Brent Weeks
The Way of Shadows
The perfect killer has no friends. Only targets.
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city’s most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir.
For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he’s grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way 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.
Shadow’s Edge
Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin’s life. The Godking’s successful coup has left Kylar’s master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession.
But when he learns that Logan might actually be alive and in hiding, Kylar is faced with an agonizing choice: will he give up the way of shadows forever and live in peace with his new family, or will he risk everything by taking on the ultimate hit?
Beyond the Shadows
Logan Gyre is king of Cenaria, a country under siege, with a threadbare army and little hope. He has one chance — a desperate gamble, but one that could destroy his kingdom.
In the north, the new Godking has a plan. If it comes to fruition, no one will have the power to stop him.
Kylar Stern has no choice. To save his friends-and perhaps his enemies-he must accomplish the impossible: assassinate a goddess.
Publisher
Orbit
ISBN
9780316085144
Rosy's scrawlings on The Night Angel Trilogy
When this series first came out it was a tad more expensive than I could afford but finally, after its popularity kicked off there was a sale and I managed to snatch it up. The next thing to watch out for was finding the time to read it, something you'll understand once you start up. Well, I didn't really have that time when I started but I couldn't stop reading and kept on until I finally surfaced, eyes blurred and mind satisfied. I've waited to recommend this series as, well, I couldn't really recommend just the one book.
The Night Angel Trilogy needs to be read as one book, not three over a span of time. It is one of those extremely complicated epic fantasies. This may turn some of you off, simply for the effort you need to put in to enjoy the series, but I could be pushed to say that this would be the wrong move, particularly if you like fantasy. In terms of complex epics this is one to read and enjoy and there's little pain involved, even taking the length into consideration. So when you see three bricks while wandering through you favourite fantasy section and wonder if you should, just give it a whirl. It'll be worth it, I promise.
The trilogy follows the life of Azoth for the most part. To do so though, we are thrown into the worlds of those important characters he meets, from his mentors, his competitors, his victims, his saviours and his loves. Everyone of any real importance has a voice and this is where the complexity comes in. As we shift from view to view, voice to voice, the interweaving goals and desires create not just a series of events but a round life for Azoth and those moving through life with him. Starting from simple beginnings, every choice made is followed and the consequences flow on into the next event. In this way the story isn't insular or limited, even when prophecies and heavy fantasy themes come into play. As the story leaves its more realistic beginnings and enters the realm of magic and destiny there is no overt bowing to fantasy traditions and the complexity of the story as established only heightens.
Azoth's world is full of colour and believable characters, tightly woven catastrophes, magic, gods and evil kings, clashing cultures, war machines, politics, sometimes tragic romances and personal crises. There's assassin tricks to discover along with how to find loopholes in prophesies. With so many aspects of fantasy life included into the story, more than mentioned above, there's plenty for anyone to enjoy.
I'd recommend this series to: those who love complex and detailed fantasy, assassins, historical settings in alternate worlds, prophecies and war stories.
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