Perfect Shadow (Night Angel)

Obviously this is a supplement to the Night Angel Trilogy and I thought it was great! The NAT is my favorite series so I'd probably love anything related to it! I hope Brent Weeks keeps em' coming! I can't wait for more!

Thoroughly enjoyed the series. Read every one of them over the course of a few flights to LAX. Appears to be a number of opportunities to extend the series in a number of directions. Wish there had been more.

This novella is exactly what you would expect from a book that claims to be the backstory to the legendary Durzo Blint. The book is epic (but short). It was truly a joy to follow his journey and watch him evolve from some of the most impressive heroes of the history of Midcyru to becoming the world's most accomplished "artist". Seeing the world through the eyes of Acaelus Thorne is an epic journey that should be traveled by all who are fans of the Night Angel series.

Looooooove Brent Week's. He knows how to entertain me better than anyone. His writing has that real grit and rationale that keeps me from ever rolling my eyes. I hate rolling my eyes. Fantasy, my favorite genre, has me constantly rolling my eyes.

I started reading this after rereading the night angel trilogy. It was a great little story but i wish there was more. Durzo is an Amazing character and he has some where around 700+ years of history to explore there is so much to know about him and what he did, this barely scratches the surface, but that's not really a bad thing, it just makes me want more.

I hope he revisits this universe after the Light Bringer series

I thought it was a great supplement to the story. Gave some back story to Durzo. I would have rathered a whole book on his life than this short story though. It seems like it stops right when things thruly got interesting.

I really loved this novella. I had just finished reading the Night Angel Trilogy and was desperately craving more Durzo Blint adventures. A Perfect Shadow was a welcome addition to my library, (I even downloaded the Kindle app for my phone SPECIFICALLY for this novella).

I agree that it was short and could have gone into much more depth, but it was not intended to be a new series -- just some insight into the thought and behavior of Durzo Blint.

I would recommend it to anyone that loved the series, and definitely to anyone that has already read the series. I would not recommend Perfect Shadow to someone new to the series.

I enjoyed it and would love to see more. :)

I don't get the negative reviews of this novella, especially from readers claiming to be a big fans of the trilogy. Yes it's short - it's a novella - you knew that when you bought it. I for one am very grateful to have this additional taste of Night Angel story and history. It's as well-written as the Night Angel trilogy, and for as short as it is, it contains a lot of history. There are several time frames but it's not jumpy. There are a few short-story type segments, going forward in time with each clip, and then the majority of the novella is done in the same time frame, which is the most interesting part. There is more history here than just Durzo's too - Gwinvere (Momma K) is a young working woman during the last segment, and we're treated to their first meeting.

We're given some insight into what has made Durzo Blint the man he is, and a little more personality of the black ka'kari itself. There are several conversational bits between man and ka'kari. We also see another ka'kari in action, and see its fate.

This novella probably started out as some research-type writing on the author's part. Then at some point he realized hey, the fans might like to read this stuff. So here we have it, and I'm glad this didn't just end up sitting dormant in a hard drive or the editor's archive files. I too am anxiously awaiting the next Lightbringer novel, but this was great. And as far as the price - yes it costs more per page than a novel. But come on - how much do you think the author would make if this were $0.99? Almost nothing. He deserves our support for his fine work. $2.99 is less than the cost of a beer at a bar, it's not unreasonable.

If you're a new reader to the Night Angel trilogy, I would definitely say DO NOT read this before reading the trilogy. It won't ruin it or anything, but I think discovering things as they are laid out in the trilogy is best, and this additional history afterward is great backstory. Backstory is always best once we know and care about a character.

If you're a Night Angel fan, don't hesitate to read this, you'll enjoy it!

I liked it, but this is one of my favourite genres so its not bad, but a bit violent to start. The characters work on you and you start to like them. Then you are hooked! I just finished the third book in the series and I could read more... there is always the chance he will write more of this world of magical swords and dragon inspired legends!!

Perfect Shadow is a GREAT short read. It was exactly the sort of read I was looking for. If your expecting depth in a piece of work that is probably less than 100 pages, then you may be out of luck.

My only complaint was that this read was too short - so I immediately purchased the Black Prism. :)

Classic Brent Weeks, a great novella. He dives into Durzo Blint's backstory answering some questions I as a reader of the trilogy had. The only downside was it left me wanting more, so much so I've decided to re-read the trilogy.

Everyone wanted to hear more about Durzo before he met Azoth and this is a (too) brief account on some that happens right before the night angel trilogy kicks off. Well written as only Brent Weeks can deliver and utterly satisfying. If you liked the Night Angel Trilogy then you just have to get this too. I mean come on...

I was a bit hesitant due to the other reviews saying this book jumped around, but being a fan of Brent's work I went ahead and gave it a try. I am glad I did. It was a nice bit of "history" that I am glad I read. I did not find the book to be too disjoint to follow at all. My only wish was that it was a full novel, hopefully Brent revisits the Night Angels in the future.

Feels like an extension of its source material. Terribly gritty and includes perfectly thrilling stealth sequences. You're given an exciting narrative through the jaded eyes of someone who feels the effect of immortality on humanity. I couldn't put it down.
This is not for the faint of heart.
An absolute must-read for fans of Night Angel.

Brent Weeks turned out to be one of those unexpected happy finds. Night Angel is a longish and complex tale well told. Truly enjoyable. Well developed characters with a multifaceted plot that keeps you going.

This novella, and the series it ripples out of, are utterly fantastic. This story opens up more questions than it answers and that makes it all the more thrilling. I hope there will be more stories from the world of Thorne. I haven't read the black prism series yet, so I don't know if those are related or not.

Great in every way had me stuck, and couldent stop reading. Such a good adventure Brent Weeks is a great author, and this is definatly a good read especially if you like the night angel books, it gives you a great backstory and is well worth the money.

Either I should have played more attention or "THEY" should have made it more apparent I was paying $4 for a chapter. I read and enjoyed the other books in this series and thought I was buying a prequel.

As all of Brent Weeks books it is easy to read. The sentences and thoughts flow effortlessly making it a pleasure to read. Saying this the story develops well with side events of various other characters being woven into his story. This book interweaves well with the "Light Bringer" books.

As all of Brent Weeks books it is easy to read. The sentences and thoughts flow effortlessly making it a pleasure to read. Saying this the story develops well with side events of various other characters being woven into his story. This book interweaves well with the "Light Bringer" books.

If it were possible to give this Novella a 99/100 stars i would. The only reason I would not give this addition to the Godsend that is The Night Angel series is that is rather short. In and of itself, it is a great read, even if you haven't read the Night Angel Triliogy. I highly suggest buying this Novella, and The Complete Trilogy as well.

This is a great prequel. Weeks is one of the best authors I have read in a long time. His characters have great depth and he weaves a tale that draws you in like a Shadow. This tale of how Durzo is born is definitely worth the read.

I really liked how this novella gave a new insight into the transition/creation of Durzo. Of course I'll say it was too short, but that's all too obvious. It's a welcome addition to the Night Angel Trilogy and provides some much wanted backstory details.

Another enthralling read from Brent!
Finding the origins of his master assassin Durzo Blint & his myriad alias's of the centuries.
Way too good a read to put down!!
Leading to a couple of very early mornings, after what started out to be 10 minutes before bed.

MORE PLEASE

Durzo and his many other names of legend have always been of interest to me. In so pleased with the information given on his other lives and the coming of his new one. My only problem was I wanted to read a whole trilogy on Durzo himself.

Very entertaining read. I liked it because it gave lots of background to Gaelen's story, and more depth to his emotional struggles with his life. If you have read the Night Angel Trilogy I would say this book is a must read.

Weeks does a wonderful job or reimmersing you in his universe, and giving those like me who really wanted a bit more about it all a taste.It's a quick little read, but if you were a fan of the series you'll love it.

I haven't begun reading this novella yet but I wanted to make sure people who are buying it for $20ish know what they're getting. It's tiny.
Not only is the size of the "book" itself quite small, the print is huuuge. The picture provided has a nickle for reference. I can read it from damn near across the yard.
Also included is an extra short story so don't think that you're taking this on a European vacation or anything. This is something you read while Ubering to the airport.
Because of my appreciation of Brent's other works I've given it four stars and, after reading, will update accordingly.

I haven't begun reading this novella yet but I wanted to make sure people who are buying it for $20ish know what they're getting. It's tiny.
Not only is the size of the "book" itself quite small, the print is huuuge. The picture provided has a nickle for reference. I can read it from damn near across the yard.
Also included is an extra short story so don't think that you're taking this on a European vacation or anything. This is something you read while Ubering to the airport.
Because of my appreciation of Brent's other works I've given it four stars and, after reading, will update accordingly.

An extra to my personal favorite books series EVER!!! While there is not much plot, story or continuation, of the series, the slight amount of insight it gives into Durzo Blint's life makes this bit of candy well worth the buy. I highly recommend this series to anyone with a knack for wonderful character and setting developement. Brent Weeks is an amazing author and has similar themes in his other series. He has a highly anticipate culmination to the four book Lightbringer series coming out in November 2016 so check it ut and you will literally glue your face to your books until complete!!

great short story, however you need to read the trilogy first

This is a very short novella that is told by Durzo Blint in first person. It is how he becomes Durzo. In contrast from the original trillogy, which is told in third person, this is told in first person. It does have a spoiler to the trilogy. The spoiler is not specific but just a general overarching history of Durzo. I highly recommend you read the trilogy first if you are interested, though this wont completely ruin it.

great short story, however you need to read the trilogy first

This is a very short novella that is told by Durzo Blint in first person. It is how he becomes Durzo. In contrast from the original trillogy, which is told in third person, this is told in first person. It does have a spoiler to the trilogy. The spoiler is not specific but just a general overarching history of Durzo. I highly recommend you read the trilogy first if you are interested, though this wont completely ruin it.

Brent Weeks is the kind of author that after you finish a book you feel like reading it again because there is so much going on that you think you probably missed something. He has a lot going on so if you are looking for an in depth story this one is perfect.

Sorry fans of NAT, but this book was very much a disappointment. I just had to push myself through it to finish. I felt like someone else's writing, not fluid and all over the place. I thought it was a novel idea, the execution was lacking. Sorry Brent but I need more of the lightbringer series.

This was a very disappointing book. I love brents other books especially the night Angel trilogy but this book was bad from start to finish. He was all over the place and very hard to keep up with what was going on. His writing style is completely different than his other books. Don't wast your money

This is a neat little story giving us some hints behind the mysterious person that is Durzo Blint. Weeks does a nice job with giving readers some background on both Blint and the history of the Sa'kage. I loved it and would really like to see more of these!

I was highly disappointed. I didn't feel like I learned much that that was new and the length of the story was highly upsetting. I guess I just didn't read the description well enough when I pre-ordered it on kindle. Over all, not even worth the three dollars I spent on it.

As a huge fan of the Night Angel Trilogy, I was very disappointed with Perfect Shadow. At around 17,000 words, it is about a 42 page long prologue that does not satisfy the reader.

This is not a short story to delve into the mind of Durzo Blint. This novella will skim over Durzo's history and leave you wanting more. This novella is lacking.

No Depth:
There is no depth to this story. At 17,000 words, this novella skims over Durzo Blint's previous life as Gaelan Starfire and how he meets Momma K. As a reader, I felt nothing propelling me forward to finish this emotionless story other than my love for the series.

Terrible Narration:
The narration in Perfect Shadow is not as smooth as the NAT. This story is too short to keep jumping back and forth in narration. We are even told that some parts of the narration are not true! Whats the point?!

Too Short:
Brent skims over the origin of Durzo Blint to the point that this work does not do his own character justice. Even the Black Ka'kari barely has an appearance in this story.

If you are a hard-core NAT fan like me, then you will buy this novella regardless of the reviews. But for the rest of you on the fence, you might as well search Durzo Blint on the Night Angel Trilogy wiki.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed the night Angel Trilogy as a 5 star story, I was very disappointed in this work. I preordered this Novella and anticipated its release. The story was touted as the origins of Durzo Blint, and I found out that is not the same as the origins of Acaelus which is what I hoped for and expected. This fact however did not influence my review in any way.

What did influence my review was the way this work was written. Brent constantly shifted perspectives and time periods so it became very confusing. One moment the reader hears Acaelus thinking as himself, the next he might be trying to think as another of his character identities, then he might be hearing the Ka'kari in his thoughts. One moment Acacelus is in the present, the next he is envisioning the past. There was just too much movement between time, perspectives, and thoughts.

