The Way of Shadows cover art

The Way of Shadows

Night Angel, Book 1

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The Way of Shadows

By: Brent Weeks
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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About this listen

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
Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction

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)

All stars
Most relevant  
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.

Totally hooked

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Brent weeks is one of my favourite authors. Simon is great but some of the voices are bit too similar. But this series will get you excited about fantasy novels.

Better with Simon

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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

excellent narration as always

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

amazing

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

Awesome series

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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.

If you love Fantasy totally get.

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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….

Great storytelling

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Ever since reading & loving Brent Week's Lightbringer series, I had been wanting to read this series too, but couldn't bare the previous narrator. For years I had been wishing and hoping it would be re-made with Simon Vance, then one day I jump onto Audible and what do you know? Dreams do come true!!! I wonder if there was some kind of fan petition or something? Anyway, it was certainly worth the wait, and everything I had magined. There's so much fun, excitement, and well written characters you cant help rooting for. Definitely in my top 10 trilogies, and a must listen for fantasy fans.

Everything I hoped it would be!!!

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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.

Narration that serves the story and genre.

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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.

Excellent - listen to Simon Vance version

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