First in the new Assassins of Landria series from the award-winning, bestselling author of Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst, and the Chronicles Of The Necromancer books!Friends since their orphanage childhood, Joel “Ridge” Breckinridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennard rose through the ranks of the Landrian army together, from teenaged conscripts to seasoned fighters. Together, they became the most feared … Together, they became the most feared team of assassins in Landria, surviving longer that most in their profession by virtue of excellent fighting skills, legendary bravado, peerless strategy, and an uncanny synchronicity. Henri, their long-suffering squire, tends to the thankless jobs of provisioning and logistics, while Ridge and Rett fight and recover.
When wandering mystic Yefim Makary becomes the darling of disenchanted aristocrats, Rett and Ridge fear Makary—or the Witch Lord, as his followers call him—is a threat to the crown. As treasonous whispers spread, Ridge and Rett go rogue to stop the threat, save the kingdom and protect the king—while landing on the “Most Wanted” list themselves!
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Ridge and Rhett are two buddy cops taking an adventure from their normal assassin duties to do good and make sure justice prevails. I enjoyed their friendship and how well they worked together. I especially liked the magic wound into their world. There were a lot of names and side characters to keep track of, which confused me at times, but overall I feel like I was able to keep up.
Assassin’s Honour – a review by Rosemary Kenny
Book 1 of the Assassin’s of Landria series by Gail Z. Martin starts the saga of two of King Kristoff’s ‘Shadows’/assassins, Rett and Ridge, as they rescue a lord’s son from his kidnapper, (controlled by the Witch Lord from the North) and return the lad to his parents, at the palace.
With the help of Lorella, a medium and a psychic called Henri, Rett and Ridge, (who both have second sight) are determined to prevent the King’s murder,
An entertaining story with interesting and engaging characters, who have to fight for truth and integrity, even though they’re in hiding too, after being framed for treason.
Meanwhile, they try to get proof about the Witch Lord’s plot to take the throne and their own innocence.
Well worth a try for fans of swords and sorcery sagas. Why not see what you think!
I love epic fantasy with awesome characters and high stakes. I got this book through Authorsxp to review, and I absolutely LOVED it!
Ridge and Rhett have been best friends and partners from the orphanage through assassin academy, and use their considerable talents–including forbidden magic–to keep their king and country safe. When a mysterious wandering prophet appears, most think him a harmless diversion. But Rhett’s and Ridge’s magic warns them of a dark stain of evil spreading through the souls of discontented people who plot a revolution, and so they go off to uncover the plot. With the help of their trusty assistant and a medium who really can talk to the dead, they soon get to the heart of the matter. But how to convince the king?
The cast of characters remind me of the BBC version of The Musketeers, the way they bicker, tease and fight, but always have each other’s backs. The world-building is solid, the dialogue is brilliant, and the pacing is great. Action and dialogue work together to carry the reader along the adventure. The peril is real, and never knowing whom to trust really ramps up the tension. I read this in one sitting because I couldn’t stop – I HAD to know what happens next. And it’s set up perfectly for the next book in the series. I’m with these guys for good, now!
I received a review copy from the author, and as usual, I devoured it as soon as possible. Ms. Martin calls this epic fantasy without the epic length. She succeeded and made it really fun to boot. This has the feel of the Thieves’ World books. I am definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
FANTASY. FANTASY. FANTASY.
The places you can go when you open your mind to all that could be possible. The worlds created by Gail Z. Matin allow for one to gravel to these worlds and experience the fantasy, the magic, the journey.
Getting to know Ridge, Rett, Henri, Yefim Makary was just flat out interesting. There were moments of mistrust, fear, and uncertainty. The relationship between Ridge and Rett was tight almost bonding. Then add in Henri. The action, adventure, suspense, secrets, political strife (real or perceived) and the build of it all was how the story carried well for me.
The fantasy was filled with intensity and intrigue. There was more that I wanted and a lot that I got. This was not just a one man show. There were full cast of characters that were not just side pawns.
The narration by Samuel Roukin was on-point. He delivered a very good performance. The clarity in characters. The pacing, tone, and diction were all there. You were not left wondering without direction and distinction.