If you liked the Assassin's Creed books, try these indie books!

Both of these amazing dark fantasy tales are five-star reads I've loved and recommend highly (and NO, this is NOT a sponsored post; I receive no kick-backs for clicks/orders on the links below).

They follow strong female main characters navigating worlds they're both comfortable in and uncomfortable in at once. The deep, character-driven nature of the stories come alongside unpredictable plots and endings that left me eager for the next books in their series. 

1.) The Assassin of Grins and Secrets by K.E. Williams (Blurb from the Book's Detail Page is Below)

Once the infamous assassin who killed with a smile, Serein now waits for death in the fighting pits of the Harpy's Chest. When the crown prince of Sarddon, Rameses al-Amirmoez, seeks her out with an offer of freedom if she serves as his guard, she must decide whether to work for those who ravaged her homeland or die.

Rameses wants to believe that the war his father started was justified, but he has heard rumors and seen a cruelty in his father that causes him to question everything he's been told. To find answers, he needs Serein.

Uriah Stormheir, Captain of the Oyon's city guard, finds himself caught between his duty to the crown and his friendship with Rameses. His distrust for Rameses' new guard runs deep. As Uriah wrestles with guilt from his past, he must work alongside the dangerous assassin whose true motives are hidden underneath her scars and dark grins.

In a land of hot sands and dying magic, Serein plays the game of secrets with Uriah and Rameses, knowing one wrong step could end her life. As the shadows of her past catch up with her, she has to choose between pursuing vengeance and protecting a secret only she knows.

See my YT interview with K.E. below:

2.) The Lost Heir by Chris Gourley (Blurb from the Book's Detail Page is Below)

Standing atop a promontory, she sees them coming... interlopers in the desert, clumsy outsiders whose caravan blazes a trail of dust. Alisutton d'ere Lihter, who her brothers once called “Button”, was abandoned in this wasteland, years ago. Is it those who betrayed her, returning? And if so... why?

The answer will bring a girl the world thought dead back across the desert, home to a place she barely remembers. She is The Lost Heir, last of her line... but the secret she carries with her won't put her on the throne. Instead, it prompts a race across the land, a daring rescue, and brings to light yet more mysteries. Who is hunting her along the way? Can she trust what's left of her family or the strangers who have taken her into their fold... or only herself?

With her bow and her spear, her heart and her wits, and an indomitable will to survive, Button will find the answers. But she will also learn, like the wind in the desert, what we learn can change us. For good or ill, she will never be the same.

See my YT interview with Chris below:

Have you any of these books? Drop me a comment with what you thought, or a recommendation of another dark fantasy assassin tale!