Review: Allies and Assassins by Justin Somper

goodreads | 496 pages | medieval fantasy,

realistic fantasy, mystery | published

may 27, 2014 | little, brown

Prince Anders, the ruler of Archenfield, has been murdered, leaving his younger brother, Jared, to ascend the throne. Sixteen-year-old Jared feels unprepared to rule the kingdom and its powerful and dangerous court, yet he knows he can rely on the twelve officers of the court to advise him. He also knows he can just as easily be at their mercy-especially when it appears that one of them may be responsible for his brother's death. Unable to trust anyone, Jared takes it upon himself to hunt down his brother's killer-but the killer may be hunting him, as well. Murder, betrayal, and intrigue abound in Justin Somper's thrilling YA series debut. Exploring the political machinations of the medieval court and the lives that hang in the balance, Allies & Assassins is a gripping tale of a teen torn between duty and revenge.

spoiler-free review: ★★★

Allies & Assassins was good, but not the Game of Thrones type novel it is being hailed as. While the writing can be quite dry and repetitive sometimes, the plot manages to carry it along. The characters are all very well-written and fully fleshed out. The world can seem a bit too modern sometimes, but it's an interesting change from realistic medieval Europe. 

diversity: ★

I wasn't expecting much from a medieval fantasy, but surprisingly, sexuality (and asexuality) was brought up.




Allies & Assassins takes place in a fascinating medieval world which is utterly different than any other medieval fantasies. Gender equality is commonplace in historical fantasy for children and teenagers, but there's a matriarchy mentioned in the book, and the concept of sexuality is brought up casually. Medical conditions like hypothermia are known about, as well as placement of arteries. Because of this, the medieval world seems incredibly modern - possibly too modern. Other than that, I rather liked the world-building. It was different from the normal fantasy getup, even if some of the logistics didn't personally make sense to me.

The novel is at its heart a mystery novel, and mystery it is. Savvy readers might be able to guess the final culprit. (I'm not a savvy reader. I didn't guess prior to reading the Big Reveal, though I didn't find myself surprised - rather, I found myself rolling my eyes that I didn't expect it.) I haven't read much mystery, except for some Nancy Drew, so I don't know if it's a genre thing, but I found that there were far too many twists and turns. It got overwhelming by the end.

Most of the characters were nicely developed. Jared was a nice main character. I've read The False Prince and the similarity between the two characters end with both of them being boy kings with a name that starts with "Jar." Jared was hesitant, and he acted his age. Child monarchs wouldn't be cunning or wise, and Jared reflected that. I also enjoyed Asta Peck a lot. She was the right amount of inquisitive and devoted, though I dread that there may be romance coming up between Jared and Asta in later books. Asta is a strong character - well written without being ass-kicking. Oddly enough, my favorite was Edvin; even though we saw only a bit of him throughout the book, what we saw of him developed him very well. The Executioner was also one that interested me.

Allies and Assassins is a good book that manages to be a refreshing alternative to other fantasy novels consisting of battles and magic. I will be looking out for the sequel once it comes out.