If you like your fantasy rife with assassins working in the dark to fulfil their dangerous contracts, then look no further than this shortlist of the best fantasy books with assassins in them.
Waylander – David Gemmell
An absolute classic, I’ve raved about David Gemmell’s work before (and will likely continue to do so for the forseeable future) but in the titular Waylander, he created one of fantasy’s greatest assassins.
Fighting against incalculable odds, Waylander is a fast-paced story that works as a standalone, or as part of the entire Drenai saga. Gemmell also wrote several direct sequels, as well as other books in the saga where Waylander makes an appearance.
The Blacktongue Thief – Christopher Buehlman
Ok so Kinch Na Shannack is a member of the Thieves Guild, not an assassin, per se — but this book is choc full of all of the tension and danger that you’ll want from that kind of read.
The Guild themselves are not afraid of playing dirty, and both the world and the characters in the start of Buehlman’s fantasy series will leave that assassin’s itch feeling decidedly scratched!
The Sins of Steel and Shadow – Steve Pannett
A reluctant assassin is still an assassin! Join Bail and his fellow Turned (something between human and vampyr) as they seek a way out of their spiralling struggle for survival.
The book is fast-paced, dark and gritty. Readers have said the world feels lived in and the characters are well-rounded. The book has a satisfying ending that also serves as a great set-up for the next in the series!
The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch
Another “not technically an asssassin” entry to this list, but worthy of inclusion all the same! If the lies, sneaking and intrigue are what draws you to the world of killers-for-hire in fantasy books, then The Lies of Locke Lamora is for you!
Set in the seedy criminal underbelly of the beautifully-written, Venetian-inspired city of Camorr, this book follows the titular Locke Lamora and his crew of thieves and con-artists, The Gentlemen Bastards, as they navigate ever more daring jobs — all taking place under the growing threat of a mysterious killer.
Assassin’s Apprentice – Robin Hobb
The clue is in the title, but you should expect much more than just a swash-buckling assassin’s tale. The first book in The Farseer Trilogy, this book is a staple of the fantasy genre.
Political intrigue, magic systems and lavish prose take you on the journey of Fitz—the story’s protagonist and bastard offspring of the royal line—as he learns to use his skills and cunning (not to mention his training as an assassin) to protect the Farseer line…and survive.
Best Served Cold – Joe Abercrombie
A proper revenge story (the clue is in the title) and one of Joe Abercrombie’s The Great Leveller books, I’d actually recommend starting with his First Law trilogy before opening this one (I’ve written about how incredible the whole First Law saga is already).
Best Served Cold, though, is probably one of his absolute best. We follow the very dark—and very dangerous—Monzcarro Murcatto, as she embarks on a murderous spree of revenge killings that will delight anyone who likes their assassin fantasy books to be bloody!
If you’ve got assassin-addled fantasy book recommendations of your own then I’d love to hear from you! Drop your recommendations into the comments below and I’ll give them a look. I’ll also keep this list updated as I read more great fantasy novels containing killers-for-hire!
📚✌🏻SP
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Book One of the TURNED
The Sins of Steel and Shadow
Hated and reviled by humans and vampyrs alike, every day for a Turned is a deadly struggle. But when Bail is offered the chance of a lifetime, there’s much more at stake than just his survival.
The Turned series is a fast-paced, character-led, gritty fantasy saga for fans of Joe Abercrombie or Scott Lynch.
Steve Pannett is an author and designer based in Yorkshire, UK.
He writes primarily in the fantasy genre, combining character-led storytelling with epic, gritty world-building to create dark tales with plenty of action and lots of twists along the way.
He has self-published multiple books and is active online.
