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When Swords Fall Silent: An Assassination Anthology
Only one profession is at once more reviled and revered than any other. That of the hired blade. The paid killer.
The assassin.
The When Swords Fall Silent anthology showcases the imaginations and talents of more than a dozen of the best modern science-fiction and fantasy authors, with each tale centered around one or more characters burdened with a bloody task they will see to completion no matter the cost. Featuring writers such as Michael J. Sullivan, Terry Mancour, Andrew Rowe, Marie Brennan, and many more, every story takes you for a vicious ride through a world of shadow and death, each as unique in perspective and execution as the contracts carried out within.
The assassin.
The When Swords Fall Silent anthology showcases the imaginations and talents of more than a dozen of the best modern science-fiction and fantasy authors, with each tale centered around one or more characters burdened with a bloody task they will see to completion no matter the cost. Featuring writers such as Michael J. Sullivan, Terry Mancour, Andrew Rowe, Marie Brennan, and many more, every story takes you for a vicious ride through a world of shadow and death, each as unique in perspective and execution as the contracts carried out within.
447 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 7, 2023
75 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
About the author
Bryce O'Connor
19 books1,921 followersPURCHASE BOOKS:
Bryce writes high fantasy stories with special twists on character and plot. Child of the Daystar, the first installment in his series, The Wings of War, released in December, 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 24, 2024
Very challenging to give a star rating to a book that has so many different stories. Overall, there were some really good ones in this collection, especially Michael J. Sullivian, ML Wang and Philip C. Quaintrell's story were brilliant.
The other were good to average. Glad I read it (also, the book is insanely beautiful!).
The other were good to average. Glad I read it (also, the book is insanely beautiful!).
May 27, 2024
4 out of 5 for this one that mostly delivers on its premise. There are 3 stories that are absolute duds for me and I think do not deliver appropriately on theme. Fortunately they are not the closers so I didn't finish this book with bad aftertaste, otherwise this would be a 3 or less. Several stories are good entertainment that present snafus of some sort, from bumbled finishes to odd inconsistencies, but...
Sullivan's Royce story is fun and a good kickoff to the anthology.
Dalglish's The Ax is the badassiest protagonist in here. I'd read more of her and her sister.
French's "War Powers" is probably my favorite story though, as it is so different than anticipated, really well-drawn and told, and majorly delivers on premise with a bang-up ending. Great story.
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever held and owned. King of STK Kreations is a master.
Sullivan's Royce story is fun and a good kickoff to the anthology.
Dalglish's The Ax is the badassiest protagonist in here. I'd read more of her and her sister.
French's "War Powers" is probably my favorite story though, as it is so different than anticipated, really well-drawn and told, and majorly delivers on premise with a bang-up ending. Great story.
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever held and owned. King of STK Kreations is a master.
December 28, 2024
As so often with anthologies, When Swords Fall Silent has some stories I loved, some I liked, and one that didn't really work for me.
Overall the quality was really high, and I enjoyed the read!
Here's a bit about each story:
May Luck Be with You by Michael J. Sullivan:
What a joy, especially if you are a fan of Royce (in this case minus Hadrian).
This is an origin story, and I loved to see where he came from and what brought him on his way to where we meet him in the main series.
War Powers by Jonathan French:
I'm not a fan of nazi stories, or alternate history blended with scifi.
I've had enough Nazis in German school curriculums, and sadly again when I watch the news these days… However the characters are good, and so I still enjoyed it, despite not being a favourite.
Mortopia by M.L. Wang:
This one also definitely lived through the characters. The story I found a bit weird, and I'm not sure the setting in the far future really managed to convince me. The morality question posed was intriguing though!
The Twists of Fate by Peter Flannery:
Another one that is fine, just not exactly my favourite flavour. I'm not really into Fae mostly, but I did like the bit of banter and dialogue enough to keep me happy.
Tabula Rasa: Training Day by Luke Chmilenko:
While I generally like LitRPG and progression fantasy, this one didn't do it for me at all. For a quick story the character creation was way too long winded. I'm fine with it for a good long book, when I want to know all.the other options, so I understand the world. Here it just felt slow. I also didn't really click with any of the characters.
Dead Run by RJ Barker:
One of my favourites! Weird, dark and unexpected, just like I came to expect from this author. I really enjoyed the setting, but the characters are what made this one stand out!
Pearl’s Price by Marie Brennan:
I was a bit neutral for most of this story, however the end really hit the nail on the head, and turned the story into something special I will think off for a while yet.
Sons of Nightfall by Philip C. Quaintrell:
Another one I really enjoyed! Ex assassin turned ranger now going up against other assassins? Count me in! I also really enjoyed the side characters and the banter. I hope this has a series that goes along with it, because I want to read more!
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe:
I loved the unexpected direction this one went. Can't really say much without spoilers, but definitely a favourite!
Sword in the Shadows by Jay Boyce:
I have no real idea what this was about, but I liked the characters and the glimpse into the wider world. An assassin whose disguise is being a librarian? I'm intrigued!
The Ax of Lahareed by David Dalglish:
I liked the rebellion theme here, and the world was my main draw.
Ghost of the White Wood by JA Andrews:
I love the author's series, so having a little extra is a treat. It works well as a stand alone story, but you definitely get more out of it, if you know how it connects to the bigger picture.
A Simple Thing by Bryce O’Connor:
I adored the tone and voice here. The story itself was not that special, but the narration had me easily hooked! I'd happily read the whole “journal”, not just the little snippet.
Mission of Mercy by Terry Mancour:
While the twist was a bit predictable, I still really liked the set up and the questions about ethics and guilt.
Overall the quality was really high, and I enjoyed the read!
Here's a bit about each story:
May Luck Be with You by Michael J. Sullivan:
What a joy, especially if you are a fan of Royce (in this case minus Hadrian).
This is an origin story, and I loved to see where he came from and what brought him on his way to where we meet him in the main series.
War Powers by Jonathan French:
I'm not a fan of nazi stories, or alternate history blended with scifi.
I've had enough Nazis in German school curriculums, and sadly again when I watch the news these days… However the characters are good, and so I still enjoyed it, despite not being a favourite.
Mortopia by M.L. Wang:
This one also definitely lived through the characters. The story I found a bit weird, and I'm not sure the setting in the far future really managed to convince me. The morality question posed was intriguing though!
The Twists of Fate by Peter Flannery:
Another one that is fine, just not exactly my favourite flavour. I'm not really into Fae mostly, but I did like the bit of banter and dialogue enough to keep me happy.
Tabula Rasa: Training Day by Luke Chmilenko:
While I generally like LitRPG and progression fantasy, this one didn't do it for me at all. For a quick story the character creation was way too long winded. I'm fine with it for a good long book, when I want to know all.the other options, so I understand the world. Here it just felt slow. I also didn't really click with any of the characters.
Dead Run by RJ Barker:
One of my favourites! Weird, dark and unexpected, just like I came to expect from this author. I really enjoyed the setting, but the characters are what made this one stand out!
Pearl’s Price by Marie Brennan:
I was a bit neutral for most of this story, however the end really hit the nail on the head, and turned the story into something special I will think off for a while yet.
Sons of Nightfall by Philip C. Quaintrell:
Another one I really enjoyed! Ex assassin turned ranger now going up against other assassins? Count me in! I also really enjoyed the side characters and the banter. I hope this has a series that goes along with it, because I want to read more!
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe:
I loved the unexpected direction this one went. Can't really say much without spoilers, but definitely a favourite!
Sword in the Shadows by Jay Boyce:
I have no real idea what this was about, but I liked the characters and the glimpse into the wider world. An assassin whose disguise is being a librarian? I'm intrigued!
The Ax of Lahareed by David Dalglish:
I liked the rebellion theme here, and the world was my main draw.
Ghost of the White Wood by JA Andrews:
I love the author's series, so having a little extra is a treat. It works well as a stand alone story, but you definitely get more out of it, if you know how it connects to the bigger picture.
A Simple Thing by Bryce O’Connor:
I adored the tone and voice here. The story itself was not that special, but the narration had me easily hooked! I'd happily read the whole “journal”, not just the little snippet.
Mission of Mercy by Terry Mancour:
While the twist was a bit predictable, I still really liked the set up and the questions about ethics and guilt.
March 25, 2023
I wanted to love all these stories but just didn’t. Great cover art and idea but in execution there only 3 stories I truly enjoyed.
Michael Sullivan’s was the best with a trip back into my favorite character Royce Melbourne. Worth the credit right there for me
RJ Parker’s was great too but most were meh.
Michael Sullivan’s was the best with a trip back into my favorite character Royce Melbourne. Worth the credit right there for me
RJ Parker’s was great too but most were meh.
September 21, 2024
These stories showcased assassins - both men and women - in different settings from war zones, to futuristic landscapes and even virtual reality games. A common theme in many of the stories is a corrupt empire that has wronged its people with the assassins attempting to make things right. I enjoyed most of the stories especially for the different settings and the creative use of magic. As with any anthology, not every story resonated with me, some stories felt a bit too short while others were too long and a few left me not understanding the point. I would still recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys a good assassin story.
May Luck Be With You (Michael J. Sullivan) - 4 stars
War Powers (Jonathan French) - 2 stars
Mortopia (M.L. Wang) - 3 stars
The Twists Of Fate (Peter A. Flannery) - 3 stars
Tabula Rasa: Training Day (Luke Chmilenko) - 2 stars
Dead Run (RJ Barker) - 5 stars
Pearl’s Price (Marie Brennan) - 4 stars
Why I’m Tired Of Stones and Symphonies (Andrew Rowe) - 4 stars
Sons Of Nightfall (Philip C. Quaintrell) - 3 stars
Sword In The Shadows (Jay Boyce) - 3 stars
The Ax Of Lahareed (David Dalgish) - 4 stars
Ghost Of The White Wood (JA Andrews) - 5 stars
A Simple Thing (Bryce O’Connor) - 2 stars
Mission Of Mercy (Terry Mancour) - 5 stars
May Luck Be With You (Michael J. Sullivan) - 4 stars
War Powers (Jonathan French) - 2 stars
Mortopia (M.L. Wang) - 3 stars
The Twists Of Fate (Peter A. Flannery) - 3 stars
Tabula Rasa: Training Day (Luke Chmilenko) - 2 stars
Dead Run (RJ Barker) - 5 stars
Pearl’s Price (Marie Brennan) - 4 stars
Why I’m Tired Of Stones and Symphonies (Andrew Rowe) - 4 stars
Sons Of Nightfall (Philip C. Quaintrell) - 3 stars
Sword In The Shadows (Jay Boyce) - 3 stars
The Ax Of Lahareed (David Dalgish) - 4 stars
Ghost Of The White Wood (JA Andrews) - 5 stars
A Simple Thing (Bryce O’Connor) - 2 stars
Mission Of Mercy (Terry Mancour) - 5 stars
May 2, 2023
A great anthology about different types of assassins from great authors.
