Cassie James's Blog: Itz All About Books!! - Posts Tagged "assassins"

Everlasting Flame by Katelyn Anderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was everything packed in one. The journey of Joan from a young innocent girl to the strong badass woman she is now is one everyone has to read. The action scenes are superb, The plot engrossing, The Romance entrancing. Seeing the love triangle between Joan, Lorenzo and Cyrus is like my favorite guilty pleasure. This book is a thrilling ride of fun, excitement, tension and is literally one of the most badass YA novels of 2016. Katelyn Anderson's debut is one of a kind. This is a series I definitely will not mind following up. I can recommend this to everyone who like badass powerful heroines with a touch of vulnerability that just makes them so damn irresistible. I immensely enjoyed this book and I so can't wait for the second book in the series. The magic in this book is quite unique and while different is definitely formidable. Joan becoming an assassin and an agent is one tale I loved and who she was before the ending was equally fascinating. Be prepared for a devastating ending that leaves you quite anxious for the next book. Everlasting Flame is a tale of love, loyalty ,humor, friendship, power and will.



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Death's Queen by Janeal Falor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



With that very intriguing synopsis, I expected this book to be awesome and it delivered. From the wonderful characters to the storyline to the writing, everything was superb. While at first, the situation concerning the main character is a little bit odd (but understandable considering what's she's gone through), the story evolves further into a brilliant storyline. I was very impressed by the main character she's brilliant and deadly in a way that reminds me of Aelin from the Throne of Glass series yet she's still vulnerable enough for me to see the different shades she's made up of.
Her trials from being a nobody into being Queen is very entertaining and full of what I can call great writing. The scenes and situations were so engrossing that I hardly put it down. The growth of the character was also another high point of the book, Her transformation into the great Queen she's meant to be (though not totally completed, that will happen in later books in the series) is definitely not something to miss.
Her relationship with Nash (the other main character and her Head Advisor) is also very entertaining. The buildup of feelings between them is amazing and the hot chemistry between them makes it even more worthwhile. The best part of the book is the writing it's so good it makes the book irresistible, you will definitely find yourself hooked.
Janeal Falor has written a vivid and lush book set in a world I can't wait to get more of, I highly anticipate more books in this intriguing series. I recommend this book to all YA Fantasy readers, You wouldn't regret it. Full of action, romance, betrayals, court and royal intrigue, suspense, magic, dramedy and kicksass heroines, Death's Queen is a book to get.

P.S: The moment at the end was so beautiful I wept because it was a crowning moment to something that has been building up for most of the book.



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Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review, This doesn't in anyway influence my opinion on it.


Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra is one book that blew me away. The amazing synopsis prepared me for awesomeness but I was still amazed by just how good this book is. Kyra is a venerable badass character that captured my interest from the very beginning. Her way of thinking made this book much more enjoyable.
Kyra Veer is a Markswoman in the Order of Kali. They're assassins of some sort but instead of taking lives for nefarious reasons, they take it due to justifiable actions. They bring order and peace to the lands, they're badass like that. They do it with the help of their telepathic blades called Katari, whose bond with Marskwomen help them to use the Inner Speech. The Inner Speech is a form of mind control that is activated with lots of concentration and self awareness. It's really a beautiful thing reading about their way of life, it's lush and fulfilling in a way most people these days don't really get. That feeling of doing things for the greater good. At least it was until, Kyra's favorite mentor, Shirin Mam who was like a mother to her died mysteriously. Shirin Mam was also the leader of the Order. The duty of the leader was then taken over by the brutal and callous Tamsyn, who prior to Shirin Mam's death had said some suspiciously treasonous things. That and she hadn't hid her hunger for power, But she always was efficient as the Hand of the Order. As the only one who knows there's more to the death of their leader, Kyra takes the Shirin Mam's magic imbued katari and leaves on a journey. The other main character is Rustan, a Marksman of the Order of Khur that lives in the cold desert in the heart of Asiana (That's the whole kingdom, BTW the Markswomen live in caverns). Rustan is an intriguing character that questions their purpose, He feels doubt at the fact that the Order deem themselves worthy of choosing to take away lives. This doubt magnifies when he finds out the Order got tricked into killing an innocent man (The mission was carried out by Rustan). After her daring escape from the Order of Kali, Kyra uses a Transport Hub (These are like Teleporting trains sort of activated with a Katari. Not the best description but my imagination isn't as lush as that of the authors. They are remnants of a modern age long gone.) along with a set of special coordinates the Shirin Mam had given her before her demise. She finds herself in the desert where populated by the Order of Khur, this leads to Kyra meeting Rustan by chance. Fate had put them in each other's way and all that's left is to find out why exactly. After explaining her predicament to the Order of Khur, a decision is made. During the annual clan meeting in which all the various Orders (There are five in total) will be present, Kyra will challenge Tamsyn to a katari duel and she has only a month to train to defeat the deadliest Markswoman in the Order of Kali. Kyra trains with Rustan who is the most adept in combat and this pushes them towards each other even further. Their connection slowly deepens and morphs into something beautiful and just simply amazing. I loved all the moments they have together, they have this awesome chemistry even when they're sparring. Their odd pairing is definitely one of the nicest I've read about in a while. Kyra's time with the Order of Khur lead to surprising findings about herself and it was an important culmination of her self awareness journey as it shed secrets about her past to light. The action in this book is amazing, it's so vivid and descriptive I can see it so clearly. Rati Mehrotra might just be debuting but her writing is so skillful it seems veteran. The quality of Markswoman is superb, it's such a page turner. The worldbuilding is also very notable, it's vast yet very carefully crafted without confusing readers. The moments before the ending blew me away, I expected twists and turns that'd leave me gasping and I was not disappointed. So many thrilling things happened at the ended that left me thirsting for more in this series. The women in this series are impressive portrayed, they are powerful, strong, brilliant and yet still maternal enough. I also love the rich and lush cultures of the various clans, it was really nice seeing so many diverse point of views. It has it all, Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra is a perfect blend of fantasy, SciFi, action, magic, romance, adventure, mystery, brilliant characters, massive worldbuilding, refreshing original plots and a breath taking cover. I can't wait to read the next book in this phenomenal series from a wickedly talented author. I happily recommend Markswoman to whoever is looking for the next great read.



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