Book Review: Assassin in the Alehouse

Book review for Assassin in the Alehouse, by Z.S. Diamanti.

The third installment of the Fables of Finlestia cozy fantasy series is here!

Assassin in the Alehouse is a realistic and relatable representation of PTSD and healing.

You don't need to read these in order, since they act as standalones in the same universe, but why would you skip a good cozy fantasy?

Find Z.S. Diamanti's books at https://zsdiamanti.com/ 

What to do next:

• Read The Chronicles of Talahm starting with Book 1: Mark of Stars

Transcript

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Welcome to the Christian Readers Podcast, where you can escape into fiction without sacrificing your values. I'm your host, Colleen Mitchell, author of The Chronicles of Talam. Today is my review of Z.S. Diamante's newest book, Assassin in the Alehouse. It's the next in his Fables of Finlestia Cozy Fantasy series. I was lucky enough to be an arc reader for Zack again. For an overview of the first two books, Guard in the Garden and Wagons and Wyvern's, check out episode 7. Here's the blurb for Assassin in the Alehouse. Embark on a cozy fantasy tale of found family and quiet mysteries. A quaint quest to find the place that feels like home, and the ones who make it so. A journey filled with self-discovery and new romance. From cloaks and daggers to mugs and flagons. Haskul Byrne spent years in the shadows, becoming Kelver's most prominent assassin. When his notorious guild is torn apart in a war with a wicked sorcerer, he has no choice but to retreat into hiding in the seaside town of Lornash Point. With his life as an assassin seemingly over, a local alehouse brewer gives Haskul a chance at a fresh start in a new life he never wanted. But when an ominous note is pinned to the bar top, threatening his new friends, the elf assassin wonders if he'll ever escape his past mistakes. Take a seat at the table and see what magic awaits. Come enjoy the hospitality of the seaside town of Lornash Point. Meet new friends as you sample amber ale at a local tavern, uncover mysteries in the shadows, and taste pub comfort food prepared by a culinary wizard. Assassin and the Alehouse came out on June 2nd, 2026, so if you're listening in real time, it is still release month. Here's the review I posted across platforms as part of being an arc reader. In this third installment of Z.S. Diamante's Fable of Finlestia Cozy Fantasy series, which can all be read as standalones, expect a fun, heartwarming story of an assassin's second chance at finding family. Haskoel, the lovable former assassin main character, deals with relatable fears as he tries to solve the mystery of recent assassinations in Lornash Point. Throughout the story, Hascoel suffers from clear PTSD stemming from how his life as an assassin came to an end, and it made me so happy to see the supporting characters help him through it. Once again, Diamante delivers with this story of healing and learning what it takes to stop running from those who actually care about us. You can find Assassin in the Alehouse on basically every book selling platform, but the best place to start is at Zack's website, which is linked in the description. I really loved this book and it was such a fun read from start to finish, so I hope you go and check it out. If you are a Christian with a book recommendation, there is a link in the description to text me and I would love to hear it. Thanks for listening to today's episode. If this resonated with you, please share it with your friends so they can find something new to read. God bless, and until next time, goodbye.