Beyond the Shadows - A Book for Older Teen Boys

I enjoy a story that twists, turns, and is full of back story mysteries. When there is something that happened in the past that effects the characters in the present it's like the reader is getting to know about a juicy piece of gossip. A tragic story that pulls at the heart strings and finds some kind of solution in a future generation. All families have hidden skeletons, black sheep, and tragedy in the branches and roots of the family tree.



 The third and final book in the Night Angel Series find our characters spread out on different trajectories. Kylar is dead to the world, even though the Night Angel is alive to fight for his friends lives and futures. Logan is where he is supposed to be but that doesn't mean he'll be able to stay because there is a new threat and the new God King has something of his that he wants back. Elene is trying to find her charge. Vie is Vie with a huge problem and a desire to change with very little chance of doing so.


First book in the trilogy, The Way of Shadows
Second book in the trilogy, Shadow's Edge
Third book in the trilogy, Beyond the Shadows

From the Author's Website: 

Logan Gyre is king of Cenaria, a country under siege, with a threadbare army and little hope. He has one chance — a desperate gamble, but one that could destroy his kingdom. 

In the north, the new Godking has a plan. If it comes to fruition, no one will have the power to stop him. 

Kylar Stern has no choice. To save his friends-and perhaps his enemies-he must accomplish the impossible: assassinate a goddess.

A book for Older Teen Boys

As with the other two books in the series the adult content makes it inappropriate for younger teens and advanced readers. However, older teens will identify with Kylar's predicament and desires. The threads that were left going different directions start to come together in this book and weave together to tie up in an ending that is bitter sweet. In my opinion the weaves are quite forced and it seems that the author is grasping at straws sometimes to get a thread to meet the ending the author intends. It's an end to a dark story, but not the best book in the series. Still, there is enough mystery and drawing from the histories of older characters and heroes long dead to bring the current character's stories to a conclusion. Sometimes prophesy and the secrets one carries bring challenges that others must face.

Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN and is currently working on Book 2 in the series about a boy, his mom, a cop, and an invading army. She has brought war to a North American town to answer the question, what if it happened here?

Click to go to her website and find more about THIRTEEN. 

The Shadow's Edge by Brent Week's - A book for older Teen Boys

I am not your typical female reader. I don't like many Chick Lit novels and I detest Romance novels, especially the Harlequinn genre, sorry to all you Romance writers, but I am just not a romantic at heart. I love the dark fantasy genre, even though it's not the genre I write.


In Shadow's Edge Kylar has given up the darkness inside him for love. That's right, love. He wants to be good enough for the pure innocent and scared Elene. Can he be worthy of her love and will she ever give in to his nightly requests?

Giving up a part of oneself isn't easy and Kylar can't help but becoming the Night Angel, exacting justice and saving the innocent.

He does his best until a friend dies asking him to save another friend from the depths of the Mah. He must now chose, love and Elene or death and loneliness. Sometimes the choice is easy.

First book in the trilogy, The Way of Shadows
Second book in the trilogy, Shadow's Edge
Third book in the trilogy, Beyond the Shadows

From Brent Week's website:

Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin’s life. The Godking’s successful coup has left Kylar’s master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession. 

But when he learns that Logan might actually be alive and in hiding, Kylar is faced with an agonizing choice: will he give up the way of shadows forever and live in peace with his new family, or will he risk everything by taking on the ultimate hit?

A Novel for Older Teen Boys and New Adults  

As a mom, I wouldn't want my son reading this book 'til he was 20 due to the content, however that would be very naive and unrealistic of me. The most comfortable I feel recommending an age is 16 and over, by then they can handle the adult content and their mouths are filthier than the cursing in the book. 

As a story the novel does twist and turn enough to keep a reader interested. The author introduces new characters and leave the reader wondering why some of them are there until later in the series when the threads weave back together and tie up. 

The stories of Vi, Elene, Kylar, Logan, and Jarol weave around each other in a dance that doesn't seem to have a purpose until a new layer is revealed. This is fantasy, a world of magic, so anything goes and the author did have to push a bit to get things to go where they needed to, but we get there in the end and that's the point - right? Predictability in story crafting is death and Brent Weeks takes his readers on a journey that's anything but predictable. 

Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN and is currently working on Book 2 in the series about a boy, his mom, a cop, and an invading army. She has brought war to a North American town to answer the question, what if it happened here?

Click to go to her website and find more about THIRTEEN. 

The Way of Shadows By Brent Weeks - A Book for Older Teen Boys

I am a fan of dark fantasy fiction and this cover was what sold me on this book. It looked like the kind of story I'd like to read and was a trilogy. I purchased the trilogy as audiobooks from audible.com and have listened to the series twice already.


 In the first novel we are introduced to Azoth a homeless street kid trying to survive in a cruel, dangerous world where death is around every corner. He is a scared little boy who wants to find safety in being strong and feared by those around him. In his world, men like Durzo Blint are respected, feared, and strong.

Durzo Blint is a Wet Boy, the ultimate assassin and Azoth wants to be just like him.


First book in the trilogy, The Way of Shadows
Second book in the trilogy, Shadow's Edge
Third book in the trilogy, Beyond the Shadows

From the Author's Website: 

The perfect killer has no friends. Only targets.For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city’s most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir. 

For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he’s grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way to judge people quickly — and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint. 

But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins’ world of dangerous politics and strange magics — and cultivate a flair for death.

A book for older teen boys and 20 something men. 

I like how this book is from the viewpoint of characters that are considered immoral in their career choices and yet are shown to be moral in their own way. In most cases more moral than those who should be moral and kind. Characters have an internal struggle between what they want and what they must do to survive.

If you are looking to buy a gift for a boy who has strict parents or Christian parents, this is NOT the book to buy. There is swearing, adult content, violence, and immoral choices. I am not the kind of parent who protects her children from taboo subjects and uncomfortable relationship conversations and as I was listening to the book I did not feel that the content was appropriate for my 13 year old daughter to hear.

I would say it's a new adult series and not a YA series because of the adult content, especially in the other two books.

As a start to a dark fantasy trilogy, The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks is a good read. I listened to it twice and probably will listen to it again. I liked the character Durzo Blint and if I was a young woman I'd probably fall in love with the character Kylar. My favourite character was Mama K though, with her strength, class, and independence. I can identify with her hardened heart and the pain she keeps hidden from the man she loves.

Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a coming of age story about a boy, his single mom, a cop, and an invading army all set in modern day Canada.  What if you woke up one morning to the sounds of gunfire? What would you do? Could you survive without power, communications, or transportation? Shannon Peel asks these questions in her debut novel, THIRTEEN.

Click to find out more about her book for boys.  

Click to find out about Thirteen

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie a Book for Teen Boys

I loved Joe Abercrombie's dark fantasy trilogy for adults, the First Law, with characters like Logan Ninefingers who is trying to be a better person. The author has brought his unique style to teenage boys in the Shattered Sea trilogy. This series is age appropriate and will engage your teen boy from page one.

In the third and final instalment of the Shattered Sea trilogy we find the powers that be waiting for the match to ignite the fires of war. The match comes in the form of a small princess who is thrust into power when her grandfather is killed. She must convince heroes generations older than her to put aside their petty squabbles and come together against a common enemy.

Yarvi, Thorn, Brand, and Koll along with a number of characters from the first two books make an appearance. The twist and turns reveal astonishing truths that change everything.

The first book in the trilogy, Half a King
The second book in the trilogy, Half a World
The third book in the trilogy, Half a War



From Joe Abercrombie's Website:

Words are weaponsPrincess Skara has seen all she loved made blood and ashes. She is left with only words. But the right words can be as deadly as any blade. She must conquer her fears and sharpen her wits to a lethal edge if she is to reclaim her birthright. 

Only half a war is fought with swordsThe deep-cunning Father Yarvi has walked a long road from crippled slave to king’s minister. He has made allies of old foes and stitched together an uneasy peace. But now the ruthless Grandmother Wexen has raised the greatest army since the elves made war on God, and put Bright Yilling at its head – a man who worships no god but Death. 