Of course, some stories was better than others, but all in all there were good takes on the genre.
My favorites were May Luck Be With You by Michael J Sullivan (of course), War Powers by Jonathan French (which suprised me as I am not a huge fan of his previous work), Pearl's Price by Marie Brennan and Why I'm Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe.
I also appreciated that the audiobook had different narrators for the different stories, they all did a very good job!
Of course, some stories was better than others, but all in all there were good takes on the genre.
My favorites were May Luck Be With You by Michael J Sullivan (of course), War Powers by Jonathan French (which suprised me as I am not a huge fan of his previous work), Pearl's Price by Marie Brennan and Why I'm Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe.
I also appreciated that the audiobook had different narrators for the different stories, they all did a very good job!
May 30, 2023
Not finished, but Mortopia by M.L Wang is worth 5 stars alone.
August 6, 2023
Like with most anthologies there are stories that are amazing & you want to know more about the characters/world while others you can’t wait for it to be over & then move on to the next story. There were 2 authors (Michael Sullivan & Philip Quaintrell) I was completely excited about reading there stories. I backed the Kickstarter to be able to get all these stories in print, but when I was the audiobook on Audible I couldn’t pass it up. There were several stories that didn’t capture my full attention at the beginning, but as the story progressed I found them to be interesting. While also the narrator of the individual story killed a story for me. I chalk this up to the risks you take with an anthology. I do believe I’d recommend this book as there’s enough good stuff in it that others would enjoy.
April 12, 2024
This was a very fun anthology to back through Kickstarter. I loved the images that went with every story. Each story had its own unique take on assassins. The last story had an especially great twist to it.
March 22, 2024
Nice collection of tales about rogues, assassins, and other blades in the dark.
February 10, 2024
A nice collection of stories. My favorite was May Luck Be With You by Michael J. Sullivan! It's a story starring Royce Melborn (of the Riyria Revelations & Chronicles fame) in his formative years and I loved it!
March 8, 2025
As with any anthology, some stories within this collection are absolute fire and some proved to be extremely lackluster. Overall though, I think there were far more engaging tales spun here than there were forgettable flops.
CONTENT
This collection features fourteen short stories written by fourteen different authors ranging from around twenty-ish pages to fifty or so, though most do not exceed thirty. As you might expect, the unifying theme tying these different tales together is that each of them has something to do with assassins. In some cases this means that the main character is an assassin, but in others they are actually trying to stop an assassin from doing their deadly deed. There are a number of stories which spin more of an insurgency type of narrative which merely involves the main character needing to slay a dangerous dictator in order to liberate themselves and their people. In any case, these main characters are always highly skilled and incredibly dangerous people who generally have no moral quandaries with spilling blood either due to following their orders or in the name of killing someone for the greater good. The result is a mostly fun grab bag of action-packed episodes. Telling a story that is satisfying, memorable, and engaging throughout is a very precise art indeed and I am so glad that most of these stories hit all the notes I wanted them to while being different enough from one another in terms of narrative, setting, characterization, and theme where I never felt a sense of redundancy when going from one story to the next. I think this point is also of great credit to the editor who compiled and arranged these pieces into a cohesive package. That said, there were certainly a couple of stories that I think would have been better had they been just a little bit longer. There were others where I'd love to see a whole collection featuring that character, but that was less because what I got wasn't as satisfying as it could have been and more just because I found those stories to be incredibly fulfilling and I'd love to have more. There were only a couple of entries which severely missed the mark for me. Unfortunately, these also happened to be two of the longer selections, but two out of fourteen is really not a bad ratio at all when it comes to collections like these and it wasn't hard for me to just speed read through these until I got to something more enjoyable. It's also worth noting that even with the stories that I enjoyed there is a range in the quality the writing with some of the authors showcased being noticeably more engaging in their prose than others.
