The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks Review
In the countries of Cenaria and Khalidor, assassination is an art. And the best artist of them all is Durzo Blint. The Durzo Blint whose appears to be more myth than legend. And the more you read, the more legendary Durzo becomes. Impossible skills with blade and knife and the ability to move so quietly it’s like he’s not there at all, it seems nothing could ever bring Durzo down.
Azoth is a young guild rat. Growing up in the Cenaria slums, his future is only as far as his next meal. Learning the hard way how to judge people quickly, who to trust, who to lie to and who to not anger, Azoth does all he can to protect those he loves. But after a childhood of fear, Azoth wants out. His way out? Durzo Blint.
At first Durzo refuses to take Azoth on, claiming that because Azoth loves, he is too weak to kill. Azoth needs to leave everything behind. His old life, his old friends, his old name and embrace a new identity. Kylar Stern must adopt a new way of living, of thinking, of breathing. Kylar must learn to live in the shadows. Throughout his apprenticeship, Kylar is trained in all ways of an assassin’s art. He can kill with his bare hands, kill with poison, and kill just by feeding someone the right kind of meat. Yet through this, Kylar is lacking the one thing that would make him the very best of apprentices. Kylar lacks the Talent which would give him the ability to move in ways that are considered impossible.
Through all of this, Kylar is living a double life, posing as a noble child to extended friendship to Logan Gyre, the country’s most well-liked young lord, apart from prince Aleine Gundar himself, and then everyone has to like Aleine, he is the heir. At least in public they do. Under all of this is the Sa’kage. The rulers of the underground, with their own laws and their own people that always seem to keep one step ahead of the true king. Turning a profit from brothels and taverns while earning gold in the silk trade, it is a delicate process being overseen by the mysterious and anonymous Shinga.
When the mysterious Roth climbs too quickly through the ranks of the Sa’kage, everyone becomes on edge. Threats of a Khalidor invasion, rumours a ‘Godking’ so powerful he cannot be defeated and a prophecy surrounding the fabled black ka’kari, tensions begin to build between the relationship of Durzo and Kylar. It’s approaching that time where all loyalties and bonds will be shattered and broken.
Everything about this book captured my interest, from the cover image of a man dressed in black holding two knives to the tag line ‘the perfect killer has no friends, only targets’. It was visually pleasing, and I know it’s been said not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s exactly what I did. Fortunately, this one lived up to my expectations. As a debut novel from author Brent Weeks and the first in The Night Angel Trilogy, the vast difference between each character’s personality and the complex plot that all weaves together in the crucial chapters kept me reading long past my bedtime. With the book following a variety of different characters that all cross paths at some point, the narrative is expertly handled and not lost in the diversity of viewpoints.
Original ideas, strong characterisations and compelling plot, Week’s has penned a novel that captures all the essence of an epic fantasy saga, while making the novel as personal as a character’s diary entry, a skill often lost in the mass of media being published in today’s society. Refreshing and sharp, Weeks knows the importance of information being left a mystery. As you finally think you understand the complex societies, a simple passage can leave you wondering if you really knew what was happening. An intriguing read a must for all lovers of fantasy series. A warning to younger audiences, infrequent coarse language does occur.