs, twists and turns, dark moments and light moments. There have been times when we've hated Vazeer the Lash and times when we loved him. There have been aspects of this series that have bothered and disturbed us—mostly the unfairness, cruelty, and injustice of the society in which the characters live—and aspects that endeared themselves to us like the intense action scenes, life-or-death stakes, and Vazeer's cleverness.

A Chasm of Night is a fitting conclusion to a fantastic series. We'd dare say it's the best book in entire trilogy!

But what makes it so good?

Well, unlike the two previous books, it really feels full, complete, and concluded. There was something a little off about the two other books. There was a lot of meandering. There was a lot of seeming randomness. Furthermore, Vazeer would go on these tangents about seemingly insignificant things like objects and art he owned.

But perhaps the worst thing about the previous book was that there were a lot of loose ends and plot-threads sprinkled in there that seemingly went nowhere. Making it more aggravating is the fact that we had major things hanging in the air like the ultimate fates of Nascinthe, who got sent off to God-knows-where, and Flerra Tellian, who was apparently tortured to death. That really, really, really bothered us, especially since it seemed like Vazeer moved on with his life, his art collecting, and his bidding after these terrible, awful things which we really thought should have affected him more.

Not only did it seem to leave a lot of holes in the plot, but it also made the main protagonist seem cold and uncaring. Perhaps the scene that bothered us the most in the previous book was when Vazeer seemed calm, controlled, and almost stoic in dealing with the main villain, Ulan Gueritus (AKA "the Raving Blade"), only reacting emotionally when the Raving Blade threatened to take his favorite statute/work of art. The reason this pissed us off so much is that we reflected on all the terrible things that Ulan Gueritus had done to people whom Vazeer supposedly loved and/or cared about, and yet it's an inanimate object that gets a rise out of him? Not a good look for the supposedly-heroic protagonist.

Well, we were elated to find that practically everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bundle with a nice little bow in this book. All of that wasn't a waste of time after all. It was building to something. It was building to this.

Practically everything comes full-circle in the best possible ways. There are consequences, reasons, explanations, and a point to just about everything that happened in the trilogy. For example, it turns out that the statue the Raving Blade was threatening to take represented much more than just an inanimate, lifeless work of art. It represented the Old Age/Golden Age--a time ruled by strong females like the woman depicted (Queen Giradera) and, perhaps more importantly, when creativity and imagination reigned supreme. The statue represents a renaissance that Vazeer (an idealist and a renaissance man) dreams about and wants to bring back. It's like a beacon of hope to him--a lighthouse in the middle of a dark, dreary, and dreadful sea of cruelty and depravity. Think of it this way: Vazeer is like an enlightened genius living in Medieval times, dreaming of a Renaissance period in the future--a time when people like him can finally be free and feel wanted.

It's weird how that never quite clicked with us before. Why? Well, because we didn't have the conversation between Vazeer and the equally-idealistic Count Halsin Tygean that occurs in this third book. This conversation might seem mundane, but it actually explains a lot.

Both Vazeer and Count Tygean envision a world that is once again ruled by the thinkers rather than the stinkers. They envision a world with less bloodshed and fighting and more attention given to the arts, discovery, and ingenuity. In a lot of way, Tygean kinda reminded us of Count Filippo di Santa Rosa from The Legend of the Extraordinary Writers by Emiliano Forino Procacci. He's like the older politician who embodies the very ideals and virtues that the protagonist(s) aspires to bring to fruition.
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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
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And remember when we said that everything comes full-circle? Well, the Swell Driver (storm) from the previous book actually continues to influence and come into play in this book. For example, Droden Sailwain boats and business were severely impacted by it, which somewhat softens him up and gives him more time, patience, and attention for Vazeer.

It can be assumed that the boats of Holod Deadskiff and others were impacted by the Swell Driver as well. Don't you love continuity? Don't you love when things pay off? Don't you love when things that happened in previous books aren't forgotten and swept under the rug, or worst yet: conveniently retconned?

