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harleyrae's review
4.0
I can’t believe it has taken me thing long to finally get to this book! I really enjoyed this!
infernalrabbit's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
linzthebookworm's review
5.0
This is my new favorite book. This is not a light thing for me to say, as I rarely declare anything to be my favorite. This has everything I want in a book and more. It has strong characters, romance, action, mystery, mythology, death, assassins, wit, historical setting, and really the list could go on and on.
I found the characters to be very well developed, and I was pleasantly surprised at the details given. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was biting my nails during the suspenseful parts, gasping when I was surprised, laughing at the wit. I was completely consumed by this book.
I enjoyed all the death-related puns, and had such a hard time putting this down. The only "issue" I had was that there was no guesswork as to who the love interest would be. That being said, by the end of the novel, I found I no longer cared. It just worked.
I would love to see her years at the convent turned into a prequel story, and as soon as my Kindle charges I'll be reading Dark Triumph.
I found the characters to be very well developed, and I was pleasantly surprised at the details given. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I was biting my nails during the suspenseful parts, gasping when I was surprised, laughing at the wit. I was completely consumed by this book.
I enjoyed all the death-related puns, and had such a hard time putting this down. The only "issue" I had was that there was no guesswork as to who the love interest would be. That being said, by the end of the novel, I found I no longer cared. It just worked.
I would love to see her years at the convent turned into a prequel story, and as soon as my Kindle charges I'll be reading Dark Triumph.
britt_55's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jessilcruz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
darakuhn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
alicebme's review
3.0
I liked that it didn't get gratuitously ugly, but totally loved all of the assassin business. Excited to see where this series might go now that Ismae has a mind of her own.
teaturtlesandbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
fatimareadsbooks's review
3.0
“This is what I want to be. An instrument of mercy, not vengeance.”
I felt like this book could've been something more. The main character is an assassin, yet I don't see much of any assassinations. I needed more badassery; this book was basically sprinkles of action throughout long stretches of boredom. The only action-filled scenes were at the beginning of the story and they were awesome, so I didn't expect this path that the book took a turn to.
The historical aspect of this book kind of bored me - I don't normally read historical fiction - but I felt like it could've been weaved into the story more artfully. The romance was bland and predictable. When I read this book's synopsis, my expectations soared; and by the way everyone was singing the book's praises, I expected it to be something more. However, I was sorely disappointed. This book had so much potential, which is such a shame.
Nevertheless, I'll still be reading the sequels - but with lowered expectations. In between the stretches of boredom, there were many parts of this book that just made you want to keep reading. The writing was pretty good and the similes and metaphors the author uses were incredible. So, to conclude this review, I will add some quotes that particularly impressed me from the book.
“Behind me, the door opens and Louyse bustles in. “My lady! Come away from there before you catch your death!”
Her words bring a smile to my lips. Does she think Death is some small bird with my name written on it, beating at the window in the hope that I will catch it?”
“For while I am Death’s daughter and walk in His dark shadow, surely the darkness can give way to light sometimes.”
I felt like this book could've been something more. The main character is an assassin, yet I don't see much of any assassinations. I needed more badassery; this book was basically sprinkles of action throughout long stretches of boredom. The only action-filled scenes were at the beginning of the story and they were awesome, so I didn't expect this path that the book took a turn to.
The historical aspect of this book kind of bored me - I don't normally read historical fiction - but I felt like it could've been weaved into the story more artfully. The romance was bland and predictable. When I read this book's synopsis, my expectations soared; and by the way everyone was singing the book's praises, I expected it to be something more. However, I was sorely disappointed. This book had so much potential, which is such a shame.
Nevertheless, I'll still be reading the sequels - but with lowered expectations. In between the stretches of boredom, there were many parts of this book that just made you want to keep reading. The writing was pretty good and the similes and metaphors the author uses were incredible. So, to conclude this review, I will add some quotes that particularly impressed me from the book.
“Behind me, the door opens and Louyse bustles in. “My lady! Come away from there before you catch your death!”
Her words bring a smile to my lips. Does she think Death is some small bird with my name written on it, beating at the window in the hope that I will catch it?”
“For while I am Death’s daughter and walk in His dark shadow, surely the darkness can give way to light sometimes.”
ewagner78's review against another edition
3.0
I think 3.5 or even 3.75 would be more accurate. I enjoyed Ismae's story and felt that it was a well-done setup for the trilogy. The sad scenes were so well written, I almost enjoyed reading them more than the happy ones!