Breaking News! The Way Of Shadows gets Manga Adaptation

Ok, so it’s not really breaking news, as Brent Weeks already announced it on his website on Friday. Nevertheless! This is news for me! And it’s very good news, I think, so just wanted to share a quick mention on the blog.

Here’s what the man himself had to say about the deal:

I’m so happy I can FINALLY share this! This afternoon, at their annual San Diego Comic-Con panel, Yen Press announced their upcoming adaptation of The Way of Shadows. The Way of Shadows graphic novel will be a single-volume adaptation, and is slated for release in 2013.

Yen Press is a leader in the field of graphic novels, having adapted works like Witch & Wizard by James Patterson and Gail Carriger’s Soulless among many others…

I’ve already been discussing artists with Kurt whom we believe will bring a unique and bold vision to The Way of Shadows. I’ll announce who we’ve contracted and release samples of their art as I am able to do so.

I’m a huge fan of Weeks’s writing, and can’t wait to check out the adaptation.

Also on CR: Reviews of Way of Shadows, Shadow’s Edge & Beyond the Shadows, Perfect Shadow, Black Prism

[Writing this post, I also realised I’ve never interview Brent… I will have to rectify this…]

“Perfect Shadow” by Brent Weeks (Orbit)

Discover the origins of Durzo Blint in this novella set in the world of Brent Weeks’ New York Times-bestselling Night Angel Trilogy.

Gaelan Starfire is a farmer, happy to be a husband and a father; a careful, quiet, simple man. He’s also an immortal, peerless in the arts of war. Over the centuries, he’s worn many faces to hide his gift, but he is a man ill-fit for obscurity, and all too often he’s become a hero, his very names passing into legend: Acaelus Thorne, Yric the Black, Hrothan Steelbender, Tal Drakkan, Rebus Nimble.But when Gaelan must take a job hunting down the world’s finest assassins for the beautiful courtesan-and-crimelord Gwinvere Kirena, what he finds may destroy everything he’s ever believed in.

Brent Weeks’s Night Angel series was one of the first fantasy series I reviewed on CR, and I loved it. To return to this world a couple years later, and learn more of the master-assassin Blint is wonderful, and Weeks shows once again just how good a writer he is.

“Shadow’s Edge” & “Beyond The Shadows”, by Brent Weeks (Orbit)

Fantasy’s best newcomer dazzles again with two more impeccable novels.

The final two installments in Brent Weeks’ exquisite Night Angel Trilogy arrive, and prove that he is a new master of the fantasy genre . While no review can truly do this series justice, here’s my humble attempt:

Having been completely blown away by The Way of Shadows, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the conclusion to the fantasy series. And in these two novels, Weeks has not only built on the superb world he’s created, but exhibited exceptional skill as a master storyteller.

Shadow’s Edge picks up about a week after the close of TWOS, as Kylar, Elene and Uly (the secret daughter of Kylar’s master Durzo and Cenaria’s head Madam, Momma K) prepare to leave their now-occupied city. They hope to start a new life together in Caernarvon, a city that is positively tame compared to the brutal districts of Cenaria. Many of the characters who survived The Way of Shadows make an appearance here, though not always in the situations one might imagine. The novel can be split into two parts; the first comprised of Kylar and Elene’s attempts at normalcy, struggling with the issues that effect most young couples (complicated, of course, by their unusual upbringings). We also find Kylar still struggling with himself, trying to find a balance between the man he is and the man Elene wants him to be; should he give up his nature to pursue a peaceful family life, or should he give in to his flair for destruction, embracing his identity as the Night Angel? In the second part of the novel, Kylar gives in to his destiny, accepting a contract to rescue his best friend, Logan Gyre, who he believed dead at the hands of the Godking, the tyrant who decimated Cenaria’s defences and ruling class. Logan has been existing in The Hole, the worst jail imaginable, struggling to stay alive amongst the worst Cenaria has to offer. We also get a shocking cliffhanger ending that will force you to buy the final installment of the series…

Beyond the Shadows follows briskly on from the events of Shadow’s Edge, in the wake of Cenaria’s resumption of control of their city. The situation in Midcyru is coming to a boiling point. As the Godking’s armies are sent into retreat, other forces converge on Cenaria’s battered citizenry and threadbare army. Khalidor is thrown into civil war as the Godking’s vicious heirs try to wrest control for themselves, eventually falling into the hands of an unsuspected heir. Kylar continues to come to terms with his new immortality and its newly-discovered horrific costs, as well as the exhilarating boost in power that each death seems to bring him. His ultimate goal is still to install Logan on Cenaria’s throne, which is rightfully his but has been usurped by a power-hungry and Machiavellian new queen, using any and all means available to him, regardless of whether or not Logan’s morality can deal with the consequences. Culminating in an enormous battle (involving seven armies), 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 (though completely satisfying) close.

Throughout both of these novels, Weeks shows himself to be a writer of exceptional skill. Exhibiting a Talent for plotting, he reveals and introduces threads to the overall story that sometimes might appear unrelated to the main plot, only to be pulled together superbly at just the right moment, as myriad characters meet or collide, moving the plot along. The reader is kept guessing throughout, as it’s never obvious what twist the tale will take. Weeks manages to juggle the various groups of characters and story arcs beautifully, using the various strands to expand our knowledge and understanding of Midcyru – specifically its politics and magic – without getting bogged down with pace-shattering exposition.

With both volumes, I was hooked from the very first page. As with The Way of Shadows, they simply refused to relinquish their grip – I was consistently up until the wee hours, unwilling to leave this new world. There’s a word often ascribed to new computer games, “immersive”; the experience of reading this series could easily also deserve such a description, as the reader is swept up in the tale. Despite my desire to discover what happens to the cast, I also never wanted the story to end. With such compelling characters and story-telling, coupled with Weeks’ fast-paced and action-packed sequences, it’s nigh-on impossible to put these books down.

With prose that occasionally border on lyrical (in a good way), The Night Angel Trilogy is a delight and pleasure to read. Unforgettable characters, an intriguing new fantasy world, awesome action, a twisting plot and broad scope (the entire series covers well over 10 years of Kylar’s life), and superior story-telling make this easily one of the best fantasy series… well, ever.

Addictive, phenomenal, essential. Brent Weeks is clearly one of fantasy’s new masters, and the Night Angel Trilogy is easily my pick for best of the year.

For fans of: Alan Campbell, Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie, Patrick Rothfuss, Richard Morgan

"The Way Of Shadows", by Brent Weeks (Orbit)

The start of something truly fantastic

Fantasy fiction has undertaken a shift in tone and style in recent years. It's darker, more realistic (oddly), and the characters are less polished, more flawed and human. The fairy-tale feel of older fantasy fiction has been purged from much the genre's new writing, and the world is better for it. Brent Weeks' new series not only fits perfectly into this new genre, but it surpasses much of what's already available.

The Way Of Shadows follows the struggles of Azoth (who later changes his name to Kylar Stern), as he attempts to escape his life as a guild rat. Life on the streets is hard, dirty, brutal and dark. Weeks is able to portray the fear and desperation his character lives through brilliantly, in some cases revealing only enough to let our imaginations conjure up the most horrible scenarios (Rat's treatment of Azoth's friends Jarl and Doll Girl, for example). This is not a novel for young children.

Azoth, tired of the terror and brutality of being a guild rat, manages to escape his life on the street by pursuing an apprenticeship with Durzo Blint, the most accomplished and skilled, of Cenaria's magically-gifted assassins (or "wetboy"). Azoth must learn the ways of a killer, separating his emotions from the orders and whims of those in control of the purse-strings - be it the Sa'Kage crime-lords or the political class in the city, living by Blunt's rules or suffering the deadly consequences.

The Way Of Shadows manages to avoid most of the pitfalls that usually weaken debut novels, such as excessive exposition that can tiresomely slow a story. Weeks has managed to not succumbed to this, using a number of excellent tricks to introduce us to the environment and the host of characters that make up Cenaria's various social strata - his best are through Blint's and Azoth's hunting/scouting trips, which give us insight into the politics and culture of the upper classes without interrupting the flow or atmosphere. If I have one personal complaint, though, it's that Weeks' has used the overly common fantasy trope of having names bisected by apostrophes.

The plot contains some classic elements: the coming of age, triumph over adversity, and character transformation, all done to a very high standard. There is also the internal struggles that define Azoth and Durzo, each of whom has his own issues with the life they've chosen. Azoth is unable to relinquish his attachments to others, despite it being necessary to be accepted into this new world of "wetboys" - who aren't just mere assassins, but magic-wielding killing artists. He often finds himself in a struggle between his training and his own morals, unable at first to fully relinquish his attachment to life and the innocent. While Durzo, on the other hand, most skilled of all wetboys, vehemently opposes personal relationships as a result of a tragedy in his past. It feels at first that there are a large number of plot threads to juggle, and it's not immediately apparent how they will link up, but Weeks manages to tie them all up deftly, making everything fall into place - an attempted coup, which affects all the characters differently.

At almost 650 pages (plus insightful bonus interviews, etc., after the novel proper), this is a pretty heft tome. But, like Scott Lynch and Alan Campbell (two others of the best of the new breed of fantasy authors), Weeks manages, with fluid prose and tight plotting, to keep the reader entertained and engrossed throughout: there's plenty of action, complex characters, occasional well-placed humour, and a twisting plot that will keep you guessing almost to the end and hooked until the very last word.

In The Way of Shadows, Weeks has created a vivid new world full of political intrigue, individual struggle, a dark and gritty complexity, and superb characters. Thankfully, books two and three will also be out this year (6th November and 4th December), so there's no need to wait too long to continue reading about the exploits of Azoth/Kylar Stern.

Solid, extremely well written, and deftly plotted, The Way Of Shadows is a promising debut from a talented new voice in urban fantasy fiction.

For Fans of: Scott Lynch, Alan Campbell, Richard Morgan, Patrick Rothfuss, and Joe Abercrombie