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moonny's review against another edition
4.0
My first book from this author and I must say I enjoyed it :) but I did not expect the ending so looking forward to the next book :)
lnoone's review against another edition
2.0
I was expecting more from this, based on the Kindle sample. Caim's Powers seemed pretty interesting, with some similarities to Night Angel, and Kit seemed a pretty interesting and different.
However, in the actual story, Caim rarely uses his powers (maybe 4 times?), It's understandable, but it was one of the main draws of the book, so I was disappointed. Kit is also absent for almost half the book.
I found most of the book boring, and had to force myself to finish it, which was unfortunate, as it had potential.
Unsure if I want to rate it 1 or 2.
However, in the actual story, Caim rarely uses his powers (maybe 4 times?), It's understandable, but it was one of the main draws of the book, so I was disappointed. Kit is also absent for almost half the book.
Spoiler
There was also rape, for no real reason... Was it to show how Josey wouldn't be give into the terror of the situation, and wouldn't be intimidated?I found most of the book boring, and had to force myself to finish it, which was unfortunate, as it had potential.
Unsure if I want to rate it 1 or 2.
mferrante83's review against another edition
4.0
Looking for a quick and exciting read a while back I cast my eyes over my ever growing list of books I should read some time (better known as my Goodreads to-read shelf) and settled on Jon Sprunk’s Shadow’s Son. Given my penchant for character-based fantasy I thought it might be a good fit. As it turns out I was right and Shadow’s Sonmakes for an energetic albeit somewhat dark read. Caim is a haunted young man; both literally and figuratively. He is plagued by the memory of his famiy’s death while being constantly followed by a protective spirit named Kit that only he can see. Caim’s tortured past has cast him on a path of violence and darkness and he now works as an assassin. Things get dicey when someone attempts to set Caim up as a fall guy leaving him in possession of the deceased mark’s daughter Josephine. Suddenly, Caim is on a desperate quest to unravel the web of conspiracy in the city of Othir.
Shadow’s Son isn’t a long novel and is made quicker thanks to its rapid fire pacing. Sprunk eschews the doling out of lengthy exposition instead focusing on conveying information as part and parcel with the action. Over the course of the novel Sprunk doles out enough bits to get a handle on the political situation in the holy city of Othir while dropping vague hints about the world beyond the city and historical empire that once existed in the path. However, Shadow’s Son isn’t the type of novel that looks to tug on its reader’s sense of grandeur and epic but rather places the majority of its efforts on ingratiating reader’s with its central protagonist and the people important to him. In this instance the details laid out by Sprunk about Caim’s world are just enough to provide a vivid context in which to place the young assassin through the ringer.
Over the course of the novel Caim is beaten, stabbed, threatened by the mysterious and the magical, as well as forced to come face-to-face with the truth of his own past. Of course Caim does his own fair share of of beating and stabbing as well. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the novel is Caim’s relationship with his spectral companion Kit. In an interesting turn Sprunk actually steers clear of examining what Kit is at the outset instead focusing on what she means to Caim. Being an assassin is a lonely trade and the constant companionship of the spectral Kit has humanizing effect on a man whose profession forces him to keep humanity at arms length. Later Sprunk deftly uses the sudden presence of Josephine to examine some of the hidden and unspoken depth of Caim and Kit’s relationship. Given that Caim is the only person that can see Kit their relationship and sometimes bickering was also a welcome source of comic relief.
Shadow’s Son is a novel that doesn’t detail a super complicated magic system or an intricately detailed world. What it Shadow’s Son does do is introduce and complex and engaging character whose trials and successes provoke a response from the response; oftentimes that response is “that was awesome.” The fluid prose and action heavy plot call to mind the swords and sorcery tales of old. While at its heart Shadow’s Son is an adventure story it is also a classic tale of revenge and definitely borrows from familiar fantasy tropes with Sprunk hinting at a greater destiny for Caim. With its vivid action and deft characterization Shadow’s Son is novel I highly recommend to anyone lucking for quick and entertaining read. Shadow’s Son is followed by Shadow’s Lure (2011) and concludes with Shadow’s Master (2012).
Shadow’s Son isn’t a long novel and is made quicker thanks to its rapid fire pacing. Sprunk eschews the doling out of lengthy exposition instead focusing on conveying information as part and parcel with the action. Over the course of the novel Sprunk doles out enough bits to get a handle on the political situation in the holy city of Othir while dropping vague hints about the world beyond the city and historical empire that once existed in the path. However, Shadow’s Son isn’t the type of novel that looks to tug on its reader’s sense of grandeur and epic but rather places the majority of its efforts on ingratiating reader’s with its central protagonist and the people important to him. In this instance the details laid out by Sprunk about Caim’s world are just enough to provide a vivid context in which to place the young assassin through the ringer.
Over the course of the novel Caim is beaten, stabbed, threatened by the mysterious and the magical, as well as forced to come face-to-face with the truth of his own past. Of course Caim does his own fair share of of beating and stabbing as well. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the novel is Caim’s relationship with his spectral companion Kit. In an interesting turn Sprunk actually steers clear of examining what Kit is at the outset instead focusing on what she means to Caim. Being an assassin is a lonely trade and the constant companionship of the spectral Kit has humanizing effect on a man whose profession forces him to keep humanity at arms length. Later Sprunk deftly uses the sudden presence of Josephine to examine some of the hidden and unspoken depth of Caim and Kit’s relationship. Given that Caim is the only person that can see Kit their relationship and sometimes bickering was also a welcome source of comic relief.
Shadow’s Son is a novel that doesn’t detail a super complicated magic system or an intricately detailed world. What it Shadow’s Son does do is introduce and complex and engaging character whose trials and successes provoke a response from the response; oftentimes that response is “that was awesome.” The fluid prose and action heavy plot call to mind the swords and sorcery tales of old. While at its heart Shadow’s Son is an adventure story it is also a classic tale of revenge and definitely borrows from familiar fantasy tropes with Sprunk hinting at a greater destiny for Caim. With its vivid action and deft characterization Shadow’s Son is novel I highly recommend to anyone lucking for quick and entertaining read. Shadow’s Son is followed by Shadow’s Lure (2011) and concludes with Shadow’s Master (2012).
cjdawn236's review against another edition
4.0
This finally made it to the top of my to-read pile and I really enjoyed it. Now I'm going to have to get the rest of the books in the series.
jasonsweirdreads's review against another edition
4.0
What I like most about Sprunk's debut, Shadow's Son, is how much fun it was to read. Don't come into this book expecting anything extremely deep or original, but do expect great, fleshed out characters and a awesomely fun ride! It played out like a movie in my mind. I am looking forward to more from Jon Sprunk.
dauntingwalnut's review against another edition
This is one of the only assassin genre books I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are a few plot points left uncompleted and question unanswered, however since I started this book knowing it is a part of a series I expected that. My favorite aspect of this book is the character development, Caim starts as a sympathetic villain and morphs into a sort of anti-hero, and Josephine starts as a spoiled rich girl and grows into a strong woman, ready to take charge. All-in-all I enjoyed the read and, after a bittersweet ending, look forward to reading the next book.
rouver's review against another edition
3.0
This book really should have been a lot better. The author had a tried & true (& clichéd) formula, but sadly, couldn't pull it off. There's the scoundrel assassin with a heart of gold & unexplained supernatural powers, the eeevil assassin that will do anything for power, a corrupt church, and the damsel in distress who has a secret identity.
Princesses hidden in plain sight should at least be schooled in politics & court intrigue (unless you're a Disney princess). Women who are grasping the potential murderer of their father while plunging into an icy river in the middle of the night do not take time to COP A FEEL of said murderer. You should not describe a missed opportunity as one that slips through your fingers "like wet sand."
It boils down to this not being very well written, so it doesn't matter what it's about. Just skip it.
Princesses hidden in plain sight should at least be schooled in politics & court intrigue (unless you're a Disney princess). Women who are grasping the potential murderer of their father while plunging into an icy river in the middle of the night do not take time to COP A FEEL of said murderer. You should not describe a missed opportunity as one that slips through your fingers "like wet sand."
It boils down to this not being very well written, so it doesn't matter what it's about. Just skip it.
shirezu's review against another edition
4.0
I always like assassin books and this one hits the mark. A good blend of magic, mystery and killing. I was intrigued by the magic and I hope there is more to it in the sequel. My only gripe is that I wish it was a bit longer and I would have like more to the backstory and history of the world. A solid piece I will be reading the sequel.
heyt's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not quite sure how I feel about this one. I found Caim and Josey to be characters I really wanted to succeed so I enjoyed reading about them but overall I kind of wished there was just a little bit more. Of what I don’t know. I found the magic system interesting and want to know more about how it works but I kept feeling like the little glimpses we got were just set up and not wholly satisfying.
seak's review against another edition
4.0
I admit, I have a penchant for assassins. Am I the only one? Looking at the amount of fantasy and science fiction novels revolving around assassins, I'm gonna take a stab in the dark and say, nope.
In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples. Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot.
Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last target, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. In this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son...
Shadow's Son (2010) was a quick read about one of my favorite topics, assassins. I don't know what it is, do I really wish I were an assassin? Admittedly, probably part of me, and I'm guess others as well, but shouldn't we be a little worried that it's so popular? Should we really wonder why there are so many terrible things happening in the world, I mean, we all want to be assassins!
Okay, I don't actually think things are that bad, andassassins are just cool I guess. The solitary life, the late nights, the creeping around in other people's houses. Some of us already pretty much live the life anyway right? Hehe, yes, that was a joke.
Back on topic. Shadow's Son, like I said before, is a quick read, but with the added bonus of being one of those stories that reveals all the pertinent information as the plot unfolds and at a quick pace. I kept comparing this toThe Crown Conspiracy (review) as I read because of these similar elements. Thus preserving the mysteries that slowly come to light about Caim's past and about his companion Kit, the spirit who only Caim can see and who flitters in and out of his life throughout the book.
Add to this some great main protagonists in Caim and Josephine and you have one heck of a ride. Caim is the assassin with the heard of gold, which, however unbelievable that may be that a hardened individual could kill with hardly a thought and then show compassion, it works yet again in Shadow's Son.
Josephine is thrown into the mess after her father is killed and I couldn't help but be drawn to her. She's shown as a somewhat impetuous and rebellious teen, and again, Sprunk pulls you into her character as she experiences not only some hardships, but atrocities as well.
Why Should You Read Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk?
Shadow's Son is a well-written book with some great characters and set in medieval territory with dark magic. What's not to love? The only real complaint I have is that it was only 278 pages...I really didn't want to stop reading. Luckily, this is the first in a trilogy and Melissa of My World has found out that Jon is hard at work on the sequel due out next year.
In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples. Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot.
Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last target, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. In this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son...
Shadow's Son (2010) was a quick read about one of my favorite topics, assassins. I don't know what it is, do I really wish I were an assassin? Admittedly, probably part of me, and I'm guess others as well, but shouldn't we be a little worried that it's so popular? Should we really wonder why there are so many terrible things happening in the world, I mean, we all want to be assassins!
Okay, I don't actually think things are that bad, andassassins are just cool I guess. The solitary life, the late nights, the creeping around in other people's houses. Some of us already pretty much live the life anyway right? Hehe, yes, that was a joke.
Back on topic. Shadow's Son, like I said before, is a quick read, but with the added bonus of being one of those stories that reveals all the pertinent information as the plot unfolds and at a quick pace. I kept comparing this toThe Crown Conspiracy (review) as I read because of these similar elements. Thus preserving the mysteries that slowly come to light about Caim's past and about his companion Kit, the spirit who only Caim can see and who flitters in and out of his life throughout the book.
Add to this some great main protagonists in Caim and Josephine and you have one heck of a ride. Caim is the assassin with the heard of gold, which, however unbelievable that may be that a hardened individual could kill with hardly a thought and then show compassion, it works yet again in Shadow's Son.
Josephine is thrown into the mess after her father is killed and I couldn't help but be drawn to her. She's shown as a somewhat impetuous and rebellious teen, and again, Sprunk pulls you into her character as she experiences not only some hardships, but atrocities as well.
Why Should You Read Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk?
Shadow's Son is a well-written book with some great characters and set in medieval territory with dark magic. What's not to love? The only real complaint I have is that it was only 278 pages...I really didn't want to stop reading. Luckily, this is the first in a trilogy and Melissa of My World has found out that Jon is hard at work on the sequel due out next year.