Kings and Assassins

Antyre #2

by Lane Robins

Controlled by an aristocracy whose depraved whims bow to neither law nor god, the kingdom of Antyre is under siege from the only man who can save it. He is Janus Ixion, the new Earl of Last, a man whose matchless fighting abilities and leadership strike terror in Antyre’s powerful noble houses.

For Janus is the illegitimate son who has returned from the brutal slums to reclaim his birthright, and will go to any lengths to become king and reverse his country’s decline. But with a conquering foreign prince sowing chaos throughout the kingdom, Janus must battle the terrifying power of Antyre’s forgotten god, one who has gifted Janus’s vengeful wife with mysterious and dangerous skills. As Antyre nears irrevocable collapse, Janus’s manipulations and all-consuming ambition will force him and his country to choose between the rule of resurgent gods, or a victor’s throne of ashes.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romance

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Lane Robins was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of two scientists, and grew up as the first human member of their menagerie. When it came time for a career, it was a hard choice between veterinarian and writer. It turned out to be far more fun to write about blood than to work with it. She received her BA in Creative Writing from Beloit College, and currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with an ever-fluctuating number of dogs and cats.

She also writes under the pseudonym Lyn Benedict.

Reviews

[mich · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book's predecessor, Maledicte, is one of the weirdest, coolest revenge stories I've ever read. I kinda loved everything about it. Can't say the same for this sequel. SO BORING. I just don't care, man.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The port city of Murne, capital of Antyre, has known no rest since the bloodshed and violence of Mirabile and Maledicte. Both gone now, trouble still stirs in the kingdom, straining under the heavy burden of the treaty with Itarus. In one night, everything takes a sharper, more deadly edge with the assassination of King Aris. His only child, the twelve year old boy Adiran, is retarded and has only recently shown any sign of improvement. Janus Ixion, next in line by blood, is no closer to the throne than he was before because of the nobles' mistrust of him and his close relationship to Maledicte. His wife, Psyke, was the only witness to Aris' murder and swears that Janus killed him - because she saw what looked like Maledicte wielding the blade.

With the smooth and charming but ultimately dangerous Itarusine prince, Ivor, quietly scheming on one side, Psyke turning on him and the two men most likely to be co-regents wanting to be rid of him, it seems that Janus has no allies and many enemies. Determined to keep his place as co-regent or do something about Adiran, and woo the kingmaker, Gost, with a public display of machines that will resurrect Antyre, everything seems to be going wrong. Having known Maledicte and the touch of Black-winged Ani on his lover, Janus recognises the signs of the gods - Ani has possessed Adiran, and Haith, god of death, has touched Psyke and sent her spiralling into apparent madness as she communes with the palace's ghosts.

As Ivor puts his plans into motion, time is running out for Janus - feared and hated as he is, he is also Antyre's only hope of ridding themselves of Itarus and the gods' touch.

Maledicte was one of those fantasy novels that blew everyone away, impressive both in its scope, characters and originality, and breathing new life into the genre. It was always going to be tough on whatever Robins wrote next, to live up to our expectations. While this novel is plotted the same level of skill, and the prose continues that delightful mix of grit and poetry, Kings and Assassins is a weaker novel.

The main problem lies in the decision to carry on with the same story but with Janus at the centre. He was never a particularly strong character, but he was just scary and single-minded and possessive enough in Maledicte to hold his own. But he's no Maledicte, and he doesn't have the personality or charisma to carry his own story.

While it's always fascinating to read a political fantasy, especially one of Robins' making with its rotting city, cold palace, scheming nobles and deadly gods, Maledicte was such a superb stand-alone novel that what happened afterwards was better left in my imagination, if I cared to go there. While my curiosity has been satisfied, it wasn't fully engaged. Psyke made things interesting, and Ivor was so skilfully portrayed that I feared for Janus, but I didn't care enough about any of them. There was no Gilly to balance the darkness with sweetness and hope, and the constant distrust and lack of direction became wearying.

The climax of the story was satisfying, but there was too much dithering to get there. Janus was a better character when we didn't spend so much time inside his thoughts and realise how inadequate he is - as a flawed character, his are not the kind of flaws we take delight in, being mostly of temper and ability. While I love Robins' style, her voice and the images she creates, the story was sadly lacking. It has all the elements I would normally enjoy - the political scheming, the rebelling commoners, gritty realism, merciless gods, plots within plots - except the one it needed most above all else: a commanding central character vivid enough to call on our loyalty and sympathy, as Maledicte did.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why why WHY is there not a third book?!?!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

Read this and more Lane Robins reviews at FantasyLiterature.net!

