The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

What the back of the books says:
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.

For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned 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

What I have to say about it:
Gritty is, I think, a good word to describe this book. And thought-provoking. Gritty because Weeks, like Karen Miller, doesn't shy away from the dirty parts. People die, and not just because this is a book about a wetboy (NOT an assassin, tyvm). There's blood and gore and cursing and some disturbing parts and sex and all that stuff. But, as I said, thought-provoking. Weeks talks religion, in an oblique way. Philosophy and the idea of a just god, which is interesting for a book who talks about the perfect killer. Really, I liked it.

It's got a slow start, though. For maybe the first half of the book, I felt like I was twiddling my thumbs, waiting for Kylar to grow up. But once he finished growing up, things got good. I liked the world, the magic, and even the country of Cenaria, run by what sounds like a mafia with a puppet king. Or a pathetic king. Whatever. My least favorite part was the ending, which just seemed too happy and maybe a little corny (especially after how gritty the rest of the book is).

So, final thoughts? I liked this book a lot. I wish I could have skipped the beginning and gotten to the good stuff, but whatever. I have a whole trilogy of what I hope is the good stuff, so 100 pages of blah is forgivable. After all, I guess we need some background.  So I'd recommend it, especially if you like those gritty fantasy books with authors who aren't afraid of killing off characters and getting their characters a little down and dirty. AKA fantasy books with a little depth to them.

The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller

The Innocent Mage

"The Innocent Mage is come, and we stand at the beginning of the end of everything."

Being a fisherman like his father isn't a bad life, but it's not the one that Asher wants. Despite his humble roots, Asher has grand dreams. And they call him to Dorana, home of princes, beggars, and the warrior mages who have protected the kingdom for generations.

Little does Asher know, however, that his arrival in the city is being closely watched by members of the Circle, people dedicated to preserving an ancient magic.

Asher might have come to the city to make his fortune, but he will find his destiny.

The Awakened Mage

"The evil foretold has risen ... and we are all that stands between it and the end."

Asher has come a long way for a fisherman's son. Together with his friend Prince Gar, he has defended their kingdom against its bitterest enemy, but at great cost.

Now, the evil mage Morg is preparing for his most deadly assault. Desperate, trapped in a broken body, Morg has little time and fewer scruples. And he has a plan.

As Gar and Asher unwittingly fall into a dangerous deception, Morg gets ever closer to his goal. And this victory would be particularly sweet, for who better to destroy the kingdom than the two who would give anything to save it?

What I have to say about it:

Alright, so it’s been a while since I’ve actually posted, and I read these books a few weeks ago. Therefore, it’s going to be a combined review on both of them, since details are a bit fuzzy.

If you like character-driven books, this book probably isn’t for you. It’s very plot driven (but at least it’s driven by something!). I prefer character driven, but that’s just me. That being said, the plot is pretty good, I did like the premise of the books. And I loved the whole Weather Magic bit. I’m a former meteorology major, so that makes sense. I just wished the plot moved faster, two books of foreshadowing and maybe the last 3 chapters actually deal with this big cataclysmic event. It’s a lot of potential, I just felt let down by the ending.

And the characters…Asher wasn’t fleshed out at all, I discovered that I really didn’t care what happened to him. He just wasn’t relatable. The relationship in the book is really sudden, and the girl, Dathne, I really kind of hated. The only characters I really liked were Gar and Matt, but they were definitely written to be supporting characters.

It was an okay book. It wasn’t fantastic, but it was interesting enough that I was able to finish reading it without too much difficulty. I liked the theory of magic (Weather Workers, w00t!) and the ideas of the book, but it wasn’t something I wanted to go out and buy so I could read it again and again. I do commend the author for her unflinching ability to kill off characters though, and I mean that sincerely. There’s nothing more annoying than a book where every character survives Big Cataclysmic Event when it really isn’t feasible. Someone would have died, okay? But, we maybe could have survived without the grisly details.

Final thoughts? If I could tell you to read The Awakened Mage and skip The Innocent Mage, I would. But you kind of need to know what’s happening in The Innocent Mage, or you’d get all sorts of confused. Pick it up from the library (support your local library!) if you’d like. And maybe I’m biased, since I like my character-driven books. If you like an interesting plot-driven novel, go for it!