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sfmcqueen's review against another edition
5.0
The second instalment follows a different character that was introduced in the first book, and follows up the events of the first with a wonderful new storyline that ties the first and third books together. More queer representation, expands upon the world building, magic system and deepens the world's lore.
I want to read it for the first time all over again. I cannot stop recommending these books
I want to read it for the first time all over again. I cannot stop recommending these books
heresthepencil's review against another edition
4.0
rep: poc cast, lesbian mc, sapphic li
tw: death, blood, violence, gore, eye horror, body horror
Review also on my blog. ARC provided by the publisher.
3.5 ☆
While The Perfect Assassin was all about Amastan and the moral dilemma of being an assassin, The Impossible Contract gives us a totally different kind of hero(ine). Thana takes pride in her profession and more than anything, wants to be remembered for her work. It’s so refreshing to read in a world where we’re used to only male characters being allowed to have an ego this size. (Also in her case it’s justified…)
We’re introduced to more of the world we already came to love, this time around learning about other aspects of it. In fact, it can almost feel less like coming to familiar land & more like discovering a whole new one, only with a few rituals we recognise. The change in perspective does wonders for the worldbuilding (not that it was bad before, the opposite really, but that it allows for further exploration).
That change also brings Thana to the spotlight and she’s a great main character. While Amastan questioned his every step and thought about all possible consequences of each, Thana just does. No fear, no doubt in her, only the burning need to fulfil her plans. Especially when someone she holds dear is in danger.
And that brings me to the romance part of the book and it’s probably not a surprise to anyone, if I say it was my favourite one. Thana’s lesbianism was the more relatable thing I have ever read and the whole love plot line was done in such a beautiful, slow way!
All in all, The Impossible Contract is a fast-paced fantasy adventure in a cool setting, with a group of very endearing characters to lead the reader through all the ups and downs. If you enjoyed the first installment, you definitely want to discover more of the world thanks to this one.
tw: death, blood, violence, gore, eye horror, body horror
Review also on my blog. ARC provided by the publisher.
3.5 ☆
While The Perfect Assassin was all about Amastan and the moral dilemma of being an assassin, The Impossible Contract gives us a totally different kind of hero(ine). Thana takes pride in her profession and more than anything, wants to be remembered for her work. It’s so refreshing to read in a world where we’re used to only male characters being allowed to have an ego this size. (Also in her case it’s justified…)
We’re introduced to more of the world we already came to love, this time around learning about other aspects of it. In fact, it can almost feel less like coming to familiar land & more like discovering a whole new one, only with a few rituals we recognise. The change in perspective does wonders for the worldbuilding (not that it was bad before, the opposite really, but that it allows for further exploration).
That change also brings Thana to the spotlight and she’s a great main character. While Amastan questioned his every step and thought about all possible consequences of each, Thana just does. No fear, no doubt in her, only the burning need to fulfil her plans. Especially when someone she holds dear is in danger.
And that brings me to the romance part of the book and it’s probably not a surprise to anyone, if I say it was my favourite one. Thana’s lesbianism was the more relatable thing I have ever read and the whole love plot line was done in such a beautiful, slow way!
All in all, The Impossible Contract is a fast-paced fantasy adventure in a cool setting, with a group of very endearing characters to lead the reader through all the ups and downs. If you enjoyed the first installment, you definitely want to discover more of the world thanks to this one.
jennms_qkw's review against another edition
5.0
Wow I loved this
Another great adventure. Some magic. Great characters. I wish I can see this world. I hope to read more books from this.
Another great adventure. Some magic. Great characters. I wish I can see this world. I hope to read more books from this.
rxh05d's review
3.0
This book was frustrating. I didn't like the MC as much as I liked the MC for the previous book in the trilogy. I felt like the plot was too contrived/convenient and the characters made bad decisions. I think I like multi part stories that have more of a through line with the same characters, so since the third book is about a third member of the family, I'll probably skip it.
aromarrie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
ignoring how i fell off the wagon with this book for a good few days, this was a highly intense adventure that i was wholly fascinated with from start to finish. once i picked this story back up again, i tore through it in less than a day and it was an experience of a lifetime.
the same 4.5 that i gave to amastan's story is quite different compared to the 4.5 that i've decided to rate thana's story. what both cousins share in common is there fierce loyalty to their city and it's that level of dedication that makes for such wonderfully crafted characters with clear motivations. beyond that, however, they are very different and it is in how careful & methodic amastan is when it comes to planning, when it comes to observing every piece of the puzzle before jumping into action. as a result, his story translated into what ultimately felt like a slow-burn murder mystery with splices of action in between--and i loved it a lot. with thana on the other hand, she's much more impulsive and filled with a burning passion that makes her fumble at times but doesn't tire her out, instead pushing her even further to her goals. for that, this story--her story--burned really fast and moved at a lightening pace filled with incredible marvels that were just as exciting as they were very terrifying.
this journey thana goes through is intense in all the best ways--with characters like mo & heru who get swept up in the sands and use their individual talents to add just as much splendor to this story as thana does. there's so much that goes on in this book, it's difficult to unpack just about everything but for one, there is necromancy, which is what primarily puts the "impossible" into this contract that throws thana into this mess of a quest. there's dust storms, ravaged cities, and death-defying actions made that put all these characters into quite a tumble and i was absolutely gobsmacked at how well-written all of it was. if i may be honest, the plot itself felt much more complex and ambitious than the first book and so could just as easily have twisted upon itself and yet it was actually impressively done. while there were a couple details that fell through the cracks, a character with as fierce a spirit as thana made this story as sweepingly genius as it is.
we meet her in amastan's story as what i believed to be a meek young girl with an incredible amount of weight that was soon to be (if not already) weighed on her shoulders as the Serpent's daugher. here, thana is much older, and much more passionate when it came to fulfilling that weight of expectations she's placed on herself in her family. the role of the assassin was something so intriguing to me from amastan's eyes, and here with thana, it felt much more razor-sharp and unpredictable because that is exactly what's part of the job. we see that alluded to at the beginning of this book, and even in a bittersweet reveal in the last book, and so it only made the evolving events of this story make sense. what was tricky, however, was seeing how thana was going to navigate what should've been a calculative kill that only just ended up to become a race across the sands into the heart of the Empire; all in the quest for information that is bound to unveil an incredible darkness well beyond her original mark.
within all that danger & mystery, the root of the story lied in the characters--and it was quite amusing thinking back to how different the dynamics were between them all. as a group--thana, mo, and heru--had their moments where it brought a lot of charm to what's otherwise a pretty grim adventure that they've found themselves caught up in. the author balancing this kind of charm with a grisly narrative was really interesting, and i enjoyed seeing how this pack worked together--just as much as i enjoyed when thana & heru broke ranks and slyly tried to best each other in death. seeing how they fail--multiple times--was what added to the charm, and even more so when thinking about how mo seemed the most level-headed of them all. adding onto that, mo became very important to thana in a way that made me smile because it was a classic kind of dynamic--the fire that bursts in thana's chest cooling as the comfortable weight of mo's connection to water comes near. i really loved this quote, just to say:
There was something about Mo's quiet yet firm demeanor, Mo's compassion for others, and Mo's delightful laugh that had wrapped around Thana and ensnared her. Like her cousin Amastan, Mo was serious enough for the both of them. But unlike him, there was a yearning for more.
this series places much more weight into the fantastical, into history, into adventure, above all else--but seeing the way that these relationships hold the seal to keep these characters tethered to their stories is a very significant thing. not just seeing how mo & thana are like with each other, but also getting to see how even off-page, amastan is seen to be a source of reason & comfort for when thana feels herself drowned in self-doubt. there's little interactions to be seen between this specific pair in the first book with amastan so caught up in this big mystery that was killing his own cousins; but here, in all the years that passed between both books, amastan & thana look to each other for support & guidance and you can't miss it.
ultimately, thana does learn how to stand on her own two feet and make her own decisions--whether or not it would seem best to her family, it's even better to see what she's capable of from making her own judgments with her own skills. yes, she's rash and still has much to learn but she's also quick on her feet and that leads her to make some unthinking calls that save mo & heru's lives at some points. i think even with how much her & heru clash in this story--heru for all that he represents (as revealed in this story) and also because he's such an academic, it would be absolutely fascinating if it wasn't for all the action & gory scenes that occur most often--they were another pair that worked well when the plot called for it, and even when they didn't, it added a depth to their characters that made them interesting to read about.
this book was very interesting to read about, and i am glad i finished it when i did because this review helped me realize that i do have some merit when it comes to talking about what i like about books--especially ones in the fantasy genre. this story was action-packed and a blend of different genres with horror and even some paranormal (?), which added an insidious tone that i was very delighted to read. i loved seeing thana shine in her own right and get pushed to her limits as she wrestled with the code her family followed with a grip and then what became such a clusterfuck of a situation it was almost laughable about quickly things mess up when they did....until there wasn't much to laugh about anymore. i'm really curious what will come next in this series that revolves around the city of Ghadid and all the cities that lie near it, and even more interested at what's at stake based on the events that occur around the last leg of this story. so only choice i have is to step forward and see for myself in the last book.
