Brother to Shadows by Andre Norton

Andre Norton is indeed a fabulous writer. The long string of books prior to and following the book 'Brother to Shadows' proves this. 'Brother to Shadows' is both reminiscent of other books using assassin societies and yet also holds enough unique flavor to be singularly Norton's. Mixing mysticism, eastern flavored society, a world with a space frontier and high technology, and dozens of other races, this book takes a concept we can easily grasp (the assassin guild) and leads it a merry chase through moral dilemmas, political intrigue and the basic element of trust. I suggest that if you liked R.A. Salvatore's "Drizzt Do'Urden" series and C.J. Cherryh's "The Faded Sun" trilogy, you should definitely read this book. It made me want more!