Book blitz: Superhero High

Superhero High
T.H. Hernandez
Published by: Soul Mate Publishing
Publication date: July 5th 2018
Genres: Adventure, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Sixteen-year-old Annarenee Stevens is the sole member of her family without a super power. The only time she feels powerful is in the pool. With her sights set on swimming for U.C. Berkeley, she’s ready to win it all at the State championship and secure her future.
When the government unexpectedly ends the secret Genetically Enhanced Asset (GEA) program, Annarenee is uprooted from Dayton, the only home she’s ever known, and relocated to San Diego with all of the other GEA families. Queen of her public school, Annarenee is just another zero at Superhero High, a school without any sports teams.
With the end of the program, her hero older brother now needs a college education, too, meaning the only way Annarenee is getting into Berkeley is on a scholarship. Her dream is slipping through her fingers, no matter how tightly she clings to it. To make matters worse, super hot superhero, Ren Gonzalez, is paying too much attention to her. The kind of attention that has Ren’s ex-girlfriend intent on making Annarenee’s life even more miserable.
But when heroes begin disappearing, zeros and heroes will be forced to team up in order to solve the mystery. If they don’t kill each other first.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Smith slides in beside me and drapes his arm around me, kissing the side of my head.
Ryan glances over his shoulder before backing up. “You guys are coming tonight, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Smith answers for both of us.
The drive to my house is less than five minutes. On the way Smith leans in and whispers in my ear, “Anyone going to be home?”
I shake my head then wonder if I should have lied. Smith’s been hinting more frequently that he wants to have sex. We’ve been dating for three months, but unlike Smith, I’m not ready. Call me old-fashioned, but I want my first time to be special. I like Smith, he’s cute, popular, and funny, but I’m not in love with him. Plus, I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t keep secrets from the person you share the most intimate part of yourself with, and I’m keeping a huge secret from Smith.
We pull up in front of my house, and Smith and I hop out, grabbing our stuff from the back.
“I’ll call you later,” Ronny yells as Ryan roars off.
I wave as they turn the corner and disappear, nerves twisting in my belly as Smith takes my hand. I glance at him, my gaze drawn to his crystal blue eyes beneath messy-wild blond hair. Smith moved here last summer and rapidly became one of the most popular guys in our class. He’s always tan and his body is cut, a result of time spent in the pool or surfing in his native Florida. Every single girl in our school, and possibly even a few with boyfriends, would be thrilled to have my problem. I need to figure this out soon before he decides he’s tired of waiting.
Smith guides me up the walkway toward the porch, and I wonder how far I can let him go this time before I put on the brakes.
Our front door opens and two men dressed in black suits, white button-ups, black ties, and sunglasses exit our house. The taller of the two seems to size me up behind his dark lenses before he nods and passes. I turn and watch them get into a black Escalade parked across the street.
My brother, Noah, cruises up and parks his vintage blue Mustang convertible in the driveway. He climbs out, his eyes glued to the SUV as it pulls away from the curb.
Smith snorts. “What are the Blues Brothers doing here?”
I don’t share his humor and instead turn toward my brother, eyebrows raised in silent question.
Noah shakes his head, and inside my own head, I hear, “I don’t know, they were blocking me.”
A chill runs through me starting in the pit of my stomach. It’s not unusual to get a visit from the Men in Black, but my parents should be at work, and Noah should still be at his school for another couple of hours. Something is wrong.
“Don’t panic, AR,” Noah says in my head.
I turn to Smith, “Um, I’ll call you later, okay? Pick me up at eight?”
He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Sure. Wear something sexy.” He smiles and waggles his eyebrows.
“Douchebag,” Noah says only to me before heading inside.

Author Bio:
T.H. Hernandez is the author of young adult books. The Union, a futuristic dystopian adventure, was a finalist in the 2015 San Diego book awards in the Young Adult Fiction category.
She loves pumpkin spice lattes, Game of Thrones, Comic-Con, Star Wars, Doctor Who marathons, Bad Lip Reading videos, and all things young adult, especially the three young adults who share her home.
When not visiting the imaginary worlds inside her head, T.H. Hernandez lives in usually sunny San Diego, California with her husband and three children, a couple of cats, and a dog who thinks he’s a cat, affectionately referred to as “the puppycat.”
You can find her online at http://thhernandez.com

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Review: A Gathering of Shadows by V.E.Schwab (Shades of Magic #2)

Title: A Gathering of Shadows
Author: V.E.Schwab
Blurb: It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.
Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Attention please: spoilers are in white and conveniently hidden :)

Wow!
This book....this book....was such a ride! My head is still spinning!

Please note: this review is going to be brief not because I did not like the book but because I'm reading A Conjuring of Light and I cannot stay away from it for far too long xD
Now...
 

The writing:
 I don't believe in perfection but Schwab's writing is the closest thing to it that I have read so far. She has such a wonderful way with words,the images so vivid that it feels like watching a movie and better yet like you're breathing and living in the world she has built. (And YES I'd totally live in the Shades of Magic's multilayered world...if only to steal Kell's coat ha ha ha!).
 
The ships: 
Oh there are so many lovely ships around here...*smirks*(and I'd like to steal the Night Spire from under Alucard's nose lol).
One of which ( Alucard x Rhys)  I didn't see coming...not at all! So I was left pleasantly stunned.
The other one  ( Which one? Kell x Lila, obviously!)  I was insanely happy to see finally sailing! FINALLY!!  Dear Victoria, thank you for having suffer until the almost very end for a kiss....and oh boy what a kiss!! The whole ballroom & balcony scene was a masterpiece that had my heart singing of joy...which is an exceptional feat. Of course, things went fast downhill from there...*cries*  

The characters:
I read the book two times, the first one I got to half of it and then read the end (I know....I'm such a terrible reader) and the second...the second I finally found enough time to read this book properly. Now during the first sitting Lila scraped on my nerves a lot, especially at the beginning but on the second sitting I was totally fine with that. Still I rejoiced when finally Alucard tells her to mind the consequences of her actions (*pats Alucard on the shoulder...*)
Similarly, at first  when Kell goes willingly with Oijka  felt slightly "off" (I'm nitpicking!) but the second time around it actually made sense  with Kell in an emotional turmoil after being imprisoned,the constant torment of his guilt and so on ... (I know from experience that yes when you're angry and emotionally stressed you do tend to make crappy choices and take even shittier decisions....)
But let's back to more lighter topic...for example the Alucard Vs Kell, I mean those two....I had so many laughs thanks to their "squabbles". And let's not talk about the constant banter between Lila and Alucard...*snickers*
I also loved the ever deep relationship between Kell & Rhy....it melted my heart. *My babbieees!*
And talking of relationships... even I don't know how but Kell & Lila, by the end of A Gathering of Shadows managed to become one of my few favorite OTP ever. I mean how? When? was it real magic or what?...but it is okay!! No worries, I'm happy this way!!!

Last but not least ...I loved Hasta (though I do miss Kell's guards from book one----poor boys---Hastra is very cute!)and adored Jinnar! Besieds, I oh-so-wanted to throttle the King & Queen---

And I'll leave the review at this since ACOL is currently calling my name ha ha ha...sorry, not so sorry!!

Rating:

5 Blossoms

Book Blitz: Daybreak

Daybreak
Cheree Alsop
(Girl from the Stars #1)
Publication date: October 7th 2015
Genres: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Liora Day, half-human, half mess-with-her-and-you’ll-die Damaclan, had been thrown onto a rough path at a very early age. But when she is broken out of a cage by Devren, the young captain of the SS Kratos, she is shown that perhaps humanity does have a heart. The Kratos is set on a mission to rescue fallen surveyors from the Revolutionaries, and Liora is given the choice to follow her Damaclan instincts, or trust Devren’s dark eyes and captivating smile that promise an adventure unlike any she has ever experienced.

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99 cents for a limited time only!

