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The Gray Assassin #1
Grayshade
For ten years, the assassin Grayshade has eliminated threats to the Order of Argoth, the Just God. Within the towering walls of Cohrelle, all bow to the Order’s authority, even while the city officials publicly distance themselves from its actions.
As the supreme executor of the Order’s edicts, Grayshade dispatches his targets with protocol and precision. But when an assignment breaks these rules, he does the most dangerous thing an Acolyte of Argoth can do: he asks why. Now a target of the Order he so long served without question, he must use all of his skills not only to kill . . . but to stay alive.
Grayshade is a novel of violent faith and shifting loyalties, a story about whether we can rise above our pasts to craft new futures.
As the supreme executor of the Order’s edicts, Grayshade dispatches his targets with protocol and precision. But when an assignment breaks these rules, he does the most dangerous thing an Acolyte of Argoth can do: he asks why. Now a target of the Order he so long served without question, he must use all of his skills not only to kill . . . but to stay alive.
Grayshade is a novel of violent faith and shifting loyalties, a story about whether we can rise above our pasts to craft new futures.
304 pages, Paperback
Published May 31, 2022
33 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Gregory A. Wilson
15 books19 followersGregory A. Wilson is the author of The Gray Assassin Trilogy, the fantasy novel The Third Sign, the award-winning graphic novel Icarus, called “fluent, fresh, and beautiful” by critics, and the 5E adventure and supplement Tales and Tomes from the Forbidden Library, along with a variety of short stories, academic articles, and books. He is also Professor of English at St. John’s University, where he teaches courses in speculative fiction, creative writing, and Renaissance drama. He is the co-host of the critically acclaimed podcast Speculate!, and under the moniker Arvan Eleron he runs a highly successful TwitchTV channel focused on story and narrative. He lives with his family in a two-hundred-year-old home near the sea in Connecticut; his virtual home is gregoryawilson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 29, 2022
Every now and then, I read a book that I have no words for. I love the plot, writing, characters, and setting so much, and they combine so perfectly, that I wish I could just let you feel what I feel. "Grayshade" is one of those books and Gregory A. Wilson is a natural story teller. I truly, desperately, need to get my hands on the next book... I want more "Grayshade" in my life!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
November 2, 2016
Thoughtful and full of suspense, Grayshade unfolds like a riddle and then goes for the throat. Highly recommended, especially for fans of cloak & dagger fantasy.
May 27, 2022
I received an eARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Atthis Arts in exchange for a review.
4/5 stars.
Who doesn't love a good story about assassins, mystery, conspiracy and revenge? Grayshade ticks all those boxes in what is an action-packed first entry of what should become a very exciting trilogy.
This book follows the accomplished assassin Grayshade, as he carries out the orders of his religion, the Order of Argoth, in the city of Cohrelle. Our protagonist is highly skilled and meticulous in their work, but from the outset, we can see that something is amiss. But is this just an unlikely occurance, or is there a greater conspiracy at play?
Grayshade explores the intricacies of religion, mentorship and loyalty as he tries to come to terms with what is happening around him. He comes to second guess himself, and many of his close acquaintances, his rivals and even his victims. Despite the amount of killing he has done, in the name of his order, Grayshade begins to become more perceptive of the world, and people, around him as the plot unfolds.
This book is pretty much non-stop action from the first page, and it is all very well done. There are some great action scenes, and the weaponry and tactics used by the assassins are very interesting. Secondary characters were also really likeable, particularly Caoesthenes, who provides a lot of information on the Order of Argoth, but also some comic relief in an otherwise dark story.
I do think however that the story could do with some extra worldbuilding, a few extra pages would have really helped to flesh out the city of Cohrelle or the various religions or institutions in the city. Also, the introduction of some new characters always felt a bit convenient, in that there was no foundation set for them, they just appear or are thought about when the plot required them.
Overall this is a worthwhile read, especially if you like dark fantasy with a lot of political maneuvering. I found a strong similarity between this book and We Men of Ash and Shadow by H L Tinsley, and it also reminded me of chapters involving Glokta from The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.
Some favourite quotes:
"Everyone talks about how many people die in war - but I've always been more impressed with how many live."
"The sweeter the melody, the falser the memory."
4/5 stars.
Who doesn't love a good story about assassins, mystery, conspiracy and revenge? Grayshade ticks all those boxes in what is an action-packed first entry of what should become a very exciting trilogy.
This book follows the accomplished assassin Grayshade, as he carries out the orders of his religion, the Order of Argoth, in the city of Cohrelle. Our protagonist is highly skilled and meticulous in their work, but from the outset, we can see that something is amiss. But is this just an unlikely occurance, or is there a greater conspiracy at play?
Grayshade explores the intricacies of religion, mentorship and loyalty as he tries to come to terms with what is happening around him. He comes to second guess himself, and many of his close acquaintances, his rivals and even his victims. Despite the amount of killing he has done, in the name of his order, Grayshade begins to become more perceptive of the world, and people, around him as the plot unfolds.
This book is pretty much non-stop action from the first page, and it is all very well done. There are some great action scenes, and the weaponry and tactics used by the assassins are very interesting. Secondary characters were also really likeable, particularly Caoesthenes, who provides a lot of information on the Order of Argoth, but also some comic relief in an otherwise dark story.
I do think however that the story could do with some extra worldbuilding, a few extra pages would have really helped to flesh out the city of Cohrelle or the various religions or institutions in the city. Also, the introduction of some new characters always felt a bit convenient, in that there was no foundation set for them, they just appear or are thought about when the plot required them.
Overall this is a worthwhile read, especially if you like dark fantasy with a lot of political maneuvering. I found a strong similarity between this book and We Men of Ash and Shadow by H L Tinsley, and it also reminded me of chapters involving Glokta from The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.
Some favourite quotes:
"Everyone talks about how many people die in war - but I've always been more impressed with how many live."
"The sweeter the melody, the falser the memory."
May 27, 2022
I am so proud of being part of this project, and very excited for books 2 and 3.
June 20, 2024
Grayshade kills as ordered by the Order of Argoth. But who is really deciding on the deaths he is responsible for? He starts to question his faith and obedience and this will make him a target.
Really enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Well paced with great characters. Lots of adventure that reveals politics not faith at the centre. If he survives can he start a new future? Enjoyed book one and look forward to book two.
Really enjoyed this well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Well paced with great characters. Lots of adventure that reveals politics not faith at the centre. If he survives can he start a new future? Enjoyed book one and look forward to book two.
March 28, 2025
Based on the world we live in, I know that there are, in fact, actually people who struggle with the difficult decision of whether to follow leaders who think that questioning why people need to be murdered is a much worse problem than the actual murdering, or those who have found that peaceful reflection leads to greater wisdom. So I hereby apologize to all of the characters (and their creators) who I wrote off as implausible for struggling with what seemed like pretty obvious choices. From Syndrome to Kylo Ren to Peter Pettigrew - you may not be the brightest bulbs on the tree, but clearly you represent a horrifyingly large segment of the population who can relate to your struggles.
Grayshade falls squarely into that tradition - it's right there in his name. But the saving grace of this story is that we join him after he has begun to question his choices, so the amount of the book in which he struggles with the difficult question of whether the church that demands he murder anyone they tell him to without question or explanation and is unable to provide any theological support beyond "because I said so" really has his best interests at heart is blessedly brief. It may not be quite brief enough for some (even one of the other characters comments on the amount of time it took him to notice that he sure was doing a lot of murdering for someone who was supposed to just be looking for structure in his life) - but since this is the first in a trilogy, there does have to be some scene-setting. Unusually for a trilogy, a whole lot of characters are killed off who seemed like they would be relevant to the overall arc (I won't get into who and how - that a lot of people die in an adventure novel isn't really a spoiler), which makes it less clear what will happen in the second and third installments - not a bad thing in a time when so many "duologies" and "trilogies" are clearly a single book that the publisher decided to carve up to increase revenue.
