The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

[Confused Shaman]

"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." -- Summary from the book

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I can easily and truthfully say I loved this book. Weeks managed to turn what normally would have been the cliche assassin with a heart of gold story into something more. Much, much more.

It's a character driven book, and I think that might have something to do with why I liked it so much. Rarely, in books, is it actually the plot that draws me and forces me to read the book. It's all about the characters to me. :P

Each character makes their own decisions. Some of these decisions turn out to be good, while others end up being bad. What makes this so great, though, is that the characters actually suffer from the decisions they make.

The Way of Shadows is riddled with awesome lines, but personally, here's my favorite:

“I remembered the name of every person I killed outside of battle. Then it was too many. I just remembered the number. Then I remembered only the innocents. Then I forgot even that. Do you know what punishments I’ve endured for my crimes, my sins? None. I am proof of the absurdity of men’s most treasured abstractions. A just universe wouldn’t tolerate my existence.” – Durzo Blint

[Simmi]

Oh my shiz.

I love the series.

I love the book.

I'm currently on the second book, haven't gotten around to finishing it yet, though.