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Assassin Without a Name #2
The Assassin's Cunning
Some days it seems like everyone wants you dead.
The deadline for the Black Guardsmen to leave Alchester has come and gone, and now it’s up to the Assassin Without a Name to act on his threat. While he’s not above killing every last mercenary for the trouble they’ve caused him, he decides on a different course of action when Gwendolyn Goddard requests a meeting. In exchange for killing a rival, she offers to call off her Black Guard watchdogs. The catch? The mark is Atticus Drake, a trusted friend and ally.
Meanwhile, the Warders and Jakaree continue to pursue their dark agendas. For the Warders, frustration leads to more direct action against the Nameless Assassin and his continued interference. The Jakaree, however, recognizing the need for alliances, offer to make a temporary one in hopes of striking a blow against the Warders. Trusting a death priest is never a good idea, but with questions continuing to mount about the Warders, the Assassin Without a Name reluctantly agrees to join them.
Whatever their ultimate goals, the Jakaree and Warders remain in balance until a blood witch comes to town looking for revenge against Mathilda. While the witch has an agenda all her own, her presence threatens to turn the tide in the wrong direction for good.
Deception, intrigue, danger, science run amuck, and half the city wanting him dead? It’s just another day in the life of the Assassin Without a Name.
The deadline for the Black Guardsmen to leave Alchester has come and gone, and now it’s up to the Assassin Without a Name to act on his threat. While he’s not above killing every last mercenary for the trouble they’ve caused him, he decides on a different course of action when Gwendolyn Goddard requests a meeting. In exchange for killing a rival, she offers to call off her Black Guard watchdogs. The catch? The mark is Atticus Drake, a trusted friend and ally.
Meanwhile, the Warders and Jakaree continue to pursue their dark agendas. For the Warders, frustration leads to more direct action against the Nameless Assassin and his continued interference. The Jakaree, however, recognizing the need for alliances, offer to make a temporary one in hopes of striking a blow against the Warders. Trusting a death priest is never a good idea, but with questions continuing to mount about the Warders, the Assassin Without a Name reluctantly agrees to join them.
Whatever their ultimate goals, the Jakaree and Warders remain in balance until a blood witch comes to town looking for revenge against Mathilda. While the witch has an agenda all her own, her presence threatens to turn the tide in the wrong direction for good.
Deception, intrigue, danger, science run amuck, and half the city wanting him dead? It’s just another day in the life of the Assassin Without a Name.
- GenresFantasy
309 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2023
5 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Scott Marlowe
27 books151 followersScott Marlowe lives in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, where he drinks extraordinary amounts of coffee, rides his mountain or gravel bike whenever the opportunity arises, and writes stories that often end in wondrous, explosive mayhem.
You can find more information about Scott at scottmarlowe.com.
You can find more information about Scott at scottmarlowe.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 14, 2024
Nonstop action and intrigue!
Scott Marlowe strikes gold again with the continuing adventures of the nameless assassin fighting against various formidable adversaries bent on the destruction of his beloved city.
Scott Marlowe strikes gold again with the continuing adventures of the nameless assassin fighting against various formidable adversaries bent on the destruction of his beloved city.
May 15, 2025
This second in series is what you'd expect from a swords & sorcery assassin novel; daring feats, fast fights, deception, intrigue, and a splash of mildly dark humor. The big plot continues, but with each episodic chapter we learn more about the character too. If you liked the first but were a little on the fence about the short story format, this book has a better flow.
What I Loved:
- Our narrator. What he lacks in a name, this assassin makes up for in confidence (or arrogance, as Liz might say) but with the skill to pull it off. Yes, so maybe he's super-amazing with his swordplay and never one to fall for a feint, but that doesn't mean he always comes across as infallible. Unlike some "I'm the best assassin ever" characters, he actually does do what he says. His asides about his fine wine preferences and mildly disappointed musings add color to an otherwise potentially very dark character. Speaking of which...
- Moral grayness. Mr Assassin isn't pure evil, nor does he harp on about regretting his job. The details about family and the kinship of the under city let us know he's not rotten to the core (something he does curse himself for).
- The Dungeons & Dragons module-like feeling I got from chapters. Divided up into short storys that continue on from one another, there were times when the tension built, the enemies were easy level, then suddenly you knew this was the boss fight.
