When True Night Falls [Anglais] [Relié]

First I was uncertain I would like this one after Black Sun Rising eclipsed everything else. I also worried that the plot would be weak, but let me tell you, When True Night Falls is my favorite of the Coldfire Trilogy. Damien begins to understand the nature of Tarrant's transformation from the Prophet to the Hunter. Their relationship is explored more deeply, and you see sides of Tarrant you had hoped, but weren't sure, were there. I loved this book so much, and some parts were so moving I cried. I think the action in this book was excellently executed and that you can really picture the desperation that the characters go throw as they confront the obstacles in their path to the enemy. The theological discussuions in this book really got me thinking. This book is not your usual rainbow-dragon-magic-and-princess kind of fantasy. It's gritty and intelligent and just an overall WOW. Be sure to read the last in this series, Crown of Shadows.

Don't ask my why. This book is very emotional and intense and very action-packed, and the end, well, the end made me cry. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that this book gets you attached to the characters and to feel the desperation of certain situations, and so, when something sad happens, it's very very sad. But I'm giving a wrong impression. This book is far from a tragedy. It's the fast-paced sequel to Black Sun Rising, that most excellent of books, though this one is better, being more effective. In this book you learn a lot more about Erna, sacrifices, the turning of Tarrant: how a man revered as "prophet" could become the "Hunter" a vampire-like adept. I adore passages in this book that were so descriptive that I was there alongside the characters and the dialogue between Damien and Tarrant, those antagonistic allies, - well those are priceless. I keep rereading chapters over and over, getting a thrill over how closely attached I feel to this world and this cast. The mix of theology with SF and fantasy (even a skillful dab of horror) kept the story original in a genre that is afflicted with formulaic creations. The author's imagination in creating the fae and a character so utterly "cool" but complex as Tarrant (the Hunter) is pretty astounding. If I've convinced you that this book is as great as it is, then you must first read Black Sun Rising and after reading this one, read Crown of Shadows. I assure you, the Coldfire Trilogy is worth it.

Almost everyone I spoke to who had read this series said that the second book was not as good as the first. Possibly as a result of this, my expectations were not as high, but I have to disagree. Though in structure, it's similar, and you could even argue that this volume is a rehash of the first book, I felt that this book was done better than the first one.

In the beginning of this novel, the characters from the first book are arriving at their destination: the lost civilization, the eastern continent, settled by a group of religious pilgrims centuries before. The priest Damien Vryce finds a culture and nation that realizes his dearest dreams of a civilization ruled by his religion, where the faith in his God holds dominance in the hearts and minds of its people. But it is soon revealed that all is not as it seems in this new land, and the companions find themselves on a trek to the south to discover the source of the evil that has insinuated itself into the civilization.

In that regard, it is a rehash. Much of the book is spent traveling again, and this is the part I found a bit tedious. This book could have been about 100 pages shorter if the unnecessary overland journey section were shortened. But I felt that the reasons behind the actions certain characters take were a bit more well established than in the first volume of the trilogy. The characters also change and grow along the way, and the characterization is better in this volume than the previous. In the course of this novel, we learn who the true enemy is, and this sets up the plot of the third novel.

One of the problems I had with this book was the title. The author took pains to define what True Night meant in the first book, and it doesn't really come into play for this one. The plot or resolution doesn't hinge on the fall of Erna's True Night, nor does anything happen on such an event. You could take the figurative stance that True Night in this case doesn't mean a literal True Night, but a state of hopelessness or deception. But it would be a weak stance. Also the coldfire doesn't really enter into it much, either. but they're catchy phrases, so they make decent titles.

Despite the lengthy travel spanning the middle section of the novel, it moves along at a pretty good pace. The tension builds up well, and there are some gripping moments near the end where you really can't put the book down. So don't be put off by people saying this is a boring middle-novel where nothing really happens. This is where the real foundation of the climax to the trilogy is being set down.