I’ll start with my passion for the topic. I find it irresistible to think of a profession where people are the absolute best at what they do – not just weapons, but many different skills that enable them to plan, blend in, get around, and improvise. There is a brutal kind of selection in the assassins’ world that makes sure only the best of the best survive. Added to the rich backstories these people tend to have, with the conflicts and moral choices they face, assassins make for some of my favorite fiction characters. I have published seven novels, four of them assassin-themed, and I claim my expertise on the topic as a scientist, ballroom dancer, and student of martial arts.
This book is a great, expert portrayal of what assassins are all about. It shows the good and the bad in a very believable way, through the eyes of a boy who strives to escape from a life among street gangs into the elite world of top-level assassins.
I love this book for its authenticity and the way it immerses the reader into the cutthroat environment of a kingdom in turmoil, filled with politics and danger. To me, there is a romantic thrill in an assassin’s profession, and Brent Weeks is so good at conveying it. I put it first because I think this book is the best in highlighting both the skill and the moral sacrifice that comes along with it for the best assassins.
From NYT bestselling author Brent Weeks comes the first novel in his breakout fantasy trilogy in which a young boy trains under the city's most legendary and feared assassin, Durzo Blint.
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art -- and he is the city's most accomplished artist.
For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly -- and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.
But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and…
To me, this book is pure entertainment, and it strikes the exact right balance between action, intrigue, and humor, to highlight the reason why assassins tend to be so popular and attractive. They are the best at what they do. They are also human, with passions, humor, and flaws that make them so relatable. Of course, this is only one side, but to me, this is exactly the reason I love to explore assassins as characters in my own work.
The main character, Celaena, is the best of the best. She is also strong, independent, sassy, and unpredictable. Added to an exciting story full of intrigue, adventure, and action, it’s a definite winner. If you want to know why many authors and readers find the assassin theme to be so much fun, you can’t miss this one.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas started a worldwide phenomenon when she published her debut novel, Throne of Glass. To date, Sarah's books have spent more than 92 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and she has hit #1 on charts around the world. Her books have sold more than seven million copies and have been translated into 36 languages. Throne of Glass alone has sold over one million copies. Now you can own this epic fantasy classic in a deluxe hardcover collector's edition.
Throne of Glass begins the sweeping saga of assassin Celaena Sardothien,…
Talking about romanticizing assassins. The main character, Ananna, is a pirate’s daughter, and assassins are the only people she truly fears – until her fate becomes irreversibly tied to one. Naji is a blood magician who travels through shadows and never misses a mark – until a curse binds him to his target, Ananna.
I absolutely love the characters in this book. Naji is both powerful and flawed, and the combination is really irresistible in someone so good at what he does. He is by far the older and more experienced of the pair, yet Ananna is every bit his equal, and more often than not she comes through as the one in charge. The romantic interest between them is perfectly balanced to maintain the tension without crossing any lines. This book taught me so much about character development.
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to an allying pirate clan: she wants to captain her own boat, not serve as second-in-command to her handsome yet clueless fiance. But her escape has dire consequences when she learns the scorned clan has sent an assassin after her.
And when the assassin, Naji, finally catches up with her, things get even worse. Ananna inadvertently triggers a nasty curse — with a life-altering result. Now Ananna and Naji are forced to become uneasy allies as they work together to break the curse and return their…
This book was originally marketed as a “romance for the fans of the Game of Thrones”, and it is one of the books I really enjoy. The main character, Vitala, is sent by her secret order of rebels to assassinate the powerful Emperor of Kjall. When she arrives at court, she is quickly dropped into a torrent of intrigue that makes her question everything she’d learned, including her own mission.
This book is pure fun, from start to finish. From the assassins’ standpoint, Vitala is a refreshing one, because her powers come from a special skill she possesses rather than weaponry. In fact, most of the imperial guards, as well as the Emperor himself, are much more capable than her when it comes to combat, and yet in the end the danger she brings outpowers them all. This book taught me a lot about writing action, intrigue, and romance.
Vitala Salonius, champion of the warlike game of Caturanga, is as deadly as she is beautiful. She’s a trained assassin for the resistance, and her true play is for ultimate power. Using her charm and wit, she plans to seduce her way into the emperor’s bed and deal him one final, fatal blow, sparking a battle of succession that could change the face of the empire.
As the ruler of a country on the brink of war and the son of a deposed emperor, Lucien must constantly be wary of an attempt on his life. But he’s drawn to the…
Well, this is probably a bit unconventional, but to me, no recommended book list can possibly be complete without a title by Terry Pratchett. He is one of my absolute favorite authors, and his concept of an Assassins’ Guild inspired some of my books. In Night Watch, we follow one of my favorite Discworld characters, Captain Vimes, into the past on an adventure that pushes every kind of boundary.
There are many potential assassins in this book, but the professional one – here and in the series – is Lord Vetinari, a man that keeps to the shadows and is never ever seen with a weapon in hand. He is the force behind the scenes that makes things happen, both in the present and in the past. I learned a lot from this book on how to be subtle, and on the power of things you don’t show explicitly compared to the ones you do. And of course, with a book by Terry Pratchett one cannot possibly go wrong.
A beautiful new hardback edition of the classic Discworld novel.
Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch had it all.
But now he's back in his own rough, tough past without even the clothes he was standing up in when the lightning struck...
Living in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy. But he must survive, because he has a job to do. He must track down a murderer, teach his younger self how to be a good copper and change the outcome of a bloody rebellion.
When Prince Kythar falls under attack in his own castle, he has no idea that his enemies are none other than the ancient Kaddim Brotherhood. Kyth's inborn ability to control the elements is the only power that can stop the plot to destroy his royal line. But there is one problem: Kyth's fighting skills are no match for the Kaddim.
To defeat the Kaddim, Kyth must rely on his bodyguard Kara, a beautiful Diamond-ranked assassin from the elite Majat Guild. But Kyth's enemies are smarter than he gives them credit for—and they develop an elaborate plan to remove Kara as an obstacle. Acting through treachery and scheming, they pitch Kara against the Majat, marking her as a target for the only warrior who can defeat her in battle. With the deadly assassin on their trail, Kythar and Kara must face impossible odds to save the kingdom and their lives.
The Valor of Valhalla series by Martin Kearns is a pulse-pounding dark urban fantasy trilogy that fuses the raw power of Norse mythology with the grit of modern warfare. Set in a world where ancient gods and mythical creatures clash with secret military organizations and rogue heroes, the series follows a band of unseeming heroes who are bound to an ancient prophecy. As they navigate a dangerous web of deceit, sacrifice, and violent combat, they must confront not only their own demons but also the growing threat of Ragnarök—the Norse apocalypse.
At its heart, The Valor of Valhalla blends high-stakes…
In a battle between two ancient evils, can one naïve young man become the last hope against powerful creatures of legend?
David Dolan thinks he's already got the world figured out. But when a collapsed bridge plunges him into the icy Hudson, he's pulled deep into the deadly realm that exists between life and death. And with his earthly form trapped in a coma, he's vulnerable to the horde of demons hell-bent on his utter destruction.
Traversing the road to the afterlife, David seeks the wisdom and skills he needs to fight the demonic forces reigning havoc on his allies…
