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Starfall #1
An Assassin's Fall
When assassins don't abide by the rules – they suffer the consequences.
Elven assassins are trained to perform their work with competence and expertise, without question or hesitation.
When Gilmir enters the human city of Sandcastle and learns the truth about his next mark, he decides to change the rules. To make his own calls. To do his job in a way he feels comfortable with.
And so, the trouble begins.
A minor obstacle grows large and a single problem multiplies into many. Success is out of the question, as the routine job becomes a fight for his life.
An Assassin’s Fall is a prequel to A Harvest of Broken Stars. It is a fast-paced grimdark high fantasy, with hidden agendas, elaborate schemes, potent magic and deadly swordplay.
Elven assassins are trained to perform their work with competence and expertise, without question or hesitation.
When Gilmir enters the human city of Sandcastle and learns the truth about his next mark, he decides to change the rules. To make his own calls. To do his job in a way he feels comfortable with.
And so, the trouble begins.
A minor obstacle grows large and a single problem multiplies into many. Success is out of the question, as the routine job becomes a fight for his life.
An Assassin’s Fall is a prequel to A Harvest of Broken Stars. It is a fast-paced grimdark high fantasy, with hidden agendas, elaborate schemes, potent magic and deadly swordplay.
- GenresFantasy
59 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2021
25 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 16, 2021
An assassin gets caught! Well damn....is that supposed to happen!? So things don't bode too well for him...but! There's magic....thought this was fairly well written and kinda fast paced...
Just wondering...what's gonna happen next? Will some loose ends get tied up? Will some characters get some life..Will story pick them up? Is there going to be at least 2more stories to bring it ALL together?
Okey dokey! Buckle up...here's to waiting for the follow ups! --P/
Just wondering...what's gonna happen next? Will some loose ends get tied up? Will some characters get some life..Will story pick them up? Is there going to be at least 2more stories to bring it ALL together?
Okey dokey! Buckle up...here's to waiting for the follow ups! --P/
November 27, 2021
1.25/5 stars
“Show don’t tell” is not always the best advice, but fucking hell, these authors could have used it. I got the impression we were supposed to think our assassin elf boi was smart with how he kept knowing things, but like. It was more “the author says there is this thing here conveniently, and thus it is here conveniently.” Maybe they were trying to match some Witcher vibes (I’d put money on it), but they failed masterfully. Every time I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt, I’d be let down. I didn’t care about Gilmir. The plot lacked a decent structure beyond a very basic idea of “Step One. Step Two. Step Three. Step Four,” and so on. And on top of all this, it was poorly edited, both on a line-editing sphere and on a developmental sphere. Yikkeeee. I make a point of judging self-published books the same as tradpubbed books, and it’s books like these that make me second-guess myself and forget that there are plenty of self-pubbed books at the quality of (or even better than) tradpubs.
I believe this book was also trying to make some general commentary on solving current global issues (namely in the discussions of nature), but this is handled clumsily. Dialogue was stilted and forced, and even though this book is incredibly short already, every scene could have been sharpened. It was also wild that I’m supposed to be surprised about Gilmir’s fate--as if the build-up didn’t already make it feel like he was shitty at his job.
I almost bumped up to two stars at the end because it really did get dark and depressing, and while it still wasn’t great, it was still effective. But then I read the last page and had to change my mind. I would have rathered ending on the strongest element of the piece. Imo, lean more into that strong internalization. It was fun while it lasted (I loved the bit about the nursery rhyme)!
“Show don’t tell” is not always the best advice, but fucking hell, these authors could have used it. I got the impression we were supposed to think our assassin elf boi was smart with how he kept knowing things, but like. It was more “the author says there is this thing here conveniently, and thus it is here conveniently.” Maybe they were trying to match some Witcher vibes (I’d put money on it), but they failed masterfully. Every time I wanted to give the benefit of the doubt, I’d be let down. I didn’t care about Gilmir. The plot lacked a decent structure beyond a very basic idea of “Step One. Step Two. Step Three. Step Four,” and so on. And on top of all this, it was poorly edited, both on a line-editing sphere and on a developmental sphere. Yikkeeee. I make a point of judging self-published books the same as tradpubbed books, and it’s books like these that make me second-guess myself and forget that there are plenty of self-pubbed books at the quality of (or even better than) tradpubs.
I believe this book was also trying to make some general commentary on solving current global issues (namely in the discussions of nature), but this is handled clumsily. Dialogue was stilted and forced, and even though this book is incredibly short already, every scene could have been sharpened. It was also wild that I’m supposed to be surprised about Gilmir’s fate--as if the build-up didn’t already make it feel like he was shitty at his job.
I almost bumped up to two stars at the end because it really did get dark and depressing, and while it still wasn’t great, it was still effective. But then I read the last page and had to change my mind. I would have rathered ending on the strongest element of the piece. Imo, lean more into that strong internalization. It was fun while it lasted (I loved the bit about the nursery rhyme)!
February 23, 2021
An assassin who gets caught and things don’t go well for him. How will this all end. Lots of magic to go with it. Ready for the next book.
May 27, 2021
Interesting but too short.
May 5, 2021
An Assassin's Fall is the prequel to A Harvest of Broken Stars. I actually read the first book before reading this and I'm actually happy I did. Through this book, I was able to go deeper into the world-building Asli Ole offers and get a better understanding of the characters as well. I enjoyed how fast paced this story was and thought that it was a really unique way to showcase a story about an assassin.
June 11, 2021
OK so this was DECENT, the premise was good, but the execution was just, well, eh...
Gilmir (the main character) was rather bland in my opinion, but you know, to each their own. Silver and Thyme were by far my favorite; they deserved more of a storyline than just “helpful side characters”...
and the fight scenes were pretty good so there’s that too...
Gilmir (the main character) was rather bland in my opinion, but you know, to each their own. Silver and Thyme were by far my favorite; they deserved more of a storyline than just “helpful side characters”...
and the fight scenes were pretty good so there’s that too...
February 17, 2021
It is fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. This story is about an assassin who gets caught by the henchmen of his last mark. There is magic, violence including torture, plus twists and turns. An Assassin's Fall is the best story by Åsli & Bakkejord. Highly recommended.
April 9, 2021
Gilmore is an elf assassin. However he takes on more than he thought and ends up in a dungeon. After being tortured, he is is bad shape and the hope to survive and escape are slim. Well worth reading.
August 14, 2021
While I liked the general idea here - an elven assassin, Gilmir, actually prefers acting with conscience where his judgement sees fit - there was something odd about the execution.
It's set in a world that screams D&AD novels rather than grimdark. The short sentences could feel a bit choppy to read at times (some feel like they're missing words?), and it had a habit of hopping from scene to scene that could feel a it confusing to me. It also ends on a cut-off mid-scene cliffhanger, which makes it feel less like a prequel and more like part of a serial. To me it felt like it needs more fleshing out; side characters like Silver and Thyme could have been really interesting to see more of, and if there's a reason why Gilmir's a nice, naive assassin (who doesn't act quite like the master he thinks he is) it'd have been great to have it hinted at. The asides about the circumstances of the world's elven citizens was a nice touch, but I so wished there was more to go on.
It's set in a world that screams D&AD novels rather than grimdark. The short sentences could feel a bit choppy to read at times (some feel like they're missing words?), and it had a habit of hopping from scene to scene that could feel a it confusing to me. It also ends on a cut-off mid-scene cliffhanger, which makes it feel less like a prequel and more like part of a serial. To me it felt like it needs more fleshing out; side characters like Silver and Thyme could have been really interesting to see more of, and if there's a reason why Gilmir's a nice, naive assassin (who doesn't act quite like the master he thinks he is) it'd have been great to have it hinted at. The asides about the circumstances of the world's elven citizens was a nice touch, but I so wished there was more to go on.
