The Kings Assassin follows the exploits of Sillik, a master of the seven laws of magic and a warrior. Complying with a terrified telepathic summon from his father the king, Sillik returns to his home, the city of Illicia to find his father and brothers dead by assassins. Magical attacks and hostile dragons follow Sillik as he attempts to unravel the mystery of who betrayed his family. Can he trust anyone? Complications mount as Lady Silvia, one of the seven gods of law, interjects herself into the affairs of Illicia. Sillik follows the clues to the assassin that his father left for him and leaves the city. Followers of the nine gods of chaos pursue him while the worlds survival hangs in balance as the gods battle for supremacy with humans as their pawns. Opening a new series, the author is preaching the gospel of the genre. There are loving touches of the classics evident in the narrative’s every layer, from the political intrigue of Frank Herbert’s Dune to the vigorously structured culture in Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern. The overarching theme of the positive No. 7 versus the negative No. 9 lends Cannon’s world a cosmic drumbeat that the characters dance to—and though it seems cloying at first, readers should grow to appreciate it as essential to the author’s vast arrangement. After intensive (and successful) worldbuilding, Cannon switches into thriller gear, and magical forensics factor in, as in the line “The energies from the duel still whispered discord. Fierce energies had been flung across the room and had eventually slain his father....Burned tapestries and melted stone showed how fierce the fight had been.” Characters possess the vibrancy to add to, rather than vanish within, a complex plot. Melin, concerned about Briana, loses his patience and asks the cool Sillik, “So are you bedding her or not?” And while a fantasy thriller filled with secret sects of killers among the healers would be fabulous, Cannon doesn’t settle for that. Sillik leaves Illicia to hunt for the king’s assassin, offering readers a broader scope. In the morally dank city of Colum, for example, the prince meets Renee, a charismatic, though guarded, woman battling injustice. Her appearance adds emotional depth to the finale while the epilogue is a triumph of detailed maneuvering that should entice audiences back for the sequel. A joyously embellished and tightly guided epic fantasy thriller. -Kirkus Reviews Reviewed by: Susan Milam Pacific Book Review Star Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit With his debut effort, The Kings' Assassin, author Ed Cannon makes a strong move into the crowded realm of fantasy sagas. Begun during the author's college years and taken up again much later, the book appears to have benefitted from its long germination in Mr. Cannon's mind. The world of The Kings' Assassin is richly imagined and the characters multifaceted. Despite a storyline which leaves itself open to further volumes, the hero's journey is satisfying, and the book's conclusion leaves the reader's expectations fulfilled. Sillik stands atop Soul Crusher, one of the nine mountains that surround Illicia. After seven years, Sillik is returning home in response to an urgent thought communication he received almost two months earlier from his father, who is the king of Illicia. Sillik is hoping that this night at the Celebration of the Kings, he will toast his father and his three half-brothers. However, Sillik harbors grave doubts about the situation he will find when he enters Illicia. In the days since receiving his father's "frantic telepathic summons," Sillik has heard nothing further from him. Gifted by the Seven Gods of Law with the Seven Laws of Magic, Sillik can perform feats outside the reach of ordinary men and women. After surviving an attack on the trail down the mountain, Sillik enters Illicia through the King's Gate and wonders what awaits him within the city's walls. Mr. Cannon fills The Kings' Assassin with detailed information about Illicia and the battle between the Seven Gods of Law and the Nine Gods of Darkness for the soul of the city. The author packs the text with Illician lore and history, as well as the personal history of hero Sillik. Still, the book flows from peak to peak without being dragged down by the necessary world building. Indeed, the storyline pulls in readers based on Mr. Cannon's ability to bring Illicia, its inhabitants and its gods to life. Obviously, he has spent a good deal of time developing the complicated traditions and laws that undergird the story. However, the book's gods and other fantastical elements never overwhelm the storytelling that makes Sillik's journey so powerful. In addition to Sillick, a male protagonist in the tradition of the best fantasy heroes, Mr. Cannon creates several strong female characters: Briana, a gifted sword handler and a member of Illicia's inner circle; Renee, who proves to be a brave ally and perhaps more; and Lady Silvia, one of the Seven Gods of Law. Fo