- The plot. The big picture featuring those three pesky secret societies that likely have nothing good in store for the city moves on nicely, even if a few episodes get between the biggest of plot points (that darn magic key). Nothing is superfluous.
What I Noticed:
- A little bit of info dump here and there as our assassin ponders bigger historical and political problems.
- Read the prequel The Assassin's Dilemma before this; you'll need it to really understand one chapter. Very much worth it.
TL;DR: A lighter side of dark fantasy follow up that's as sneaky as you could want. If you want a character driven D&D novel, this should be right up your scary dark alleyway.
What I Loved:
- Our narrator. What he lacks in a name, this assassin makes up for in confidence (or arrogance, as Liz might say) but with the skill to pull it off. Yes, so maybe he's super-amazing with his swordplay and never one to fall for a feint, but that doesn't mean he always comes across as infallible. Unlike some "I'm the best assassin ever" characters, he actually does do what he says. His asides about his fine wine preferences and mildly disappointed musings add color to an otherwise potentially very dark character. Speaking of which...
- Moral grayness. Mr Assassin isn't pure evil, nor does he harp on about regretting his job. The details about family and the kinship of the under city let us know he's not rotten to the core (something he does curse himself for).
- The Dungeons & Dragons module-like feeling I got from chapters. Divided up into short storys that continue on from one another, there were times when the tension built, the enemies were easy level, then suddenly you knew this was the boss fight.
- The plot. The big picture featuring those three pesky secret societies that likely have nothing good in store for the city moves on nicely, even if a few episodes get between the biggest of plot points (that darn magic key). Nothing is superfluous.
What I Noticed:
- A little bit of info dump here and there as our assassin ponders bigger historical and political problems.
- Read the prequel The Assassin's Dilemma before this; you'll need it to really understand one chapter. Very much worth it.
TL;DR: A lighter side of dark fantasy follow up that's as sneaky as you could want. If you want a character driven D&D novel, this should be right up your scary dark alleyway.
February 15, 2026
I found the characters of this book rather 2 dimensional, as if they were all NPCs in a computer game. Also, the description of the surrounding was a little too sparse (especially at the beginning) to work out whether it was a hot day or cold day.
On the positive side, I couldn’t fault the grammar of the author, his writing was impeccable, but the prosody kept the same pace, whether it was a scene where the character was reflecting on things or was in the heat of combat. I don’t know if this was intentional to give the impression that the Assassin was calm and collected in all circumstances, but it made for a lack-luster read.
Also, there was one part that the author could have expounded upon, and that was the underground city. It intrigued me, and I think if he had explored this more, I would have enjoyed the book more. He needed to give us an understanding of the world through exploration rather than info-dumps.
On the positive side, I couldn’t fault the grammar of the author, his writing was impeccable, but the prosody kept the same pace, whether it was a scene where the character was reflecting on things or was in the heat of combat. I don’t know if this was intentional to give the impression that the Assassin was calm and collected in all circumstances, but it made for a lack-luster read.
Also, there was one part that the author could have expounded upon, and that was the underground city. It intrigued me, and I think if he had explored this more, I would have enjoyed the book more. He needed to give us an understanding of the world through exploration rather than info-dumps.
February 8, 2025
Great story!
This series is full with memorable characters and twists and turns aplenty. We see the main character and his group working hard to stop the damage of fanatics. The story is richly detailed in the mindset of the characters. It brings to life the hidden world we see on the surface but most often fail to look deeper. If your looking for and action filled story with plenty of turns, look no further than this series. It will keep you hooked from the start.
This series is full with memorable characters and twists and turns aplenty. We see the main character and his group working hard to stop the damage of fanatics. The story is richly detailed in the mindset of the characters. It brings to life the hidden world we see on the surface but most often fail to look deeper. If your looking for and action filled story with plenty of turns, look no further than this series. It will keep you hooked from the start.
September 12, 2025
After reading the first book in the series, this one had me even more hooked! The story continues to develop, and we get further development with some of the characters as well. I'm especially interested in learning what happens with the Progressive Society, Warders & Jakaree... We learn some new details into their grand scheme 👀
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews