The Emperor's edge - Lindsay Buroker

“Sespian opened his mouth, paused, closed it, then shook his head ruefully. "It's very easy to be drawn into what you're saying, and I catch myself wanting to nod and agree. Maybe I should take notes on your technique."

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I was looking for a good fantasy and stumbled onto the Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker.  This is one of those series that you just want to read until all the books are done.  The characters are authentic with great wit and humour.  There is intrigue, romance, and lots of laughs.  

The characters show development through the series and you cannot help but fall in love with them. Amaranth Lockdon is the straight and narrow Enforcer who catches the attention of the young Emperor Sespian.  She then gets caught up in an attempt to have her killed during a suicide mission.  Her mission: to kill the notorious assassin Sicarius.  

Sicarius saves her life and together they take on a corrupt group who wants to eliminate the Emperor.  Amaranth gathers a team of "experts" to help her in her endeavour calling them the Emperor's Edge.  They aim to clear her name and save the Emperor.  

The group consists of Books a professor of history who has become a drunk after a personal tragedy.  Maldynado is a disowned son of the aristocratic warrior caste, he is the best dualist and a dandy.  He is also very handsome and therefore he becomes the group's shopper as many shopowners tend to give him things for free due to his charm.  Akstyr is an ex-gang-member, as he discovered that he can do "magic" or the Science as they call it, he has nowhere safe to go and Amarath talks him into joining her.  Basilard is the gentle giant, he is mute and was forced to be a fighter.  He joins the group and together with Sicarius tends to be more grounded than the rest.

Amaranth has a way with words, later on, Sespian would call her a diplomat as she can talk people into almost anything and defuse situations with her words.  She also has a way of saying things in such a way that the other characters say yes as it seems to be the correct answer.  And that is how she manages to persuade the group to follow her outlandish ideas and plans.

“You never say what I wish you’d say, and you frequently say nothing at all when it’s clear you should say something, so it’s not entirely fantastical that you’d say a certain thing when you mean something else entirely.” He opened his mouth, shut it, and considered the ground briefly before responding. “I remember studying Fleet Admiral Starcrest’s Mathematical Probabilities Applied to Military Strategies as a young boy and finding that less confusing than what you just said.” Now it was her turn for a stunned pause before answering. “Sicarius?” She laid a tentative hand on his shoulder. “Was that a joke?” “A statement of fact.”
― Lindsay Buroker, Dark Currents

I would recommend this series to anyone who likes to read good action fantasy with humour and great character growth.  What I like was that the world Ms. Buroker created seems real and authentic and there is no profanity. Therefore even young teenagers could read it and enjoy the adventure.