Isaac Frost is an assassin. Raised in the Graveyard of the cruel and mysterious Undertaker, he has mastered the deadly art of the knife and the skill of survival, together with scores of others just like him—young men taken from their families to become the most infamous killers throughout the realms of elves and humans. But Isaac is unique: a single drop of another’s blood can confer upon him the knowledge and power of friend and foe alike.

After crossing paths with the elf queen Argent, Isaac is sent to a strange magical school for wayward practitioners in the hopes that he can learn where he—and his unusual talent—fit in the world. Isaac is charmed by the school’s chaotic nature and finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Vran, a Sea Elf haunted by secret knowledge.

But Vran isn’t the only one with secrets, and Isaac’s arrival is no accident. The Undertaker has charged him with infiltrating the school for the purpose of destroying it utterly, and his future rests on completing his mission—before the Undertaker takes matters into his own hands.

In Rogue Community College Book one of the Liberty House series, David R. Slayton captures community and friendship. The world that Isaac Frost lives in is a dangerous and difficult one but Isaac is a survivor. What is most interesting is how through undertaking his mission, Isaac slowly opens up and grows closer to those around him. 

I liked that from the start both Vran and Isaac are intriguing characters. You want to know more about each of them and through their time together, we learn more about the world but also discover more about each of them and the other students at the school. Much like a real community college, spending time there forces Isaac to make friends and develop other skills than the ones he was raised in. It broadens his world but also deepens his sense of community. And the novel does an excellent job of demonstrating found family, giving those who are different a place of belonging and a world where the weird characters get a chance to shine. And while the ending is not what you expect, it is a revelation.

If you like David R. Slayton, urban fantasy or stories about found family, I think you’ll love this story about an assassin who learns about community and friendship. His dilemma is choosing between two different families, not an easy choice which makes the narrative that much more intense and complex. I loved how the author resolved that dilemma and I loved both Isaac and Vran. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 knives