"You'd be surprised at what you'd do to stay alive." 
 I was captivated by this story from beginning to end. Azoth begins his journey in the muddy slums, filthy, hungry, and constantly terrified. In a society where the weak are victimized, he makes the decision to stand up for himself and his friends. But having courage is not always enough, and Azoth learns the hard way that life is often cruel. His transformation into Kylar at the hands of Durzo Blint is slow and painful, but there were bright moments between them that gave more insight into both of their characters. Durzo is a hard and unforgiving man, but for some reason I really liked him. Most times. Kylar walks a fine line between good and evil, but he has his own sense of honor and justice. The book was beautifully written and focused on the characters a great deal, which gives it 5 stars for me. It felt real to me, not sugar-coated. Sometimes the good guys die, the bad guys win, and there's no choice but to do awful things to stay alive.