The Way of Shadows

Brent Weeks

Oct 2008 · Sold by Orbit

About this ebook

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 and reviews

So great! I'm a huge reader; I actually read the trilogy paperback of this series. But hands down? I love that this is such a breakaway from the "traditional hero" e.g. the hunter/blacksmith/etc backcountry boy and 2 his childhood bffs; somehow the village girl he had a crush on as well, take on the world together. Which is usually how these types of books go. To have the underworld city perspective is unique & what sold me on the book!

I found the overall plot interesting, but i had to keep focused on the write else i would wonder whats happening. During chapters it would skip from one character to anyone in a flash... No matter how much i focused myself on the story events i would be lost. Unfortunately this story is not for me but i know that now and am i glad i did finish the book. This story is not for everyone and you should read the sample before you purchase the book.

I wasn't expecting a lot from this book initially - it was bargain priced and I was in between books and needed a quick read. Pretty quickly though I was drawn into the fascinating world and characters. Though some of the choices in language occasionally grated on me, it was more than made up for by the masterful character development and at times uncomfortably dark subject matter.

About the author

Brent Weeks was born and raised in Montana. He wrote on bar napkins and lesson plans before landing his dream job years and thousands of pages later. Brent lives in Oregon with his wife, Kristi, and their daughters. Find out more about the author at www.brentweeks.com or on Twitter @brentweeks.