'The Way of Shadows' by Brent Weeks is a dark fantasy novel that follows Azoth, a poor orphaned boy living among thieves who seeks a way out of his harsh life in the slums. He apprentices himself to Durzo Blint, a master assassin, in order to escape his past and embrace a new life filled with intrigue and danger. The book delves into themes of loyalty, growth, and the struggle between innate goodness and the harsh realities of the world.
The story is set in a complex and corrupt urban world where Azoth, now known as Kylar Stark, navigates through a web of assassinations, lies, magic, politics, and a coup on the throne. The plot moves at a brisk pace, with well-developed characters and a strong emphasis on the master-apprentice relationship between Blint and Kylar. The writing style is described as fast-paced, engaging, and filled with dark scenes that enhance the believability of the characters and the story.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include violence, murder, sexual abuse, and dark themes such as child exploitation.
Has Romance?
The book contains elements of romance, but it is not the central focus of the plot.
From The Publisher:
From NYT bestselling author Brent Weeks comes the first novel in his breakout fantasy trilogy in which a young boy trains under the city's most legendary and feared assassin, Durzo Blint.
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art - and he is the city's most accomplished artist.
For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned 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.
Ratings (154)
Incredible (22) | |
Loved It (62) | |
Liked It (35) | |
It Was OK (19) | |
Did Not Like (8) | |
Hated It (8) |
Reader Stats (266):
Read It (165) | |
Want To Read (73) | |
Did Not Finish (4) | |
Not Interested (24) |
5 comment(s)
This book is so full of fantasy tropes that it shouldn't even be readable. The main character is an assassin's apprentice/prophecied hero things that have been done again and again. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. The plot is engaging and the characters are well rounded and likable. Worth reading even if you've read enough fantasy to cringe like I did at every one of the overwhelming cliches.
Wow. Brent Weeks has managed to weave a truly impressive tapestry of well written, multi faceted characters and situations. He holds the reader's interest and drives the reader to continue. Durzo Blint is one of the best written characters I've seen in a long time, and his relationship with Azoth/Kylar is so deep and real. I would like nothing more than to continue with the next book in the series and for the world in which this trilogy transpires to engender more books.
One minor critique- I have a "hundred page rule" where I finish the book if I'm within a hundred pages of completion, but the writing style for the last hundred pages didn't encourage rapid page devouring.
DNF @ 390. This book feels sloppy and poorly constructed. I think there was meant to be a slowly building plot, but the choppiness and lack of flow between chapters destroyed it. There is also the constant mention of cleavage throughout the novel within every female character introduced. I get it's a thing that is noticed, but it felt a bit excessively mentioned in this book.
The Way of Shadows is so laughably bad, I thought it was satire. Let me give you an example. So, near the end of the book, the protagonist is about to express his love to this girl after like 20 years of lusting, and at this point in the story, there's been a little cursing, the violence is PG-13 and badly written, all very YA. So, our protagonist approaches his lady and says to her (this is a direct quote):
"I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And the purest. I'm not asking you to
fuck. But maybe some day I'll earn the right to ask you for something more permanent." He turned and facing her was harder than facing thirty Highlanders.
Ahh, Brent Weeks. I think he has a little Vogon in him.
I have started this book about a month ago, read the half of it and than put it at by. I'm not sure why I did it because this is a really great story. I think I just wasn't in mood for it, I was looking for something lighter and brighter, an easy read.
And
The Way of Shadows is definitely dark and full of violence. If you want to read it, you have to know that this is the story where bad things happen to good people, constantly. I know, that's exactly like in real life, although I'm not sure I want to read all about it. Some parts truly bothered me, some deaths were very painful.
I definitely liked Kylar, the hero. He makes choices and he is ready to face the consequences. Even his lack acceptance of who he is adds an interesting flaw to his personality.
I'm looking forward to read the next book in this series.
What can you read after
The Way of Shadows?
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