My next issue with this work is how shallow it is. This work is nothing more than a long prelude to the Night Angel trilogy. I expected more reading time, this was really short. There was still a great deal of story to be told and yet this, although a Novella, is still just unsatisfying for the cost.

Fans of the Dark Angel Trilogy will read it for the love of the trilogy, but this work is not much in itself. Sorry Brent, I am a fan, but just did not feel the love for this work.

Let me start by stating that the Night Angel trilogy is probably my favorite series of all time. They are not particularly well written but the concepts and the characters more than make up for the style. Perfect Shadow is the Durzo Blint background story and it had a lot of potential to be incredible. It could have been 300-400 pages, depicting an in-depth look at the early years of Acaelus Thorne and how he became the ultimate wetboy but a broken man. I would have read the s*** out of that story.

Instead, Weeks rushes through the tale like a whore rushes to make an ugly john climax. He barely touches on Acaelus's early years, he smashes through Durzo's elimination of the city's other wetboys, and he fails to connect the reader with the soul of our favorite antihero - the reason we bought this book in the first place. I cannot speak for everyone, I'll make that clear. But if I could unread this book, and keep it from tarnishing my image of the best goddamn trilogy I've ever had the pleasure of reading, I would.

Use discretion before deciding to subject yourself to this hop, skip, and a jump of a back story on one of the most badass characters to ever be drawn into existence.

This is a companion book to the Night Angel trilogy. It has been years since I read those books, which I would highly recommend, so some of the references may be lost on me. However, I was able to recognize the characters and understand where this story fit into the larger arc, and enjoyed finding what references I remembered.

As with most short companion stories, this book loses much of its appeal without the context of the larger story. Many of the snatches of backstory which I suspected from the trilogy were proved true here, which took the fun out of feeling clever for realizing them. Beyond that, the plot of the tale is revealed significantly late, and lacks tension of its own. Durzo Blint is unstoppable, peerless, practically immortal. He makes no mistakes, and therefor there are no setbacks for him to recover from, no terrible odds for him to overcome. Struggle is the foundation of any good story. By the very fact of his character, Durzo knows none. It is like Yoda himself going into battle against Darth Vader. It is Lord of the Rings if the eagles had simply flown the ring to Mordor (with no consequences)–unbalanced towards good, lacking tension and struggle.

It was fun to see where this story matched up with the other books, but it didn’t have much to offer on its own. I rate it 5/10.

Disclaimer-If you read the review and feel there is a spoiler in it, please let me know and I will remove that section. Also, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.

Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks is a short story that details some of the beginnings of Durzo Blint from the Night Angel trilogy. Before becoming that beloved character, he went by the name Gaelan Starfire and he has a story to tell.

I really liked this story. It felt refreshing to return to the world in the Night Angel trilogy and read of past exploits. My only real complaint is which the jumping around and the changing from first person to the third person POV. The jumping back and forth breaks up the flow of the story and at times can become confusing.

This story is raw and gritty there is a lot of profanity throughout. For me this is not a problem as I liked it that way and felt it helped make the story more real as the language is fitting for these types of characters. Once again, for me, I really enjoyed this one and those who are a fan of the Night Angel trilogy may also enjoy it.

Happy reading

-Dimndbangr

This entry in the Night Angel series is a 50-page short story with an excerpt for another novel attached, making a total of approximately 70 pages in the purchase. The story was actually published almost 3 years after the completion of the original trilogy.

This story was promoted as the backstory of Durzo Blint, which is another way of saying “prequel.” Therefore, since I had not yet started the trilogy, I felt that reading this backstory would give me a greater appreciation of the main character as I worked through the series. I have used this technique before and have not, to this point, regretted that tactic.

At first glance it appears that this entry is told through flashbacks, but I feel the author has actually created this entry by using the story-within-a-story technique. The difference is that the author has Acaelus/Gaelan recount some of his latest adventures to another person directly instead of to the reader through an internal monologue or a third-person POV scenario. The author lets us know early on that Gaelan is lying to the man, but telling the best kind of lies, lies that have a sound basis in truth.

By the time this meeting is over, we have a good idea how Acaelus Thorne became Gaelan Starfire. We have a fair idea as to the source, scope and nature of his powers. And we know how he became the persona of Durzo Blint, the troubled assassin employed by Gwinvere Kirena, aka Momma K.

