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A review by wardenred
The Perfect Assassin by K.A. Doore

adventurous mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.75

If you know you should do this thing, if you believe it’s the right thing to do, then it doesn’t matter how hard it is. You’ll find the strength to do it.


I don’t re-read books often. But a couple of people in one of my discord servers were talking about this series, reminding me that I never got past this first book and really would like to continue and finish it. Except I decided I didn’t remember the first installment all too well, given that I read it during a pretty stressful time and what mainly stuck with me were the vibes. So here I am.

It turned out that I actually did remember it, or at least it was super easy to recall. By the time I was a few chapters in, almost the entirety of the story sprang up in my mind. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. Amastan is such a great protagonist to follow: a young assassin who starts off immensely relieved when, upon successfully finishing his training, he is informed it’s very likely he’ll never actually get a contract. Then the plot happens. And his entire character arc. And it involves the damn chapter 28 that hits just as hard even when I know what’s coming at every twist. (I both love and hate chapter 28).

The worldbuilding here is simply stunning. It is as much about the assassins as the story itself. The aesthetics is immaculate, with all the roofs literally meant for running and jumping over them. Even more compelling, of course, is the societal structure and how it interacts with the existence of the assassin order among them. The politics of it, the moral conundrums, it’s all just really interesting and engrossing. I also adored the water-based magic system in this desert setting, and the evil spirits, and how, again, both of those factors being a part of everyone’s lives influence the views and morals of these fictional people. And I really liked how the more the story progressed, the more worldbuilding layers opened up, though I also feel like that might be a deterrent for some because it does seem kind of shallow at the beginning. Patience is greatly rewarded, though. 

I also appreciated how queer this book is, especially the super relatable alloromantic ace representation with the MC. Though I must warn you that if you expect a happy romantic subplot alongside the mystery and adventure, you may end up sorely disappointed. I mean, there is a subplot. It is beautiful and heart-rending and I know that other books in the series have different MCs, but if I never witness another interaction between Amastan and Yufit I swear I’ll riot. However. Well. This is not anywhere in the realm of capital R romance, let’s leave it there to avoid spoilers.


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