The audio edition is especially well done - the narrator has the usual "storyteller" tone you expect from fantasy, but periodically surprises you with a literal presentation of what's happening. The death rattle of a character killed in an echoing cathedral and the fading in and out voices being listened to through a wall are particular highlights, but it's not overdone to the point of distracting from the story.
So if you enjoy light fantasy (no unicorns or sorcerers, but a world with more magic than our own) and can handle another "conflicted" main character, you'll enjoy this. I look forward to the next installments.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Grayshade falls squarely into that tradition - it's right there in his name. But the saving grace of this story is that we join him after he has begun to question his choices, so the amount of the book in which he struggles with the difficult question of whether the church that demands he murder anyone they tell him to without question or explanation and is unable to provide any theological support beyond "because I said so" really has his best interests at heart is blessedly brief. It may not be quite brief enough for some (even one of the other characters comments on the amount of time it took him to notice that he sure was doing a lot of murdering for someone who was supposed to just be looking for structure in his life) - but since this is the first in a trilogy, there does have to be some scene-setting. Unusually for a trilogy, a whole lot of characters are killed off who seemed like they would be relevant to the overall arc (I won't get into who and how - that a lot of people die in an adventure novel isn't really a spoiler), which makes it less clear what will happen in the second and third installments - not a bad thing in a time when so many "duologies" and "trilogies" are clearly a single book that the publisher decided to carve up to increase revenue.
The audio edition is especially well done - the narrator has the usual "storyteller" tone you expect from fantasy, but periodically surprises you with a literal presentation of what's happening. The death rattle of a character killed in an echoing cathedral and the fading in and out voices being listened to through a wall are particular highlights, but it's not overdone to the point of distracting from the story.
So if you enjoy light fantasy (no unicorns or sorcerers, but a world with more magic than our own) and can handle another "conflicted" main character, you'll enjoy this. I look forward to the next installments.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
November 1, 2018
Having been an avid reader of fantasy since my days as a child, I’ve gotten the opportunity to explore a wide variety of worlds and stories. From the heavy adventurer-focus of the Forgotten Realms books to the sardonic and dry wit of Discworld, all the way to the unique and unforgettable worlds of Sanderson’s Mistborn and Stormlight Archive series, fantasy fans have a wide breadth of choices for settings, characters, and worlds. It is partially due to this that authors have a choice to make when setting out the goals of their story and characters; do I try to expand the genre and write something never seen before, or do I write in the reader’s comfort zone and give them an enjoyable take on something they’ve seen before? Both of these options have their pros and cons, and we’ve seen fantastic series that follow both schools of thought. I mentioned Sanderson’s collections of stories as being an exemplar of building something completely fresh and new for a reader, and one need only look so far as Sullivan’s Riyria stories for how an author can take well-tread tropes and make them enjoyable without feeling like they’re pandering.
Grayshade and the world it takes place in attempts to fulfill both options. It is the second release in the brand new fantasy setting of Stormtalons, a series of 150 planned novels from a wide variety of writers. I’d like to take a second immediately after mentioning that to say, “Oh. My. God. That is a LOT of books.” Grayshade in particular is the first book in the self-contained The Gray Assassin trilogy. If the respective titles of the book and the trilogy it is contained within didn’t tip you off, let me do the honors. Grayshade is a book about an assassin of the same name. He is an Acolyte of Argoth, the god of justice, and has for his entire life been a member of this order. We begin the book with Grayshade on a mission to assassinate a target, jumping directly into the action and never really stopping from there. Throughout the course of this book we learn more about the city of Cohrelle and the various religious orders that are contained within, as well as getting a look into a formative moment of Grayshade’s life and development as a character.