Speaking of continuity, a lingering character/plot point has haunted us since the first book. And when we say "haunted" we mean it has bothered us so much that it has noticeably hampered our enjoyability of much of the series. And that character/plot point is Flerra Tellian's torture and death. A lot of characters are tortured and killed throughout the series (in fact, this book probably features the most, particularly in the final act), but what bothered us the most about Flerra Tellian's is that she wasn't just any other character, she was one of the closest and dearest people in Vazeer's life, and she trusted him to look after and take care of her like a little sister would trust a big brother. Yes, we know they're "Brood Siblings" but their bond was undeniable. We were so upset that she was removed from this series in such a horrific and unceremonious way, then seemingly never had a role again.

Well, thankfully, Flerra Tellian plays a role in this book in numerous ways. And guess what? The Swell Driver has something to do with it. So, more continuity and payoff.

But not only does Flerra Tellian play a direct role in this book, she also plays an indirect role in how she affects Vazeer. It turns out that he's haunted by what happened to her as well, but has just been repressing it. After all, the name of the game is survival in Hell's Labyrinth, and how can you survive if you're weighed down by emotions?

Well, one of the things that really bothered us about Vazeer was how stoic, robotic, and inhuman he often seemed in previous books. At times, he acted more like some AI museum curator than a human being with actual feelings and emotions. We know that's weird to say, but you'd have to have experienced this series the way that we did. Vazeer started this series off as a pretty cold and unfeeling person. He was a mercenary-for-hire (Shadow Bidder), a murderous bastard, a trained killer desensitized to gore and death.

Or so he seemed...

The (apparent) death of Flerra Tellian and having to send the love of his life, Nascinthe, away definitely had a profound impact on him. In this book, he's noticeably more... human. He's emotional. He's reflective. He's contemplative. He's regretful. He's self-depracating. And he genuinely seems to love and care about people.

This is ironic because, leading up to his long-awaited climactic showdown with the Raving Blade, he repeatedly tells himself and others that he's a monster and that he's inhuman because of the hate and thirst for gory vengeance he feels. The irony is that, in that moment, he is perhaps more human and more compassionate than ever before in his entire life. Why? Well, because he doesn't hate and want to dismember the Raving Blade just because he's a hired killer or because he loves killing, he hates and wants to kill the Raving Blade because of a profound sense of love and care for people and society. He knows all the horrible, terrible, awful things the Raving Blade has done and will continue to do to people he loves and cares about (like Flerra, Nascinthe, and Terza Falconbrow). He knows that the Raving Blade, as the new overlord, would not only spread more death and cruelty, but also spread his corruption over the identity and culture of society, keeping the world in the Dark Ages and further from the Renaissance he has always dreamed about.

And, perhaps most critically, he knows that the chances of him surviving are very low. This is a sacrifice. He plans to take the Raving Blade out even if he doesn't come away with his life, and he doesn't want anyone else to be killed or hurt in the process, even calling off his teammates who want him to flee with them.

This is true character growth. Vazeer the Lash, who was once a cold, heartless, nigh-robotic killer who seemed to value money and art over human lives, is now a human being who loves and cares so deeply that he's willing to give up his own life if it means protecting and avenging the one's he loves.

We saw glimpses of that before. For example, he became a pseudo-father-figure and nurtured the likes of Selene and Cad, a caring and nurturing side that really clashed with his stoic killer side.

And (as we see come to play in this book) he spared Shade of Night, the most feared Finisher in the city. And, because of that, Shade of Night, who is probably an even more sadistic and ruthless killer than Vazeer ever was, actually chooses to spare him. In fact, she seems to adore and fall in love with him in a Bond girl sort of way. She's still a scary b**ch though. But she's undeniably hot and actually gives us some of the edgiest scenes in the book.

We also need to bring up the fact that Shade is one of the very few people to actually outsmart and get the jump on Vazeer. If it weren't for his charm, good fortune, and plot convenience (i.e. being the main character), he'd likely be dead. Even Coljin Helmgrinder (Wait, wasn't his name "Hellgrinder"?! We might be experiencing a Mendela effect) didn't come as close to killing Vazeer as Shade of Night did. The woman is a force.

