An assassin who wants to stop a plague makes an unusual fairytale hero. Zoticus has spent years bringing death to men he believes deserve it, but Call: Pied Piper Retold asks what happens when his task becomes saving the innocent. His attraction to Sara, a stubborn widow with a son to protect, gives this medieval fantasy adventure an explicitly adult romantic centre.

Readers drawn to an eerie enchanted household and healing love in Juliet Marillier’s Heart’s Blood may enjoy this romantic retelling. It also offers a point of connection with Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver through folkloric bargains and resourceful women.

A blood-powered healing amulet, ancestral memories, and an enchanted flute complicate Zoticus’s capabilities. His visions show Sara in a mountain stronghold without explaining how to keep her safe. The Pied Piper supplies the summons and endangered community, while Heart’s Blood echoes the healing-and-refuge atmosphere. Viewers who enjoy Once Upon a Time for interconnected fairytale lives and far-reaching curses will recognise another point of appeal.

For readers who love: assassin heroes, magical healing, future visions, protective heroines, reluctant vulnerability, mature romantic fantasy. Perfect for fans of: Grace Draven, Heart’s Blood, The Pied Piper, T. Kingfisher, and Paladin’s Grace.