In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won't opine on every story in the collection, but the top picks for me in terms of the quality of the writing, depth of characterization, and my level of engagement with the plot included:
War Powers
Mortopia
Why I'm Tired of Stones and Symphonies
Sons of Nightfall
Ghost of the White Woods
HARDCOVER
To my knowledge, the hardcover edition is not widely available (I got my copy through backing the Kickstarter campaign), but this collection is still purchasable in digital formats. For what it's worth, this is quite a nice hardcover edition if you are able to get your hands on one. The cover design is gorgeous and the colors are pleasantly bold. The "naked" hardcover is also very nice with a bright red color and a pair of black swords inset into it that matches the design on the back of the dust jacket. There are also some gorgeous full color endpaper images that seem to feature different looks at the character depicted on the jacket. Sadly I don't believe this is a character from any of the actual stories, but I really love their design and enjoyed how this mysterious figure served as a kind of mascot for the book overall. There is also a ton of interior illustration work within with every single story in the collection beginning with some awesome character art that depicts someone of importance to the plot (usually the main character, but not always). Beyond the luxurious interior formatting, this is otherwise a fairly standard hardcover, albeit one that is quite solid in it's construction and choice of materials. It's just nice enough to feel premium while reading, but not so extravagant where one is likely to worry that it's "too nice to read." Overall, this is a very solid pickup that I'm pleased to have in my collection. I don't know how much of the lovely book design translates into the eBook editions, but hopefully the amazing character art is still present there at least.
CONCLUSION
This collection is perfect for fantasy lovers who enjoy a little bit of an edge to their stories. It's not so dark that it ever felt uncomfortable to read, but most of these tales certainly had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The book itself is gorgeous, but I think the stories within are the real treasure.
(+) A diverse collection of stories told by different authors
(+) A handful of stories proved to be incredibly memorable and extremely satisfying
(+) The use of the assassin/assassination theme was a lot of fun and never got too dark to enjoy
(+) The hardcover is brimming with gorgeous details
( ) The Hardcover, while amazing does not appear to be easy to get one's hands on
( ) There is definitely a mix in terms of overall writing quality (which is to be expected)
(-) A couple of the stories were a complete miss for me
CONTENT
This collection features fourteen short stories written by fourteen different authors ranging from around twenty-ish pages to fifty or so, though most do not exceed thirty. As you might expect, the unifying theme tying these different tales together is that each of them has something to do with assassins. In some cases this means that the main character is an assassin, but in others they are actually trying to stop an assassin from doing their deadly deed. There are a number of stories which spin more of an insurgency type of narrative which merely involves the main character needing to slay a dangerous dictator in order to liberate themselves and their people. In any case, these main characters are always highly skilled and incredibly dangerous people who generally have no moral quandaries with spilling blood either due to following their orders or in the name of killing someone for the greater good. The result is a mostly fun grab bag of action-packed episodes. Telling a story that is satisfying, memorable, and engaging throughout is a very precise art indeed and I am so glad that most of these stories hit all the notes I wanted them to while being different enough from one another in terms of narrative, setting, characterization, and theme where I never felt a sense of redundancy when going from one story to the next. I think this point is also of great credit to the editor who compiled and arranged these pieces into a cohesive package. That said, there were certainly a couple of stories that I think would have been better had they been just a little bit longer. There were others where I'd love to see a whole collection featuring that character, but that was less because what I got wasn't as satisfying as it could have been and more just because I found those stories to be incredibly fulfilling and I'd love to have more. There were only a couple of entries which severely missed the mark for me. Unfortunately, these also happened to be two of the longer selections, but two out of fourteen is really not a bad ratio at all when it comes to collections like these and it wasn't hard for me to just speed read through these until I got to something more enjoyable. It's also worth noting that even with the stories that I enjoyed there is a range in the quality the writing with some of the authors showcased being noticeably more engaging in their prose than others.
In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I won't opine on every story in the collection, but the top picks for me in terms of the quality of the writing, depth of characterization, and my level of engagement with the plot included:
War Powers
Mortopia
Why I'm Tired of Stones and Symphonies
Sons of Nightfall
Ghost of the White Woods
HARDCOVER
To my knowledge, the hardcover edition is not widely available (I got my copy through backing the Kickstarter campaign), but this collection is still purchasable in digital formats. For what it's worth, this is quite a nice hardcover edition if you are able to get your hands on one. The cover design is gorgeous and the colors are pleasantly bold. The "naked" hardcover is also very nice with a bright red color and a pair of black swords inset into it that matches the design on the back of the dust jacket. There are also some gorgeous full color endpaper images that seem to feature different looks at the character depicted on the jacket. Sadly I don't believe this is a character from any of the actual stories, but I really love their design and enjoyed how this mysterious figure served as a kind of mascot for the book overall. There is also a ton of interior illustration work within with every single story in the collection beginning with some awesome character art that depicts someone of importance to the plot (usually the main character, but not always). Beyond the luxurious interior formatting, this is otherwise a fairly standard hardcover, albeit one that is quite solid in it's construction and choice of materials. It's just nice enough to feel premium while reading, but not so extravagant where one is likely to worry that it's "too nice to read." Overall, this is a very solid pickup that I'm pleased to have in my collection. I don't know how much of the lovely book design translates into the eBook editions, but hopefully the amazing character art is still present there at least.
CONCLUSION
This collection is perfect for fantasy lovers who enjoy a little bit of an edge to their stories. It's not so dark that it ever felt uncomfortable to read, but most of these tales certainly had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The book itself is gorgeous, but I think the stories within are the real treasure.
