Reviews for The Way of Shadows (Book 1 of the Night Angel Trilogy)
A Fantasy Reader calls The Way of Shadows “entertaining and compelling…If you like stories with action and some kick ass magically enhanced assassins coated with a layer of intrigue and humanity, this is for you.”
TopDragon gives praise, saying “I found this story to be completely unpredictable and yet very well constructed…It doesn’t hurt that Mr Weeks is one of the best writers of fight scenes out there.” I hope he likes the next two books!
New book blogger Nikki at Bookizzle says, “This book has it all: grit, intensity, action, adventure, magic, violence, promiscuity, romance…and not in that order.”
Janicu compliments Brent by saying “I think this author has an evil streak.”
Rita J. Webb dissects the first scene of The Way of Shadows, examining rising tension.
SplatterBookCollege says, “Combine a somewhat cynical-somewhat sympathetic tale and write it well, and I’m sold.”
The Writer’s Notebook says, ”Azoth/Kylar is one of the best protagonists in new fiction I’ve read in a long time, conflicted in every way, but still striving for the best…10/10″
Warpcore SF calls The Way of Shadows “A dose of concentrated brilliance.”
Library Dad says it’s “a great book that gives the reader a great mix of action, adventure, love, treachery, twists, and turns.”
NeoLibrarium calls The Way of Shadows “one of the the most skillfully written stories I have read in a great while.”
A.L. Davroe calls The Way of Shadows “conversational and simply written but intelligent and cavalier at the same time.”
my Creative Lair says Weeks “captures all the essence of an epic fantasy saga, while making the novel as personal as a character’s diary entry…refreshing and sharp.”
Mount Virtus, written by college friend Ben DeGrow, commends “the crisp and colorful storytelling.”
Beemsville likes it well enough to buy book two. Barely. “Plenty of action, high-school level romance, badass villains, and familiar archetypes.”
eat.sleep.geek says “I could not put it down…a resounding success.”
Plants and Books says “THE WAY OF SHADOWS is one of the best recent fantasy books I have read, if not one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. There are many strengths to this engaging book; but, one of the strongest is definitely the characters and their moral/ethical dilemmas. THE WAY OF SHADOWS is an emotional ride of vengeance, mercy, justice, terror, and humor.”
Azure Supernova understands exactly: “When you start reading you’re blind to almost everything, nothing is explained and you pretty much feel exactly how Azoth does” and concludes with “I think the only negative point I can pick out is that I knew it had to end sometime.”
Without A Doubt said, “There’s enough drama and thrills to keep those who aren’t really interested in the gore to love this book. ”
Kindlelicious calls it a “fine, fun read.”
Lair of the Green Knight said, “The author does not pull any punches. However, he does it in a way that you see hope and are rooting for them the whole time.”
Fantasy Debut calls it “an exceptional debut novel…. The pace is fast, the secondary characters of which there are many, are as well written as the mains, the plot twists are delightful…”
A Writer’s Fantasy says, “The characters are complicated, deep, and overall just plain [expletiving] awesome.”
Lowly’s Book Blog calls it, the beginning of “the best fantasy trilogy that I have read in a very long time.”
My Favourite Books calls The Way of Shadows “a deft story, skillfully delivered.”
The Beezer Review says, “It is one of those rare books that you can start reading before you go to bed and look up later and realize it is three in the morning.”
The Broad Brush says it “was too slow.”
Dragons, Heroes, and Wizards calls it “a fast read…[with] plenty of twist, lots of intrigue and tons of character development.” They also note, “There are also a dozen or so secondary characters that are so well written and so important to the story, it feels wrong to label them as secondary.”
Highlander’s Book Reviews says, “I do feel it is needlessly long… it’s a novel which requires work and commitment to get into but which will ultimately provide reward.” (See, I don’t just post the glowing reviews.)
Beholder’s Journal says, “I picked up this book on Wed. and finished it on Sat. A great, easy, and hard to put down read.”
RisingShadow.net says, “For those who love assassins, corrupted power figures, twisted politics, and disturbing magic, this is the book of all books.”
Sci-Fi Fan Letter says, The Way of Shadows is the kind of book “you can’t put down even though you have to eat, sleep or work.”
Books Monthly calls it “an extraordinary debut…an astoundingly good fantasy world.”
Un:Bound says, “Weeks really has a knack for creating complex, realistic, and very human characters… Intrigue and tension pull you through to the next page, and for the first time in years I actually flicked a few pages ahead to see if someone was really dead…. a delight…”
Harriet Klausner, extraordinary #1 reviewer for Amazon.com, gives 5 out of 5 stars, noting the “shadowy twists that feel genuine and quite exciting… Especially fascinating are the poetic legendary assassin [Durzo] and his new apprentice [Azoth]“.
Wannabe Writer says, “I was soon hooked. It’s exciting, full of action but interesting characters too, the world is wonderfully realised, the use of magic imaginative, the fight scenes thrilling…”
Sffworld.com calls it “an impressive debut…if someone were to ask me for a recommendation on a well-written, high fantasy that exemplified the expected elements of the genre, I’d pass them a copy of The Way of Shadows.”
Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review says, Brent Weeks infuses the book “with energy and intrigue while giving us plenty of opportunity to get to know both the city and the people who live there…. Anything can happen and you’ll find yourself constantly surprised when it does.”
BookspotCentral.com says, “it made me turn off television, it made me skip dessert, it even made me skip a shower once…unless something extraordinary happens in the next month or two, this is going to be my book of the year for 2008.”
Memoirs of a Rabbid Hotdog says, it “kept me glued to my chair for the duration of the book.”
Fantasy Book Critic says, “so engrossing that after I stayed up late to finish it, I stayed up late again to reread the book!” It is “a superb epic fantasy that will absorb you from start to finish…Highly, highly recommended.”
The Literary Cat says, “With liberal doses of magic, politics, and warfare, the six hundred-odd pages really will fly by.”
Fantasy Cafe says, [minor SPOILERS in linked article.] “The Way of Shadows is a fast-paced, entertaining read that is difficult to put down.” She also really liked the term wetboys: “It sounds like they should be the guys that fetch water for all the important people…” So picturing Adam Sandler as Durzo Blint could be problematic.
FantasyLiterature.net gave two reviews, allowing that “Weeks creates some effective drama and some interesting contrasting characters” and “a solid plot”. Hey, not everyone has to LOVE it.
Blood of the Muse says, “Overloaded with fun, The Way of Shadows is an absolute joy. Filled with a pantheon of unforgettable and epic characters and an intense, high-octane and twisting plot, the book has me eagerly anticipating the sequel Shadow’s Edge.”
The Bookbag calls it “a captivating page-turner that verges on the unputdownable.”
Fantasy Book News and Reviews says, “this book might take my label of best book of the year…”
Grasping for the Wind remarks on “a depth of character [epic fantasies] often lack….Yet it never bogs down for lack of action, or suspense.”
The Civilian Reader says, “Solid, extremely well written, and deftly plotted…”
The Fantasy and Sci-Fi Lovin’ Book Review says, “The Way of Shadows” is a pretty big book, 688 pages, but it reads really fast… hard to put down”
Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: “I believe that The Way of Shadows and its sequels…will sell extremely well, regardless of the fact that it will likely not be held in high esteem by the SFF fandom’s ‘in crowd.’”
Having invoked “gritty” YA lit, and SFF fandom’s “in crowd,” Pat’s review provoked a rebuttal. And some discussion of what is and is not Young Adult fiction. I swear I don’t pay people for these.
Reviews for Shadow’s Edge (Book 2 of the Night Angel Trilogy)
Beemsville complains that there are too many chapters of “Kylar brooding about his darker nature.” But likes it enough to pick up book three. Barely.
Kelly Melcher raves, “Shadow’s Edge doesn’t only take me in, it puts me in a full nelson and makes me read whether I like it or not, and I like it. A+”
Civilian Reader says, “Addictive, phenomenal, essential. Brent Weeks is clearly one of fantasy’s new masters.”
Plants and Books posted, “It has been a long time since I have read a book that has so easily charged me emotionally, which if for no other reason, is a reason to read SHADOW’S EDGE.”
