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*The Assassin King* opens at winter's end with the arrival by sea of a mysterious hunter, a man of ancient race and purpose, who endlessly chants the names of the pantheon of demons that are his intended victims, as well as one other: Ysk, the original name of the Brother, now known as Achmed, the Assassin King of Ylorc. At the same moment of this portentous arrival, two gatherings of great import are taking place. The first is a convocation of dragons, who gather in a primeval forest glade--the site of the horrific ending of Llauron, one of the last of their kind. They mourn not only his irrevocable death, but the loss of the lore and control over the Earth itself that it represents. The ancient wyrms are terrified for what will come as a result of this loss. The second gathering is a council of war held in the depths of the keep of Haguefort: Ashe and Rhapsody, rulers of the alliance that protects the Middle Continent; Gwydion, the new Duke of Navarne; Anborn, the Lord Marshall; Achmed, the King of Ylorc, and Grunthor, his Sergeant-Major. Each brings news that form the pieces of a great puzzle. And as each piece is added it becomes quite clear: War is coming, the likes of which the world has never known. Cataclysm, both large and small, await in this sixth volume of the *USA Today* bestselling fantasy series, The Symphony of Ages. A twisting, fast-moving tale, *The Assassin King* promises endless surprises--most of which lead to pain. ### From Publishers Weekly *Starred Review.* At the start of Haydon's lyrical sixth installment in her sweeping saga of musical magic and ancient prophecies (after 2004's *Elegy for a Lost Star*), the dragons of the world gather to mourn the loss of one of their oldest and greatest—whose demise leaves a weakness in their protective shield of the Earth. Ashe and Rhapsody, the Lord and Lady of Cymrian, also convene with their allies to prepare for the war looming between deadly powers that could tear the world apart. Rhapsody has the added distraction of caring for their infant son, Meridion, for as the heir to Cymrian the baby is an obvious target; he may also be the Child of Time, whose coming will change the world—and perhaps even the nature of Time itself. While deftly managing a large cast of intriguing characters in a story that's both grand and intimate but never predictable, Haydon moves all the pieces into place for the next volume. *(Jan.)* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ### From Booklist The sixth Symphony of Ages novel portends a turning point. A mysterious figure wanders about reciting, among other things, the true name of Achmed, the assassin king of Yloc--and all good fantasy readers know that names have power. Meanwhile, a conclave of dragons, few in number but vastly powerful, plots. Achmed calls a council of war, and he and his advisers agree that war is coming, on a scale that should make the trilogy that will almost certainly follow this book thoroughly gripping. Haydon isn't the greatest fantasist, but her characterization skills and her use of folkloric material have steadily improved. *Roland Green* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved*