The Emperor's Edge (a high fantasy novel in an era of steam)

Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed. Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead. <em>Produced by <a href="//www.podiobooks.com/podiobooks/search.php?keyword=DarkFire">DarkFire Productions</a> and narrated by <a href="//www.podiobooks.com/podiobooks/search.php?keyword=Starla+Huchton">Starla Huchton</a>.</em>