Line #12 Literature/AssassinFantastic


1	''Assassin Fantastic'' is a collection of fifteen short stories, all featuring assassins, each with their own motivations and methods. Most of the stories include a TwistEnding of some sort, though a few are more straightforward. In order, the fifteen tales are:
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3	* "Death Rites" by Creator/TanyaHuff - Brother-sister team Bannon and Vree (from Huff's ''Literature/{{Quarters}}'' series) are dispatched to take care of a traitorous commander who has holed up in one of their own fortresses - a traitor who has already dealt with the first three assassins sent after her with ease.
4	* "Green Stones" by Stephen Leigh - The old barkeeper Maire had his number the moment he set foot in her bar. He was looking for the legendary Green Stone... but for what purpose?
5	* "Coin of the Realm" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Princess Rosalind is to be [[ArrangedMarriage married against her will]] to Prince Lief of Crystofil, whose lands her [[StayInTheKitchen sexist father]] covets. Never mind that the assassins are currently in the middle of a bloody sort of SuccessionCrisis: whoever can kill the most high-profile target in a way that benefits the King the most will become his new right hand. And Rosalind is well aware that the wedding will make a very tempting target, indeed...
6	* "The Svedali Foundlings" by Fiona Patton - Coll thought he was the LastOfHisKind: the last survivor of the Svedali Foundling Home. But ThereIsAnother, and when their paths cross, it may well mean the end of the simple sort of life Coll's managed to make for himself since the ''incident''.
7	* "History and Economics" by Anna Oster - A young nobleman comes looking for revenge, only to receive a few lessons in [[TitleDrop history and economics]].
8	* "Never Say... Uh... Die?" by Creator/JosephaSherman - Alexei Danilovich runs an efficient "Removal Service", taking out the targets heroes can't hack -- but how do you kill someone who calls himself "the Deathless"?
9	* "Dying By Inches" by Creator/TeresaEdgerton - Miss Odilia Rowan navigates a DecadentCourt, seeking vengeance for how her family was wronged... but has she found the right target?
10	* "Darkness Comes Together" by Mickey Zucker Reichert - An ordinary assassin finds himself working with the legendary Nightfall, inflitrating the same mansion and seeking the same target...
11	* "Raven's Cut" by Lynn Flewelling - A former assassin recounts the tale of the best assassin he's ever known: [[MeaningfulName Raven]].
12	* "Myhr's Adventure in Hell" by P.N. Elrod - A couple of dimension hopping travelers are recruiter to ensure a recently deceased monarch ''stays'' dead by [[ToHellAndBack assassinating him in hell]].
13	* "He" by Leyte Jefferson - A modern [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]] assassin reports back to his master.
14	* "War of the Roses" by Rosemary Edghill - The Flower Guild of the White City of Megiddo is legendary, though few know for certain if it even exists. Redlorn, however, learns that it ''must'' exist, for how else could he cross paths with one of its members? But for what purpose has he been singled out?
15	* "On My Honor" by Bernie Arntzen - The trusted assassin for Queen Catherine of Oran is assigned to deal with King Avery of Roarke -- the very country he secretly serves as a DoubleAgent. This could be a problem...
16	* "A Touch of Poison" by Creator/JaneLindskold - Adalia, the Widow Baker, is dragged into an assassination plot as their instrument of murder -- poison her beloved master, or her infant son dies. Surely an ordinary, ''helpless'' girl like her can't stand against them, right...?
17	* "Echoes" by Michelle West - The bard Kallandras [[WholeEpisodeFlashback reflects]] on part of his DarkAndTroubledPast, on one of the finest friends he made in an unexpected place... and on the TrainingFromHell they endured together, and a SecretTestOfCharacter that went terribly awry.
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20	These stories contain examples of:
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22	* ArrangedMarriage: "Coin of the Realm" revolves around one and the surrounding tensions.
23	* BadassUnintentional: Adalia of "A Touch of Poison" is just an ordinary baker who finds herself forcibly "recruited" by assassins. She proceeds to prove that this was a very, ''very'' poor decision on their part.
24	* BittersweetEnding: Combined with MoodWhiplash in [[spoiler:"Never Say... Uh... Die?"]]: [[spoiler:Koshchei the Deathless dies, but at the cost of a very sympathetic character's life.]]
25	* BrotherSisterIncest: Implied through rumor in "Death Rites", {{Squick}}ing out the carter who observes the pair during their introduction.
26	* CallingTheOldManOut: In "Coin of the Realm", Rosalind [[spoiler:combines this with BreakThemByTalking and IronicEcho upon claiming the best target for herself and announcing her place as the new right hand]].
27	* DeaderThanDead: The point of Myhr's mission.
28	* DecadentCourt
29	* DoubleAgent: The [[SympatheticPOV main character]] in "On My Honor".
30	* DownerEnding:
31	** Found in [[spoiler:"History and Economics"]] and combined with KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Jan was sent after his sister's murderer by his uncle so that the assassin could take ''his'' life as well]].
32	** Also appears in [[spoiler:"On My Honor"]]: [[spoiler:the POV character ends up unable to commit to either side, takes a third option and flees both countries after finding himself unable to take out his target while standing at the king's bedside]].
33	* FirstPersonSmartass: "Never Say... Uh... Die?" and "Myhr's Adventure in Hell". "On My Honor" has a light touch of this, but is more SympatheticPOV.
34	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Found in all of the stories, but features most heavily in "Green Stones" and "History and Economics".
35	* TheGenieKnowsJackNicholson: Myhr and his wizard companion Terrin make ''tons'' of pop culture references and {{Shout Out}}s; this is {{Justified\| Trope}} by the fact that they're both dimension-hopping wanderers trying to get back to Earth.
36	* GreyAndGrayMorality
37	* HeirClubForMen: Rosalind's father views his six daughters as mere "coin to be traded", for he feels only a ''son'' can inherit his crown.
38	* IronicEcho: A running theme in "Coin of the Realm".
39	-->"Looks like you'll have to do."
40	* [[PoliticallyIncorrectHero Licensed Sexist]]: All over the place in "Coin of the Realm". [[spoiler:Including the former right hand, which led directly to his demise.]]
41	* MiscarriageOfJustice: A FrameUp led to Odilia's whole family being imprisoned in "Dying By Inches". The story begins when she's called in and informed that the ruling has been reversed and she and her surviving relatives are being released and recompensated. Emphasis upon ''surviving''.
42	* MurderInc: A major plot point in "History and Economics", as the Silent Guild operates ''openly'' after the Romanez vs. the Silent Guild case.
43	* ObfuscatingStupidity: Adalia uses the fact that the {{Smug Snake}}s trying to play her as their pawn assume she's stupid and easily manipulated to her advantage.
44	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: In "He", [[spoiler:along with OurVampiresAreDifferent]].
45	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Master Greene Reid in "A Touch of Poison". How else do you describe someone who reacts so ''calmly'' to [[spoiler:being informed of a plot against him by the very same woman who just about poisoned him]]?
46	* SatelliteLoveInterest: Variation in "Coin of the Realm": all we know about Lief is his decidedly cool reaction to meeting his bride-to-be ([[spoiler:"Looks like you'll have to do."]]), so that [[spoiler:we don't have to feel too sorry for him upon his death]].
47	* SecretTestOfCharacter:
48	** "Green Stones": Maire eventually tells her guest that [[spoiler:the Green Stone was there the whole time, evaluating him, and has found him unworthy of his time]].
49	** "Darkness Comes Together": [[spoiler:Nightfall is secretly observing the man he 'teamed up with' as well as their target. In the end, he muses that the man's kindness has earned him his life.]]
50	** "Echoes": It turns out that the guild tells their apprentices [[spoiler:about their low graduation rate]] as one of these. [[spoiler:Tragically, it leads to two of the boys deciding to weed out the competition through mass-murder.]]
51	* ShoutOut: Everything from ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' to ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' in "Myhr's Adventure in Hell".
52	* SmugSnake: The villains in "A Touch of Poison", who believe that their plan to {{blackmail}} Adalia into murdering their target ''for them'' is absolutely flawless.
53	* SuccessionCrisis: In "Coin of the Realm", the King's right-hand assassin was recently murdered, and he's running a contest. Whoever can kill the most high-profile target in a way that benefits the King the most will get the job.
54	* SympatheticPOV: "On My Honor" and "Raven's Cut".
55	* TakeAThirdOption: In "On My Honor", [[spoiler:it gets Deconstructed: his "third option" leaves him with ''nothing'', dissatisfied and still struggling with his decision, uncertain whether or not his scruples were worth it]].
56	* TakingYouWithMe: In "Myhr's Adventure in Hell", it turns out that [[spoiler:their target attempted to pull this on his world, setting it up so that his death would trigger a deadly chain reaction that can only end if his soul dies]].
57	* TwistEnding: As mentioned above, frequently appears. Doesn't reach MandatoryTwistEnding levels since ''most'' don't double as {{Downer Ending}}s.
58	* UnwittingPawn: How the {{Smug Snake}}s of "A Touch of Poison" view Adalia. [[BadassUnintentional Their mistake.]]
59	* YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm: In "Myhr's Adventure In Hell", Terrin translates everything Myhr "sees" in Hell to something he can grasp without going insane. Mainly, a SugarBowl. With [[ItMakesSenseInContext naked lesbian demons]].
60	* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness:
61	** [[spoiler:Marshall Arnon]] falls victim to this in "Death Rites".
62	** Adalia suspects the murderers will pull this on her in "A Touch of Poison". [[spoiler:She's correct, but manages to outwit them.]]
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Context Literature / AssassinFantastic