Sometimes one must fight evil with evilSome – like Thorn Bathu and the sword-bearer Raith – are born to fight, perhaps to die. Others – like Brand the smith and Koll the wood-carver – would rather stand in the light. But when Mother War spreads her iron wings, she may cast the whole Shattered Sea into darkness.

 A book for Teen Boys and Advanced Readers

Like in Half a world, the main character is a girl, however this does not detract from the masculine genre world the story is set in. There is a love story within the story, however it is not the central theme so boys will still find there is enough action and intrigue to stay engaged with the story.

I listened to this book on audio through a speaker while I cleaned and worked around the house. At no point did I feel that the story was inappropriate for my thirteen year old daughter to hear when she was home. The audio version of the book is a great way to enjoy the story and the voice actor does a wonderful job with his accents, tone, and infliction to make the story interesting to listen to.

If like my son, your son is an advanced reader looking for more challenging books with appropriate content - this book should be on his to be read list. Especially if he likes swords, kings, heroes, and wars.

Click to read reviews for Half a World by Joe Abercrombie on GoodReads

The Shattered Seas Trilogy:

Half a King                     Half the World

Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a coming of age story about a boy, his single mom, a cop, and an invading army all set in modern day Canada.  What if you woke up one morning to the sounds of gunfire? What would you do? Could you survive without power, communications, or transportation? Shannon Peel asks these questions in her debut novel, THIRTEEN.

Click to find out more about her book for boys.  

Click to find out about Thirteen

Half a World by Joe Abercrombie a Book for Teen Boys

I love Joe Abercrombie's dark style and flawed characters. Logan Ninefingers is my favourite character of all time and though he does not appear in the Shattered Sea Series, I enjoyed the books. His adult Fantasy books offer a world of power games, violence, and character's trying to do better than their pasts. This formula works well in this young adult series, which teen boys will love.



Book two of the Shattered Seas trilogy did not disappoint. The main character shifts from Prince Yarvi to Thorn as they journey to the first city and back. We are graced with the appearance of characters from book one and how they have landed on their feet. Yarvi is an important character in this story as he steers it like a boat moving up the Devine.

Thorn is a girl with a chip on her shoulder trying to prove she is as good as the boys she trains with. Her narrow selfish point of view rubs others the wrong way, everyone but Brand who just can't help himself from doing the right thing. The two stand as foils to the other as they find their places in the world.

The first book in the trilogy, Half a King
The second book in the trilogy, Half a World
The third book in the trilogy, Half a War



From Joe Abercrombie's Website:

Sometimes a girl is touched by mother war.Thorn is such a girl. Desperate to avenge her dead father, she lives to fight. But she has been named murderer by the very man who trained her to kill. 

Sometimes a woman becomes a warriorFate traps her in the schemes – and on the ship – of the deep-cunning minister Father Yarvi. Crossing half the world to find allies against the ruthless High King, she learns harsh lessons of blood and deceit. 

Sometimes a warrior becomes a weaponBeside her on her gruelling journey is Brand, a young warrior who hates to kill. A failure in his eyes and hers, he has one chance at redemption. 

And weapons are made for one purposeWill Thorn forever be a tool in the hands of the powerful or can she carve her own path? Is there a place beyond legend for a woman with a blade?

A Book for Teen Boys and Advanced Readers 

I love Game of Throne's type stories where characters are flawed, good doesn't always win and sometimes the evil has grains of goodness. As a parent I am leery of giving Game of Thrones to my impressionable Teen son who is still trying to discover his own way in the world of relationships. The main characters in Half a World are also testing the stormy relationship waters, while finding their place in their world.

Half a World by Joe Abercrombie is appropriate for teen boys and within the same genre as Game of Thrones where the powerful play games with other people's lives.

Click to Read Reviews of Half a World by Joe Abercrombie. 

About the blog poster:

Shannon Peel is the author of THIRTEEN, a coming of age story about a boy, his single mom, a cop, and an invading army all set in modern day Canada.  What if you woke up one morning to the sounds of gunfire? What would you do? Could you survive without power, communications, or transportation? Shannon Peel asks these questions in her debut novel, THIRTEEN.

Click to find out more about her book for boys.