The writing in this fantasy is excellent and, by the end of the story, Gaelan’s world has a believable substance. Now, however, is the “caveat emptor.”

When I purchased this short story, back in 2011 and shortly after its release, I was quite new to the e-book phenomenon. Somehow the item slipped through the cracks and I am just now getting to sealing up those cracks. The price I paid for this story nearly 3 years ago is the same as its price today – a price I now consider far too high for the quantity of reading material available. While the quality of writing is high and a backstory is always valuable, I consider the cost-to-value derived ratio too high to recommend the purchase of this book.

"My way is hard, but I serve unbroken. In ignobility, nobility. In shame, honor. In darkness, light. I will do justice and love mercy."
So speaks the Night Angel, Durzo Blint, as he heads towards a meeting of the Nine to set Gwinvere Kirena as Shinga.
In this novella Brent Weeks takes us back several years to when Durzo - as readers know him in the Night Angel trilogy - stalked the world as Gaelen Starfire. The man once known as Acaelus Thorne, one of the closest friends of the powerful Jorsin Alkestes, owner of the black ka'kari is in a bar talking with Yvor Vas about what has led to him avenging the death of his wife and daughter at Chateau Shayon. A story of a deal with the beautiful Gwinvere, Sa'Kage, Mistress of Pleasures, to bring her to power and to gain him pre-eminence in the city as the best wetboy. Whilst Gaelen/Acaelus/Durzo learns at the hands of Ben Wrable he hunts and kills the other wetboys. His reward is the name of the man who killed his family. His future is as Durzo Blint.
This is pleasant addition to the Night Angel trilogy. Whilst it is a prologue, it should not be read before the trilogy as it gives away spoilers that are key in creating anticipation in the main novels. As readers who have devoured the books about Durzo and Kylar, this ties off some unanswered questions and explains much about the politics that are already in motion in Night Angel. We come to understand better the motive of Durzo, his beliefs, his training, the centuries that lie behind him. Weeks allows us to see into the enigmatic character and realise the weary humanity that Durzo clings to in the Night Angel. He is impassive, he is lethal, he is remorseless. But, he understands the crippling passions that lead us to do terrible things; is able to judge those around him with the grimness of experience.
At the end of it all, Durzo sums his understanding up brilliantly, in a manner J S Mill would echo: "Leadership is best left to the idealistic and the arrogant." If you are a fan of the Night Angel you should read this. It will leave you feeling more complete about the story of Durzo and Kylar. If you have not read Night Angel, then read the trilogy before you read the prologue. You will understand why by the end of the pages...

Oh, now I have missed one of my favorite characters, Dorzo Blint, and Mr. Weeks’ narrative style. It has been years since I have emerged myself into the Night Angle’s world, one of the first series inspiring my love for epic fantasies; I think it’s time to reread the trilogy...

After having read most of the big name fantasy book over the years I am always trying to find a good new series, something I can lose myself in. I thought for the first half of Weeks book that I had found it. I tried a sample to download for my Kindle as I will do with new authors. I liked the sample and so I decided to buy the trilogy figuring I would save money in the long run.
I made it through the first book with little problems. The story was fun and engaging but it left something desired at the end. The book was done but nowhere near finished. It did not end in a cliff hanger it just was not compleat.
Weeks' second book was a sad conclusion to the first. It seamed to me like he was searching for a story. The main character grew whiney and depressing. I had to put it down. I never even made the third book. I kept it visible in my kindle for months thinking I might go back to it. I never have. I finally archived it. Maybe I will get to it someday. I hate to leave stories unfinished but I also have more to do with my time.

If you have read the Night Angel trilogy then this short story will make sense to you. I need to go or should say want to reread them.
A assassin who sees glimpses of the future saw he was being killed by forty men all at once. The story bounces around a lot in Durzo Blint past over the last few hundred alives and a little about who he was or is. The choices he made at different times and why he keeps living and changing who he is and what he looks like. I liked it but wished it was longer look into his different lives.

Best read after you read the Night Angel Trilogy! This is a great wrap up for Durzo Blint's story! Anyone who liked/loved the Night Angel Trilogy will enjoy this introduction of one of the main characters of that trilogy! Totally loved it!