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING : SPOILERS FOR MALEDICTE

Kings and Assassins is not a story that cuts an emotional swath as deep as Maledicte does, so I do not encourage any reader to see it as a direct sequel to it. Many people bemoan the fact that Mal doesn't actually appear in the book beyond Janus's memories but after finishing this, as much as I would have loved to hear more about him, I realized that it just wasn't a part of this book that was meant to be. Because, for now at least, his part of the story is over. K&As is Janus's story, and love him or hate him it's a very appropriate follow up in the Antyre novels and while it might be more story driven rather than character this new book really frees up a lot of room for Robins to play around with some things. And play around she does, and well.

Even reading it's predecessor I wasn't prepared for how dark this book was going to be. There are a lot of ugly questions that the book demands it's readers to grapple with if they want to continue with the story - what is the value of the mentally handicapped in society? How much are the lives of a nation as a whole when measured against the fruitfulness of it's soil, especially when those numbers can be re-multiplied? What is the role of gov in censuring of the press? Robin's its seems has decided to build her fantasy crafting in the tradition of Le Guin and others who knew that it was more than just a way for us to transport ourselves to another world, but rather to grapple with our own social issues head on in a new way.

There are no easy answers in this book, however after finishing this I do think that the ones the characters manage to find for themselves in the end are, if not squeaky clean, then at least *right*. And while this was not the direct sequel I was hoping for, it still makes for a very satisfying read and conclusion indeed. Five stars HIGHLY recommended.

[Juushika · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooooooh, Lane Robins, you got me hook, line, and sinker.

I wasn't totally sold on the first book and was worried that the distinct lack of Maladicte in this one would only make things worse. But I was wrong - I couldn't put it down. I liked the court intrigues, I liked the scheming between the leaders of Antyre and Itarus, and I couldn't get enough of the whole host of supporting characters (oh, Delight, you deserve special mention) and gods. I especially loved Psyke, much to my absolute surprise. Granted, she didn't seem to be herself, and was more an amalgamation of characters (and with good reason), but it worked. Female protagonists either end up being total hardasses (like Maledicte - although again I say that Robins did a good job with her), or whiny princesses. Psyke may have started out as the latter in the last book, but emerged a strong, determined ruler.

The ending of this book, like the last, packed a bit of a punch. Just as Maledicte's battle with Mirabile was a little unexpected, so were Janus' decisions, actions, and motivations towards the end. I won't even mention Psyke here because she just blew me out of the water. (Take note, authors of fantasy: this is how you write a kickass heroine who doesn't bear the whole world and its pet goat a grudge of epic proportions.)

Another thing I somehow liked about this series was the deliberate ambiguity relating to the gods. While most novels have this totally developed base of arcane mythology, this... doesn't. And it's fine. I don't need to know every last little secret about the gods. They were present. They disappeared. No one wants them because they impose morality and rules in a world where the rich want that power all for themselves. One comes back and uses human emotion to cause chaos and death. It's kind of intriguing. Another novel with this premise (sort of) was Tui T. Sutherland's Avatar series which I never got around to finishing... Hmm... will have to rectify that...

While I wouldn't say Robins' world or characters are my most favorite, something about her style of writing manages to capture the haunting, Gothic feel of the book perfectly. One way she really stepped it up in this book was to show how each character had his or her own motivations and even managed to outwit the protagonist (for lack of a better word - talk about a study in grey)! Robins definitely goes of my list of authors to watch.

Note: I just learned she's written an urban fantasy series as well, but it doesn't appeal to me at all. I believe that genre has been done to death. So I guess I just have to wait until she comes out with another one in this style.

[Nynniaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting a few months after the end of Maledicte and focusing on Janus, the book offers a quick travail about the latter's adventures on the wake of Aris' sudden murder.

Overall, I feel like this book was much better writing. The pacing, which was the main drag of the earlier story, here improves dramatically, almost always succeeding at keeping things at an eventful, page-turning pace.

Other things take a sullen dip for the worse, unfortunately. First, there's some silly inconsistencies I could not help but remark. Like, Savne is sent by the Duchess to waylay Janus, but conveniently doesnt give him the poison she obviously possesses. Psyke assumes she doesnt know it works, but it still feels pretty silly and stupid and forces both characters to come across as simply dumb, which fits the fit but not so much the second.

Then of course we have Dimitri surviving being set on fire by Ivor just long enough to sign a confession before dying. That reeked of Deux-Ex-Machina and pretty much killed much of the remaining drama regarding the prince ascendant.

The Kingmaker's presence in the story also felt as useless as Aris' was in the first book. Much ado leading to absolutely nothing.

Counter-balancing these, I really loved Psyke as a character. I found her very intriguing. I also loved delving more deeply into Janus' head. He made for a very interesting main character. Makes me sad the author decided to close the curtains so abruptly instead of granting us some kind of epilogue with all the surviving players. I really would have liked to see Janus finding happiness with his wife.