Dragons, Heroes, and Wizards calls it “one of the best examples of character driven fantasy I have ever read… Brent Weeks is also a master of the ‘big surprise.’ … Some of his ‘revelations’ made me laugh out loud, not because they were funny, but because they delighted me. In addition, the ending, oh my heavens, what a bombshell!”
The Greenman Review says, “It doesn’t suffer from that middle book slump… Once I started, I couldn’t put it down, and the last book can’t come soon enough for my tastes.”
Grasping for the Wind says, “It has made me think and react, laugh and cry, and engage it so thoroughly that this review is double my usual length. Highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable…”
RisingShadow.net says, “I wait in agonizing pain for the next book. And I do not regret it.”
Un:Bound says, “Weeks has shown that the first book was not a fluke, he really is that good.”
The Beezer Review says, “Mr. Weeks is two for two… This book, and series, gives me renewed hope that the fantasy genre still has new and fresh ideas to offer its readers.”
Fantasy Book News and Reviews says, “Kylar is just a flat out great character to spend time with…. [Brent Weeks] is now in my ‘buy upon release’ category.”
Wannabe Writer says, “A fantastic sequel, just as gripping as its predecessor….Now I understand why these are being published in such quick succession–anything else would be cruel.”
Blood of the Muse says, “Fast-paced and hugely entertaining, Shadow’s Edge just may have one of the best endings ever for a middle book in a trilogy. There’s no sophomore slump here. It’s a good thing that the third book Beyond the Shadows is being released in December, because I’d probably start a riot if I had to wait a year for the next one…”
The Road Not Taken says, “Having just completed Shadow’s Edge by Brent Weeks, I feel as though I have been sprinting through a maze, and each time I thought I had it figured out it became another series of twists, turns, or dead ends. I’m still breathless.” And notes the depth of the characters: ”these are not just your average class of nobles, assassins, and prostitutes–they are all so human it is heartbreaking.”
The Bookbag objects strenuously to the phrase “trying to be cute” but still says, “the magic is inventive, the evil is, occasionally, genuinely terrifying, the monsters are horrendous, obscene and tragic, the artefacts intriguing, the overarching moral dilemma and conflicts between private happiness and public duty, between piously high moral sentiments and cruel realities of the world, valid and genuine. There were also moments of epic grandeur and real pathos, moving heroism and a good final twist.”
Reviews for Beyond the Shadows (Book 3 of the Night Angel Trilogy)
The Mad Hatter finally finishes the series and reports “Weeks has earned his place in the new gritty Fantasy regime with the likes of Abercrombie and Lynch.”
Dragons, Heroes, and Wizards says, “I did not believe that the series could possibly get any better. I was wrong.” “Have I gushed enough? Oh but I’m not done… Brent Weeks surpassed himself with a spectacular ending that while bittersweet, still leaves you feeling really good about how things turned out.”
Blood of the Muse calls it “poignant and emotionally fulfilling” in a well-articulated rave review. “There’s also been an inherent joy and infectious energy to the novels that’s missing from most fantasy. Weeks’ passion seemingly infuses every page and the effect is intoxicating…”
Beholder’s Journal says, “It’s really a love story in disguise — get out the tissues for an emotional ending.”
Lowly’s Book Blog calls it “a wonderful series…. The final battle scene is one of the most incredible I have read in modern fantasy literature.”
In an otherwise tepid review, Plants and Books says “THE NIGHT ANGEL TRILOGY is one of the best additions to the fantasy genre in recent times.”
The Bookbag says, “The concluding volume is the biggest, meatiest, and most epic, with all plot strands and characters coming together in a superbly entertaining grand finale. Great fun and recommended for all fans of heroic fantasy.” [SPOILERS in review]
Civilian Reader (in the second part of review books 2 & 3 together) says, “Beyond the Shadows is a tour-de-force of fantasy, a true masterpiece that brings this series to an exceptional, explosive and in some ways surprising (but completely satisfying) close.”
Un:Bound says, “I love these books, beautifully written, entertaining and leaving me with a sense of satisfaction at the conclusion, they deliver everything I could ask for…”
Fantasy Books News and Reviews confesses to being “very impressed… I honestly can’t think of one bad thing to say.”
The Beezer Review calls it “a fantastic read… one of the best trilogies I have read in a very long time. Mr. Weeks has not only made his mark on the fantasy genre, he has kicked in the doors and announced he is here to stay.”
Books Monthly selects Beyond the Shadows as its Books Monthly Choice for December, declaring it the “Best fantasy of the year, possibly the decade.”
Greenman Review says Beyond the Shadows “is everything I’d hoped for…one of the best epic fantasies I’ve read…”
Rob at SFFWorld.com raves, “relatively satisfying.”
Heath’s opinion of the third book is “Every little thing throughout the first two books concludes here. Its kinda like watching a speed painting and then realizing what it is seconds before the artist finishes.”
Miscellaneous/End of Year/Series Reviews
Binary Messiah took a risk on the trilogy and found “some of the most original lore since Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.”
Felicia Day says “If you like George RR Martin, or Stephen Erikson or Brent Weeks…” try this other schlub. The point isn’t the other schlub, the point is FELICIA DAY KNOWS MY NAME!
I don’t usually quote reader reviews on storefront sites, but Crazy Jamie has written three reviews on ciao.co.uk that stand with the best book bloggers’ reviews. Erudite and informative (even when he doesn’t like things). The reviews are HERE, HERE, and HERE.
The Cultural Gutter says, “I see the Night Angel trilogy as the smarter, faster, younger version of Malazan.” Although they do say “asymptote of calamity” like it’s a bad thing.
Blood of the Muse put together a mammoth, well-written list of best-ofs they call The Bloodies. Best new character in a novel: Kylar Stern. “Still a bad-ass, even though his job description reads wetboy.” (Durzo Blint gets an honorable mention.) Best New Author: Brent Weeks, “the most promising young writer of 2008.” Most Surprising Novel: honorable mention for The Way of Shadows. Best Debut Novel: The Way of Shadows “breathes new life into the tired assassin fantasy genre.” Best Fantasy Novel (honorable mention). The Night Angel Trilogy. Top Reads of 2008 (the whole trilogy makes the top 10).
Bookspot Central put together their favorite reads, too. Damon says, “Assassins, forbidden love, political intrigue, it was all in there, and then to top it off Weeks adds some magic and I am sold…. If that is not a top book of the year I do not know what is.”
Fantasy Book Critic puts the Night Angel Trilogy in its Best Books of 2008, saying, “as a whole it’s the best debut trilogy since Joe Abercrombie’s the First Law.”
Dragons, Heroes, and Wizards has a series summary in which they say, “Brent Weeks has certainly put his name on the SFF map with this stunning debut trilogy.” In addition to the oft-mentioned plot elements, “This series is also about the power of love, friendship, trust and loyalty and how even those things can be found in the darkest underbelly of society. It is about impossible choices where the line between right and wrong is blurred and no choice is without painful consequences.”
The Beezer Review put up its Top 10 reads of 2008, and The Way of Shadows takes the #1 spot. “The entire trilogy is some of the best I have ever read…I have no idea what Mr. Weeks is working on right now, but I know I want to read it.”
EditorMum called the trilogy “absolutely compulsive reading.”
Alan Baxter called it “a page turner…filled with some really clever ideas and some extremely talented worldbuilding.”
Subject To Change gives the Night Angel Trilogy a 9.8/10: ”Unforgettable…Bottom line. Buy it. No, forget the library. Buy it.”
Various Thoughts took note of the epic scale of the series. “Overall or in pieces, this is a great series well worth the time spent reading it. Each book stands well on its own, but together they form a storyline spanning a decade that manages to tell a story spanning centuries.”
hello, WORLD (spoiler alert!) says the Night Angel Trilogy “keeps you holding on to your breath and reading on to find out what happens next. You just can’t stop.”
Pets, Posts and other Medical Mysteries says that the Night Angel Trilogy has “everything you could want…truly remarkable.”
The Banana Syrup Company says “even with the small flaws…[the Night Angel Trilogy] now sits as one of my favorite trilogies.”
Regular readers liked it too! The Way of Shadows finished 2nd in Bookspot Central’s annual March Madness Tournament. Congrats to Victor Gischler and his Goo Goo Dolls, oops, I mean Go-Go Girls.
(All links worked at time of posting.)