Speaking of Coljin Helmgrinder/Hellgrinder, he's in here too! Still a mighty and conflicted character chasing after glory and raising his status at the expense of his conscience since the first book.

You know what? What really makes this book special is that it feels like a reunion. No, not one of those crappy ones, one of those good ones. It feels like all the characters we knew and loved from the previous book return and play a part in one way or another: Coljin Helmgrinder, Terza Falconbrow, Nascinthe, Flerra Tellian, Droden Sailwain, Holod Deadskiff, Selene, and more.

Even some of the previous villains like Dubin the Dicer and that random blonde grunt from the previous book ("Lieutenant Commander") are in here getting their comeuppance alongside the Raving Blade.

And you know who else plays a surprisingly big role? Countess Shaeyin Odel, who seems to be the only person who holds leverage over Ulan Gueritus.

It's funny... Countess Odel's power play and tense conversation with the Raving Blade is one of the best scenes in the entire book, and it's intercut between two action scenes. That's saying a lot. Even Vazeer is mesmerized by their conversation.

And you know what? Countess Odel's motivations are inspired by something that also occurred in a previous book in the series. So, more continuity and more payoff.

Even Lethro gets a lot of respect and attention, particularly later in the book. It's so nice to see Lethro finally get his flowers.

But going back to the other characters for a bit... it's so nice to read about them working together, even when they're butting heads and seemingly not making progress.

It's so nice to see all of their characteristics, personalities, and abilities come into play. By the end, he is not operating alone. It's like the good ole' days in the first book when Vazeer had a team.

Vazeer is moving with a patchwork crew where every person matters. Terza brings feral precision and turns tight spaces into traps that work for them. Heshna the Seer reads people and motives and seems to be able to glimpse the future, so the plan stays honest when bravado would get them hurt. Cad shows courage and clever hands, and Benni Bone’s prep means doors open at the exact moment they need them to. Selene is quick and quiet, already moving like a seasoned Contract Eye. Droden’s river skill and his repaired bond with Vazeer keep the mission moving when the canals try to swallow them.

What makes this satisfying is how their personalities become tactics. Terza’s drive pushes the action forward. Heshna’s conscience and precog abilities keeps them aligned with the goal. Cad and Selene solve problems on the fly. Droden grounds the team with practical choices. They still butt heads, and progress sometimes feels slow, but the friction throws sparks in the right direction. That is the arc: Vazeer grows from a lone operator into a builder who can lead a team without using people.

Now, another thing that we really loved about them working as a group is how frustrating it is to Vazeer, who has somewhat forgotten how to work well with others (he spent most of the second book being a rogue with minor characters like Selene occasionally coming in and out of the picture to remind him he was still a social creature).

Vazeer's depracating opinions about his ragtag crew are often hilarious to read. He says that they are a "gaggle of whiners, has-beens, and circus performers. Was this really the
best they could do?" When attempting to convince them to let him confront the Raving Blade alone, he says a lot of negative things to them and tells them that they're all a hinderance to him (though it could be argued he was trying to protect them from certain death in that scene).

However, the moment that really stood out to us (and made us laugh) was this:

"It was just then, I believe, that I decided we were all dead. This flotilla of jackasses was as bad as anything I had commanded as a Grell Runner, on par with bids where I spent the whole night browbeating neophytes. These people weren’t neophytes, but they were something possibly worse—experienced operatives who thought they had seen it all, acted like they knew everything, and had gradually lost touch over the years with how dangerous their line of work could be."

Have you ever been surrounded by overqualified morons who can't cooperate and are overconfident about their abilities/knowledge? Well, that's how Vazeer must feel!

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SPOILERS END

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One final thing we wanted to bring up is how clever, cunning, and competent Vazeer is as a fighter and a tactician. He knows what's best to do if your opponent is larger or smaller. He knows what's best to do if they prefer to fight upright with a sword or when they attempt to take you to the ground. You can really tell why he's so great at what he does.

This book is a tremendously satisfying conclusion to a great dark fantasy series!

Check it out on Amazon!

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