Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I am not convinced that I read the same book as some of the negative reviewers did. I loved it, I loved that magic had limits and made people tired. I loved the characters and their flaws. I loved the setting. I will be diving into the next in the trilogy most happily.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love the fantasy elements and story, could do without the constant description on a woman’s (and child’s) breasts. Hoping for an improvement in the second book
this was so clearly written by a man - the women in this book are not characters and there’s a weird obsession with child brides and sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Solid fantasy story great but not fantastic. A great version of assassin’s apprentice trope. Twisty story and quite a few shocks in this first book from my perspective. Will continue with the series at some point.
I had a hard time getting into this book and I almost abandoned it. But I'm glad I didn't because it turned out to be amazing! The plot twists kept coming and I didn't predict any f them. Very excited to continue on with this series.
To understand this book's rating, you have to take a step back and look at books like Storm Front - the author of that book, Jim Butcher acknowledges that it's not a good book, but it still gets 4.0 ratings on this site because of fans.
I love the Dresden files, but Jim is right - Storm front is not great. In the same fashion, this is not a great book.
This book starts off strong, with an interesting world and characters, but about halfway through it becomes a parade of Deus Ex Machina and inscrutible, multiple-personality-evoking character decisions.
What's more, our faithful protagonist has spent decades learning to be as deadly as Durzo, but he somehow never learned how to plan a rescue?
Brent Weeks' more recent novels are wonderful. This series is the kind of thing that I might have loved as a teenager, when I didn't weak writing. There are MUCH better books to read than The Way of Shadows.
I love the Dresden files, but Jim is right - Storm front is not great. In the same fashion, this is not a great book.
This book starts off strong, with an interesting world and characters, but about halfway through it becomes a parade of Deus Ex Machina and inscrutible, multiple-personality-evoking character decisions.
Spoiler
In particular, I was baffled that Durzo Blint the most capable and well-prepared wetboy EVER, and AND the head of a secret underground spy network just threw up their hands when blackmailed by a single mage-backed thug.What's more, our faithful protagonist has spent decades learning to be as deadly as Durzo, but he somehow never learned how to plan a rescue?
Brent Weeks' more recent novels are wonderful. This series is the kind of thing that I might have loved as a teenager, when I didn't weak writing. There are MUCH better books to read than The Way of Shadows.
As entertaining as this was I can't look past the fact that none of these characters are fleshed out past basic archetypes and Every woman in this novel is introduced chest first. Dialogue was very cringey in that 2008 way but since I didn't read it back then I can't look back at it with nostalgia. Good pacing and good idea but garbage execution. Flabbergasted as to why it has 4 and a half stars.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes