WARRIOR, PRINCESS, ASSASSIN – Brigid Kemmerer
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-345087-5 (Trade)
ISBN: 978-0-06-339166-6 (HC)
August 2025
Fantasy
Kingdoms of Astranza and Incender
The Warrior – King Maddox “Ky” Kyronan of Incender is a fire mage and his reputation is that of a cruel, ruthless King. He is traveling to Astranza to finalize the agreement of marriage between himself and the Princess of Astranza. A marriage that is necessary for the future of his kingdom. The King of Astranza is a weather mage, and Ky needs that magic to save his people. The crops are dying and burning, and the people are starving.
The Princess – Marjoriana “Jory” has lived a sheltered life, if not a happy one. Ruled by a cruel brother and an absent father, she knows nothing of the world outside the royal house. She has been betrothed to a King she has never met and has heard only of his cruelty. She knows she has no choice, but she hopes to escape her fate with the help of her only friend, Asher. Jory knows the Kingdom needs a strong warrior to help them fight their mutual enemy kingdom, but she fears marriage to a man the world sees as cruel
The Assassin – Asher, once a part of the royal house now works for the Assassins Guild. Jory knows nothing of Asher’s life since his banishment from the royal house. Asher loves Jory but knows they can never be together, yet he can’t stay away.
When fate intervenes, the assassin will have to save both Jory and Ky. Their journey from Astranza to Incender is a race to find safety before they are all dead.
WARRIOR, PRINCESS, ASSASSIN is a fast-paced fantasy adventure with ruthless killers in pursuit of the Ky and Jory, and now Asher for helping them to escape the palace. The dynamics and interactions between the various characters are intriguing. As they travel toward Incender and the protection of the Incender military, secrets are revealed, and the unlikely trio form an intimate kind of friendship.
I enjoyed the way the story unfolded. Each character, Jory, Ky and Asher tell the story for their own perspective. While it kept the story moving at a fast pace, the individual narratives also let the reader get to know each of them in detail and gives the reader a better understanding of the actions taken by each of them. That said, while I enjoyed the book, I felt the relationship between the three main players was more forced than natural. Additionally, the ending was abrupt, with nothing really resolved in the personal dynamics, or the political dynamics. I was pleased to learn that there will be another book in the series, and I fully intend to read it. I want to understand the characters better, as their actions based on who I initially believed to be didn’t ring true for me. Overall, I recommend WARRIOR, PRINCESS, ASSASSIN to those who love fantasy adventures with danger around every corner, and characters that are revealed slowly over time.
Terrie Figueroa
