The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (3.7 Stars)

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


Premise: How compelling or unique is the overview of the story?
----- 7/10: This is a classic fantasy coming of age, but rather than a magic school or unique setting there's a gritty world, politics, and a guild of magical assassins. Sounds like A Song of Ice and Fire, but it's a far cry from that brilliant series because none of that really accurately describes the premise. The world isn't really all that grey, the politics are cursory, and the magic is vague and confusing. The overall effect is a story that fits somewhere in fantasy limbo and presents a few elements well but masters none.

Plot: How well does the action of the story fulfill or even expand the potential of the premise?
----- 8/10: This book does well for itself in this department, even though some of the loose premise pieces could be blamed on the plot. The development of Kylar as the main character is well done, and the action drives the story throughout. There is nowhere near the level of complexity that makes Weeks' Lightbringer series so compelling though. Fun story, but seemed to be missing the wow factor.

Characters: Overall feelings towards the characters. Are they memorable? Exciting? Human? Do we even like them?
----- 7/10: After reading the book, I'm indifferent towards most of the characters. This isn't a great sign. There's a lot of classic but forgettable character tropes here - no one really stands out especially.

Pacing: How strong is the momentum of the story? Is it hard to put the book down?
----- 8/10: The story moved along well throughout without too many lulls. There isn't anything compelling enough to make it hard to put down until the end though. The excitement of the climax would have better served with stronger foreshadowing and build up.

Prose: Does the author have strong writing skills? Is the text easy and enjoyable to read and not jarring or distracting?
----- 8/10: Weeks is a solid writer. However, after reading his later series it was apparent that this was his rookie effort. While it doesn't take away from the story, the prose isn't tightly spun enough to allow the book to really shine.

Depth: Do elements of the story combine to form an immersive setting? Is it easy to visualize and well thought out?
----- 6/10: I was disappointed here. The world of The Night Angel was barely explored outside of the dirty inner city of the main setting. There were half baked attempts at scenes in other locales, but we were never there for long enough to add depth to the story. There is also some exploration into lore and religion, but none of it was memorable enough to add appetizing layers to the story.

Epic-ness: Are cool things happening? Are story elements used to creating plot action that is exciting and satisfying?
----- 8/10: There are lots of fun elements to the plot. The climatic action especially is fast moving and exciting, easily the best portions of the book. None of the plot developments are especially unpredictable or enthralling, but the execution certainly is.

Total: 52/70: If you'd like to read Brent Weeks, read his Lightbringer series. There's nothing glaringly wrong with The Way of Shadows, but there's also nothing obviously right about it that pulled me too deep into the story. Fun, but ultimately shallow story.


Content warning: Some harsh language and brief sexual content