If this sounds like a well-trod path in other stories...well, it is. Following an assassin, or any character of nefarious profession, as they develop from a morally indifferent character to someone who takes a stand for their values and virtues is a trope that I’m positive everyone reading this blog has encountered at some point. I certainly don’t mean to paint that as a bad thing, necessarily. Tropes are tropes for a reason, and having something immediately familiar to readers as a touchstone into a brand new fantasy world and setting is very helpful in allowing the reader to place their focus on learning how this new world works without having to spend a great deal of mental energy on trying to understand where the main character is coming from. I think that Gregory A. Wilson does a good job in this novel of telling a satisfying, if familiar, story in a brand new world. I enjoyed Grayshade’s inner monologues and the way he went about his work to an impressive extent.
That being said, there were some things that started to get under my skin as the story went on, and kept me from truly losing myself in the reading. While I understand that Grayshade takes place in an entirely new setting, there were a great deal of names for objects and substances that seemed purposefully vague and opaque. At the 20% mark of the book (I read this as a Kindle ARC) there was the following line, “I laughed. ‘It’s rivid gas, first of all, not rethel. Rethel gas wouldn’t dissipate that quickly.’” What does this actually tell me about these substances? That they’re both dangerous and that one dissipates more quickly than the other. What this doesn’t tell me is why these substances are dangerous. Are they flammable? Poisonous? Do they explode? Are they acidic? I would have a much healthier respect for the substance if I actually knew what it did. This is a consistent issue I had with the book, whether it’s describing dangerous gasses, or never really describing what the “darts” that Grayshade uses in his missions look like. I want to know whether he’s talking about throwing knives or stars, whether they have a flat blade or are more like a stiletto. No, this doesn’t ruin the book, and no it isn’t a catastrophic error, but it’s a small thing that would have made it easier for me to fall into the story had it been addressed. It’s also an easy way to flesh out the world and setting that I thought was a missed opportunity.
The other issue, and a bigger one in my opinion, is that the pacing of the second half of the novel felt off to me. Major events came out of nowhere and were handled in a page or two, while Grayshade’s travels through the districts and inner monologues were given entire chapters. The final showdown between Grayshade and his enemies was, while exciting and fun, over very quickly and without the fanfare it deserved. I was hoping for an epic showdown and was treated to a quick knife in the back. I felt let down at the end, which isn’t a note you want to end on in the first book of a trilogy.
Grayshade is a book that reminds me of so many other fantasy novels I’ve read. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. As I said earlier when I mentioned the “assassin with a moral compass” thing, tropes are essentially a gray area (see what I did there?) in storytelling. They’re not good or bad by default, as they’re essentially just references to experiences the reader has had before. What makes or breaks them is how they’re used. Grayshade has both the good and bad. It’s great that the book provides an easy to understand touchstone into this new world with a perfectly functional take on a story we’ve heard before, and bad that it relies on previous experiences for basic things like the gas issue I mentioned earlier. I think this is essentially the chicken noodle soup of fantasy. You’re not going to be blown away, and this isn’t going to be the best you’ve ever had, but you can’t go wrong with Grayshade if what you’re looking for is something familiar and satisfying.
Rating: Grayshade - 7.0/10
(This review was originally posted on The Quill to Live: https://thequilltolive.com/2016/10/20...)
Grayshade and the world it takes place in attempts to fulfill both options. It is the second release in the brand new fantasy setting of Stormtalons, a series of 150 planned novels from a wide variety of writers. I’d like to take a second immediately after mentioning that to say, “Oh. My. God. That is a LOT of books.” Grayshade in particular is the first book in the self-contained The Gray Assassin trilogy. If the respective titles of the book and the trilogy it is contained within didn’t tip you off, let me do the honors. Grayshade is a book about an assassin of the same name. He is an Acolyte of Argoth, the god of justice, and has for his entire life been a member of this order. We begin the book with Grayshade on a mission to assassinate a target, jumping directly into the action and never really stopping from there. Throughout the course of this book we learn more about the city of Cohrelle and the various religious orders that are contained within, as well as getting a look into a formative moment of Grayshade’s life and development as a character.
If this sounds like a well-trod path in other stories...well, it is. Following an assassin, or any character of nefarious profession, as they develop from a morally indifferent character to someone who takes a stand for their values and virtues is a trope that I’m positive everyone reading this blog has encountered at some point. I certainly don’t mean to paint that as a bad thing, necessarily. Tropes are tropes for a reason, and having something immediately familiar to readers as a touchstone into a brand new fantasy world and setting is very helpful in allowing the reader to place their focus on learning how this new world works without having to spend a great deal of mental energy on trying to understand where the main character is coming from. I think that Gregory A. Wilson does a good job in this novel of telling a satisfying, if familiar, story in a brand new world. I enjoyed Grayshade’s inner monologues and the way he went about his work to an impressive extent.
That being said, there were some things that started to get under my skin as the story went on, and kept me from truly losing myself in the reading. While I understand that Grayshade takes place in an entirely new setting, there were a great deal of names for objects and substances that seemed purposefully vague and opaque. At the 20% mark of the book (I read this as a Kindle ARC) there was the following line, “I laughed. ‘It’s rivid gas, first of all, not rethel. Rethel gas wouldn’t dissipate that quickly.’” What does this actually tell me about these substances? That they’re both dangerous and that one dissipates more quickly than the other. What this doesn’t tell me is why these substances are dangerous. Are they flammable? Poisonous? Do they explode? Are they acidic? I would have a much healthier respect for the substance if I actually knew what it did. This is a consistent issue I had with the book, whether it’s describing dangerous gasses, or never really describing what the “darts” that Grayshade uses in his missions look like. I want to know whether he’s talking about throwing knives or stars, whether they have a flat blade or are more like a stiletto. No, this doesn’t ruin the book, and no it isn’t a catastrophic error, but it’s a small thing that would have made it easier for me to fall into the story had it been addressed. It’s also an easy way to flesh out the world and setting that I thought was a missed opportunity.
The other issue, and a bigger one in my opinion, is that the pacing of the second half of the novel felt off to me. Major events came out of nowhere and were handled in a page or two, while Grayshade’s travels through the districts and inner monologues were given entire chapters. The final showdown between Grayshade and his enemies was, while exciting and fun, over very quickly and without the fanfare it deserved. I was hoping for an epic showdown and was treated to a quick knife in the back. I felt let down at the end, which isn’t a note you want to end on in the first book of a trilogy.
Grayshade is a book that reminds me of so many other fantasy novels I’ve read. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. As I said earlier when I mentioned the “assassin with a moral compass” thing, tropes are essentially a gray area (see what I did there?) in storytelling. They’re not good or bad by default, as they’re essentially just references to experiences the reader has had before. What makes or breaks them is how they’re used. Grayshade has both the good and bad. It’s great that the book provides an easy to understand touchstone into this new world with a perfectly functional take on a story we’ve heard before, and bad that it relies on previous experiences for basic things like the gas issue I mentioned earlier. I think this is essentially the chicken noodle soup of fantasy. You’re not going to be blown away, and this isn’t going to be the best you’ve ever had, but you can’t go wrong with Grayshade if what you’re looking for is something familiar and satisfying.
Rating: Grayshade - 7.0/10
(This review was originally posted on The Quill to Live: https://thequilltolive.com/2016/10/20...)
June 17, 2024
Thank you NetGalley, Atthis Arts, and Gregory A Wilson for the audiobook. The narrator Tren Sparks holds you in with their deep melodic tones. The story reads old Fantasy and I can’t put the book down. The book is short and reads fast. I am excited for the next adventure. One of my favorite reads of the year, for sure. I ordered some more of Gregory A. Wilson's books and look forward to reading their other works.
September 29, 2025
Grayshade has made his way in life as an assassin for a religious order. When he learns the truth about his religion, it leads to much soul searching and lifestyle changes.
This was fun. Docked a point for the nonbinary 10 year old. 🙄 Totally unnecessary and the usage of they/them pronouns was annoying to listen to.
This was fun. Docked a point for the nonbinary 10 year old. 🙄 Totally unnecessary and the usage of they/them pronouns was annoying to listen to.
