The Assassin's Way

by J.M. Kearl

Brought to you by Penguin.

Never go out at night. Lock the doors. Ignore the screams.

Those are the rules Aesira lives by to survive the monsters that stalk her village. But everything changes when it’s revealed she’s been born with the power to fight the vampires she’s spent her life fearing.

Aesira is thrust into the elite and secretive League of Assassins, where mercy is weakness and fear is forbidden. Now her survival depends on her ruthless trainer, Vander – the most dangerous assassin of them all. And the only thing more lethal than his blade is the desire he awakens in her.

Because the greatest threat in Nighthaven might not be the monsters lurking in the dark…

It might be him.

JM Kearl 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Vampires, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Slow Burn

451 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 2026

Reviews

[Haley St John · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Guys guys GUYSSSSS!!!!! This book was so good and such a breath of fresh air in the romantasy space for real. I am genuinely so obsessed with everything JM Kearl did when writing this book. Vampires and assassins will alwaysssss be one of my favorite tropes, but often it is turned SO SO lusty and incredibly spicy. Not this time!!!!! This book is completely closed door, the main characters build an emotional relationship that isn’t based off of lust for each other, and the yearning is just uhh through the roof. Also. This is a TRUE slow burn. The beginning 30% definitely took me a little bit to get into, I was always intrigued, but I wasn’t 100% obsessed until that point which is the only reason why I’m going with a four instead of a five. We also leave off on such a great note for setting up book two I genuinely couldn’t be more excited to read it. Fortunately, I was able to receive an ARC of this book! Unfortunately that means I have a longgggg time to wait until book two releases. Definitely don’t sleep on this one guys, a new top rec for closed door romantasy for me!

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a binge worthy fantasy read. I loved the fast paced plot, the slow burn romance, and the twists the story took! Definitely left me excited for the next book.

Thank you to Grimm & Co for the gifted copy.

[Shannon Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This storyline had all the elements to be so perfect! I just needed a little more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🫑

[Alicia | kindleandmagic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bingeable, very FBAA-coded, easy and fast-paced. Some issues with the writing but great if you just want a quick fantasy read with a slow burn.

Thank you Grimm & Co for the advanced copy!

[Danielle Pulliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

**𝔄ℜℭ ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴** 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔄𝔰𝔰𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔫'𝔰 𝔚𝔞𝔶 𝔟𝔶 𝔍.𝔐. 𝔎𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔩

Release Day: June 18, 2026

5⭐️3🌶

This book had me hook, line, and sinker IMMEDIATELY. I really shouldn't have been surprised, because it's written by the amazing J. M. Kearl. This book is a coming of age story as well as gothic/dark acadamia, touch her and you die, and student-mentor romance vibes. I ATE THIS BOOK UP AND LEFT NO CRUMBS.

Minor Spoilers Ahead:

Aesira turns of age at 19 and has lived outside the very high walls of Nighthaven her whole life. Every night her family is sure to make it to the safety of their home before the vampires come out to prowel every night. On the day of the Rite, her father advises her to hide her inhuman speed, but it's all for naught because there is a mage there can sense special abilities.

Vander aka Viper is the one to see and select her for the League of Assassin's even before the Mage senses her inhuman abilities. As such, Commander Locke places Aesira as Vander's apprentice, and it will be a lock few years with the romantic and sexual tension between the two of them that they can't act on.

Also, of course Vander is the best assassin with the most kills besides the two commanders, and he works with Aesira for weeks and weeks to hone her skills to match his own. So, when she meets vampires out beyond the walls, she won't be in any danger of injury or dying.

I will hard pressed to wait for the next one in this series. There is so much tension and secrets that need to be revealed, I literally cannot wait. If you're a fan of From Blood and Ash, this one is definately for you.

Themes/Tropes:
🍁Trainer x Apprentice / Mentor x Student
🍁Gothic School/Dark Acadamia
🍁Assassin Training
🍁Enemies-to-Lovers
🍁Slow Burn & Yearning
🍁Forced Proximity
🍁"Touch Her and Die" / Protective MMC
🍁Forbidden Romance
🍁There’s Only One Horse
🍁Vampires vs. Vampire Hunters
🍁Hidden Magic & Rare Power
🍁Secretive Guilds / Secret Societies
🍁Found Family
🍁Political Intrigue
🍁Wond Tending & Secret Scars

TW:
✨Graphic Violence & Gore
✨Brutal death of family members or fellow villagers
✨Vampirism & Blood Drinking
✨Death & Grief
✨Abuse of Power
✨Captivity & Confinement
✨Profanity & Mature Language
✨Sexual Content

[Lilian Morgaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biggest issue was the writing style. It’s difficult to explain, but it constantly felt much younger than I expected. Even though this isn’t marketed as YA, it read like one to me. I could see the ambition behind the worldbuilding and the characters, but the execution never fully landed.

The plot also felt very predictable. Many of the twists and reveals were heavily foreshadowed to the point where I could see them coming from miles away, so there wasn’t much tension or surprise left.

I also struggled with the main character. She’s only nineteen, and she definitely acts her age. Unfortunately, that often translated into being very naive and occasionally frustrating to follow. I never really formed an emotional connection with her, or honestly with most of the cast.

The one exception was Vander. He was easily the most interesting character in the book, and he’s honestly the main reason I kept reading. I wanted to learn more about him, because he brought some much-needed intrigue whenever he was on the page. Without him, I probably would have DNF’d this around the 20% mark.

Overall, this was one of those books where nothing ever truly clicked. I never felt immersed in the world, I never became attached to the characters, and something about the entire reading experience just felt… off. It wasn’t a terrible book, but it simply wasn’t for me.

[Clarissa Labue-Pham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Assassin's Way is a gripping, non-stop thrill ride with crazy twists and scintillating romance.

In the Assassin's Way, 19-year-old Aesira's secret as a ducai is uncovered, and she's forced to become an assassin-in-training with her mysterious and brooding training partner Vander. There are crazy twists, lots of yearning, and plenty of action to keep this fast-paced fiction from ever getting stale.

I loved the characters. There's a found family aspect here. I enjoyed the character interactions between Aesira and her friends as well as between her and her rival, Beast. Vander is mysterious and I really can't say anything about him without giving major plot points and twists away, but suffice it to say he is multidimensional and will keep you on your toes. The romance is swoon-worthy too.

Usually it takes me months to read books because I read so many at once. I read this in a handful of weeks; I was so enraptured. If you like vampires and romantasy this is a must-read.

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once again we have a tiny, untrained, allegedly ordinary girl who is somehow different but special meeting the dark, mysterious MMC who communicates exclusively with secret-keeping. She also has a psychotic male bully who's personally offended by her existence and a past lover who underestimate her. All this adds up to another copy and paste romantasy book.

[Tiffany Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🤩 rounding up for Goodreads

I actually really did enjoy the story! I thought the spin of a vampire narrative like this was pretty unique and I feel like I haven’t read anything like this yet

I loved the whole premise of this academy where different types of gifted people were learning to use those gifts to fight back and assassinate vampires..

Like as soon as you put me in a world where there’s an academy setting, I swoon.. and then add on top of that a SLOW BURN mentor mentee relationship were the mentor is a Broody, Morley grey, and extremely dangerous assassin.. like say less I’m so there

I generally thought this one was such a good read, and I would highly recommend

[Gerbera_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was no steam high stakes vampire romantasy. I liked the MCs, the plot twists, and the side characters. The world building was lacking. The book was okay for me because I didn't like the writing style. It was tell and not show. I didn't feel the emotional depth, or love, or agony. I was told that I should feel them. The author failed to emotionally hurt me through their writing. I felt nothing. I finished because the plot and the goings on were interesting. I do not know if I want to continue. Maybe this author is just not for me.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, saying it was good is an understatement. I've read the author's other series and this one blows the other ones out of the water.

It was so good. It was written well, I could tell that everything was planned out, and there were twists and turns I didn't see coming. I even got attached to the characters. I can't wait for book 2.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

oooooo this was really good & I loved all the plot twists!!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My heart belongs to you. Stab it, keep it, it’s yours.”

This is the kind of slow burn that I LOVE……. undeniable chemistry, toe-curling tension, and screaming for them to just kiss already!!! I ate this book up and stayed up way too late to finish it! Vander is HOT, protective, tortured, a little mysterious, and exactly my type of MMC! Aesira is essentially forced to join the league of assassins and the banter between her and Vander as trainer/apprentice was fantastic! You could just feel all the walls breaking down between the two of them as they are forced to essentially be together 24/7 during her training. I loved the plot development and the concept of the four different guilds for training to help the humans and ducai win the war against the vampires. The twists and that ending have me so excited for the next book!

✨Humans and Vampires
✨Training guilds
✨Forced proximity
✨Touch her and die
✨Slow burn
✨Little bit forbidden
✨Wound care
✨Grief comfort

[AOKayy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to J.M. Kearl for the ARC of The Assassin's Way!

This story follows Aesira, who lives outside the city walls, where her family is constantly threatened by the vampires that hunt in the surrounding forest. When the kingdom holds a ceremony to test people for magical abilities, Aesira discovers she possesses magic and is recruited into the League of Assassins, an elite group dedicated to hunting and killing vampires. She is assigned to train under Vander, and what begins as a trainer-and-apprentice relationship quickly develops into a forbidden, slow-burn romance, with both of them hiding secrets that could prove deadly.

This book pulled me in from the very first chapter. The world-building is immersive, and the unique magic system, along with the different magical houses, vampires, and humans. Add in a trainer-and-apprentice romance, a protective MMC who falls first, and twists and betrayals that completely caught me off guard, and I was hooked. That ending was absolutely insane, and I cannot wait for book two!

[abi. · Rating 5 out of 5]

── ✦✦✦✦✦:

“Then one day I will meet you on the battlefield and I’ll ask you to put that dagger through my heart. It’s yours to take— to end.”
“You know you can’t escape me.”
“There was a time I wanted to die, but you have given me reason to live, Aesira.”

WHAT THE FUCK. I’m actually gobsmacked that I read this in one sitting and it was so fucking good. I will never ever get over this and this will live in my mind rent free. I’m actually obsessed with everyone.

The plot? FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC. I’ve never been so swept up in world building like this. The politics— the slightly dystopian elements with vampires?? It was so well done that there is absolutely nothing you can get confused on.

Vander— VANDER. What a man. The way this man spews such romantic shit actually makes me want to kill myself. He is easily one of the top book boyfriends for me. I cannot get over him— I need to be sedated whenever he opens his goddamn book and his mouth in the last 40 pages? Pure unfiltered desperation. And that’s the way a man should be.

Aesira was such a brilliant female character to read a point of view in. Her personality was so intriguing and it felt like an actual human I knew. She felt like a friend at some points and I loved her development from being scared to so confident and deadly.

Side characters? A+. This was God tier. I need book two NOW.

[BadWolfShells · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I loved this book!!! So much fun. Vampires and Vampire Assassins!

[Aminah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read! When does book 2 come out?!

[Ari ☾]

♡𝓅𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹♡
Okay, I know that my currently reading pile is ginormous, but this book has been sitting on my shelf calling for me. The art on the Fairyloot endpapers and hardcover are just too pretty to ignore.

[Nikita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first off just want to say that I do not support this authors views nor do I agree with them.

Having said that, it almost pains me to give this book 4 stars. It really was good and refreshing. There were times where the writing wasn't the best and the story sagged, but overall I enjoyed it a lot more than I wanted to. Some of the twists I expected, and some I didnt. This gave Divergent vibes but make them assassins. Due to my disagreement with the authors views, I'm not sure if I'll continue the series, even thought the book itself is good enough to make me want to.

