Kings and Assassins (Paperback)

by Lane Robins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This dark and gruesome sequel to 2007's Maledicte compellingly illustrates the endless variety of human venality. Janus Ixion, former starving commoner and now the earl of Last, is fervently dedicated to bringing an industrial revolution to Antyre, a dreary, decadent fantasy realm. This goal pits him against his devious former tutor, Prince Ivor of Itarus, who schemes to become Antyre's king. When old demonic gods return to Antyre and possess Janus's wife, Psyke, and the witless orphaned boy-king Adiran, the political becomes inextricably mixed with the supernatural. Numerous grisly murders counterpoint the simmering sexual tensions underlying Janus's quest for his lost love, Maledicte. Robins's tapestry of lies, deception and violence is deftly woven but not for the fainthearted. (Apr.)
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Review
“Gripping . . . Robins deftly paints a unique and involving world.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Seductive language, lush character portraitures, and a decaying rich world filled with tales of lust, murder, and betrayal: Lane Robins delivers and leaves the reader wanting more.”—C. E. Murphy, author of The Queen’s Bastard



From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey (April 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345495748
• ISBN-13: 978-0345495747
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #224,670 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (3.5) An Acquired Taste, May 13, 2009

By	Melusine (www.FantasyLiterature.net) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I wasn't sure I'd like this one. Janus Ixion as the protagonist? I hated Janus in Maledicte. I started reading Kings and Assassins with that loathing firmly in place, and in the early pages of the book, he didn't do much to make me like him any better. I didn't like the other characters either. I didn't care about Janus, I didn't care that he missed Maledicte, I didn't care about his wife or about their endless quarrels, and I couldn't have cared less who ended up regent for Prince Adiran after King Aris's assassination. What kept me going was Lane Robins' prose, which I enjoyed as much as ever.

Imagine my surprise when, halfway through the book, I found myself thinking that Antyre was in deep trouble if Janus lost his bid for the regency.

Oh, he didn't become a nice guy or anything, have no fear. But I did realize that neither Maledicte nor Gilly saw him clearly. Maledicte idealized him too much until the very end; Gilly vilified him too much. He's complicated. He's violent, ambitious, ruthless, but also intelligent and keenly interested in the welfare of Antyre, even when his concern is based on selfish motives. He's also the only noble in the kingdom who has any idea what life is like for Antyre's poor. He's a bit like a George R.R. Martin character in some ways. Every time I started hating him, he'd do something admirable, often for all the wrong reasons. Every time I started liking him, he'd do something so horribly unethical that I wondered what I'd been thinking.

Kings and Assassins follows Janus as he tries to scheme his way through the Antyrrian court and prevent the country from being taken over by neighboring Itarus in the aftermath of Aris's death. It's not easy; he is opposed at every turn by snobbish Antyrrian nobles, a grasping Itarusine prince, angry working-class mobs, and his own wife, Psyke, who is convinced Janus had Aris killed. Not to even mention the gods: Black-Winged Ani is still on the scene, and now Haith, the god of death, has awakened as well.

I didn't read this quite as compulsively as I read Maledicte, and I'm not sure if the fault lies with the book or with the fact that I was trying to fit it into a busier schedule. I do know that I enjoyed reading it once I got past the initial "I hate all the characters" stage. Recommended if you like political fantasies and don't mind gore and characters with skewed moral compasses!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Why is Lane Robins not more popular?, April 30, 2009

By	A. Murphy (IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While this book is the second in a series after Maledicte, it also works well as a standalone political fantasy. To the readers of the first book, it is quite interesting to see Janus from the inside as not someone who's blandly smiling but someone of passion who cares about the world around him (a trait that facilitates world-building, fortunately, and improves upon the often hazy setting of Maledicte).

The plot of the book is quite solid, but the book's memorability lies in characterization. While I found the villain a little silly and melodramatic, Janus is an extremely likeable character; the book's ending made me genuinely curious to see where he heads next.

I definitely recommend reading whatever Lane Robins writes (under her own name or penname Lyn Benedict) and hope she gets more fans!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intrigue, violence, and strong writing make this truly enjoyable, but it pales in comparison to its predecessor. Recommended, April 30, 2009

By	Juushika (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews

Janus Ixion, once a street rat and now Earl of Last, is determined to revitalize stagnating Anytre by becoming its king. But when his wife is possessed by the god of death and his former tutor challenges him for the throne, Janus must use all his cunning to protect the nation which seeks to destroy him. Skillfully written, full of intrigue and violence, this is a rich, nuanced, and truly enjoyable book. However, it pales in comparison to its predecessor, Maledicte, because Janus is not nearly so fascinating a protagonist as the main character of that book. Nonetheless recommended, but this is not Robins's best.

Kings and Assassins invites comparison to Maledicte because it's that book's sequel--but also because Janus still mourns the loss of Maledicte and mentions him frequently. What made Maledicte a success was a foundation of strong writing, intelligent plot, riveting violence, and a magic-imbued fantasy world (so often missing in the fantasy of manners subgenre) capped by an exceptional protagonist: Maledicte's unique gender and his combination of ready wit and sword made him a fascinating antihero. Kings and Assassins is by the same author, and much of Robins's strong writing is in evidence here. Skillful plotting and visceral violence persist, and the setting and mythos are further developed. It's a rich and decadent and nuanced book, and a pleasure to read. But Kings and Assassins lacks an unforgettable protagonist, and so it pales in comparison to Maledicte. Janus is an interesting character, intelligent and cunning, but he is merely human where Maledicte is god-touched. Both characters are faulted, but Janus's faults are not set against a larger-than-life personality. Indeed, he's almost normal. That's not a bad thing, but within the vivid setting and when compared to the protagonist of the prequel, it's somewhat disappointing.

Taken on its own, Kings and Assassins is a good book. Robins is skilled; she writes a story to keep the reader guessing, action to keep him intrigued, and characters to keep him thinking. The book also stands alone, for the most part--if you don't read Maledicte you'll miss some of Janus's backstory, but this book's plot is self-contained. It's almost a pity that the book is a sequel. On its own, it's an impressive novel; it's only in comparison to its predecessor that it seems pale: not bad, just not quite as unforgettable as Maledicte, which I love so much. I recommend Kings and Assassins, but Maledicte remains Robins's best work so far.