July 3, 2024
More or less John Wick in Middle-earth. Good for high-fantasy fans on the search for a non-stop, action-filled, twists 'n turns romp, minus guns.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atthis Arts for the advance copy of the audiobook.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atthis Arts for the advance copy of the audiobook.
March 26, 2025
To Boring Stopped at 36%
Not much of a story, no action, not very likable MC. Usually, this is my kind of book. The story never got interesting, and I had to force myself to keep reading.
Not much of a story, no action, not very likable MC. Usually, this is my kind of book. The story never got interesting, and I had to force myself to keep reading.
September 10, 2025
Assassins! Intrigue! Assassin intrigue!
Headline pretty much sums it up. Found this to be an entertaining, quick read. Main character definitely starts as a jerk, but definitely grows on you.
Headline pretty much sums it up. Found this to be an entertaining, quick read. Main character definitely starts as a jerk, but definitely grows on you.
August 18, 2025
Predictable but fun. Hints of a cool world but never much more than hints so I was always left wanting a bit more. A very quick read.
November 29, 2016
It's worth mentioning that I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book in return for an honest review.
Grayshade is a book about Grayshade, an acolyte (assassin) for the Order of Argoth. We follow along in his head as he discovers the Order is not everything it claims and finds a the cause to fight for he didn't even realise he was searching for. It's set in the Stormtalons universe which is a shared world thing created by Ed Greenwood who also created the Forgotten Realms for D&D. Basically Mr Greenwood appears to have put the lands and cities and infrastructure into place and a bunch of other authors are playing in his sandbox and making stories out of it. I think. I went to check on the official website to make sure but it seems to be having some serious issues with links being broken and what not. Anyways, onto the book.
Grayshade is told through first person past tense... most of the time. Actually a major gripe of mine about the book was the tense occasionally slipped into present and left me scratching at my head. Our main protagonist is... actually he's pretty bland. Grayshade has an indeterminate age, but the story definitely feels like it picks up half way through his story. A quick google tells me this books is part of a trilogy and it actually feels more like book 2 of the trilogy rather than 1. We keep getting reminisces back to Grayshade's training that honestly sound like we're missing out on a more interesting story than the one being told. I just never really got a feel for the character himself. Grayshade is all business and the few times he does show emotion it feels more like showing it rather than feeling it. He feels more like a plot device to tell the story than the story itself.
Now I've mentioned plot I'll jump right in. The stakes in this book are so low I found myself unable to really care who won. I don't know if this is because the author is writing in someone else's world so can't make major changes... but the plot boiled down to Grayshade kills a bunch of people because he doesn't like the way a city is governed. The only relatable stake is to Grayshade's life itself and as I was never given a reason to care about the character nor did I care about his plight.
The conflicts are almost entirely resolved by deus ex machina. Whether it's a magical device that seems to respond to Grayshade's will and kills without an apparent chance of blocking it (it's about as bad as it sounds), or a young boy who suddenly awakens a new telepathic power just at the right time to save the day, or even the sudden reappearance of allies who had previously run away and gave no reason for changing their minds and coming back. After the first two times it started to remove all tension from the story because whatever peril Grayshade found himself in, I knew something would pop up just in the nick of time to save him... and it did.
One last gripe was the overly clinical explanation of everything. Whether it was continually noting how many minutes Grayshade walked down a street for, or the over description of action scenes...
I'm taking a pause right here to explain that in literature over describing scenes, especially action scenes, actually makes them more confusing rather than less because it makes the audience try to see exactly what the author was seeing as they wrote the scene. A little bit more vague is generally better as it allows the audience to engage their own imagination to fill in the blanks. Not only does it make things less confusing for the audience but it also helps them to engage with the story as they are putting some of themselves into it. Boom! Writing advice. ;)
... it made much of the book a chore to read through.
That's a lot of negative so far... I know. It's quite telling. So I'll mention something positive. Late on in the book Grayshade encounters a community of human(ish) creatures calling themselves "the rats". These rats and their culture were the best bit of the book for me (possibly because of how skaven-like they are - for all you Warhammer fans), from their almost hive-mind connection to the way they speak in past tense. Unfortunately that's about all the positivity I have.
So Grayshade earns itself a record low for me of 1.5 stars but as always I round up so 2 stars it is.
Grayshade is a book about Grayshade, an acolyte (assassin) for the Order of Argoth. We follow along in his head as he discovers the Order is not everything it claims and finds a the cause to fight for he didn't even realise he was searching for. It's set in the Stormtalons universe which is a shared world thing created by Ed Greenwood who also created the Forgotten Realms for D&D. Basically Mr Greenwood appears to have put the lands and cities and infrastructure into place and a bunch of other authors are playing in his sandbox and making stories out of it. I think. I went to check on the official website to make sure but it seems to be having some serious issues with links being broken and what not. Anyways, onto the book.
Grayshade is told through first person past tense... most of the time. Actually a major gripe of mine about the book was the tense occasionally slipped into present and left me scratching at my head. Our main protagonist is... actually he's pretty bland. Grayshade has an indeterminate age, but the story definitely feels like it picks up half way through his story. A quick google tells me this books is part of a trilogy and it actually feels more like book 2 of the trilogy rather than 1. We keep getting reminisces back to Grayshade's training that honestly sound like we're missing out on a more interesting story than the one being told. I just never really got a feel for the character himself. Grayshade is all business and the few times he does show emotion it feels more like showing it rather than feeling it. He feels more like a plot device to tell the story than the story itself.
Now I've mentioned plot I'll jump right in. The stakes in this book are so low I found myself unable to really care who won. I don't know if this is because the author is writing in someone else's world so can't make major changes... but the plot boiled down to Grayshade kills a bunch of people because he doesn't like the way a city is governed. The only relatable stake is to Grayshade's life itself and as I was never given a reason to care about the character nor did I care about his plight.
The conflicts are almost entirely resolved by deus ex machina. Whether it's a magical device that seems to respond to Grayshade's will and kills without an apparent chance of blocking it (it's about as bad as it sounds), or a young boy who suddenly awakens a new telepathic power just at the right time to save the day, or even the sudden reappearance of allies who had previously run away and gave no reason for changing their minds and coming back. After the first two times it started to remove all tension from the story because whatever peril Grayshade found himself in, I knew something would pop up just in the nick of time to save him... and it did.
One last gripe was the overly clinical explanation of everything. Whether it was continually noting how many minutes Grayshade walked down a street for, or the over description of action scenes...
I'm taking a pause right here to explain that in literature over describing scenes, especially action scenes, actually makes them more confusing rather than less because it makes the audience try to see exactly what the author was seeing as they wrote the scene. A little bit more vague is generally better as it allows the audience to engage their own imagination to fill in the blanks. Not only does it make things less confusing for the audience but it also helps them to engage with the story as they are putting some of themselves into it. Boom! Writing advice. ;)
... it made much of the book a chore to read through.
That's a lot of negative so far... I know. It's quite telling. So I'll mention something positive. Late on in the book Grayshade encounters a community of human(ish) creatures calling themselves "the rats". These rats and their culture were the best bit of the book for me (possibly because of how skaven-like they are - for all you Warhammer fans), from their almost hive-mind connection to the way they speak in past tense. Unfortunately that's about all the positivity I have.
So Grayshade earns itself a record low for me of 1.5 stars but as always I round up so 2 stars it is.
May 7, 2017
I picked up Grayshade on release day because I love the things that the Ed Greenwood Group is doing with shared worlds and bringing together hundreds of creatives to create story settings with limitless possibilities.
Grayshade is the second book released under the StormTalons setting and the first of the Gray Assassin Trilogy.
Reading this book was both a joy and a miss-fit for my tastes. Following along as I read let me stay within the StormTalon story world and help create a broader picture of the setting that these writers are creating. The story itself though just did not resonate with me.
