Book Review: Assassin Royale by Richard Davis

Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

An epic fantasy that wields great power and even greater action

Killian Lord might be the best assassin you’ll ever read. He’s smart, conniving, strong, quick, and is connected to animals. He has only one life. But boy can he save it.

In this first book of what looks like an explosive action fantasy series, Lord is tasked by King Ember to protect their world. See, an evil king has sent his own skilled knight, Maximillian Durandal, to retrieve the Moonlight Shard. It’s in pieces, but he gathers all of them up and sutures them together with the souls of royalty and exceptional people. In the hands of the evil King Globe—or even just Durandal—the Moonlight Shard would make a sword powerful enough to end Lord’s world as he knows it.

Assassin Royale is a story of incredible conquests, fast-paced action, and a jaw-dropping lead character. Lord can’t be stopped. He won’t be. Even in the face of death time and time again, he proves himself as exactly the right man for this seemingly impossible job. If you’re coming for the battles and fight scenes, you’re leaving satisfied and then some.

While this is undoubtedly Lord’s story, it’s peppered with great side characters. Lord’s horse Bolt takes an early lead as this reviewer’s favorite animal character of the year. I couldn’t help but lavish in the image of Bolt’s magnificent movement as he races to Lord’s aid, telling Lord that he’ll save him, that he’ll do anything for him. The loyalty is sky-high. Vivian is a powerful and seductive goddess who controls thunder and lightning; Uglash the orc is a blundering ball of mass; Durandal might be as skilled as Lord, but meaner.

Assassin Royale gets us acquainted and comfortable at an even-keel pace for the first half of the novel. Lord lingers around enemy lines and must work undercover to figure out the best tactic to take down Durandal and retrieve the Shard. The second half of the novel ramps up the action big-time. It’s like one page we’re in the before times—and then we’re swung into a frenzy of the after. Page after page of sword fights, magic, and the dangling possibility of death. This could be good news for fantasy fans with a hankering for action, but it could also make some readers wishing we could slow back down for a second.

The women of the novel are powerful and seductive, but their descriptions and motivations can be too often tied to their sexuality. I longed for more out of Vivian especially since she’s so objectively impressive.

Assassin Royale is filled with vivid fight scenes and powerful characters. The emphasis on the movement—the things that happen—drives the pace forward with abandon, and the stakes are on a never-ending incline. The King’s Dark Blade series looks like it’s going to be an epic creation.

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