[thompsjt1]

I love the whole concept of a role as a assassin when in my favorite era, medieval type settings. So I went and dived into the farseer trilogy books because it sounded just like what I was looking for, medieval setting through a main character who is a learning assassin with political intrique, etc.

Only to find out after reading the first book and peoples comments on the whole series that there is very little "assassin" type things going on in this series or done in a cheesy way that is not the focus of the story and is quite misleading as all three books emphisize assassin in the titles.

So seeing how this is not the right series to what I was looking for "life of a medieval setting assassin" I am seeking to find out if anyone know another book/series that has more of what I am looking for and is excellent!!!

Heck I don't know if anyone has seen this, but there is a game coming out soon called assassin's creed and it looks really really cool and looks like more what I am looking for, but I would love to know if there is some story/series out there that captures this kind of dark roll in a medieval setting in book form. Anyone know of one that is based through the eyes of assassins/thief/spy in medieval world???

[paladin]

reread small parts of GotM and play Thief on PC

[Tif the Barber Boy]

thompsjt1;189032 said:

Heck I don't know if anyone has seen this, but there is a game coming out soon called assassin's creed and it looks really really cool and looks like more what I am looking for, but I would love to know if there is some story/series out there that captures this kind of dark roll in a medieval setting in book form. Anyone know of one that is based through the eyes of assassins/thief/spy in medieval world???

The best that I can think of is the original Riftwar trilogy by Raymond E. Feist, particularly the second and third books: Silverthorn and Darkness over Sethanon. Plenty of assassins and a great thief character to boot (Jimmy the Hand).

Also I agree with paladin about the Thief games - brilliant. Utterly brilliant.

[paladin]

If you can swallow feudal japan, I would try the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. It is more young adult(not very complex in the narrative or language), but the story itself is very good and well written.

[polishgenius]

I'd actually say that the Assassin stuff in the Farseer trilogy is a lot more realistic then the general fantasy assassin, but I take your point about a misleading title, what with the general idea of assassins in the genre.

Anyway, Paladin's suggestion is a good one, if, as he says, you don't mind it being a Japanese medieval culture.
Tif's too, Jimmy the Hand also got his own eponymous spinoff which you might like.

Also, I personally enjoyed the dragonlance spinoff book Thieves' Guild, by Jeff Crook, without having read any other dragonlance. It sounds like what you're after.

The Lies of Locke Lamora is about a thief, albeit not the traditional creeping-over-rooftops type. Great book, nonetheless.

[thompsjt1]

Thanks all for your replies, and yes I am very fond of the thief series myself although I have only played the first 2. Some people on another forum says:

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

is good, can anyone back me up on this??

plus I am just starting deadhouse gates now, do the assassin type stuff continue in that locale?

[polishgenius]

Deadhouse Gates, particularly the finale, will blow your mind in that respect... Kalam is awesome.

Like I said above, Lies of Locke Lamora is brilliant, one of my favourite fantasy books. It's not traditional sneak-thievery for the most part though - they're con artists, think something like a fantasy set Ocean's Eleven/Godfather hybrid. It's well worth a try though. Fantastic book.

[paladin]

thompsjt1;189294 said:

Thanks all for your replies, and yes I am very fond of the thief series myself although I have only played the first 2. Some people on another forum says:

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

is good, can anyone back me up on this??

plus I am just starting deadhouse gates now, do the assassin type stuff continue in that locale?

Yes, and also try Night of Knives, the malazan book by Esselmont. Whole book is about thieves and assassins.. but try to read it in order with the other books(i would suggest before bonehunters)

[Dr Trouble]

Try David Gemmell's "Waylander" novels, there are 3 I think.

Waylander
Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf
Hero in the Shadows

[Valgard]

I will add my voice to the waylander book they are great and definately about an assassin well worth reading.

[QuickTidal]

I will agree about Robin Hobb's Farseer series (the first trilogy anyways). It will fit right in with what you are looking for mostly.

[Dr Trouble]

he said he already read them and didn't like them

[Abyss]

Waylander stories, while as popcorn enjoyably readable as any Gemmel books, don't really spend a whole lot of time with the lead going all assassin on some victim. They seem to spend more time angsting about all the badass assassinations the lead used to do but now feels conflicted and emo about.

It's trite, but i'll reiterate the assassin/Rel/Kalam/Pearl/Claw bits of GotM, DG, HoC, and TB are full-bore great.

There seem to be more stories about theives than assassins in fant lit generally.

- Abyss, blames the difficulty in spelling 'assassin'.

[TheQuestionMan]

Waylander by David Gemmell

Vlad Taltos by Steven Brust

I cannot remember the title. The Bastard son of a Prince trained to become the King's Assassin... What was it called?


Cheers


QM

[paladin]

Raymond Feist's Conclave of Shadows series is an assassin story, though from the predictable revenge angle.. Talon of the Silver Hawk is the first book I believe

[polishgenius]

TheQuestionMan;189847 said:

I cannot remember the title. The Bastard son of a Prince trained to become the King's Assassin... What was it called?

That's the aforementioned Farseer trilogy.

[councilor]

TheQuestionMan;189847 said:

Waylander by David Gemmell

I cannot remember the title. The Bastard son of a Prince trained to become the King's Assassin... What was it called?

QM

that would probably be the farseer trilogy, assasin's apprentice ior something. i think.

[Tamilyrn]

Hugh the Hand was a good character in Weis & Hickmans Deathgate cycle.

Pretty sure R.A. Salvatore also had a trilogy based around an assassin.

The best assassin books I ever read were not fantasy though - David Morrell (author of Rambo) wrote 4 or 5, notably Brotherhood of the Rose.

[Definitely not Brent Weeks]

I know this is a really old post but I just have to make this suggestion because it is such an amazing trilogy. The Night Angel trilogy. It's about a boy who lives in the streets then goes on to be trained by the greatest assassin ever known. It is definitely worth a try.

This post has been edited by raileybay: 01 December 2013 - 04:20 PM

[Ukjent]

Thats one nice necro.