The Way of Shadows

Great book, action from the first page, couldn't put it down. I read the first book, the second book and I'm part way through the third now. I'd say the second was at least as good as the first, and the third just continues. Ok, most books of this thickness take a while to read and invariably have some slow parts. But this book just flew. I would read it until my eyes couldn't stay open at night. Highly recommended.

Amazing book. I cant even begin how to explain the plot and characters so I wont, other people have. All I can say is that if you are reading this review read this book. There is nothing better I can tell you

The Way of Shadows by Brent A. Weeks is the first novel in the Night Angel Trilogy. The second and third books are titled; Shadow's Edge (The Night Angel Trilogy) and Beyond the Shadows (The Night Angel Trilogy) respectively. I had never heard of Mr. Weeks before, but I was encouraged to read this book and give it a review. I have long been a proponent of giving new authors a shot, after all how else are we really going to know if they are any good or now. I need to stress I went into this novel without any preconceived ideas of what it would be like. Here are my thoughts on the novel. The plot of this book, where do I start? Usually in this section of my reviews I hit on the key plot, and sub plot, points. Quite frankly though, there is so much that goes on in this novel that I would never be able to do it justice. So, please know that this section only covers a few pieces of the plot. One of the main plot lines, at least on the surface, is a little clichéd in that it is a coming of age story of an orphan turned assassin. But, that cliché is turned on its head with vivid details and a thorough entrenchment into the story. Most types of these stories follow the lines of, I am an orphan therefore I became an assassin. That is no where near what this part of the story is. In his novel we are allowed to see the progression of events and choices that force the character down this road. Another main plot line, which is more apparent later in the novel, is a political coup. The amount of delicate planning, subtle foreshadowing, and setting things up is brilliant. Rarely do we, as fantasy readers, see the meticulous details in planning that are present in this novel. Usually, we are only afforded a summary of what those plans were. Here, we get to see them play out. There is also the requisite love interest, but it fits so well into the story and one of the stories themes that I makes perfect sense. It never seemed forced or contrived. In fact, in the entire 600 page plus novel, I never felt that any of the plot was contrived or forced. It all flowed so smoothly, and enjoyably. As I said before these are only three of the many, many things that happen in this book. I don't have the space to detail each and every one. But, suffice to say. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre, particularly the dark/gritty/real vents type novels, then this is certainly a plot line for you. The characters in this book, much like the plot, are numerous and diverse. The main character, Azoth, is a young orphan boy who's life consists of procuring funds to give to his guild for room and board. It's a tough life, but he needs to do what he can to survive. Another character is the wetboy (think assassin) Durzo Blint who is a legend among the guilds. If he takes a contract to kill someone, they will be killed, there is no question about it. There is the young son a duke, Logan, who is seeking to make his own way and assume control of his father's holdings while his father is a

Dark and gritty fantasy that's well-written indeed. I wasn't 5 pages in and I already cared about the whole deal. It chronicles the experiences of a street kid who becomes an assassin to escape the general wretchedness of life on the streets. Fair warning, it's quite dark about street life; not to the 'gruesome detail' point but to the 'this is an ugly way to live' point. Despite other reviews that claim the writing lacks, I found it quite acceptable to my English Major's eye. It is certainly better written then many books in the preternatural fantasy genre that are out there. After finishing the first book, I pre-ordered both of the others, a thing I rarely do. I am kind of hard to impress, and I have a very tight book budget.

The Way of Shadows is the first in the Night Angel Trilogy by newcomer Brent Weeks. Let me start by saying that Brent Weeks writes action like Jet Li fights! He seems to have a good understanding of how action sequences flow and how to describe them in such a way that they are detailed without bogging down. Bravo. The story begins with some frankly darkly disturbing descriptions of life on the streets which include child sexual abuse and extreme violence. Though The Way of Shadows is fiction, there is a sad truth in the darkness that these children face and the extreme actions that the fight for survival creates within humankind. This portion of the story could happen anywhere in any big city on Earth; and because of this Weeks' characters and motivations are believable and three dimensional. One of the mistakes that new fantasy writers often make is to become so excited by their magic and dragons that they forget that all good stories are about people. Brent Weeks I'm happy to say does not make this mistake. His story is about people and their motivations first and magic and abilities second. Our similarities bind us, but our differences make us interesting. Young Azoth sells his soul to a "Devil" by the name of Durzo Blint in order to protect his friends Jaral and Doll-girl. Blint is a "wetboy" or super assassin, who's abilities are trained, but also a product of his "Talent"...an innate magic that augments his ninja-like skills. At first glance Blint is a complete sociopath with no connection to the humanity around him. Azoth turns out to have the abilities to become the physical equal of Durzo Blint, but the real story takes off when he is tested in order to discover if he has the heart (or lack thereof) to become a Wetboy. I loved this story and anxiously await the next two novels to be released in October and November of '08. If you like your fantasy gritty in the vein of Matthew Woodring Stover and George R.R. Martin you'll enjoy this new treat by first time novelist Brent Weeks.