September 4, 2021
A prequel to A Harvest of Broken Stars, An Assassin's Fall is a quick read to give you some insight into the Starfall world and it's characters. Gilmir an elven assassin and our main character felt a little blah to me. He didn't really show much depth or personality which made it somewhat hard to be interested in him and his quest. There were two minor characters briefly introduced, Silver and Thyme and in their minuscule parts they interested me more than Gilmir did. Although the story leaves you on a pretty big cliff hanger and makes you want to read the next story, I still felt this fell a little flat in enticing the reader. In all honestly if it wasn't for the cliff hanger and Silver and Thyme I'm not sure if I would want to continue this series. That being said, I do look forward to reading A Harvest of Broken Stars and hopefully seeing a little bit more depth into Gilmir since the story will be larger.
I received a review copy from Story Origin.
I received a review copy from Story Origin.
October 30, 2022
Bought this book because I loved the cover, and it had the promise of assassins. It was a very short read that has a good mixture of fantasy and what almost felt like a slightly modern world? I enjoyed the character of Gilmir (especially his interaction with Thyme, who I wish was in the book longer). There were some cool magic and different races in this story that felt very much like a one-shot DnD campaign. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I wanted a bit more of Gilmir's time in prison to really feel for him and the loss he suffers. I did read the physical copy of this story and noticed the formatting was weird and it didn't have page numbers. I'm interested to read the other book in this series since it says it's a prequel novella. 3.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2023
‘Said the thief to the assassin’
This tale is full of witty banter and smug characters.
Some sage advice when visiting Sandcastle:
If your mission is a disaster, make sure your ‘escape would be marvellous’!
Fave line:
‘An elf would be out of place in a poorhouse, like a priest in a brothel.’
Imagine what a wonderful world it would be if we each cared ‘about all forests because they are all connected’.
I also read a couple of shorts from this world:
‘An Evil Bastard’ and ‘From His Taste in Wine’.
Next is ‘A Harvest of Broken Stars’.
This also leads into ‘An Assassin's Vengeance (Mage & Assassin #1)’ – reading now as preparation for a BETA of the sequel.
This tale is full of witty banter and smug characters.
Some sage advice when visiting Sandcastle:
If your mission is a disaster, make sure your ‘escape would be marvellous’!
Fave line:
‘An elf would be out of place in a poorhouse, like a priest in a brothel.’
Imagine what a wonderful world it would be if we each cared ‘about all forests because they are all connected’.
I also read a couple of shorts from this world:
‘An Evil Bastard’ and ‘From His Taste in Wine’.
Next is ‘A Harvest of Broken Stars’.
This also leads into ‘An Assassin's Vengeance (Mage & Assassin #1)’ – reading now as preparation for a BETA of the sequel.
May 2, 2021
An assassin who gets caught and things don’t go well for him. It's such a unique take on a typical assassin story and I really enjoyed the fast-paced plot. There is magic, violence, twists and turns. It's story that will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. I loved the characters and this was a great introduction to the world. Interested in how the story continues.
March 31, 2021
Cliffhanger
Could have been good. Really. However, the authors succumbed to greed. They brought you up to as crucial point in the story & then chopped the narrative off. DNR for you boys!
Could have been good. Really. However, the authors succumbed to greed. They brought you up to as crucial point in the story & then chopped the narrative off. DNR for you boys!
February 14, 2025
An Elf who is an Assassin!
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book with how Gilmir ended up working with the Thieves Guild instead of taking out his target. This is a very intriguing premise to a series of books and I look forward to reading more of them.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the book with how Gilmir ended up working with the Thieves Guild instead of taking out his target. This is a very intriguing premise to a series of books and I look forward to reading more of them.
August 15, 2021
A good read, quick, intriguing, interesting.
August 12, 2022
This was too short, and ended on a cliffy 😐
It's well written, and worth your time.
I automatically retract 1 star for cliffhanger ending.
Don't like blackmail in any form...
It's well written, and worth your time.
I automatically retract 1 star for cliffhanger ending.
Don't like blackmail in any form...
January 13, 2023
What was the point? Seriously? Why? And the way he got caught was so obvious. An assassin drinking wine by the man he threatened to kill? Of course it was poisoned!
-_-
-_-
December 28, 2023
This book kept me riveted all the way through. The assassin lives as long as he doesn't make a mistake.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews