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  • The Way of Shadows

  • Night Angel, Book 1
  • By: Brent Weeks
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 17 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (44 ratings)

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The Way of Shadows cover art

The Way of Shadows

By: Brent Weeks
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Publisher's Summary

The razor-sharp first novel in the New York Times bestselling Night Angel series from master of modern fantasy Brent Weeks - an astonishing and epic tale of magic, violence and revenge.

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.

For more from Brent Weeks, check out:

Night Angel

The Way of Shadows

Shadow's Edge

Beyond the Shadows

The Kylar Chronicles

Night Angel Nemesis

Perfect Shadow: A Night Angel Novella

The Way of Shadows: The Graphic Novel

Lightbringer

The Black Prism

The Blinding Knife

The Broken Eye

The Blood Mirror

The Burning White

©2009 Brent Weeks (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK

Critic Reviews

"Brent Weeks has a style of immediacy and detail that pulls the reader relentlessly into his story. He doesn't allow you to look away." (Robin Hobb)

"Nobody does break-neck pacing and amazingly-executed plot twists like Brent Weeks." (Brian McClellan)

What listeners say about The Way of Shadows

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Totally hooked

Loved it from start to finish. Can’t wait to read the rest
Highly recommend this series. It’s fast paced fantasy at its best.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

If you love Fantasy totally get.

I'm new to this series and I'm totally in love with it. Simon Vance does a stellar job as always. If you love fantasy then I totally recommend. I started the second book straight after listening to this one.
This series deserves a high budget TV series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great storytelling

Like the twists and mystery the way the story develops and the characters who emerge. One of my favourites is Dorian commenting so that’s how that happens….

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

a great story that i return to often with great narration that really draws you in

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent narration as always

love these books, I already had the original audio books (which I still loved, but definitely a different feel). Simon Vance is a classic, and picks up the subtle nuances of Brent's writing in a way I've always loved. one critique is that I wholeheartedly disagree with the character voice for Jarl - I always pictured him as a little more polished, and nowhere near as rough sounding. but that's just a personal preference thing, it's a fantastic performance regardless

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome series

I’ve read the books years ago. Thought I give it a go on audible and was not disappointed!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Narration that serves the story and genre.

Finally there is an understanding that American accents do not work in any kind of fantasy. Excited to see this trend continue and do this genre justice. Did not buy this audiobook prior to Simon Vance's performance and the same goes for all audiobooks of this genre. Amazing story finally done justice. British works American simply never will.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Finally found my next series

This was a very enjoyable book. I was worried before buying that it may be YA. Everything seems to be. Thankfully it is not.

Then there was the coming of age thing; I’m not a fan. Thankfully chunks of years go by in short order with what could almost be described as a recap style.

Leaving an adult protagonist in an interesting story with a mysterious master, some questionable moral decisions, and questionable morals.

A few scenes seemed clumsy to me. But the majority of the boo is extremely well written and there were several exceptional reveals that had been expertly and subtly foreshadowed much earlier in the novel.

The author, much like his characters,, definitely has a talent.

Simon Vance is a good narrator his style fits the material perfectly , I’ve numerous titles read by him. However I felt his character voices were not as well differentiated as they could have been, and have been, in the past.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent - listen to Simon Vance version

Great story as you'd expect from Brent Weeks.

This was recently re-released with Simon Vance doing the narration and he is superb, just as he is in narrating Brent Weeks' other series, the Lightbringer Chronicles.

Thanks to Audible and Hachette Audio for re-releasing the audiobook with Simon Vance. The original had some Americian narrator and it was so unspeakably awful I had to return it.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

hard listen

read the review on this book and really was looking forward to it but then realised the reader really is bad voice always the same tone and super hard to know what's going on as every character sounds the same.
goid book bad reader

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