Dawn of Assassins: A Dark Roguish Fantasy Boxed Set

by Jon Cronshaw

Fedor and Lev are thieves… …neither signed up to be killers. But when they're unwillingly recruited by a master assassin with a dark agenda, the stakes turn lethal.Can they survive Soren's increasingly perilous trials designed to twist their morals and endanger their lives? How far will Fedor and Lev go to reclaim their freedom?Perfect for mature readers, Dawn of Assassins delivers a fast-paced blend of suspense, moral ambiguity, and non-stop action. This collection brings together three gritty dark fantasy Dawn of Assassins, Trial of Thieves, and Crucible of Shadows.In a world where trust is a luxury and assassins loom in the shadows, are you ready to confront the barriers of morality and survival?Dare you face the dawn?Order now.

914 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Jon Cronshaw is a British science fiction and fantasy author based in the north of England, just south of the wall.
As a freelance features writer, he has had work published in local and national newspapers across the UK, including the Yorkshire Post and the Guardian.
He earned his PhD in history of art from the University of Leeds in 2011, focusing on the life and work of Anglo-American sculptor, Jacob Epstein (1880-1959).
He's a voracious reader, guide dog owner, ex-gamer, and wrestling fan.

Reviews

[Beba Andric]

This was such a fun read! Pure escapism in the best possible way, Two friends, who are thieves, find themselves in a tenuous situation, retained by an assassin who gives them a choice, learn to be assassins or die. I liked the banter between the two of them as they try desperately to escape from the clutches of the assassin. And thus starts an adventure, an adventure that had me laughing at times, annoyed at times, delighted at times but always engaged, always wanting to see what else Fedor and his crew get up to and what will befall them next. And golly does that set the trend for this series! A very unlikely bunch, a very unlikely band of thieves keep putting their foot into it good and solid! Which they constantly try to get out of. Which was the fun part I mentioned earlier, their banter and their wheeling and dealing ends them in untold deep water, time and time again and watching them flailing about, well heck, great fun! Not all is pure fun, there was lots of action and really tense moments, a wonderful balance. Why annoying at times? Well, the author did a terrific job of inserting characters you'd love to shake, like Melita, she comes across almost timid initially and yes, a complete wuss, but she overcomes her "wussness" and shows her loyalty to the crew. Which they all have in abundance. And Lev, self righteous, pompous, know it all Lev, took annoying to a whole new level but here's the thing, it's all a front, he's actually the most caring and loyal crew, albeit in his weird way. The author really pulled the wool over my eyes with Lev. Lev who I subsequently came to adore.

I loved how they muddled their way through all the dangers and trust me, there were lots of dangers, they were so out of their depth one can't help rooting for them. The further the plot unfolds, the further they flail and when Fedor "inherits" a magical dagger, a wyvern comes with it, a snarky, clever wyvern who runs circles around them. She's hilarious, especially when she doesn't really understand how humans communicate, loved her.

A really fun read, action, incredible shenanigans and banter. A read full of ill advice, morals which are questionable at best, a crew who's somehow trying to get out of a life they've been thrust into, except life has an entirely different view on this, as their circumstances become more dire with each book. But their bond, their comradery, aside from relentless bickering, their fierce protection of one another resounds throughout, bar a few lapses here and there, is pure majesty. The authors definitely took this series to a new place, one that had me guessing quite a few times, one that had me firmly behind each of them and one that really really wanted them to succeed. This is a series that worms itself into your very core, snuggling up nicely and attaching itself firmly to carry around for a long long time Lighthearted adventure with real dangers, a highly enjoyable read.

[David Taylor]

Excellent fantasy series!

A few years ago, I was introduced to Jon Cronshaw’s fantasy writing, I don’t remember how that introduction occurred, but I sure am happy it occurred. Having read all the episodes of Mr. Cronshaw’s Ravenglass Chronicles series when Dawn of Assassins was released in 2022 the ability to follow a new series in that same world, albeit a bit later in time, was something I couldn’t pass up. While it took me a bit over a year to read the three books in this box set it was well worth the wait between books. For those of you considering reading this box set you are in for a treat, not only will you get the entire series in one set, but you will also have it all at once.

The first book in the Dawn of Assassins series took me by complete surprise not just by how much I enjoyed getting to know the characters and refamiliarize myself with Jon’s worldbuilding, but the length of this book. Unlike the previous Ravengalss Chronicles series where each installment was a novella, Dawn of Assassins is a full-length novel which allowed the story to fully develop as well as create a deep foundation for the future stories to build upon.

Trial of Thieves the second installment in the Dawn of Assassins series from Jon Cronshaw is a very entertaining read. Overall, its focus is Fedor’s reluctance to assume the role he was training for with Soren and the role he has inherited after besting Soren. Along with Fedor’s angst over his role, there is ample action and intrigue to keep the story highly entertain as it progresses to what is a satisfying conclusion not to mention an excellent jumping off point for the next book in this series.

Crucible of Shadows is the journey of Fedor and Lev as they and the crew take on their biggest challenge and try to avoid becoming fatalities of past mistakes. With non-stop action and plenty of intrigue Fedor and the crew try to correct the mistakes of their past as well as cement a future.

The Dawn of Assassins series, is a great example of Jon’s fantasy writing, especially the latest book in the series Crucible of Shadows. After reading Trial of Thieves, I got the feeling that while the story was particularly good, it didn’t feel like Jon’s normal writing. Well, Crucible of Shadows not only felt like Jon’s normal writing it is some of his best writing that I have read out of the three series and various stand-alone stories.

If you are a fantasy fan, or a fan of Jon Cronshaw’s writing, this series is excellent, and would make a perfect introduction to his writing. If you are new and chose to read this series, fair warning that you will most likely be reading The Wasteland series and the Ravenglass Chronicles in the very near future.

[Debbie Eyre]

An awesome boxset!
Book one
This is a great start into this new series. The world building is simply incredible and so beautiful and you find yourself drawn into it. The storyline is well paced, intense and full of drama, suspense, action and adventure and the characters are just great. The banter is great and very relatable and I just loved their interactions. Excitement, danger there’s so much going on and I cannot wait to read more!
Book two
This is such a great fantasy read as we carry on from where book one left us. Fedor is so not an assassin but he killed in self defence and now he is the master instead of the apprentice. This is well paced and full of magic, adventure and action in this gritty, thrilling and highly entertaining fantasy. It’s a fun read with some great characters and a crew who are so out of their depth as their loyalties are tested. Twists and turns and suspense will keep you hooked and reading till the very end!
Book three
This incredible series getting darker and more intense as the adventures of Fedor and crew continue and of course take a turn for the worse as their secret of pretending to assainate Patrov is discovered. Fedor continues to struggle with his addiction as his crew face more danger than before. Fast paced, action packed, this family of misfits find themselves falling from one bad situation into another but always end up on their feet, kinda like cats! They fight, they bicker and their banter is fun to witness and when the going gets tough, they all stick together. It’s a dark and gritty fantasy series that just gets keeps better and better and has me hooked!

[Lisa Hunt]

Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. For those that love high danger zones, meet the crew of a den of thieves that were chosen by an assassin to do more than just the usual thief type agendas. When a dragon meets Fedor and Lev for the first time, they are drawn into a mysterious world, one of shadow blades, different dimensions and crime like no other. Thirty three has been their code for abandoning plans if things go wrong, but in their new job, that really is not an option. They are not killers by nature, and as they stumble along trying to plan things they are told to do, interesting developments happen. The characters are endearing, snarky and a bit on the wild side, but they band together during the danger and sometimes evil circumstances. The action is high, the suspense is nail biting and the storyline will keep you gripped to the pages as the plot unfolds.

[Terry M]

This boxset is definitely a worthy read with good, likeable characters. Working as a team of petty thieves, Fedor, Lev and their crewmates, often find themselves in precarious situations. Fedor and Lev bounce off each other and provide plenty of entertainment with their funny quips and hilarious banter. Continuous action throughout the series, containing double -crossing, fights, murder, desperation, drug addiction and more. Overall an excellent, must read series. Highly recommended. 

[Thomas Moretto]

This series was a blast.

This series was a blast. There is action, Magic, Wyverns. assassins, and thieves what more do you want. I totally recommend this series 100%.

Jon crownshaw will definitely entertain you with a lot of awesome stories. You can find him on Patreon, X.com(Twitter) and Instagram and his website and on his Facebook page. I highly recommend it for you to check his stories out.

[Jackie]

What a collection of stories. Fedor and Lev are signed up to fight unwittingly. There’s danger that they’re hoping to avoid. How will they manage to survive this. Outstanding.

[Nolan Kee]

Epic Read

Epic read. Throughly enjoyed the Dawn of Assassins box set . Friendships, trust , addiction , morals taken to the limit. Enjoy a strong story with characters.

[Vincent]

Guess I didn't realize it was YA fiction. I imagine if I were 12-15 it would have been pretty good.