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An Assassin's Vengeance
An assassin seeking revenge. A young sorceress grappling with her power. An enemy on a throne.
Gilmir, an elven assassin, wrestles with torment, doubting every choice and yearning for a fresh start. Yet fate deals him a cruel hand, reducing his life to ashes, and only an unyielding thirst for revenge keeps him breathing. But vengeance is never served on a silver platter.
Ada, a streetwise runaway with a unique gift, becomes the prey of power-hungry pursuers. As she flees a monstrous adversary, she realizes the threat extends far beyond her life. Can she master her powers in time to preserve her sanity and survival?
When Gilmir and Ada cross paths, they uncover a common enemy. Their journey plunges into the shadows, unveiling the true faces of their adversaries. A malevolent conspiracy threatens to unravel their world, compelling them to unite against impending catastrophe. But will they grasp the necessity of collaboration?
Prepare for relentless action, heart-pounding battles, and a meticulously crafted magic system that enriches this dark tale. Amidst the grit and gloom, discover threads of hope and redemption as Gilmir and Ada confront their inner demons, finding solace and strength in each other.
If you seek an enthralling, immersive read, "An Assassin’s Vengeance" delivers a gripping adventure through a world where vengeance knows no bounds. Get your copy now!
Parts of this book has previously been published as 'A Harvest of Broken Stars'
Gilmir, an elven assassin, wrestles with torment, doubting every choice and yearning for a fresh start. Yet fate deals him a cruel hand, reducing his life to ashes, and only an unyielding thirst for revenge keeps him breathing. But vengeance is never served on a silver platter.
Ada, a streetwise runaway with a unique gift, becomes the prey of power-hungry pursuers. As she flees a monstrous adversary, she realizes the threat extends far beyond her life. Can she master her powers in time to preserve her sanity and survival?
When Gilmir and Ada cross paths, they uncover a common enemy. Their journey plunges into the shadows, unveiling the true faces of their adversaries. A malevolent conspiracy threatens to unravel their world, compelling them to unite against impending catastrophe. But will they grasp the necessity of collaboration?
Prepare for relentless action, heart-pounding battles, and a meticulously crafted magic system that enriches this dark tale. Amidst the grit and gloom, discover threads of hope and redemption as Gilmir and Ada confront their inner demons, finding solace and strength in each other.
If you seek an enthralling, immersive read, "An Assassin’s Vengeance" delivers a gripping adventure through a world where vengeance knows no bounds. Get your copy now!
Parts of this book has previously been published as 'A Harvest of Broken Stars'
- GenresFantasy
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 6, 2023
150 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Tom Cleverly
3 books8 followersTom Cleverly is an author of dark fantasy that transports readers to magical worlds filled with adventure, danger, and mystery. His stories are known for their intriguing characters and intense battle scenes.
Cleverly’s love of fantasy began at a young age when he first discovered the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and RA Salvatore. He spent countless hours exploring the imaginary realms of Middle-earth and Menzoberranzean and was inspired to create his own magical worlds as a Gamemaster and a writer.
Tom’s love of fantasy extends beyond his writing. In his free time, he can often be found travelling and exploring the outdoors, seeking inspiration for his work. Cleverly is also an avid gamer, with a particular fondness for strategy and roleplaying games.
After finishing his studies in history and psychology at the university, Cleverly wrote and published several books in the historical fiction genre. In 2019, he began working on his first fantasy novel, An Assassin’s Vengeance, portraying the hazardous adventures of an elven assassin and a young sorceress.
Fans of Tom’s work can look forward to many more exciting adventures in the years to come as he continues to push the boundaries of fantasy fiction and captivate readers with his vivid imagination and deft storytelling.
Tom Cleverly trivia:
- As a kid, Tom was kidnapped on holiday in Africa.
- Tom is terrified of bees after involuntarily trapping one in his underwear in the summer of 2003. The experience was even worse for the bee.