Grayshade itself is a story about what in fantasy is called the assassin with a conscience. As the story description goes, we follow our protagonist through a complete mission where the first seedlings that something is amiss in the organization are first planted. From there, the road is slippery and followed my several situations which make the life of Grayshade worse at every turn.
The things that make this fall flat for me is that it is in First Person narrative. I'm not a big fan of First Person because to me it removes a lot of tension. In every story with this type of narration, I never feel like anything is going to happen to the character. How could it? They are telling me the story, aren't they? This leaves the author's job on make me care about all those around the character which I know nothing will happen to because the only danger/tension lays with them. With Grayshade I just never connected with any of the characters.
Second, comes from my taste in fantasy. I'm a big "Grim-Dark" fan where things tend to get bloody and violent pretty quickly. There is violence in this book, but for an assassin book, it seems pretty low key. I read StormTalons book #1 from Ed Greenwood and found a tale full of grit and fantastical magic used for all types of violence. Not so much with this story. The protagonist is relatively non-violent though it gives tidbits of back story that lets you know he is capable of incredible feats of violence. Too bad it didn't happen on the pages I was reading.
Grayshade, looking at it as an addition to StormTalons, fits in nicely. Gives some more information on the way religions and city states work within the world. As a book for my taste, it just didn't work.
Grayshade is the second book released under the StormTalons setting and the first of the Gray Assassin Trilogy.
Reading this book was both a joy and a miss-fit for my tastes. Following along as I read let me stay within the StormTalon story world and help create a broader picture of the setting that these writers are creating. The story itself though just did not resonate with me.
Grayshade itself is a story about what in fantasy is called the assassin with a conscience. As the story description goes, we follow our protagonist through a complete mission where the first seedlings that something is amiss in the organization are first planted. From there, the road is slippery and followed my several situations which make the life of Grayshade worse at every turn.
The things that make this fall flat for me is that it is in First Person narrative. I'm not a big fan of First Person because to me it removes a lot of tension. In every story with this type of narration, I never feel like anything is going to happen to the character. How could it? They are telling me the story, aren't they? This leaves the author's job on make me care about all those around the character which I know nothing will happen to because the only danger/tension lays with them. With Grayshade I just never connected with any of the characters.
Second, comes from my taste in fantasy. I'm a big "Grim-Dark" fan where things tend to get bloody and violent pretty quickly. There is violence in this book, but for an assassin book, it seems pretty low key. I read StormTalons book #1 from Ed Greenwood and found a tale full of grit and fantastical magic used for all types of violence. Not so much with this story. The protagonist is relatively non-violent though it gives tidbits of back story that lets you know he is capable of incredible feats of violence. Too bad it didn't happen on the pages I was reading.
Grayshade, looking at it as an addition to StormTalons, fits in nicely. Gives some more information on the way religions and city states work within the world. As a book for my taste, it just didn't work.
May 14, 2022
Grayshade is a familiar fantasy. Very much sitting in the area of Assassin’s Creed and those computer games that are a mixture of role play and puzzle solving, this is easy and fun reading.
Grayshade is an assassin as part of a religious order, taking out those who are deemed as not worthy or upsetting the balance. On a job he hears something strange and sees something even stranger and his life changes forever.
It is set (in a slightly claustrophobic manner) in a small city, so it is very medieval “urban” with not too much sense of a larger world or deep world building. It’s an easy read, you kind of know where it’s going and you know you are not going to be overly taxed, but the journey is still quite fun.
Grayshade is an assassin as part of a religious order, taking out those who are deemed as not worthy or upsetting the balance. On a job he hears something strange and sees something even stranger and his life changes forever.
It is set (in a slightly claustrophobic manner) in a small city, so it is very medieval “urban” with not too much sense of a larger world or deep world building. It’s an easy read, you kind of know where it’s going and you know you are not going to be overly taxed, but the journey is still quite fun.
June 8, 2017
An excellent, thrilling ride that I tore through quicker than I expected. Solid characters, interesting plot, and a meaty city in which it all occurred. Damn fine read, indeed.
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