[Nicole ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall fast paced and easy to get into with a decent plot which is what I needed but my god was the fmc childish. The writing needed some work.

[Yanisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very beginning, this book completely pulled me in. Aesira - the girl with the different colored eyes (fact in obsessed with) and something distinctly different about her, instantly had me intrigued. There was this constant feeling that there was more beneath the surface, and I loved uncovering it alongside her.

The world building was done really well, especially the way the class system and society were structured. It felt immersive without being overwhelming, and I quickly got a strong sense of how harsh and divided this world truly was.

Then comes Vander “Viper”; our MMC whose entire presence practically demands your attention. He has this dangerous, mysterious energy that keeps you on edge every time he’s on the page. And the chemistry between him and Aesira? Absolute chef’s kiss. The slow burn was done perfectly and had me hanging onto every interaction between them.

&+ the plot twists?! Just when I thought I understood where the story was heading, another curveball was thrown a few chapters later. I was genuinely shocked multiple times.

This book had action, tension, mystery, romance, and enough twists to keep me fully invested from start to finish. I seriously cannot wait for book two.

[Bazia · Rating 2 out of 5]

sometimes i like to think i’m pretty easy to entertain, then i pick up another romantasy… and remember exactly who i am👺
this review could probably fit ten different books, because they all feel the same nowadays. same tropes. same “not like other girls” FMC. same mysterious MMC.

this story itself had potential, but writing? very meh.

instead of exploring vampire theory, world in general or what was actually happening outside the main plot, author chose to focus on cringe inner monologues about for example “sleeping in the same room with a man”, abs descriptions or filler moments…

i honestly don’t know who this book was written for, but unfortunately, i’m clearly not the target audience

and no, “it’s YA” isn’t an excuse, it doesn’t automatically mean a shallow story!
i’ve read plenty of YA books that were emotional, well-written, and surprisingly mature. unfortunately this one is not
2 stars for great idea only

[Lowri Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
VAMPIRES & YEARNERS ARE SO BACK

[Bailey Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I didn’t DNF is because I had spent an audible credit.

I wanted to like this book, but from the prose to the plot, nothing about it was inventive, original, or soulful. I can be forgiving about predictive plot points if it is executed well enough (especially with commercial romantasy, which relies on tropes often), but in this case, the execution was also mid. It’s labeled as a dark romantasy, but it was not dark, its romance was derivative, and its fantasy was underwhelming.

The dialogue was so bad. The protagonist’s personality is copy-paste from booktock memes at worst, and mary-sue at best. Emotional beats are forced. The deuteragonist was, as they so often are in books like this, just a projection of female wish-fulfillment whose only flaws were well-intended deceit and being overprotective (both cliche and tired).

The monsters were not scary. The fights were all
predictable and felt like they were there to check off certain boxes that publishers just happen to like right now.

This book should have been edited down to half the length it was to cut redundancies and things that went without saying. It somehow managed to be verbose and also linguistically shallow.

Maybe I’m being harsh, but honestly I can only roll my eyes so many times.

[Lee-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Assassin's Way. It was an entertaining read from start to finish.

[Anniek Wielinga · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25

Heb dit boek in één zitting gelezen door de nacht heen lol very bingeworthy🤭

[Kirsten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well this was ####. Nothing even happens. Just some secrets are being exposed and bam this story will continue in the next book.

[Jordan]

4.5 stars? I think.

I love chocolate cake. If I get chocolate cake three days in a row, I’ll get a little tired it, but I’ll still eat every last bite.

That’s like this romantasy. It’s formulaic, and I’ve read similar stories many times, but it’s a formula I enjoy so I still inhaled every crumb. The vampire aspect hasn’t been madly overused as of late, so that did help, but this is a defenseless girl being selected for an elite force, learning to fight, and falling for the mysterious untouchable guy who’s the best at what they do. It is nothing new, so if you are not in the mood for that, do not pick this up. But I reiterate: I still inhaled every crumb!!

I found the romance in this really cute. It’s trainer/apprentice and very against the rules, two tropes that I always love. I also thought it was very well paced, and am pleasantly surprised by how excited I am to see their relationship continue in the next book. Everything didn’t already happen in this one (and what did happen made sense, because a full year actually passed in this story!). There are a few early lusty thoughts typical of the genre, but it wasn’t overpowering at all and they developed a real friendship too.

The writing was easily readable and I was sucked in immediately, but I wouldn’t say skill wise it’s particularly great. It can be a bit stilted/clunky, and some of the dialogue trended towards robotic at times, especially early on. Obviously I still had a blast and this didn’t majorly impact my enjoyment, but it’s part of why I didn’t quite give it a full five stars. Also mentioning it because I know it will bother a lot of people a lot more than me. It’s a vibes read for sure.

Overall this was such a pleasant surprise from a book I really had somewhat low expectations for/wasn’t even that excited to read. I’d say this is my most pleasant surprise of the year so far.

[Geri • GardensandGrimoires · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aseria has spent her life outside the walls of Nighthaven, dreaming of discovering whether she possesses one of the special abilities needed to join the elite Ducai. On her nineteenth birthday, she finally gets her chance... and finds herself recruited into the League of Assassins.

Most of the story takes place within the academy and the city of Nighthaven, with a strong focus on assassin training rather than vampire battles. If you're expecting lots of vampire action, you might find it a little lighter than anticipated - vampires don’t really show up until the final third of the book. Yes, there are some stabby deaths along the way, but I suspect the Nocturne city will play a much bigger role in future books. That said, I really enjoyed watching Aseria grow into her assassin self, and the story is surprisingly fast-paced, with plenty of twists that kept me turning the pages.

The dynamic between Aseria and her reluctant mentor, Vander, is a definite highlight. Broody, mysterious, and carrying a complicated past, Vander isn’t thrilled about taking on another apprentice after his last two mysteriously disappeared. Their guardian-apprentice relationship slowly develops into something more, layered with tension, secrets, and plenty of emotional push-and-pull.

Although the characters are 19+, this felt much closer to YA fantasy than adult romantasy. The romance takes a back seat to the training and worldbuilding, with emotional tension and a little bit of lip action but no real spice.

We've also got a one horse scene and plenty of "touch her and die" energy, which I'm always happy to see.

4.5. I would have loved a little more found family backstories and for some of the worldbuilding to be shown rather than explained, but this was still a fast-paced, enjoyable start to what I believe is a trilogy. I'll definitely be picking up the next book.

Thank you to Penguin and the author for the ARC.

[Taylor Looney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I think the overall story was really good and unique. I love J.M. Kearls style of writing and she is forever an author I’m automatically reading. The Assassins Way gave me major Divergent vibes with the way they’re split into guilds like the factions. The assassins guild is basically Dauntless lol and i LOVE it.

We follow Aesira who comes from one of many unprotected villages outside the walled city that governs everyone. As humans, which 99% of those outside the wall are, if you’re not inside your house with the doors locked when night falls then you’re just vampire food. The people inside the wall look down on those outside, and those outside hate the people in the wall for locking them out like they’re expendable/worthless. In this universe we have vampires, humans, and “super” humans called the ducai, who have your basic enhanced traits like strength, speed, vision, hearing, etc. So, every citizen, regardless if you come from in the wall or outside of it, has to be tested when they reach 19 years old to see if they are ducai or human. If they are ducai, they are expected, if not forced, to join a guild and live inside the wall. If you have magic (not all ducai do), you have to be a mage. If you have mental powers (very rare) you’re probably set to be a scholar. The rest are split between warriors who are essentially the army, and the assassins who go on stealth missions.

Aesira, sweet naive girl, assumed she was human like her family but when she is 19 she is declared ducai, ripped from her family, immediately snatched by the assassins guild and assigned a hunky mentor who is none other than the assassin legend known as Viper - cue the mentor/apprentice, “forbidden” love trope, angst, and sexual tension