- In his twenties, Tom won the regional floorball championship. Not alone, of course, but his team won and Tom contributed.
- Tom is a terrible dancer. As a teenager, he was punched in the face by a stranger who insisted he danced like a… female body part.
Cleverly’s love of fantasy began at a young age when he first discovered the works of J. R. R. Tolkien and RA Salvatore. He spent countless hours exploring the imaginary realms of Middle-earth and Menzoberranzean and was inspired to create his own magical worlds as a Gamemaster and a writer.
Tom’s love of fantasy extends beyond his writing. In his free time, he can often be found travelling and exploring the outdoors, seeking inspiration for his work. Cleverly is also an avid gamer, with a particular fondness for strategy and roleplaying games.
After finishing his studies in history and psychology at the university, Cleverly wrote and published several books in the historical fiction genre. In 2019, he began working on his first fantasy novel, An Assassin’s Vengeance, portraying the hazardous adventures of an elven assassin and a young sorceress.
Fans of Tom’s work can look forward to many more exciting adventures in the years to come as he continues to push the boundaries of fantasy fiction and captivate readers with his vivid imagination and deft storytelling.
Tom Cleverly trivia:
- As a kid, Tom was kidnapped on holiday in Africa.
- Tom is terrified of bees after involuntarily trapping one in his underwear in the summer of 2003. The experience was even worse for the bee.
- In his twenties, Tom won the regional floorball championship. Not alone, of course, but his team won and Tom contributed.
- Tom is a terrible dancer. As a teenager, he was punched in the face by a stranger who insisted he danced like a… female body part.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 2, 2023
A great sword and sorcery tale with lots of inventive twists. An excellent read for any fantasy fans. Best of all there is more to come.
May 13, 2025
GOODREADS GIVEAWAY BOOK
I loved this book. There were great characters without too much character background information. The book reminded me of Drizzt Do Urdin. This could easily be a Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms book.
I loved this book. There were great characters without too much character background information. The book reminded me of Drizzt Do Urdin. This could easily be a Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms book.
Read
September 1, 2023This book started out interesting enough but after reading upwards of 60% I slowly lost interest in the story. Ultimately it just wasn't for me. Your mileage may vary.
April 21, 2023
This first release in the Mage & Assassin's series by Tom Cleverly, An Assassin's Vengeance, drops us onto an earth-like world, filled with magic users, dwarfs, gnomes, dark elves, half-lings, orcs, humans, necromancers and demons. The action is pretty much non-stop as we are introduced to each of the main characters.
They are well developed and pretty much follow the physical formula for their particular species, but there is a twist or two when it comes to their magic. I won't go into it as it would spoil some of the story but suffice to say Mr. Cleverly has been quite clever to come up with some new ways to perform it.
This is a dark fantasy, and as such there aren't very many places for wit and laughter, but there are some quick quips and banter. Some of that humor may deepen later as the story line continues.
I can't say that I liked any one character, though I did hope to see the relationship develop further between Ada and Rayn. Nor did I dislike any one bad dude in particular, except maybe the torturer.
The fight scenes were well done, especially at the end. Not so much blood and gore, but the descriptions of the technique and skill used with various weapons was exquisite.
While An Assassin's Vengeance doesn't end with a cliff hanger, it does open the door for the next book in the series, Shadow of the Dark Elf, which will be released in April, 2024.
I received this book as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
They are well developed and pretty much follow the physical formula for their particular species, but there is a twist or two when it comes to their magic. I won't go into it as it would spoil some of the story but suffice to say Mr. Cleverly has been quite clever to come up with some new ways to perform it.
This is a dark fantasy, and as such there aren't very many places for wit and laughter, but there are some quick quips and banter. Some of that humor may deepen later as the story line continues.
I can't say that I liked any one character, though I did hope to see the relationship develop further between Ada and Rayn. Nor did I dislike any one bad dude in particular, except maybe the torturer.
The fight scenes were well done, especially at the end. Not so much blood and gore, but the descriptions of the technique and skill used with various weapons was exquisite.
While An Assassin's Vengeance doesn't end with a cliff hanger, it does open the door for the next book in the series, Shadow of the Dark Elf, which will be released in April, 2024.
I received this book as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 4, 2023
Powerful and Entrancing But. .....
The opening sequence was brilliant, introducing clever Assassin character developments, tense situation, ingenious actions and james bond'ish shenanigans. But, thereafter the plot and character situations go diwnhill fast. Initial clever a character, stunningly and stupidly let's all his guards down to fall head over heels into a pathetic morass of a complex, intertwined and distictly unbelievably contrived smartass storyline. A storyline that, thankfully, concludes with the re-emergence of semi-acceptable scripting, a return to standardised plotlines and believable face to face confrontations. Yet, even here, at what should have been a sensible ending is evidence of the author being yet again Too Clever (no, not a play on his surname) for his own boots. Disappointingly so. That this book leads on to further tales comes as no surprise. However, on this basis those successive adventures I most certainly will not pay to follow on. When Tom writes without being too clever, he is wonderfully engaging and descriptively entrancing but far too many contrivances kills the enjoynent cold. If you choose to read it, don't think beyond surface level about it.
The opening sequence was brilliant, introducing clever Assassin character developments, tense situation, ingenious actions and james bond'ish shenanigans. But, thereafter the plot and character situations go diwnhill fast. Initial clever a character, stunningly and stupidly let's all his guards down to fall head over heels into a pathetic morass of a complex, intertwined and distictly unbelievably contrived smartass storyline. A storyline that, thankfully, concludes with the re-emergence of semi-acceptable scripting, a return to standardised plotlines and believable face to face confrontations. Yet, even here, at what should have been a sensible ending is evidence of the author being yet again Too Clever (no, not a play on his surname) for his own boots. Disappointingly so. That this book leads on to further tales comes as no surprise. However, on this basis those successive adventures I most certainly will not pay to follow on. When Tom writes without being too clever, he is wonderfully engaging and descriptively entrancing but far too many contrivances kills the enjoynent cold. If you choose to read it, don't think beyond surface level about it.
April 8, 2023
I absolutely loved this book!
I haven't been a regular fantasy reader since enjoying Raymond Feist some quarter century ago... but An Assassin's Vengeance seemed immediately familiar before bucking and prancing through SO MANY unexpected turns.
Author Tom Cleverly's wielding of words made the book a snorting bareback ride... without the horses.
An Assassin's Vengeance builds upon a Middle-Earth-like mythology with enough time passing for bureaucracy and urbanisation to set in. There are signs suggesting active guilds even for thieves, (familiar to those who read Feist and Pratchett) and magic seems to be everywhere, though attempts have been made to reserve it for the rich.
In this world halflings no longer reside in the hills but are scattered amongst men in the cities. The mighty elves themselves no longer muse and quaff in forests. It seems it was no surprise to spot one amongst the urban sprawl. Could it be some even held jobs? The title character certainly seemed to be working for someone. Our sort-of-hero, an Elven assassin!
What has befallen The mighty? This elf displays moments of weariness and mortal maladies.
Though we know an elf is never far from fine food, we find this one short of coins and nearly starved in a prison. And that's the least of the unexpected.
I MUST say the finale fight was BEYOND MAGNIFICENCE! You'll break your personal record for longest held breath then beat it again immediately - several times in succession.
It was that good. This scene alone makes the book earn more than five stars.
I haven't been a regular fantasy reader since enjoying Raymond Feist some quarter century ago... but An Assassin's Vengeance seemed immediately familiar before bucking and prancing through SO MANY unexpected turns.
Author Tom Cleverly's wielding of words made the book a snorting bareback ride... without the horses.
An Assassin's Vengeance builds upon a Middle-Earth-like mythology with enough time passing for bureaucracy and urbanisation to set in. There are signs suggesting active guilds even for thieves, (familiar to those who read Feist and Pratchett) and magic seems to be everywhere, though attempts have been made to reserve it for the rich.
In this world halflings no longer reside in the hills but are scattered amongst men in the cities. The mighty elves themselves no longer muse and quaff in forests. It seems it was no surprise to spot one amongst the urban sprawl. Could it be some even held jobs? The title character certainly seemed to be working for someone. Our sort-of-hero, an Elven assassin!
What has befallen The mighty? This elf displays moments of weariness and mortal maladies.
Though we know an elf is never far from fine food, we find this one short of coins and nearly starved in a prison. And that's the least of the unexpected.
I MUST say the finale fight was BEYOND MAGNIFICENCE! You'll break your personal record for longest held breath then beat it again immediately - several times in succession.
It was that good. This scene alone makes the book earn more than five stars.
June 21, 2024
A fantasy book with depth, flips & surprises. Everyone should know elves would probably be the best assassins & hot enough to where people would be more inclined to overlook their transgressions so this book starts out with that theme. Our main character is an elf assassin. His people no longer live in their beloved woods but still try to protect what is left of them though they are now in squalid intercity surroundings. He is good enough apparently where he was able to make his own judgement decisions on how he does his jobs though a bit seat of his pants in methodology. Then he is caught & thrown into a dungeon. This is then combined with the ongoing tale of "Aden" which is a street urchin girl whose disguised as a boy. Captured & thrown into a school she now has to use her real name Ada as she was immediately found out. This latest job of his he handles differently. Then he goes over his head & we will see if he can get himself out of this mess. This is an excellent darkgrim tome. I adore this author who puts a good bite on the usual Elf fantasy tales making them more realistic.
December 13, 2023
‘The strong will feed off the weak…’
Back-alley business dealings lead to dark dungeons run by those with even darker hearts.
I wanna attend a school of magic that teaches stories of demon wars, portals, and starfalls - with druids, firewielders, and shapeshifters. Just as with any other tool, magic can be used for healing or for hurting. Study your craft and hone your skills so that you are no longer a menace to yourself and others.
Some sage survival advice from the author:
‘Never turn your back on an assassin.’
Befriend anybody who gets you like this:
‘Why in the name of all the fallen gods do you deem this a good thing?’
Oh! There’s a little nugget buried in the story - why pirates wear eye patches!
On to more ‘schemes & plots; coups & chaos’ with the next in series ‘Shadow of the Dark Elf’.
Back-alley business dealings lead to dark dungeons run by those with even darker hearts.
I wanna attend a school of magic that teaches stories of demon wars, portals, and starfalls - with druids, firewielders, and shapeshifters. Just as with any other tool, magic can be used for healing or for hurting. Study your craft and hone your skills so that you are no longer a menace to yourself and others.
Some sage survival advice from the author:
‘Never turn your back on an assassin.’
Befriend anybody who gets you like this:
‘Why in the name of all the fallen gods do you deem this a good thing?’
Oh! There’s a little nugget buried in the story - why pirates wear eye patches!
On to more ‘schemes & plots; coups & chaos’ with the next in series ‘Shadow of the Dark Elf’.
April 17, 2023
I really, really liked this one. Just the right amount of snark for me. The story starts off very strongly, dropping you into the action and never lets up. Sometimes that can be hard for the reader, but in this case it was not - it was just exciting. Well written and paced, I will be excitedly awaiting the next one from this writer!. And example of the narrative "“Gilmir held the note between finger and thumb. Using his magic, he drew warmth from his body and intensified it until the parchment caught fire. Throwing the burning paper to the ground, he looked around the gloomy alley.”
Not a spoiler as it is the first few lines. I did get this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Not a spoiler as it is the first few lines. I did get this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
July 28, 2023
An Assassin's Vengeance (Mage & Assassin Book 1), my first read from first time author Tom Cleverly, 332-pages of epic fantasy. When I want to read epic fantasy I first look for author Christopher Mitchell and now I can include Tom Cleverly in that search. I look forward to reading more from this author. “I received a free Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it, in fact I liked it so much I've gone out and purchased it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
April 6, 2023
From a moment's carelessness, a lifetime of regrets can be born. When you're an assassin, it's best NOT to be careless or sloppy, because the consequences can be a very SHORT lifetime. The lives and times of those in the Middle Ages were already difficult enough, but throw in an unhealthy dose of evil magic and sometimes death was preferable. While this novel twists and turns like a flag in the wind, someone or something may be behind it all.
May 23, 2023
A really enjoyable read with interesting characters and lots of plot twists.
The magic system is solid and it was quite intriguing to read about Ada's time at the academy and her life afterwards, which is absolutely not what I expected. There are a lot of twists in this book and it surprised me every couple of pages.
I'm definitely going to read the other books in this series as soon as they are available.
Fantasy fans will love this book!
The magic system is solid and it was quite intriguing to read about Ada's time at the academy and her life afterwards, which is absolutely not what I expected. There are a lot of twists in this book and it surprised me every couple of pages.
I'm definitely going to read the other books in this series as soon as they are available.
Fantasy fans will love this book!
March 27, 2024
Received as a review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. And exquisite, visual of fantasy story that draws you right in from the beginning. The character of the eleven assassin Gilmir may be doing dirty work of taking the lives of certain kinds of people but he is not without a kind heart towards those in need of protection. What her gets drawn into is a dangerous complex web of lies and secrets that will test the skills this killer has honed over the years.
Recommended.
Recommended.
June 4, 2024
I know I read these two stories in reverse order and when I started this one, I kept thinking that I recognized this name or that person and it got confusing. So finally, I just relaxed and let the story happen. I really do love fantasy and this story is one of the reasons why. It has magic, sword play, good versus evil and all kinds of different characters. I truly enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next one in the series!
April 3, 2023
An outstanding book with strong characters. Gilmir is an assassin with a heavy heart seeking revenge on those who have mistreated him. Ada has powers that put her in danger. She finally trusts Gilmir to protect her. Together they seek to find answers. Magic and danger make this a story not to be missed.
April 12, 2024
This book rocked! I was intrigued from the first page, which quickly turned into, I can't put this book down. I loved the excitement which was beyond thrilling and the characters were perfectly broken. To the author, this was a damn good book and you have a new fan that loves your work. Can't wait to see what you do next. Amazing book.
September 12, 2025
Gilmir's world is one of death and intrigue, well plotted and good characters who don't all survive due to the political machinations deciding their future. Voan seems like the ultimate baddie always one step ahead of those out to get him but there is one who could turn out to be worse than him.
April 4, 2023
Assassins are rarely ones you want to cross. Enjoyed these characters and the world they are in and hope to read more from it
April 23, 2025
Fantastic
What a great read, the characters were believable and interesting. Well done Tom for creating interesting characters, I look forward to reading more.
What a great read, the characters were believable and interesting. Well done Tom for creating interesting characters, I look forward to reading more.
April 29, 2025
Twists and Turns
It starts very segmented and disjointed until the story finally starts coming together. Stick through the confusion and you're in for an enjoyable read.
It starts very segmented and disjointed until the story finally starts coming together. Stick through the confusion and you're in for an enjoyable read.
May 29, 2025
Quest beginner!
In this book we set up the characters; the friends are defined the foes are not as much. It is the beginning…I will read on!
In this book we set up the characters; the friends are defined the foes are not as much. It is the beginning…I will read on!
January 8, 2024
A very interesting book with lots of intense moments and great characters. Lots of twists and turns and a real page-turner. All different types of characters come together to figure out what Zetakar is planning.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews