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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I had such high hopes for this book but I must admit, I was pretty disappointed. Everything I hoped wouldn't happen happened so you could only imagine how I lost the motivation to muster the energy to finish this.
The relationship in this story was compared to Romeo and Juliet but that concept was just a very tiny speck in the whole plot line, meaning it was barely there. Close to nonexistent, actually, because it was only ever explored in the first few chapters of the book. Besides that, the forbidden romance had no real development. If anything, the romance between Lea and Val took a step backwards, which was a shame because I was actually looking forward to it.
Val and Lea had so much potential and I was on this ship 100 percent but Sarah Ahiers decided to go with the usual "love triangle" route and introduced Alessio halfway into the story. I really didn't care much for Alessio's character therefore I didn't really care for the blossoming romance between Lea and Alessio either. There was zero chemistry between the two and the romance became such a waste as soon as I started to pick up on the love triangle. This book shouldn't even have mentioned Romeo and Juliet in the synopsis because I found it to be very misleading. It led me to expect a forbidden love story between two rival families specifically between Val and Lea. It started off that way but soon we start too see hints of another mediocre love triangle.
As for the Godfather inspiration behind the book, I actually really enjoyed this concept. I loved how organized their killings were and the meaning behind each death and its connection to their chosen God.
However, I do feel like the term "assassin" is constantly being misused especially in YA novels nowadays. When you hear "assassin", you think dangerous, slick, cutthroat, heartless, or something along those lines. But goodness gracious, these assassins never seem to actually live up to their titles! For someone who's born to be an assassin, Lea is certainly lacking in some areas. She's trained from birth how to be an assassin but she repeatedly makes stupid, clumsy mistakes. I understand once or twice but not every other chapter. Lea is a decent character, don't get me wrong. But she's just one of those people who does more talking than doing. "I have to get my revenge. I have to kill the Da Vias. Blah blah blah..." She literally repeats these phrases over and over again but never really succeeds in doing anything about it. Lots of planning going on but no actual execution of those plans.
Assassin's Heart started off really strong but sort of died off as the story went on. It felt super slow in the middle because as stated, our main character spends more time saying but not actually doing. On top of that, I couldn't even enjoy the romance because the story focused more on Alessio and Lea's side of the love triangle rather than the ROMEO AND JULIET relationship between Val and Lea that was repeatedly emphasized in the synopsis, which was actually quite a bummer because it was one of the main reasons why I wanted to pick this book up.
Overall, Asassin's Heart was a decent read. Loved the concepts and the world building but I was just disappointed in the direction that this book went.
I'm hoping the next one will be better!
The relationship in this story was compared to Romeo and Juliet but that concept was just a very tiny speck in the whole plot line, meaning it was barely there. Close to nonexistent, actually, because it was only ever explored in the first few chapters of the book. Besides that, the forbidden romance had no real development. If anything, the romance between Lea and Val took a step backwards, which was a shame because I was actually looking forward to it.
Val and Lea had so much potential and I was on this ship 100 percent but Sarah Ahiers decided to go with the usual "love triangle" route and introduced Alessio halfway into the story. I really didn't care much for Alessio's character therefore I didn't really care for the blossoming romance between Lea and Alessio either. There was zero chemistry between the two and the romance became such a waste as soon as I started to pick up on the love triangle. This book shouldn't even have mentioned Romeo and Juliet in the synopsis because I found it to be very misleading. It led me to expect a forbidden love story between two rival families specifically between Val and Lea. It started off that way but soon we start too see hints of another mediocre love triangle.
As for the Godfather inspiration behind the book, I actually really enjoyed this concept. I loved how organized their killings were and the meaning behind each death and its connection to their chosen God.
However, I do feel like the term "assassin" is constantly being misused especially in YA novels nowadays. When you hear "assassin", you think dangerous, slick, cutthroat, heartless, or something along those lines. But goodness gracious, these assassins never seem to actually live up to their titles! For someone who's born to be an assassin, Lea is certainly lacking in some areas. She's trained from birth how to be an assassin but she repeatedly makes stupid, clumsy mistakes. I understand once or twice but not every other chapter. Lea is a decent character, don't get me wrong. But she's just one of those people who does more talking than doing. "I have to get my revenge. I have to kill the Da Vias. Blah blah blah..." She literally repeats these phrases over and over again but never really succeeds in doing anything about it. Lots of planning going on but no actual execution of those plans.
Assassin's Heart started off really strong but sort of died off as the story went on. It felt super slow in the middle because as stated, our main character spends more time saying but not actually doing. On top of that, I couldn't even enjoy the romance because the story focused more on Alessio and Lea's side of the love triangle rather than the ROMEO AND JULIET relationship between Val and Lea that was repeatedly emphasized in the synopsis, which was actually quite a bummer because it was one of the main reasons why I wanted to pick this book up.
Overall, Asassin's Heart was a decent read. Loved the concepts and the world building but I was just disappointed in the direction that this book went.
I'm hoping the next one will be better!
⭐️ 3 Stars ⭐️
SPOILERS AHEAD!! BEWARE!!!
Personally, I feel like Assassin’s Heart was a decent sort of read but I am not likely to continue on with the series. I do not feel all that invested or really the need to go on.
Assassin’s Heart is only a Romeo and Juliet romance at the beginning with the star crossed lovers trope. I mean, Lea is hurt by Val’s actions but she’s also dead set on getting revenge. She knows that what his family did was absolutely wrong, and prepares for vengeance. I enjoyed that this shows you may think you really love someone, but if they do you bad, it’s okay to move on.
Lea is an interesting sort of character. She’s tough as nails and goes through a tons of problems. I liked that she was an assassin who is ACTUALLY an assassin and not someone who calls herself an assassin for the whole book but never actually does any killing. She’s also very stubborn. This at times is a character flaw, but makes her more easier to relate to.
I also enjoyed Les, he is so sweet and kind. He was willing to give up his life in order to help Lea. We see how much he cares for her and how much he looks out for her. I loved how he was added to the family and finally hooked up with Lea. I think the the two of them fit together nicely.
The biggest problem I had with Assassin’s Heart was that it takes forever to get moving. The pace feels really uneven with this book. There are moments where it’s incredibly exciting and the pages are just turning quickly. Then five pages later, it takes forever to get through. The world building is really cool. Of course, I was into the world building and also the different gods involved. However, the pacing really drags this book down. I thought the world was so immense and filled with a lot of details. We get to know about the cities, the families and different gods each city follows.
SPOILERS AHEAD!! BEWARE!!!
Personally, I feel like Assassin’s Heart was a decent sort of read but I am not likely to continue on with the series. I do not feel all that invested or really the need to go on.
Assassin’s Heart is only a Romeo and Juliet romance at the beginning with the star crossed lovers trope. I mean, Lea is hurt by Val’s actions but she’s also dead set on getting revenge. She knows that what his family did was absolutely wrong, and prepares for vengeance. I enjoyed that this shows you may think you really love someone, but if they do you bad, it’s okay to move on.
Lea is an interesting sort of character. She’s tough as nails and goes through a tons of problems. I liked that she was an assassin who is ACTUALLY an assassin and not someone who calls herself an assassin for the whole book but never actually does any killing. She’s also very stubborn. This at times is a character flaw, but makes her more easier to relate to.
I also enjoyed Les, he is so sweet and kind. He was willing to give up his life in order to help Lea. We see how much he cares for her and how much he looks out for her. I loved how he was added to the family and finally hooked up with Lea. I think the the two of them fit together nicely.
The biggest problem I had with Assassin’s Heart was that it takes forever to get moving. The pace feels really uneven with this book. There are moments where it’s incredibly exciting and the pages are just turning quickly. Then five pages later, it takes forever to get through. The world building is really cool. Of course, I was into the world building and also the different gods involved. However, the pacing really drags this book down. I thought the world was so immense and filled with a lot of details. We get to know about the cities, the families and different gods each city follows.
Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers looks to be an intriguing sort of book about killer families, with a Romeo and Juliet sort of twist. Read my full review here Link goes live 5/15/2017
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great premise, poor execution of writing and characters. Full review will come soon.
When I first got this book, I absolutely loved the premise: Hints of Romeo & Juliet AND The Godfather? Revenge?? An assassin organization that’s based in religion??? Sign me up!!
However, now that I’ve read it, I’m sorry to say that I don’t think Assassin’s Heart fully lived up to it’s potential, and I didn’t find myself able to really fall in love with the book. Although it was an enjoyable read, I just never found myself able to fully invest myself in the characters, and the entire story felt a little flat because of that—which is sad, because this really is an incredibly interesting premise and Ahiers deserves a lot of credit for coming up with it.
Also, I do want to note that just because I wasn’t able to invest myself in these characters or their story, that doesn’t mean this might be something someone else would really enjoy. So although I personally didn’t love it, I‘d say it would be worth giving it a chance if you think it might be your thing!
However, now that I’ve read it, I’m sorry to say that I don’t think Assassin’s Heart fully lived up to it’s potential, and I didn’t find myself able to really fall in love with the book. Although it was an enjoyable read, I just never found myself able to fully invest myself in the characters, and the entire story felt a little flat because of that—which is sad, because this really is an incredibly interesting premise and Ahiers deserves a lot of credit for coming up with it.
Also, I do want to note that just because I wasn’t able to invest myself in these characters or their story, that doesn’t mean this might be something someone else would really enjoy. So although I personally didn’t love it, I‘d say it would be worth giving it a chance if you think it might be your thing!
