Weeks has crafted one of my favorite series of recent, and I must confess I don’t want this journey to come to an end. Just when I think the series can’t get any better Weeks ups the game in The Blood Mirror. So much happens throughout this fourth installment of the Lightbringer series that it feels as though every conversation, regardless of how trivial it might seem, has hidden layers that are yet to be peeled back. Part of what drew me in as a reader during the The Black Prism and elevated this series above other contemporaries was this level of complexity and depth imbued upon establishing that nothing is as meets the eye. I loved that Weeks manages to fool the reader right away in book one, leaving one to question and ponder each previous discussion or interaction in a new light. In a rather bold move by Weeks, he employs this tactic again, implementing this dynamic for a third time causing the reader to rehash yet again the same key interactions and events, dating back to book one. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, I’m delighted. Certain POVs or situations seemed to drag throughout The Blood Mirror but these were usually sandwiched between giant revelations or high suspense, allowing the overall flow to maintain a nigh breakneck pace despite the few odd hiccups. While this read did not necessarily expand the literature realm, significant depth was added to almost all key characters as we learned more about their motivations, desires, and backstories. Weeks also brutally wielded his pen as a weapon as he killed off one of my favorite characters. During this specific scene, I was sobbing while cutting up vegetables for soup when my husband got home from work, ultimately amused at the emotional mess he was walking into. The Blood Mirror has the general feel of a placeholder as Weeks maneuvers his players in place for the grand finale, but manages to avoid stagnant pacing that often accompanies pawn being positioned with fast pacing and shocking reveals. Overall, The Blood Mirror has left me both eagerly anticipating what surprises Weeks will have in store for the final installment of his series, while simultaneously dreading this fantastic literary adventure drawing to a close.