In a field where Fantasy books are jostling each other for attention like ears of corn straining towards the sun, it's invigorating to find a story that stands taller than a majority of the chaff. McKenna's intricately constructed world is populated almost entirely by ordinary people

Assassin catches up with Ryshad and Livak now in the land of Kel Ar'Ayen some seasons after the events in The Warrior's Bond . Also present, amongst others are Temar, now in charge of the colony and struggling to cope with his new role, and Sorgrad and Sorgren, plain thinking mercenaries trying to earn a wage.

There is, of course, a quest. The colony is threatened by pirates who are attacking ships on the trade route between the colony and the mainland. Without the supplies, the colony will wither. Political machinations on the mainland leave the colonists without reinforcements, so they hire what fighting men they can and set out alone to rid themselves of the riff raff. It may all sound like everyday stuff but McKenna's appealing characters, double dose of magic, snot and guts action and intelligent dialogue spices it all up admirably.

It's also unusual to find a series where each volume can be read independently of the other, but it's a tricky mechanism to implement and McKenna still needs to find a better way to merge this back filling into the main plot. As it is, several of the volumes are somewhat becalmed at the start before an ever-increasing wind whips the characters into action.

It's a resounding end to a series that has grown and matured over five volumes. Written wiht verse and style, they're all ripe and juicy and ready for picking.

Starburst 292
Reviewed by Anthony Browne

The Tales of Einarinn reach a conclusion of sorts with The Assassin's Edge, and it's a surprisingly low-key one. Don't take that as a criticism though, as right from the start the great strength of this saga has been its realisitic and down-to-earth approach - and I don't mean the tired old Fantasy writing cliche of being very earthy about the dung and grime in which the downtrodden boy who's really the Chosen One dwells. The joy of these books is the way McKenna treats magic as something real and comprehensible, not an arcane mystery. It's real, it works and if the Mages of Hadrumal don't fully understand it, that's because the knowledge was lost in the collapse of the Old Empire. As her Mages strive to put an end to these Dark Ages, they also plot and scheme amongst each other like something out of Yes, Minister or The West Wing. On occasion, it's almost like reading Terry Pratchett without the jokes.

The lost colony of Kellarin has been re-established as an independent nation, with survivors of the original settlers who spent hundreds of years in an enchanted sleep being joined by newcomers from the world which grew up after their Empire fell. But the crucial trade routes on which the colony depends are being devastated by pirates, and the raiders have the backing of magicians with the power of Artifice - the ancient magic that was lost when the Empire collapsed, and is retained only by the hostile Ice Islanders. As the casualties mount, the thief Livak and her allies decide it's time to take the fight to the enemy, by assassinating their leader...

Thankfully, Juliet McKenna resists the temptation to pull a great big messianic ending out of the hat and goes for something more complex and interesting. The great threat that has loomed over the last five books is brought to an end, but wider problems remain. In that sense, this is very much a Fantasy for our times.

Vector 227 JanuaryFebruary 2003
Reviewed by Andrew A. Adams

This is the fifth and final "Tale of Einarinn". While the author may return to the world she's created, this initial tale has been completed. This isn't a book that's going to make much sense without reading the earlier ones. Too much of what's going on, both in terms of plot and in terms of character interaction, depends on the subtleties of the previous books in the sequence. McKenna does well, however, in gently reminding the reader of past events without doing an info dump ("As you know Bob...")The reported thoughts of the characters naturally turn to the pivotal events of the prior books and remind you without wasting time on the detail.

As a final book to what's been a good series so far, this isn't a disappointment. This story finishes off by completing the circle. The first book set up various mysteries which have been paid off through the series, sometimes setting up further questions which in turn have now been answered. Both the personal and the political agendas are brought to a conclusion, though it isn't too pat. As with the previous books, there is a price to be paid for victory, both personally and politically. Few of the characters come through unscathed and unchanged and the political map of the world has been re-drawn through the books.

The system of magic is well worked out, and the ramifications of the discoveries of the characters continue to have effects on the plot and the expectations of the characters. Despite following the rather cliched principle of a magical catastrophe sometime in the past which led to a collapse of magic and knowledge, McKenna pulls this off far better than most and explains how and why the collapse occurred, and why the rediscovery can now happen. A rare occurrence that justifies the use of an overused plot device.

As with the previous books, the characters all have good reasons for their aims and goals, and the ways and means they choose to use. There are no "Dark Lords" - evil for the sake of evil - though there are certainly bad guys. The good guys have their doubts, their qualms, and their desires for revenge. Saint or sinner the characters come alive on the page and make you believe in them and their world.

McKenna has said she'll continue writing stories set in this rich world she has created and we may well come across some of our favourite characters again, especially those who're politically powerful. A wonderful conclusion to a great fantasy series.

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