(+) A diverse collection of stories told by different authors
(+) A handful of stories proved to be incredibly memorable and extremely satisfying
(+) The use of the assassin/assassination theme was a lot of fun and never got too dark to enjoy
(+) The hardcover is brimming with gorgeous details
( ) The Hardcover, while amazing does not appear to be easy to get one's hands on
( ) There is definitely a mix in terms of overall writing quality (which is to be expected)
(-) A couple of the stories were a complete miss for me
March 10, 2023
Despite not being a fan of anthologies, I bought this because two good authors had stories in it, and the proceeds go to St. Jude's Children's Hospital which is an excellent cause. Following is my take on each of the tales:
May Luck Be with You by Michael J. Sullivan: This is a story about Royce, one of my favorite fictional characters, when he was a member of the Thieve's Guild in Ratibor. (He hasn't yet been influenced by Arcadius and Hadrian.) It contains a neat little snippet about Royce's name! This story is mainly why I bought this anthology.
War Powers by Jonathan French: This story takes place in an alternate England during WWII. The Nazis were victorious and they now occupy England. Although written well, I wasn't crazy about this story. It was just way too weird.
Mortopia by M.L. Wang: This was pretty good! It takes place four hundred years in the future and people have found the secret to "immortality". Amadou is a widower still grieving his wife. He's also the fourth human operative sent by the United World on a mission to assassinate a genocidal maniac living on Mars.
The Twists of Fate by Peter Flannery: I was tickled pink that this story features Decimus Fate, because I like that character. Decimus has an assignment in the land of the Fae. This author's story was the second reason I bought the anthology.
Tabula Rasa: Training Day by Luke Chmilenko: Leon is in a brand-spanking new virtual reality RPG. This was also well-written, but it didn't do a thing for me. Maybe I missed the point or something?
Dead Run by RJ Barker: "The Boy", as the MC is called, is a sharpshooter from the South during the American Civil War. The Boy's company stumbles upon an unexpected dreadful war. I didn't like this one at all. Too disturbing.
Pearl’s Price by Marie Brennan: Liatry is known as the Rook. Or rather, her little gang of conspirators are collectively called the Rook, but she wears the theatrical costume during their attempts to undermine and bring down a nasty tyrant. This would have been a good one if it hadn't become confusing with the past, present and future nonsense.
Sons of Nightfall by Philip C. Quaintrell: Asher the ranger sets out to prevent the death of a royal toddler from a pair of assassins. I liked this one! I was surprised because I tried one of his books and really disliked it.
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe: Wrynn accepts a task from the trickster goddess to protect a young boy from assassination. Wrynn has certain abilities that make her ideal for the job. I liked this one, too! I had also disliked one of his books, too, so I was surprised twice.
Sword in the Shadows by Jay Boyce: Eric has a magical affinity with metal, Stephen's is with light, and they are both assassins on the crown's payroll. I really couldn't tell you what this story was about other than they fought monsters, killed traitors, and protected Jade the traveler. This was just fair.
The Ax of Lahareed by David Dalglish: Stasia "The Ax" is certain that she murdered the Regent on the behalf of the resistance. So no one is more surprised than her when he addresses the people two days later, without so much as a mark on him. This one was good.
Ghost of the White Wood by JA Andrews: Melia and her Elven friend Evay are known as the Ghost of the White Wood. They ambush and kill the oppressive empire's soldiers and leaders in support of the rebellion. Everything seems to be going well until the empire brings retaliation to the villages. This was also a good story.
A Simple Thing by Bryce O’Connor: This was oddly intriguing. The anonymous narrator was recording in his journal because his memory was becoming faulty. He wrote about his first kill.
Mission of Mercy by Terry Mancour: Malbaras is an assassin hired by the palace procurer/smarmy courtier. He accepts the commission, but the job winds up being more than he expected. This was also pretty good.
May Luck Be with You by Michael J. Sullivan: This is a story about Royce, one of my favorite fictional characters, when he was a member of the Thieve's Guild in Ratibor. (He hasn't yet been influenced by Arcadius and Hadrian.) It contains a neat little snippet about Royce's name! This story is mainly why I bought this anthology.
War Powers by Jonathan French: This story takes place in an alternate England during WWII. The Nazis were victorious and they now occupy England. Although written well, I wasn't crazy about this story. It was just way too weird.
Mortopia by M.L. Wang: This was pretty good! It takes place four hundred years in the future and people have found the secret to "immortality". Amadou is a widower still grieving his wife. He's also the fourth human operative sent by the United World on a mission to assassinate a genocidal maniac living on Mars.
The Twists of Fate by Peter Flannery: I was tickled pink that this story features Decimus Fate, because I like that character. Decimus has an assignment in the land of the Fae. This author's story was the second reason I bought the anthology.
Tabula Rasa: Training Day by Luke Chmilenko: Leon is in a brand-spanking new virtual reality RPG. This was also well-written, but it didn't do a thing for me. Maybe I missed the point or something?
Dead Run by RJ Barker: "The Boy", as the MC is called, is a sharpshooter from the South during the American Civil War. The Boy's company stumbles upon an unexpected dreadful war. I didn't like this one at all. Too disturbing.
Pearl’s Price by Marie Brennan: Liatry is known as the Rook. Or rather, her little gang of conspirators are collectively called the Rook, but she wears the theatrical costume during their attempts to undermine and bring down a nasty tyrant. This would have been a good one if it hadn't become confusing with the past, present and future nonsense.
Sons of Nightfall by Philip C. Quaintrell: Asher the ranger sets out to prevent the death of a royal toddler from a pair of assassins. I liked this one! I was surprised because I tried one of his books and really disliked it.
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe: Wrynn accepts a task from the trickster goddess to protect a young boy from assassination. Wrynn has certain abilities that make her ideal for the job. I liked this one, too! I had also disliked one of his books, too, so I was surprised twice.
Sword in the Shadows by Jay Boyce: Eric has a magical affinity with metal, Stephen's is with light, and they are both assassins on the crown's payroll. I really couldn't tell you what this story was about other than they fought monsters, killed traitors, and protected Jade the traveler. This was just fair.
The Ax of Lahareed by David Dalglish: Stasia "The Ax" is certain that she murdered the Regent on the behalf of the resistance. So no one is more surprised than her when he addresses the people two days later, without so much as a mark on him. This one was good.
Ghost of the White Wood by JA Andrews: Melia and her Elven friend Evay are known as the Ghost of the White Wood. They ambush and kill the oppressive empire's soldiers and leaders in support of the rebellion. Everything seems to be going well until the empire brings retaliation to the villages. This was also a good story.
A Simple Thing by Bryce O’Connor: This was oddly intriguing. The anonymous narrator was recording in his journal because his memory was becoming faulty. He wrote about his first kill.
Mission of Mercy by Terry Mancour: Malbaras is an assassin hired by the palace procurer/smarmy courtier. He accepts the commission, but the job winds up being more than he expected. This was also pretty good.
March 30, 2024
This was a great collection of short stories about assassins. Of course as with all anthologies there were some stories that resonated more than others but overall most of the stories were really fun and exciting to read.
I find that generally two things can go wrong with the stories in these type of books. First, we must acknowledge that these anthologies are both a way for authors to promote their writing and the worlds they created, as well as an opportunity for authors to experiment and do something that lies outside their regular series.
The former leads to authors overfeeding too much world building information about their main body of work into the short story. It means they will provide details, names etcetera that are not that relevant to the plot. Because it is a short story that does not work very well for the readers immersion.
The latter is just really hit or miss. If you try something new it can be awesome and it can be disappointing. And after an author's put quite some effort in the experiment I'm sure it is hard to evaluate for themselves whether this was the right one.
That being said, I think most experiments or showcases really worked in this book and I had a really good time reading each story. I would especially like to give some appreciation to the stories of , and .
Wang somehow succeeded to tell a completely thematic story with sociological, ideological themes and interesting sci-fi world building, while still packing it with a bunch of action. Awesome work!
Andrews has written very compelling characters and moral discussion, while also adding an interesting story plot. I loved the flow of the story. Although it is one of the longer stories, it felt like the rush of wind that the story references.
Finally, Terry Mancour (and not this is not recency bias towards the last story), really subverts expectations, while also (I'm a sucker for this) adding the title of the anthology to his story. I loved reading the dialogue and seeing the plot unfold.
I find that generally two things can go wrong with the stories in these type of books. First, we must acknowledge that these anthologies are both a way for authors to promote their writing and the worlds they created, as well as an opportunity for authors to experiment and do something that lies outside their regular series.
The former leads to authors overfeeding too much world building information about their main body of work into the short story. It means they will provide details, names etcetera that are not that relevant to the plot. Because it is a short story that does not work very well for the readers immersion.
The latter is just really hit or miss. If you try something new it can be awesome and it can be disappointing. And after an author's put quite some effort in the experiment I'm sure it is hard to evaluate for themselves whether this was the right one.
That being said, I think most experiments or showcases really worked in this book and I had a really good time reading each story. I would especially like to give some appreciation to the stories of , and .
Wang somehow succeeded to tell a completely thematic story with sociological, ideological themes and interesting sci-fi world building, while still packing it with a bunch of action. Awesome work!
Andrews has written very compelling characters and moral discussion, while also adding an interesting story plot. I loved the flow of the story. Although it is one of the longer stories, it felt like the rush of wind that the story references.
Finally, Terry Mancour (and not this is not recency bias towards the last story), really subverts expectations, while also (I'm a sucker for this) adding the title of the anthology to his story. I loved reading the dialogue and seeing the plot unfold.
March 29, 2023
Most of them were really good and I enjoyed them. Some were ... Meh.
The Good:
May Luck Be with You - Micahel J. Sullivan: Just a fun, and fantastic look at this character. Made me want to read more about this character.
Tabula Rosa - Luke Chmilenk: Dude knows how to write LitRPG. By the end of it, I wanted a full-length of this particular character/world.
Sons of Nightfall - Phillip C Quaintrell: Ranger (assassin) who thwarts an assassination attempt on the son of the queen. Enjoyed the main character, and liked the idea of the mythical assassins guild. Will look more into this author and see if this world is expanded.
Why I'm tire of Stones and Symphonies - Andrew Rowe: This is the reason I bought the book. I love Rowe, and this world. The fact that it's a book about Wrynn? Hecks yes. It did not fail, I loved seeing this character (and some cameos from other beloved characters) in a timeframe we haven't seen before. Again, wish it were longer, and I had more.
The Ax of Lahareed - David Dalglish: "The Ax" murdered the regent, but then he mysteriously is still alive and well? Then the aftermath. Fun, great main character and her sister. Would love to get more.
A Simple Thing - Bryce O'Connor: The diary entry of a first kill. It was a very different read, but a good one. Much easier to follow (on the surface) than some of the others. But then you realize the narrator may be missing some pieces or making some of it up. Enjoyable.
Mission of Mercy - Terry Mancour: This one is a Trip. I won't put too much, but it was a mind game, and incredibly satisfying.
The other 5 stories were all fine, I don't think there was a bad one in the bunch, but also just kind of there. They didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
Overall, this is an anthology well worth reading.
The Good:
May Luck Be with You - Micahel J. Sullivan: Just a fun, and fantastic look at this character. Made me want to read more about this character.
Tabula Rosa - Luke Chmilenk: Dude knows how to write LitRPG. By the end of it, I wanted a full-length of this particular character/world.
Sons of Nightfall - Phillip C Quaintrell: Ranger (assassin) who thwarts an assassination attempt on the son of the queen. Enjoyed the main character, and liked the idea of the mythical assassins guild. Will look more into this author and see if this world is expanded.
Why I'm tire of Stones and Symphonies - Andrew Rowe: This is the reason I bought the book. I love Rowe, and this world. The fact that it's a book about Wrynn? Hecks yes. It did not fail, I loved seeing this character (and some cameos from other beloved characters) in a timeframe we haven't seen before. Again, wish it were longer, and I had more.
The Ax of Lahareed - David Dalglish: "The Ax" murdered the regent, but then he mysteriously is still alive and well? Then the aftermath. Fun, great main character and her sister. Would love to get more.
A Simple Thing - Bryce O'Connor: The diary entry of a first kill. It was a very different read, but a good one. Much easier to follow (on the surface) than some of the others. But then you realize the narrator may be missing some pieces or making some of it up. Enjoyable.
Mission of Mercy - Terry Mancour: This one is a Trip. I won't put too much, but it was a mind game, and incredibly satisfying.
The other 5 stories were all fine, I don't think there was a bad one in the bunch, but also just kind of there. They didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
Overall, this is an anthology well worth reading.
December 21, 2023
This is one of those time where I feel like I came into something with different expectations than I should have.
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Assassins are one of my absolute favourite type of characters, and the more assassin-like they are, the better it is for me. Therefore, finding an anthology where "Assassination" is the main theme, got me so excited that I dropped everything else reading wise and started it as soon as I could.
So you can probably imagine my surprise, when the majority of those stories were not technically about assassins at all. At least, not the assassins I were itching to read about.
It was more so coordinated groups, military assignments or protections against assassins to name a few types. Which in turn, if my updates were ever an indication, made the ones closest to the theme I was hoping for, enjoyable to read more so than the ones that were not.
Which in turn, leaves me conflicted a bit because there were some really nice stories here.
Some even belong to bigger worlds, that might be great to continue at some point like "The Ax of Lahareed". Some, I'm unsure if the belong to a series, but would be interesting to continue like "Why I'm tired of Stone and Symphonies".
But I still can't shake off the sense of disappointment at some of the entries and their focus.
Overall, it was an interesting read despite the above comments and I'm reminded of having to go to finish the trilogy that started with as it also had a pretty interesting story to read here.
┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿
Assassins are one of my absolute favourite type of characters, and the more assassin-like they are, the better it is for me. Therefore, finding an anthology where "Assassination" is the main theme, got me so excited that I dropped everything else reading wise and started it as soon as I could.
So you can probably imagine my surprise, when the majority of those stories were not technically about assassins at all. At least, not the assassins I were itching to read about.
It was more so coordinated groups, military assignments or protections against assassins to name a few types. Which in turn, if my updates were ever an indication, made the ones closest to the theme I was hoping for, enjoyable to read more so than the ones that were not.
Which in turn, leaves me conflicted a bit because there were some really nice stories here.
Some even belong to bigger worlds, that might be great to continue at some point like "The Ax of Lahareed". Some, I'm unsure if the belong to a series, but would be interesting to continue like "Why I'm tired of Stone and Symphonies".
But I still can't shake off the sense of disappointment at some of the entries and their focus.
Overall, it was an interesting read despite the above comments and I'm reminded of having to go to finish the trilogy that started with as it also had a pretty interesting story to read here.
July 1, 2023
Rating for the collection between 3.5 & 4
The individual stories rate from 2.5 to 4
A better than average collection of short stories with shared theme of assassins or assassination.
Although I had heard of the majority of authors before had only read 3 or 4 of them so this was an introduction for me to the various writing styles .
As with most collections a mixed bag for me, there were 3 that I didn’t really like at all,with the remaining being split between okay and very good imo.
Rating was quite difficult as very tempted to rate it a 4 but just not quite even though the enjoyment level for me was higher than usual for short story collections. Might think on it a bit and re rate later.
The individual stories rate from 2.5 to 4
A better than average collection of short stories with shared theme of assassins or assassination.
Although I had heard of the majority of authors before had only read 3 or 4 of them so this was an introduction for me to the various writing styles .
As with most collections a mixed bag for me, there were 3 that I didn’t really like at all,with the remaining being split between okay and very good imo.
Rating was quite difficult as very tempted to rate it a 4 but just not quite even though the enjoyment level for me was higher than usual for short story collections. Might think on it a bit and re rate later.
August 24, 2024
May Luck Be with You by Michael J. Sullivan - 4/5
War Powers by Jonathan French - 3/5
Mortopia by M. L. Wang - 4/5
The Twists of Fate by Peter A. Flannery - 4/5
Tabula Rasa: Training Day by Luke Chmilenko - 1/5
Dead Run RJ Barker - 4.5/5
Pearl’s Price by Marie Brennan - 1/5
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe - 5/5
Sons of Nightfall by Philip C. Quaintrell - 4/5
Sword in the Shadows by Jay Boyce- 4/5
The Ax of Lahareed by David Dalglish - 5/5
Ghost of the White Wood by JA Andrews - 2/5
A Simple Thing by Bryce O’Connor - 4/5
Mission of Mercy by Terry Mancour - 4/5
War Powers by Jonathan French - 3/5
Mortopia by M. L. Wang - 4/5
The Twists of Fate by Peter A. Flannery - 4/5
Tabula Rasa: Training Day by Luke Chmilenko - 1/5
Dead Run RJ Barker - 4.5/5
Pearl’s Price by Marie Brennan - 1/5
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies by Andrew Rowe - 5/5
Sons of Nightfall by Philip C. Quaintrell - 4/5
Sword in the Shadows by Jay Boyce- 4/5
The Ax of Lahareed by David Dalglish - 5/5
Ghost of the White Wood by JA Andrews - 2/5
A Simple Thing by Bryce O’Connor - 4/5
Mission of Mercy by Terry Mancour - 4/5
June 8, 2023
May Luck Be with You (Michael J. Sullivan): 4.5
War Powers (Jonathan French): 3.5
Mortopia (M. L. Wang): 3.75
The Twists of Fate (Peter A. Flannery): 4
Tabula Rasa: Training Day (Luke Chmilenko): 1.5
Dead Run (RJ Barker): 3
Pearl’s Price (Marie Brennan): 2.5
Sons of Nightfall (Philip C. Quaintrell): 3.75
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies (Andrew Rowe): 2
Sword in the Shadows (Jay Boyce): 2.75
The Ax of Lahareed (David Dalglish): 2.5
Ghost of the White Wood (JA Andrews): 3.25
A Simple Thing (Bryce O’Connor): 3.5
Mission of Mercy (Terry Mancour): 2.5
War Powers (Jonathan French): 3.5
Mortopia (M. L. Wang): 3.75
The Twists of Fate (Peter A. Flannery): 4
Tabula Rasa: Training Day (Luke Chmilenko): 1.5
Dead Run (RJ Barker): 3
Pearl’s Price (Marie Brennan): 2.5
Sons of Nightfall (Philip C. Quaintrell): 3.75
Why I’m Tired of Stones and Symphonies (Andrew Rowe): 2
Sword in the Shadows (Jay Boyce): 2.75
The Ax of Lahareed (David Dalglish): 2.5
Ghost of the White Wood (JA Andrews): 3.25
A Simple Thing (Bryce O’Connor): 3.5
Mission of Mercy (Terry Mancour): 2.5
April 18, 2023
Thank you!
May 16, 2023
Some of the stories are great, others I had to skip. Overall it was a good read. Loved the stories with familiar characters from authors I follow!
March 16, 2024
M.L. Wang, Michael J. Sullivan, Johnathan French, Bryce O'Connor, and R.J. Barker's stories were my favorite of the lot. Most of the rest were okay.
March 24, 2024
Finally some insight into Royce’s life between the death of his parents and when he becomes a bucket man! Thank you Michael J Sullivan for this glimpse. Could we, please, have more?
Read
April 13, 2024DNF at page 248
April 28, 2024
The creation of the Rook though. 😭😭
June 22, 2024
Liked it a lot, there were a couple stories (especially the "what if bideo game but you were actually in it") one that i completely skipped after a couple pages, but overall great anthology and worth
March 2, 2025
I enjoyed this more than the Alchemy of Sorrow Anthology. My favourite short stories were from M.L.Wang, Philip C. Quaintrell and JA Andrews, the last story was also a good finale.
April 14, 2025
Really enjoyed the anthology as a whole. My favorites were the first and last stories by far!
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