the same 4.5 that i gave to amastan's story is quite different compared to the 4.5 that i've decided to rate thana's story. what both cousins share in common is there fierce loyalty to their city and it's that level of dedication that makes for such wonderfully crafted characters with clear motivations. beyond that, however, they are very different and it is in how careful & methodic amastan is when it comes to planning, when it comes to observing every piece of the puzzle before jumping into action. as a result, his story translated into what ultimately felt like a slow-burn murder mystery with splices of action in between--and i loved it a lot. with thana on the other hand, she's much more impulsive and filled with a burning passion that makes her fumble at times but doesn't tire her out, instead pushing her even further to her goals. for that, this story--her story--burned really fast and moved at a lightening pace filled with incredible marvels that were just as exciting as they were very terrifying.
this journey thana goes through is intense in all the best ways--with characters like mo & heru who get swept up in the sands and use their individual talents to add just as much splendor to this story as thana does. there's so much that goes on in this book, it's difficult to unpack just about everything but for one, there is necromancy, which is what primarily puts the "impossible" into this contract that throws thana into this mess of a quest. there's dust storms, ravaged cities, and death-defying actions made that put all these characters into quite a tumble and i was absolutely gobsmacked at how well-written all of it was. if i may be honest, the plot itself felt much more complex and ambitious than the first book and so could just as easily have twisted upon itself and yet it was actually impressively done. while there were a couple details that fell through the cracks, a character with as fierce a spirit as thana made this story as sweepingly genius as it is.
we meet her in amastan's story as what i believed to be a meek young girl with an incredible amount of weight that was soon to be (if not already) weighed on her shoulders as the Serpent's daugher. here, thana is much older, and much more passionate when it came to fulfilling that weight of expectations she's placed on herself in her family. the role of the assassin was something so intriguing to me from amastan's eyes, and here with thana, it felt much more razor-sharp and unpredictable because that is exactly what's part of the job. we see that alluded to at the beginning of this book, and even in a bittersweet reveal in the last book, and so it only made the evolving events of this story make sense. what was tricky, however, was seeing how thana was going to navigate what should've been a calculative kill that only just ended up to become a race across the sands into the heart of the Empire; all in the quest for information that is bound to unveil an incredible darkness well beyond her original mark.
within all that danger & mystery, the root of the story lied in the characters--and it was quite amusing thinking back to how different the dynamics were between them all. as a group--thana, mo, and heru--had their moments where it brought a lot of charm to what's otherwise a pretty grim adventure that they've found themselves caught up in. the author balancing this kind of charm with a grisly narrative was really interesting, and i enjoyed seeing how this pack worked together--just as much as i enjoyed when thana & heru broke ranks and slyly tried to best each other in death. seeing how they fail--multiple times--was what added to the charm, and even more so when thinking about how mo seemed the most level-headed of them all. adding onto that, mo became very important to thana in a way that made me smile because it was a classic kind of dynamic--the fire that bursts in thana's chest cooling as the comfortable weight of mo's connection to water comes near. i really loved this quote, just to say:
There was something about Mo's quiet yet firm demeanor, Mo's compassion for others, and Mo's delightful laugh that had wrapped around Thana and ensnared her. Like her cousin Amastan, Mo was serious enough for the both of them. But unlike him, there was a yearning for more.
this series places much more weight into the fantastical, into history, into adventure, above all else--but seeing the way that these relationships hold the seal to keep these characters tethered to their stories is a very significant thing. not just seeing how mo & thana are like with each other, but also getting to see how even off-page, amastan is seen to be a source of reason & comfort for when thana feels herself drowned in self-doubt. there's little interactions to be seen between this specific pair in the first book with amastan so caught up in this big mystery that was killing his own cousins; but here, in all the years that passed between both books, amastan & thana look to each other for support & guidance and you can't miss it.
ultimately, thana does learn how to stand on her own two feet and make her own decisions--whether or not it would seem best to her family, it's even better to see what she's capable of from making her own judgments with her own skills. yes, she's rash and still has much to learn but she's also quick on her feet and that leads her to make some unthinking calls that save mo & heru's lives at some points. i think even with how much her & heru clash in this story--heru for all that he represents (as revealed in this story) and also because he's such an academic, it would be absolutely fascinating if it wasn't for all the action & gory scenes that occur most often--they were another pair that worked well when the plot called for it, and even when they didn't, it added a depth to their characters that made them interesting to read about.
this book was very interesting to read about, and i am glad i finished it when i did because this review helped me realize that i do have some merit when it comes to talking about what i like about books--especially ones in the fantasy genre. this story was action-packed and a blend of different genres with horror and even some paranormal (?), which added an insidious tone that i was very delighted to read. i loved seeing thana shine in her own right and get pushed to her limits as she wrestled with the code her family followed with a grip and then what became such a clusterfuck of a situation it was almost laughable about quickly things mess up when they did....until there wasn't much to laugh about anymore. i'm really curious what will come next in this series that revolves around the city of Ghadid and all the cities that lie near it, and even more interested at what's at stake based on the events that occur around the last leg of this story. so only choice i have is to step forward and see for myself in the last book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Body horror, and Death
reebeee's review
nothing particularly wrong with it--just couldn't get into the narrative
kkrinzel412's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
morj's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nutmegqueen's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
zephyrsilver's review against another edition
Trigger Warnings for: Death, violence, gore, animal death
DNFing about 50% in.
I tried to push through this one, seeing as I wanted to DNF the first book but ended up enjoying it. However, I'm struggling and frustrated.
The only reason this contract is impossible is because Thana is wildly incompetent. The very first chapter starts with Thana nearly messing up a job and having to assassinate a target in a different way because she nearly messed up. That should have been my first warning about this book. So far, nearly halfway through, there have been about three instances where Thana thought 'yes this is the perfect time to kill my mark' and then it's gone horribly, which the reader is well aware it would, seeing as they all happened well before the halfway mark. At one point she even has a chance to not be seen by the mark but instead goes and talks to him like an idiot. Even aside from that, within the story itself, I'm not sure why this contract is considered "impossible". Sure he can do magic but that alone shouldn't make it impossible? Is it because he's an ambassador? It didn't really make too much sense to me. Thana had so many chances to kill him and just didn't because of "some plan" that we often times weren't even really told what it was until it failed to work. There was one point where she had a conversation with her mentor about a plan and the mentor (also the previous main character) claimed he couldn't see anyway the plan could fail; I saw like five different ways it would fail, and I was in fact right about how it did fail. The only reason Thana ever "succeeded" always felt like convenient plot reasons.
Thana's feelings for Mo also seemed to come out of nowhere. She met her once and then was suddenly acting like she knew her really well. It just didn't feel very natural. They also were both really flat characters. Mo was the kindhearted healer. Thana was a determined assassin. That's about it for both of their personalities. I didn't really feel any chemistry when they started saying they wanted to go see a city together. They barely knew each other.
So, this one is a DNF for me. I was far too frustrated and didn't want to push myself further. Which is a shame because the last third of the first book was my favorite part and made me like it quite a bit. I was hoping the same would happen for this one but I wasn't sure it was worth the risk considering how annoyed I was with this.
DNFing about 50% in.
I tried to push through this one, seeing as I wanted to DNF the first book but ended up enjoying it. However, I'm struggling and frustrated.
The only reason this contract is impossible is because Thana is wildly incompetent. The very first chapter starts with Thana nearly messing up a job and having to assassinate a target in a different way because she nearly messed up. That should have been my first warning about this book. So far, nearly halfway through, there have been about three instances where Thana thought 'yes this is the perfect time to kill my mark' and then it's gone horribly, which the reader is well aware it would, seeing as they all happened well before the halfway mark. At one point she even has a chance to not be seen by the mark but instead goes and talks to him like an idiot. Even aside from that, within the story itself, I'm not sure why this contract is considered "impossible". Sure he can do magic but that alone shouldn't make it impossible? Is it because he's an ambassador? It didn't really make too much sense to me. Thana had so many chances to kill him and just didn't because of "some plan" that we often times weren't even really told what it was until it failed to work. There was one point where she had a conversation with her mentor about a plan and the mentor (also the previous main character) claimed he couldn't see anyway the plan could fail; I saw like five different ways it would fail, and I was in fact right about how it did fail. The only reason Thana ever "succeeded" always felt like convenient plot reasons.
Spoiler
Also Thana is really stupid for not realizing there were two magic users (sorry I forgot what they were called.) Why would Heru, the mark, be attacked by his own zombies? (also not the right term, but again, forgot what they're called.) Why would he be fascinated by the writing/runes/magic on the bodies if he had made them himself? It was so obvious there was another person at play but it took that person literally revealing themselves for Thana to go 'Oh, there's two.'Thana's feelings for Mo also seemed to come out of nowhere. She met her once and then was suddenly acting like she knew her really well. It just didn't feel very natural. They also were both really flat characters. Mo was the kindhearted healer. Thana was a determined assassin. That's about it for both of their personalities. I didn't really feel any chemistry when they started saying they wanted to go see a city together. They barely knew each other.
Spoiler
Thana also at one point got mad at Heru for "betraying" her by trying to turn her in. Yeah, you tried to kill him about three times. He didn't "betray" you, he saved himself. Don't get mad about it like you had suddenly become friends.So, this one is a DNF for me. I was far too frustrated and didn't want to push myself further. Which is a shame because the last third of the first book was my favorite part and made me like it quite a bit. I was hoping the same would happen for this one but I wasn't sure it was worth the risk considering how annoyed I was with this.