The Night Angel Trilogy — Reading Order

Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy was his debut series and established him as a major voice in dark fantasy. Set in the Cenarian city-state known as the Warrens — a brutal slum ruled by criminal guilds — the series follows Azoth, a street orphan who apprentices himself to Durzo Blint, the world's greatest assassin (known as a wetboy). As Azoth transforms into Kylar Stern, he becomes entangled in political upheaval, ancient magic, and a destiny that connects him to a powerful artifact called the black ka'kari.

Read the three books in order: The Way of Shadows, Shadow's Edge, and Beyond the Shadows. The trilogy tells a complete story, though Weeks has recently returned to this world with a new series.

The Night Angel trilogy is unapologetically dark, with graphic violence and a willingness to put its characters through extreme hardship. Weeks excels at action sequences — the fight choreography is some of the best in fantasy — and the assassin mythology he builds is richly detailed. The series also has a strong emotional core, particularly in the relationships between Azoth and his mentor Durzo, and between Kylar and his friends from the Warrens.