—

EXCERPT:

Liora twisted the bent end inward until she felt the teeth slide free. She slipped the bar from the handcuff and let it fall off her wrist. In two more seconds, the other cuff was on the floor.
The lock of her cage proved to be more difficult. Luckily, Liora had the two pieces of the tweezers to work with. She bent the second one to match the angle of the first. Following the same steps the apprentice had done so many times, Liora pushed the bent end of the first piece into the lock opposite the pins. She turned it slowly upward until it was in tension.
Inserting the second piece, Liora raked it slowly along the pins. The small metal on metal sound set Liora’s nerves on end. If Malivian found out what she was doing, she would be tortured again. The voice in the back of her mind whispered that perhaps she wouldn’t survive a second round.
A subtle, metallic click sounded. Liora’s heart jumped. She pushed at the bars. Her breath caught in her throat when the door swung outward. Liora stepped onto the cold floor and stumbled lightheadedly. She caught herself on the next cage, pushed upright, and ran down the hall.
The alarm sounded when she hit the button for the hatch to open. As soon as the gap was wide enough, Liora jumped out. Her feet, then her knees, hit the deck of Gaulded Zero Twenty-One. She shoved up to her feet once more and ran past the other starships.
Even at the late hour, the Gaulded’s landing deck was filled with activity. It appeared the Kratos and Kirkos weren’t the only ships who had been attacked. Blow torches, plasma cutters, and blazers filled the contained air inside the Gaulded’s hold with the acrid scent of metal. The sound of mallets and hand saws sounded from every corner.
Crew members of the ships Liora passed turned to watch her go. She felt conspicuous and alone as she darted between space crafts and around repair gear. A giant pallet of artillery swung over her head. Liora ducked and made her way along the stripped hull of a Copper Crow painted to look like an iridescent fish. The name Space Poseidon glowed near the hatch.
Liora ran around the corner and slammed into Devren.
“I was about to come looking for you—” he began.
Tariq cut him off. “Dev, her face.”
Devren gently pushed her back so he could see her better. Liora dropped her gaze at his gentle probing.
“Malivian did this to you?” he asked.
The anger in his voice made Liora look up. Devren appeared ready to kill someone.
“Calm down,” Tariq told him. “Let’s get her to the ship. It’s the only place we’ll have leverage.”
Devren put a protective arm around Liora. Tariq walked behind them like a bodyguard. Liora felt as though she had entered some different reality. Somehow, even with the thought of Malivian coming after her, she felt safe between the two humans who had entered her life by accident.

Author Bio:
Cheree Alsop is an award-winning, best-selling author who has published over 30 books, including two series through Stonehouse Ink. She is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts and giving much appreciated critiques. Cheree is a fulltime author and mother, which is more play than work! She enjoys reading, traveling to tropical beaches, spending time with her children, and going on family adventures while planning her next book. Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out, enjoy the outdoors, plan great quests, and never stop dreaming. You can find Cheree's other books at www.chereealsop.com

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Book Blitz: Blue Tide + Giveaway

Blue Tide
Jenna-Lynne Duncan
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: January 9th 2017
Genres: Adventure, Dystopian, Young Adult

An award-winning YA adventure-packed romance steeped in Middle Eastern culture and set in the Asian Pacific amongst dangerous oceans and tropical islands.
Seventeen-year-old refugee Lux plots her escape from the island where her family is stranded, denying that her home was lost in the Floods. Lux is determined to get her old life back by any means possible. But before her feet even leave the sand, she’s taken hostage by a vengeance-driven pirate nearly as young as she is.

Her capture is the key to his freedom…
Captain Draven’s scarf veils more than his face. Underneath, he struggles between morality and survival. When Lux sees deeper into his motivations, she’s torn. She can commit mutiny to escape to a home that may no longer exist, or she can try to help Draven escape the clutches of the person responsible for the deaths of half the world. Staying would mean entrusting her life to a pirate. Helping Draven would mean losing her heart to one.

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—

EXCERPT:

“You will help him, if it’s the last thing you do.”