While I think the book had a few things that could have been more successfully worked in, but overall I think that it was a decent YA novel. I wasn't incredibly impressed with the characters so much. I didn't really buy the romantic aspects of the characters, but the world and the deities made the story so interesting and the pacing was handled so well that even when I paused to think about how I wasn't that impressed with the main character, Lea, or her love interests, Val and Les, I didn't dwell on it. I'm rounding this book down to 3 stars, but I really feel it deserves more like 3.5 stars.
The concept of the world is really interesting. While never directly stated, as it is a fictional world, the cities seemed to be based on cities in Italy and the great families, which are a network of assassins legally carrying out hits for those who request them, seem to be based at least slightly on mob families. They hide their homes in the city so that none of the other families can track them back to their homes and kill their whole family.
Naturally, of course, that's exactly what happens.
They also worship the goddess of death and rebirth, much like the tarot card of death, who protects the city from the ghosts of the vengeful dead. It's a really great concept, honestly, and I had a great time learning the world of the story.
Unfortunately, I found the characters to be a little two-dimensional. Lea, the main character, is reckless even at the best of times. While an accomplished assassin, she seems to make a lot of foolish, rookie mistakes due to reckless actions and reckless feelings toward people. Additionally, while the author says the character is in love with Val in the beginning and Les later in the book, I never really bought the romantic attraction between Lea and either boy. While I don't doubt their attraction to her, it didn't really ever scream, "Hell yeah, this is love."
Overall, the story was very interesting and all the details mentioned at the beginning of the story become important later, which I love. The worst thing ever is to read a book where questions are never answered.
While this isn't the best book I've ever read, I definitely enjoyed giving it a read. It's definitely worth a shot. As far as warnings go, be advised that the main character is an assassin. She kills people. Plenty of people. It's not overly gory in the descriptions, but she does cause several people to bleed out over the course of the book. I'd definitely recommend this to the teenager age group.
The concept of the world is really interesting. While never directly stated, as it is a fictional world, the cities seemed to be based on cities in Italy and the great families, which are a network of assassins legally carrying out hits for those who request them, seem to be based at least slightly on mob families. They hide their homes in the city so that none of the other families can track them back to their homes and kill their whole family.
Naturally, of course, that's exactly what happens.
They also worship the goddess of death and rebirth, much like the tarot card of death, who protects the city from the ghosts of the vengeful dead. It's a really great concept, honestly, and I had a great time learning the world of the story.
Unfortunately, I found the characters to be a little two-dimensional. Lea, the main character, is reckless even at the best of times. While an accomplished assassin, she seems to make a lot of foolish, rookie mistakes due to reckless actions and reckless feelings toward people. Additionally, while the author says the character is in love with Val in the beginning and Les later in the book, I never really bought the romantic attraction between Lea and either boy. While I don't doubt their attraction to her, it didn't really ever scream, "Hell yeah, this is love."
Overall, the story was very interesting and all the details mentioned at the beginning of the story become important later, which I love. The worst thing ever is to read a book where questions are never answered.
While this isn't the best book I've ever read, I definitely enjoyed giving it a read. It's definitely worth a shot. As far as warnings go, be advised that the main character is an assassin. She kills people. Plenty of people. It's not overly gory in the descriptions, but she does cause several people to bleed out over the course of the book. I'd definitely recommend this to the teenager age group.
I love stories about assassin's; it's definitely one of my auto-read words in synopses. I have loved what I have read so far about assassins like Red Sister by Mark Lawrence or Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. But they all have a common problem, lacking of representation, especially representations with disability. Assassin's Heart also lacked representation in LBGT community and race.
Otherwise, it was a fun, good ole young fantasy romance. I enjoyed the story; I only wish Sarah Ahiers spent more time with Lea and her grief of what happened. I'm probably thinking that because my dad's passing is still so fresh that I think about him all day, every day so I want to see that more in the books I'm reading. But I can also see how other readers may find anymore than what Ahiers had would be too much.
The romance was spot on. It was such a good time. I stan for Les and Lea. Although, I didn't love that on Lea's side, it felt like Les fixed her problems and her emotional baggage. It's also hard to imagine a 17 year old knowing real pain. I definitely didn't at that age. I can't help but compare Lea to Kaz Baker and how well his character was handled; where I look back on reading about him, while he was around 17 and really understanding real pain.
Otherwise, it was a fun, good ole young fantasy romance. I enjoyed the story; I only wish Sarah Ahiers spent more time with Lea and her grief of what happened. I'm probably thinking that because my dad's passing is still so fresh that I think about him all day, every day so I want to see that more in the books I'm reading. But I can also see how other readers may find anymore than what Ahiers had would be too much.
The romance was spot on. It was such a good time. I stan for Les and Lea. Although, I didn't love that on Lea's side, it felt like Les fixed her problems and her emotional baggage. It's also hard to imagine a 17 year old knowing real pain. I definitely didn't at that age. I can't help but compare Lea to Kaz Baker and how well his character was handled; where I look back on reading about him, while he was around 17 and really understanding real pain.
adventurous
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated