Hello Fellow Journeyers,
We have the first book by Gail Z. Martin that I've read in her Assassins of Landria series, beginning with Assassin's Honor. After being on the lookout for a good old fashioned action/adventure story involving assassins, I was pleased to find this one on the library's database!
What's the story about: Assassin's Honor is a fast-paced romp of how two assassins, under the employ of the king, must uncover an understated threat that could doom the kingdom. If this sounds a whole lot like Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria Revelations series, it's because it is, but not in a bad way.
Like I've said in previous posts, getting a plot going without the fluff of world-building is a really high valued aspect of reading a fantasy story. After reading the afterword on this book, this apparently was Martin's goal as well. She poses an "epic fantasy feel without the epic length," and I appreciated it all the more for that. There is absolutely no time wasted on world-building and character backstory. You know from the get-go that we have two assassins, working for the king, trying to do honorable missions for the sake of the kingdom's wellbeing, and that's pretty much it. From there, a mystery ensues to establish intrigue and sprinkled throughout Martin employs character work and backstory along the way. It's natural, easygoing, and fantastically organic.
I've been attracted to simpler stories as of late because, when going into the self-published world specifically, I have found that there are more than enough overly complicated, convoluted stories that are just a lot of nothing. Simple stories that are told well can be just as enjoyable as a richly tapestried one. For this reason, Assassin's Honor struck me early for not trying to be what it wasn't, an epic. It's classic fantasy about characters doing the right thing for the right reasons and showcasing honorable traits. I'm a sucker for these stories and I'm not ashamed of it. There isn't anything too original here, but if the characters are written well enough, and they possess enough depth and backstory, that's all it takes in my opinion. If you want new ideas, breaking foundational tropes, and twists and turns, this one won't work. But if you want something that is classical, with a modern dynamic that just does storytelling well, this book would be a good route to head down.
I basically have no complaints about this story really. The characters are sufficient, the plot engages the reader, the story beats work well and one scene even had surprising poignancy for having very little background on the characters. While this story doesn't do anything new, I had absolutely no problems with it. I can't say that it's an amazing story, but everything it does is proficient enough to enjoy and a route that I don't regret going down. I had fun, there were lasting qualities to the characters, and it was on the cleaner side of content (despite the language) which was incredibly refreshing to me after so many stories sell with sex, hardcore violence, and shocking characters. I would share this story with my kids some day and hope they will find the same enjoyment I did!
★★★★ 4 Stars - Assassin's Honor takes tried and true aspects of fantasy and tells a story that is fun and worth reading. It doesn't make you think too much about what is going on, but it does guide you on a journey of mystery and suspense. The characters were good enough to get behind and while the world-building isn't incredible, it doesn't need to be to fit this story well. Martin is good at telling simple stories that are interesting enough to keep you engaged and this short tale is included in that vein. I would recommend this one, especially if you like anything by Michael J. Sullivan and just want a story about assassins who aren't morally despicable or hopelessly depressing. A worthy read for sure!
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this book, other reviews, or talk book recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.
Rating system:
★★★★★ 5 Stars: It was amazing; I loved it. Read this book; it is definitely Essential Reading!
★★★★★* 4.5 Stars: It was nearly perfect. I really loved almost every aspect of it, but a few things kept it from being amazing.
★★★★ 4 Stars: It was very worth reading and satisfying; highly recommend.
★★★★* 3.5 Stars: I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but it was lacking in certain crucial areas.
★★★ 3 Stars: It was good, but could've been better or improved upon significantly.
★★★* 2.5 Stars: I wanted to enjoy it. Certain aspects were good, it was worth finishing, but many issues.
★★ 2 Stars: It was okay, I didn't feel strongly about it.
★★* 1.5 Stars: I finished it, but it was a chore to get through.
★ 1 Star: I did not like it. It was not worth finishing or I did not finish it.
*I round up based on the system on Goodreads.