He had to be bluffing. Lifting my chin, I met his icy gaze straight on. “You can threaten my life, but there is nothing more you can take from me that you haven’t already.”
“Oh, really?”
He stepped forward, towering over me. Wow, he was tall. I resisted every instinct to cower or curl into a small ball. His hand shot out so quickly, I hardly felt the pull around my neck. My hands flew to my chest. My necklace!
The captain held up the chain, his eyes wide with victory. It was clear he was waiting for a reaction, but, except for that first jolt of surprise, I was paralyzed.
Everything fell silent except the slap of waves against the hull and the drum of his boots as he walked to the railing. I clutched my arms to my chest. My heart sped up so fast I couldn’t tell if it was still beating. He held his hand over the side of the ship. The back of my throat ached with a pain so great I thought it would tear out.
“Stop!” One hand still clutched my chest, the other reached out toward the necklace.
“Still think I have nothing I can take from you? There is always something, Princess.”
Desperation replaced all courage. “Please stop. I can help him.”
He shrugged.
“Wait!”
He opened his palm, one finger at a time. The gold chain slid down, dipping closer to the waters below.
“Please, I’ll do anything!” I pressed my fists to the sides of my head.
He drew his fingers in, closing them around the chain. The necklace dangled safely.
I dropped my arms in relief. “Thank—”
With one slow, deliberate move, he opened his palm.
The chain slipped through his fingers.
“No,” I cried, running to the railing. My necklace had disappeared into the roaring waters below. Lost forever.
I choked on the air I strove to inhale. “That was… that was the only thing…” The sound of my heartbeat thrashed in my ears before every emotion was washed away. Every muscle in my body tightened and my eyes twitched as they narrowed. I turned mechanically to face the heartless brute. My face expressionless, my feelings numbed. He would pay for what he’d done.
“You are in no position to negotiate. Make no more requests or the next thing I drop in the water will be prisoners. One. By. One.” He dictated to me without one ounce of regret for what he’d just done. Turning just as easily, he shouted orders behind him. “Ahmed, bring her.”



Author Bio: Jenna-Lynne Duncan likes to write heart-stopping, page-turning, haunting romance in all YA genres. Her current Young Adult releases are titled Hurricane, Tempest, and Aftermath (Divertir Publishing) and the forthcoming BLUE TIDE (Winter, 2017). Jenna graduated with degrees in Middle Eastern Studies, Political Science, and International Studies. BLUE TIDE was the recent winner of RWA’s Romancing the Lake contest. Besides writing, she loves traveling and children. Preferably together. She welcomes readers to contact her on social media or at JennaLynneDuncan@gmail.com.

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Book Blitz: Spies Like Me

Title:Spies Like Me
Author: Doug Solter
(The Gems, #1)
Publication date: October 4th 2016
Genres: Adventure, Young Adult

Can she bring these girls together? 
When she discovers her father’s plane crash wasn’t an accident, sixteen year old Emma wants to punish those responsible. Even if it means becoming a spy. The mysterious organization known simply as The Authority wants Emma to join the Gems. This team of all-girl spies knows how to handle themselves on dangerous missions…like stopping an evil plan to incinerate the world’s food supply.

Meet the Gems…
Olivia, code-named Emerald, is seventeen years old. Half English and half Jamaican. Specializes in leadership, marksmanship, and is a rated pilot.
Miyuki, code-named Ruby, is sixteen and from Okinawa, Japan. She specializes in gymnastics and martial arts. Trained in jungle survival and deep sea diving. Once blew up her boyfriend’s motorcycle using a rocket launcher.
Nadia, code-named Sapphire, is sixteen and from Saudi Arabia. She’s a science and computer nerd. Nadia’s zero-gravity school agriculture project created interest from NASA and the European Space Agency.
Emma, code-named Black Opal, specializes in high school theater and shopping.
Each girl comes from a different background. Each girl comes with different skills. Each girl comes with their own drama.
The Authority thinks Emma is the missing link to make this team work.
Emma thinks The Authority is her only chance for revenge.

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—

EXCERPT:

Emma led Ruby up the metal ladder inside the gigantic empty wine barrel. Both girls passed through the winery’s gift shop and went outside to the parking lot. Emma unlocked the doors of her car and the two girls climbed inside it.

“Mercedes AMG,” Rudy said. “How fast does it go?”
Emma pushed the start button. “I don’t know. I just got it a few months ago.”
“No speed?”
“I don’t like to drive like that.”
Ruby nodded. “Safety conscious.”
Emma rolled out of the parking lot and took California Highway 29 south out of Napa Valley towards Vallejo. As the car settled on a speed, Emma flipped on the cruise control. She gripped the leather-stitched steering wheel and exchanged a few glances at Ruby, who grinned. Normally Emma welcomed uncomfortable quiet over uncomfortable conversation, but Mrs. B was quite insistent that Emma should get to know this girl, so…
“Can you tell me your real name?”
Ruby shook her head. “Top secret.”
“Oh. Sorry. I’m new to all this spy stuff, so—”
Ruby covered her mouth as she laughed. “Only kidding. Messing with you. My real name is Miyuki.”
“Miyuki?”
“Mi-yu-ki. Yes, it’s Japanese for awesome girl from Okinawa.” She laughed again. “What is your name, Black Opal?”
“Emma.”
“What does Emma mean in English?”
“I have no idea.” Emma thought about it. “It’s English for normal girl who loves books and puppies, I guess. I’m boring.”
“You forgot to add pulls hair like a mother-trucker.” Miyuki laughed again. Her laugh was so rich and genuine. Something a person could get addicted to.
Miyuki talked all the way from Vallejo, through Berkeley, and over the bridge to San Francisco. She told Emma about the Gems and how they moved here from London, where they were stationed previously. About how much she looked forward to seeing America. About how Emma’s habit of not looking before changing lanes was a tad dangerous.
“I know. I keep forgetting there might be a car over there.” Emma checked her side mirror as they reached the end of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Miyuki’s eyes lit up like a little girl. “So beautiful. San Francisco is so beautiful.”
Emma focused on the traffic, which could get tricky heading into the city. Miyuki continued to point out every fascinating thing she saw out the window. There was no desperate need to be loved in Miyuki’s voice. No compromising herself in some attempt to get Emma to like her more. Miyuki said whatever she was thinking at the top of her head, and Emma found it refreshing.
Emma led Miyuki into the San Francisco Centre Mall and the girl’s eyes were dazzled by the five indoor floors of shopping.

Author Bio:
Doug Solter lives in Oklahoma where he writes young adult novels full of escapism. He's also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Doug respects cats, loves the mountains, and one time walked the streets of Barcelona with a smile on his face.

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Shadow's Edge (Night Angel #2)

Title: Shadow's Edge (Night Angel #2)
Author: Brent Weeks

Pages: 636

Price: 9.98£ (paperback)

Where to get it: Amazon.co.uk

Plot:  Kylar Stern has rejected the assassin's life. The Godking's successful coup has left Kylar's master, Durzo, and his best friend, Logan, dead. He is starting over: new city, new friends, and new profession. But when he learns that Logan might actually be alive and in hiding, Kylar is faced with an agonizing choice: will he give up the way of shadows forever and live in peace with his new family, or will he risk everything by taking on the    ultimate hit?

"The red and black traitor's arrow leapt across that narrowest of chasms: the distance between a wetboy and her deader. It cut a red path through the air as if the night itself were bleeding"

Woah! This book was such an amazing ride, and nothing short of a constant heart attack.

Although I missed Durzo for most of the book (the last page of the book had me screaming) I must admit that I now like and Kylar as well. As Vi says, sometimes he has such innocence about him to the point of being endearing. Besides the friendship between him and Logan was definitely beautiful and so was the relationship between him, Uly and Elene. (What happened to Jarl is an open wound)
Talking about Elene, I really couldn't stand her pious shit or her until page 630 when she finally "gets it".

Back on track, Vi it's another character I liked even though I wasn't expecting to. I loved her cutting tongue. She is a skilled killer, harsh and brash but broken. However, the end she has the courage to hope and to act on it.


"Not only the winds but the spirits of the murdered were gathering to the general's voice, rising with the cadences of vengeance"

The Godking is not simply evil, he's a sick twisted freak and makes for an excellent antagonist.

Compared to the 1st one, the pacing of the book is faster since we are now in the middle of the action. But that's not all, there are still political intrigues, assassinations, battles, romance, infatuations, biting sarcasm and much more. At times the book is quite crude but it suits the world built by the author perfectly and it is just right (in this case, sugarcoating would have been ridiculous). One thing I appreciated was how casual sex, infatuations and occasional romances were never over-sweetened or excessively dramatized. Besides, the fact that the black ka'kari had a freaking sense of humour was terrific.

Last but not least,the author has got better at describing action scenes, so this book definitely gets a 5 from me


"So Kylar moved through the trees like the breath of a vengeful God, only rustling the branches in time with the evening wind"

Rating:

5 blossoms

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (Night Angel #1)

Title: The Way of Shadows”
Author: Brent Weeks

Pages: 645

Price: 8.83£ (paperback)

Where to get it: Amazon.co.uk, BookDepository

Plot: For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.
For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.
But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

“To be a perfect killer, he has to wear the perfect skin for each kill”

 

 

Did I love this book? Oh-hell-yeah! 

I don’t know how I managed to not know this series, at least until now. Have I been living under a rock during these past years? Apparently so. 

Anyway, what made pick “The Way of Shadows” in the first place was the cover followed by the plot. I love Assassin’s, I’d take any book on Assassins any time. Too bad I always find difficult to find really good ones at that. 

At first I feared that this book was going to be a bit like Throne of Glass, lots of talk about Assassins (with lots of stuff taken from Assassin’s Creed *coughs*) but with almost no killings/assassinations (what a pity!).  Fortunately, I can say that this wasn’t the case.

“You know, Blint, you’d be a better wetboy if you didn’t know you were the best. You are—but you still take your orders from me.”

"The Way of Shadows" is rich of real badass Assassin’s (here called wetboys or stone killers—I guess the author played with word whetstone?) they’re so good that “comparing a wetboy to an assassin is like comparing a tiger to a kitten” (I really couldn’t explain it any better). There is stabbing, disembowelling, lots of blood, poisonings and lots of action. This is not all! The book is also full of intrigues and plot twists (some of them really left me stunned). 

Not only this book has Assassins (done right) but also elements of epic fantasy (some very peculiar), plus political plotting, treachery and intrigues. The whole ka’kari thing was interesting (and definitely cool), same thing for the flashbacks to the distant past and the story of the six guardians of the light and a guardian that stands watch in the night (The Night Angel).

The book is told in 3rd person, which I usually prefer due to the fact that you get to be in more than one character’s head and get to see an infinitely bigger picture. Truth to be told, with a book so full of intrigue and various threads and twists, a reader wouldn’t have understood half of it had it been told only in Kylar’s POV. The reader follow Kylar mostly, but Durzo too has a good page-time (His character was my favorite, bad, gritty, and smug but still with a grain of goodness under it all), followed by the prophet Dorian, Momma K and Roth. In fact, the author managed to intertwine about five POVs without getting the reader confused, which I see as a feat in itself. 

 

“The hall lantern behind Durzo swaddled darkness’s favorite child in shadow, casting his form over Kylar and making his face invisible. Silhouetted, black blood dripped from the tip of Retribution”.

I found the characters well defined but what I liked the most about them is that, the majority of them walk a fine line between good and bad. There aren’t either black or white but definitely on the grey side. Thing that made them feel more, realistic and  human. 

Another thing I really appreciated was how we start with eleven years old Kylar (named Azoth at the time) then gradually find him fourteen and on his first solo-kill, then sixteen, eighteen and - at last- twenty. I loved how it takes him years and lots of training (and some messy kills) before becoming a perfect wetboy and not days like it happens in other books.  

In weaving his twists and turns Brent Weeks does not spare anyone and he is not afraid to kill or maim his characters (which is fair, given the situation...). He doesn’t spare anyone. For example, you have two people loving each other in secrets, ending up betraying each other to protect a common friend---the result? One of them dies and the surviving one later discover – too late – that her love was reciprocated after all (Argh! I felt really sorry for them).

“Assassination is an art, milord, and I’m the city’s most accomplished artist”

I would have given the book five stars if not for some action scenes that I found great but a bit blurry/confusing a times. Luckily, my brain has a good array of action images and assassination’s scenes curtesy of Assassin’s Creed---so, it was fine...really.   

I'm now looking forward to read "Shadow's Edge" the second book in the series.

Rating:

4.5 blossoms