So, yeah, overall, I really think if you liked Maledicte you will love this entry as well. Its not quite as good as the first, overall, this must be admitted, but more consistently good thorough the pages, if that makes sense.

[Tama Wise · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't mind this book so much, but I do acknowledge the faults that people found with it. The main character wasn't as interesting as Maledicte (no one could be). It's a second book, after a stunning first book. The one fault I did have with it (because I really didn't mind the main character, and knew that Maledicte wouldn't feature) is that it took a good third before the book really started.

Up until that point, everything was shut in the palace, narrowing the lush setting that I know was out there. The characters fluffed around, doing little at all. But when they did finally hit their stride and the palace doors swung open, then it was all on. That was where the book came into its strengths.

The ending was somewhat confusing at points, but a good setup for an obvious next volume.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I found this book much more difficult to get into than Maledicte. For one thing, this collection of characters were mostly kind of awful (with the exceptions of Adiran and Psyke), and their actions in the first book meant that I cared very little for what happened to them here. Janus's power mad ways cost him the opportunity to be with the person he loved most, and his actions in Kings and Assassins showed that he hadn't really learned anything about ambition and unforeseen consequences.

While I'm positive that Maledicte/Miranda was off having awesome seafaring adventures with Gilly, I would have liked to know more about them than that some foolish girl had tried to steal Gilly away and was made to suffer for it. This book was without a likeable or even sympathetic character for me.

[Kate Lessard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this before I read Maledicte, on total accident when my boyfriend picked it up at the library for me while I was sick. At the time, I thought it was amazing, like nothing I had read in a while. Now, I not so keen on it as I used to be. I loved Maledicte and came to loathe Janus for what he had done to its beautiful protagonist... Through out the book, I treasured Psyke, she was what was perhaps most entertaining vs Janus' moody air. The ending was excellent but its still a bit of a let down by comparison to its predecessor.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as Maledicte (primarily because Maledicte isn't in this book!) but great nonetheless. The novel focuses more on Janus, and as such the plot is more heavily moved by political intrigue and scheming than romance and human emotion, which I found considerably less compelling. I also would've liked to see a little more development of both the Janus/Ivor relationship and Janus/Psyke. Psyke, especially was a surprisingly great character - would have enjoyed exploring that more! Still, loved the fast pace, the complicated plot, and the rich characters.

[Miss Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

well damn

that was one wild ride from start to finish

i'm amazed at how compelling this was, it's been some time since i read maledicte but my primary impression was that maledicte was a charisma supernova and janus was a turd

don't get me wrong, janus is absolutely a turd but

idk, i guess a smart turd with political ambitions can be interesting to read about, who knew

3.5 stars

[Dion Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the politics were a bad hard to follow, but over all quite enjoyable

[Jaydeblue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. May have been a 4 if I didn't wait years and years after reading the first book to pick this one up.

[David Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is rather different to Maledicte. It's better in having a more clearly defined political situation to work through. It's worse because the god stuff is even less well defined and so deeply frustrating. No author should ever introduce a supernatural element into a created world unless he or she declares the rules. If a god can take possession of someone, how does it work, what are the limitations, and so on. There's a more detailed review here: http://opionator.wordpress.com/2010/1...

[Barb in Maryland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to Maledicte. More court intrigue and plots and counterplots. And to really stir things up, another of the Old Gods joins the fray. As in the first one, few of the characters are really likable, but all are interesting.

[E Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy her writing as much as her story telling. At first, I was concerned I wouldn't like this book as much since it was focused more on Janus. Not true. Loved it! :D Very dark, not for the faint of heart, but amazing.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less compelling than Maledicte, the author steps outside of convention and asks the reader to *care* about the previous novel's very unlikable antagonist by turning Janus into the 'hero'..... worth a read, but less emotionally wrenching, thank god.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should have read Maledicte first. When I do I'll revise my rating.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was very good, but still, not as good as its predecessor Maledicte. Likely because the character Maledicte isnt in this one, you only hear about her twice. Worth reading, worth buying.

[Jack Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved Maledicte, and this sequel is quite a departure from that, so that fact I loved them both equally has got to be some kind of reflection on the author, right?

[Jennifer Niskanen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing that not all of the characters from the first book make it into the second one, particularly the one I found the most interesting. This felt a bit like filler but it wasn't bad.

[Feyfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I liked its predecessor Maledicte. I enjoyed Maledicte, but I loved Kings and Assassins. I'm hoping Lane Robins comes out with a third Antyre book.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://fantasycafe.blogspot.com/2009/...

[Aziza]

Having trouble getting started on this one. It just isn't catching me.

[Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Maledicte, but a very enjoyable read.