A review by booklovinmamas
The Darkest Assassin by Gena Showalter

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Readers who read Gena’s spin-off series of LOTU, Angels of Dark, will recognize the MMC, Bjorn, immediately in The Darkest Assassin. Here was one reader who was ecstatic to know Bjorn was getting his book, especially after Gena left us spiraling with what happened to him. I needed his book and was happy to know he was going to end up with someone like Fox.

If you are new to the series, you could technically read this novella and not feel left out on what you missed from the other books in the series. It’s a good introduction, but I definitely recommend reading LOTU from the beginning and also reading the Angels of Dark series, where Bjorn is first introduced. Readers who have read the LOTU/AOD series get another additional book to the series, which is always a plus.  

The FMC, Fox, is possessed by the demon Distrust, and when the demon takes over, she doesn’t have control over what she does, and now the Sent Ones want her dead. Bjorn is tasked to kill her, but instead, he holds her captive, and the more he gets to know her, the more he questions his assignment. 

I loved getting to know Bjorn finally through his POV because I had only known through other POVs from the Angels of Dark series. He’s been through a lot, especially with being forced into a marriage he didn’t want and not being able to get out of it. I was curious about how Fox was going to play into this, but I knew Gena was going to use her writing magic to make things happen so that Bjorn could have a HEA. 

I really liked Fox, and I didn’t doubt I wouldn’t because Gena always writes kickbutt and sassy heroines, and Fox was no different. She was perfect for Bjorn in every way because she wasn’t going to make it easy for him. She was making him question his duty of killing her the whole time while also fighting his attraction. Yes, this has the Enemies to Lovers storyline, and Gena knows how to write this trope so well. 

I give this novella five stars, and I’m so glad I finally made time to read it. If you haven’t read this series, you are missing out. Get to it! 

Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Steam/Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the LOTU series but can be read as a standalone for readers wanting an introduction to the series. 

Would I recommend this novella? Yes, definitely.

Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance

Trope(s)/Element(s): Fated Mates | Enemies to Lovers | I Was Sent to Kill You | Angels | Demons