My book reviews for the Assassins of Landria series by Gail Z. Martin! Please be aware that reviews for later books may contain spoilers for previous titles.

Assassin’s Honor Book Review

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 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!

Content Warnings:

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I’ve been trying to get my hands on another Gail Z. Martin book ever since I finished the last book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer series, so when I found Assassin’s Honor on Kindle Unlimited it was the first book I read on my one month trial. I will put it straight out there; it’s no Chronicles of the Necromancer – but that’s not to say it’s not good. As always Gail Z. Martin weaves a fantastic tale and considering how awesome Jonmarc was in that series, how could I not read an entire series dedicated to assassins?

We’re in a different land, however, there are still hallmarks of Martin’s writing that fans of Chronicles of the Necromancer will recognise in this new series. Cocky but lovable rogues who don’t mean to get into trouble yet undoubtedly do, yet have a heart of gold and there’s magic linked to spirits again. It’s not anywhere near as complex as in the other series, but it’s clearly something that interests Martin.

Unlike Chronicles of the Necromancer and her other fantasy series  (both 500+ pages), Martin purposefully wrote this new series, Assassins of Landria, to be a lot shorter (203 pages). There’s a note at the end of the book explaining that this is a fast-paced fantasy adventure for people who don’t want to hurt their wrists while reading. Personally, I love a good fantasy epic and I think the faster pace is where this book loses that little bit of magic that would make it as great as Chronicles of the Necromancer for me. It’s certainly got the chops to me as well, and the characters are fantastic. If you don’t fall in love with their squire then I’ll be shocked.

Sellsword’s Oath Book Review

Buddy flick epic fantasy! The second in the Assassins of Landria series from the award-winning, bestselling author of Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst and The Chronicles Of The Necromancer books!

Wandering mystic Yefim Makary, known to his followers as the 'Witch Lord', disappeared before he could be accused of inciting dissent against King Kristoph. His supporters among the disenchanted aristocrats who weren't arrested have fled or died by their own hand. The king is happy to put the matter behind him. Yet Burke, the commander of the elite King's Shadows, doesn't believe the threat is over, and he assigns his two most troublesome, rule-breaking-and successful-assassins to ferret out the real threat and put a stop to Makary's plots.

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 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.

As the threads of a new plot come together revealing disloyalty among the priests and generals, Ridge and Rett once again find themselves on the run, hoping they and their allies can figure out the Witch Lord's latest scheme before it costs them their lives-and the king his throne.

Praise for Gail Z. Martin:

"I give Assassin's Honor a well deserved five plus stars. Looking forward to more by this author."-Locks Hooks and Books

"A fun book from the first page. An exciting ride with interesting characters, a different world, a boat load of tension and danger around every corner."-Mixed Book Bag on Assassin's Honor

"Assassin's Honor is a delicious mix of dark adventure, mystery, binding friendship, and snark. This story was a delight from beginning to end."-Dab of Darkness

"There's plenty of action and plot embroidery, and the pages turn easily."-Kirkus Reviews on Ice Forged

"Those who enjoy the large-scale fantasy of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan should enjoy this."-Library Journal on The Sworn

"Adventure with whole-hearted passion."-SFX on The Summoner

Content Warnings:

Book two of the Assassins of Landria series continues the adventures of Ridge and Rett, King’s Shadows, official assassins for the King of Landria. Having gotten in over their heads previously, they ended up saving the day and the King, all while breaking several rules along the way. While the King is happy to be alive the commander of the assassins, Burke, passes on the ruler’s displeasure at them doing so by way of stepping on so many of his rules. It’s not just the King who’s not happy with them; they’ve never been popular with their fellow Shadows, even more so now who see them as getting special treatment and after foiling the Witch Lord’s plans they’ve undoubtedly put a target on their backs there too.

Neither assassin is thrilled when Burke starts sending them on random assignments that seem beneath their skills, especially when the Witch Lord has done a disappearing act and they’re eager to sniff him and his supporters out. It becomes clear though that the Shadow Master hasn’t forgotten about the Witch Lord either, and has been carefully managing their assignments to keep them out of the firing line and on the Witch Lord’s tail. Despite his juggling, Ridge and Rett do what they do best and get themselves in hot water yet again. Unsure of who they can trust the pair are on the run again, using every ally and skill they have to stay one step ahead.

If you read my review of the first book, Assassin’s Honour, you’ll know I mentioned Gail Z. Martin’s interest in writing about ghosts and magic related to them. That gets amped up in this book with some interesting new characters as Ridge and Rett’s allies grow.  Once again I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved the new additions to the cast of characters.

Fugitive’s Vow Book Review

Buddy flick epic fantasy! The third in the Assassins of Landria series from the award-winning, bestselling author of Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst and The Chronicles of The Necromancer.

Rule-breaking, unconventional assassins Joel "Ridge" Breckenridge and Garrett "Rett" Kennar are back, and the stakes have never been higher.

The Witch Lord remains at large, orchestrating his plot against Landria's throne from the shadows. Then tragedy strikes, the kingdom is in jeopardy, and Rett disappears. Framed for murder, Ridge flees with a bounty on his head, still intent on fighting the Witch Lord's threat. Landria's fate hangs in the balance, leaving only hard and dangerous choices.

Can an unlikely alliance of outlaws and fugitives turn the tide for justice and vengeance?

Praise for Gail Z. Martin

"I give Assassin's Honor a well-deserved five plus stars. Looking forward to more by this author." - Locks Hooks and Books

"A fun book from the first page. An exciting ride with interesting characters, a different world, a boatload of tension and danger around every corner." - Mixed Book Bag on Assassin's Honor

"Assassin's Honor is a delicious mix of dark adventure, mystery, binding friendship, and snark. This story was a delight from beginning to end." - Dab of Darkness

"Full of adventure, explosions, spies, and humor." - Iron Canuck Reviews on Sellsword's Oath

"Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst offers the reader a popcorn-popping page-turner that will brook no interruption!" - Dark Corners blog

"There's plenty of action and plot embroidery, and the pages turn easily." - Kirkus Reviews on Ice Forged

"Those who enjoy the large-scale fantasy of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan should enjoy this." - Library Journal on The Sworn

"Adventure with whole-hearted passion." - SFX on The Summoner

Content Warnings:

As this was the third book in the series I thought it might be the final book; I was very glad to find out that is not the case although now I am stuck waiting for the next one! Better than then it is finished as I am very much enjoying the adventures of Ridge, Rett, Henri and their growing band of merry allies. Another couple of allies are added in this book and we also learn more about Malachi and Kane who we met in Sellsword’s Oath. I certainly didn’t see that one coming! I had several theories in regards to Malachi’s identity and I was way off.

The action really ramps up in this one and for a while there it is touch and go, and this is the first time that I wondered if our two assassins were going to be able to pull off one of their unconventional plans. Things are getting more serious and even though this was as fast-paced as the other two books Martin’s clever writing made things slow right down, making you feel like you were stuck waiting for news right alongside the characters in the book. Based on where this one ended the next book is going to be a real page-turner and will be more explosive than any adventure Ridge and Rett and their allies have had before.

Exile’s Quest Book Review

A vacant throne. A dark mystic intent on the crown. Two fugitive assassins risking everything to save the kingdom that exiled them.

Rule-breaking, unconventional assassins Joel “Ridge” Breckenridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennar are caught between dangerous allies and deadly enemies as the future of Landria hangs in the balance. The council of regents controlled by the Witch Lord threatens the succession after King Kristoph’s murder. Rett escaped his brutal captors scarred in body and mind. Now he’s struggling to control the untested powers unleashed by his ordeal and dream walks to a hidden cloister full of forbidden magic. Falsely accused of treason, Ridge hunts the mage who damaged Rett and uncovers a terrifying new threat.

Can a desperate gamble by outlaws and exiles avenge the king and save the crown?

Exile’s Quest is an action-packed epic adventure filled with loyal friends, honorable fugitives, secret sanctuaries, hidden magic, and unexpected explosions.

This book was provided for free by the Author and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book!

Content Warnings:

The fourth book in the Assassins of Landria series picks up directly after the events of the previous book. Ridge and Rett are reunited after the terrible events that separated them for a time, leading to both men believing the other to be dead. Ridge’s daring rescue paid off and with the help of friends he managed to save Rett from captivity and torture. While Rett survived, barely, the effect of the magic used to harm him had consequences and in Exile’s Quest, both men struggle to come to terms with those.

Desperate to get back into the fight and prove himself, Rett worries about being replaced by Kane, while Ridge only sees the spy as a means to the end until Rett is back on his feet. All Ridge is concerned for is his friend’s health and well-being. This book had a different feel to it than the other books in the series so far because it’s the first time the two main characters have spent time apart where one of them wasn’t under duress. They were still working together, just on separate parts of the mission. This allowed Martin to dive deeper into their relationship, showing their more vulnerable sides as they tried to navigate these new changes.

The world that they are operating in is very different to where they were at the start of the series, and Rett’s new abilities are just one new change that happens in Exile’s Quest. Everything previous has been leading to the revelations in this one. Mysteries begin to unfold, and for the first time since the King’s death it looks like there might be a solid way to end the Witch Lord’s hold. While I missed Rett and Ridge causing chaos together in this book, I could see why it was necessary for the story to take the path it did. It was also interesting to see them working with different partners for a change, and learning more about Rett’s magic, about any magic, in this series is always fascinating. Martin has a fabulous talent for magic world-building, and it gets even better in Exile’s Quest!

As always Henry was on top form, and watching hardcore spy Kane stumble over Henry’s matter-of-fact approach to taking out the enemy was hilarious. I wish we could have had a bit more of Lady Sally Anne, Loretta and the kids, but I loved the way that Martin passed on updates of what they were doing to the idiots men who were besieging their castle. It injected some humour into the despairing situations Rett and Ridge were dealing with.

Overall, Exile’s Quest was an enjoyable continuation of the Assassins of Landria series. The normal status quo was shaken up in this book, and Martin used that to explore a lot of other scenarios. We get to see Malachi and Kane as separate characters rather than a pair, and I think the same can be said about Rett and Ridge, to be honest. For the whole series, they have been a pair, and that’s not a bad thing, but in the last two books, they’ve both become their own entities. That’s not a bad thing, people change, and due to what Rett went through he’s changed more than most. They still have a strong bond, and I think we’ll see them come back together stronger than ever in the next book. They have always been a great team, but their enemies have made the mistake of making them a formidable one.

Kindle Unlimited Trial

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