A fantastical tale of an assassin who starts to question the orders he is given. It is a tale you've heard before, but have no problem reading again.

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.

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."

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.