Sunday Post #192

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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Another week in the dust. And we lost an hour! Ugh. It'll catch up with me tomorrow. It usually does. But, that means nicer weather is coming. And longer sunny days. I could use more sun.

As for my elbow, I called the doctor to see if the x-ray came over. There was a note that I have a bone spur and now need to see an orthopedic doctor. Since the pain has become a constant, I was able to get an appointment for Tuesday morning. I'm glad one of the doctors in the office I called is available sooner rather than later. What will they say? I don't know. I know the pain is growing in level and in time I feel it rather than not. I'll see what the doctor says when I see him.

My grandmother took a turn over last weekend. She's been on hospice for some time as she has dementia and slowly going down hill. She's lived a great life but this is a hard process to watch. We are hoping she'll pass in peace, but it could be any day or linger on with a small thread to life. I did visit last week, and will visit again soon.

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The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... I did get 1 walking day in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Starsigns by A.F. Grappin


Current Audiobook:
Blood Codex by David Wood & Alan Baxter

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Alone by Scott Sigler (You can listen for free too! Go to Scott's website.)

Finished Last Week: 

Books:
Not yet.

Audiobooks :

Hush by James Maxey

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

None.

DNFed:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!) - Author's stopped posting it.

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Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

Guest Posts:

Posts:

Spellbound in a Flash:
Spellbound in a Flash now has a Facebook Page!

Post:  Sheba for the New Year

Challenged Writers:

Around the Internet...

Reviews:

Forbidden Island by Jeremy Robinson

"The experiences with this island grow stranger and stranger. Really. What they find here are mind blowing. I never expected to come in and find what we did...how we did."


Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier

"Rachel takes characters and gracefully glides them into positions they are perfect for, but don't want or think they are right for. There are hard moments they live through that brings out their inner selves, and these are the people they truly are and where they should be."

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:

I have two reviews to finish and schedule for you.

~~~~~~~~~~

Received For the Last Month:

(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:

Audio Books Requested for Review:

Devil in a Black Suit by Colleen Helme
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the bestselling Shelby Nichols Adventure Series comes the long-awaited story about Alejandro Ramos. Don't miss this thrilling adventure about our favorite hit-man!

Ramos’s job as the right-hand man to a mobster used to be easy until Shelby Nichols, a mind-reading soccer mom, joined the organization. With all the trouble she gets into, he’s constantly putting his life on the line just to keep her alive.

When a government agent from his past shows up wanting a favor, she rekindles a flame they once shared. Ensnared in her scheme, Ramos discovers that there’s more to her favor than he realized. Luckily for him, he has a few tricks up his sleeve that might save his skin…but what about his heart? 

Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

Audio:

Evolution: Angel by Starla Huchton
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Candace Bristol has always been obsessed with comic books, but in a world where the nightly news often mirrors these inked stories, her dreams of becoming a real superhero could actually come true. After being rescued by members of the government’s AdvaNced Genetic EvoLution (ANGEL) Project four years ago, getting recruited for this elite team is all she's wanted.

Now 18, she's finally reached her goal after years of study and physical training, but little could have prepared her for life as a genetic experiment. As though coming to terms with her new ability to manipulate water isn't tough enough, she never expected to be swept off her feet by one of her fellow recruits. 

With genetic alteration, the threat of physical and mental instability hangs over every superhero like a shadow. When one of their own tumbles over the edge of madness, Candace will have to choose between protecting the world, and saving the one who holds her heart.

Evolution: Sage by Starla Huchton
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Devastated by her choices, Candace Bristol is on the brink of losing it all: her mind, her hope, everything she thought she was.

But from the ruins rises new purpose. An enemy has emerged and it will take everything to combat this new threat. Broken as she is, picking up the pieces and carrying on might be the hardest battle to win, but it's either fight, or lose what little she has left.

Amongst the wreckage, hope still burns. The flicker of a flame kindles something within her she thought was dead.

Love can break you.

So, too, can it bring you back to life.

Evolution: Hex by Starla Huchton
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
A lie is a prison without bars.

A captive of the enemy, Candace is forced to confront mistakes and regrets from both sides of the battlefield, including her own. Nothing is simple, and lines in the sand that were once clear have become blurred and indistinguishable. Even the unlikely love she found teeters on the edge of uncertainty.

The truth is not always what it seems, and can be a prison of its own.

Alone, she must decide where she stands. Alone, she must decide who to trust.

When the smoke clears, what's left might not be much…

But it might be enough.





Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.

High Lonesome by Jaye Wells
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
In the sleepy mountain town of Moon Hollow, Virginia, there is a church with a crooked steeple. No one will say for sure how it got that way, but it’s the reason the whole town gathers every Decoration Day to honor the dead.

But this year, there are two fresh graves up on Cemetery Hill, a stranger’s come to town, and the mountain’s song is filled with dark warnings.

The good people of Moon Hollow are about to learn that some secrets are too painful to bear, and some spirits are too restless to stay buried. 

Angel's Touch by Anna Santos
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
A curse to break, a mate to save. 

Young Camille’s dreams are shattered when she’s rejected by the ruthless and abusive Alpha of the Shadow Pack. Her only chance at survival is to arrive in Paris and pray that what her brother told her about the angels is true. 

Chased and almost killed upon her arrival, she’s saved by the mythical creatures who protect the city. Plus, Fate gives her a new mate—the one she always dreamed about. But with a price. 

Jacob had been waiting a long time to be matched with a rejected soul so he could break his curse and become a full angel. Camille is everything he’d been looking for in a mate—she has a good heart and she’s extremely brave. Running against time, they have thirty days to fall in love or he will turn into stone, forever. 

Peril strikes when Alpha Simon wants to reclaim Camille. In a mad quest for power, he wages war on the other packs. Now more than being saved, Camille needs to be the savior and stop the cruel Alpha from hurting the people she loves. 

Find out how Camille and Jacob met in this sweet fantasy angel romance that can be read as a standalone. 

The Demon Born trilogy by L.C. Hibbett
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Magic, Secrets, Love, and Lies.

Grace didn't want to be different. Sam didn't want to be a hero. But when a darkness that has been hidden for thousands of years threatens everything that is good in the world, the Shadow Children will do whatever it takes to protect the people they love. Even if it means risking their own lives.

Even if it means sacrificing everything...




Free Audio Books/Stories:

~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron

The Sentinel by Chris Lester

The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester

Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton

Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone

Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

Danger's Halo by Amanda Carlson
Dragon School: First Flight by Sarah K.L. Wilson

Winter Rose by Rachel A. Marks

Book Review: Winter of Ice and Iron

Winter of Ice and Iron

By:  Rachel Neumeier

Publish Date:  November 21, 2017

Format:  576 pgs

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  Stand-alone

First Impression:  Where the land has power, and works with it's people. Most of the time.

Synopsis:
In this gorgeous, dark fantasy in the spirit of Jacqueline Carey, a princess and a duke must protect the people of their nations when a terrible threat leaves everyone in danger.

With the Mad King of Emmer in the north and the vicious King of Pohorir in the east, Kehara Raehema knows her country is in a vulnerable position. She never expected to give up everything she loves to save her people, but when the Mad King’s fury leaves her land in danger, she has no choice but to try any stratagem that might buy time for her people to prepare for war—no matter the personal cost.

Hundreds of miles away, the pitiless Wolf Duke of Pohorir, Innisth Eanete, dreams of breaking his people and his province free of the king he despises. But he has no way to make that happen—until chance unexpectedly leaves Kehara on his doorstep and at his mercy.

Yet in a land where immanent spirits inhabit the earth, political disaster is not the greatest peril one can face. Now, as the year rushes toward the dangerous midwinter, Kehera and Innisth find themselves unwilling allies, and their joined strength is all that stands between the peoples of the Four Kingdoms and utter catastrophe.

First Sentence:
Jeneil ine Suon was a beautiful girl.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository 

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I read this book for my own enjoyment.

We get the story from Innisth and Kehera along with Tiro. These story lines venture to different lands and are very important characters in the lands. And also becoming even more valuable to the survival of the land as they know it. We see how things are in these places, and what draws them together. Or apart. The lives of the characters cross in unexpected ways.

This is a fantasy, and written as such. We get great details that describe the world. The Immanent Powers of the earth are connected to the ruler in specific areas. The connection and power is very interesting. And when one is corrupted... Oh how things get complicated and ugly.

The books beginning felt slower as we meet the characters, but I found I was drawn to Innisth Eanete from first meeting. He can be harsh and even cruel, but he doesn't want to be this way all the time. He wants his kingdom to live and thrive. To do that, he does need to be harsh but there is more to ruling than cruelty. Innisth seems to know this. Before long, Innisth becomes my favorite character in the book. He sees a difference in his Immanent Power when Kehera is around, and how the two powers work together. Kehera lives through hard times, and knows the truth in the way things go. She's not a dumb character. No. She's smart and knows how things work and will work. She acts as a rulers daughter should and I appreciate her for this. Kehera grows through the book, becoming a strong female character.

There is a character that's not a main character, but he's one that helps. When I first meet him I thought he was interesting. The second time I saw him on the page, I was drawn to him. I felt he knew more that what he was saying. In the third extensive meeting, we learn he does have a tie to something and knows more than we thought. He almost feels like a premonition type.

This book has a magic to it that is different. There are Immanent Powers that are born of the land and tie bonds with rulers and the family of. The person tied has to master the power to keep it in balance, but there are times when the power grows beyond the ruling person. This is dangerous when it happens. The story that goes with the Immanent Powers also leads to Fortunate and Unfortunate Gods. There is a different tie used in the book as well. One to make a sorcerer.

When all come together and we see Kehera and Innisth interact, I'm drawn into them. They balance each other well and give each other a spark that I enjoyed. I like that Kehera is NOT afraid to stand up to Innisth, and I think Innisth likes this as well. Their story together vastly grows and moves the book along. The troubles they cross and what they fight for. Even how they grow founder of each other. This is what I enjoyed seeing.

I love the growth of their relationship and how they are there for each other. This is how I like my love interests and relationships to go, naturally from the characters and events around them drawing them together.

Rachel takes characters and gracefully glides them into positions they are perfect for, but don't want or think they are right for. There are hard moments they live through that brings out their inner selves, and these are the people they truly are and where they should be.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon. Thank you!

Audio Book Review: Forbidden Island

Forbidden Island

By:  Jeremy Robinson

Publish Date:  December 2, 2017, Audiobook Release January 23, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 4 mins
Narrated By:  Jeffrey Kafer

Genre:  Fantasy - Action & Adventure, Thriller & Suspense

Series:  Stand-alone

Impression:  Their mission and this island are more than expected.

Synopsis:
SEEKING TO CONTACT HUMANITY'S LOST TRIBE...

On the precipice of a cliff, contemplating suicide, dishonorably discharged U.S. Army Ranger, Rowan Baer, is invited to provide security to a research team visiting the most dangerous island in the world--North Sentinel Island in the Sea of Bengal. Seeking redemption, he accepts.

Living among Amazon rainforest tribes, eccentric Israeli anthropologist, Talia Mayer, is recruited to study the island's elusive inhabitants--the Sentinelese--who have resided on the tropical island since the dawn of mankind. Seeing the chance of a lifetime, she joins the team.

On the run from his past, Palestinian linguist, Mahdi Barakat, is given little choice: join the expedition and make contact with the Sentinelese, or be left to face the men tracking him down. Afraid for his life, he finds safe harbor halfway around the world.

As part of an expedition funded by the Indian government and supported by a local resort millionaire, the team struggles to make contact with the Sentinelese, a tribal people renowned for their violence, strange behavior, and mysterious ways. But when the expedition's yacht strikes a reef, and sinks, the team finds themselves stranded on an island few people have ever set foot on and survived, an island that they quickly discover is home to far more than primitive tribal people.

...THEY UNCOVER THE VERY SOURCE OF EVIL.

First Sentence:
The setting sun made Mike Pastore nervous, not because he feared the coming darkness, but because the wild men preferred it.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Jeffrey lives up to my expectations from his audio work. This book is the style I've come to know Jeffrey for. He voices the characters with their own personality and accents, breathing life into them as he speaks. I love that Jeffrey never gives away a hint of what's to come as he becomes the characters. He is them in the moment, not aware of how the adventure will go. Thank you. Another great job for Jeffrey.

In the first few chapters we meet our team as Sashi visits each, bringing them in on the mission - to go to Sentinal Islands. It seems each of our new members have a little bit of a colored past. As Rowan likes to say, they are each broken. And, in a way, they are.

The prologue gives us a view of one of the Sentinal Islands. The natives here are...interesting. So I'm curious what our crew will come across when they arrive there.

The POV is between our team: Rowan Baer the ex-U.S. Army Ranger, Talia Mayer the anthropologist, Mahdi Barakat the linguist. They are all of different cultures and backgrounds, but seem to have fun together personality wise. Cool. Before we get off on our adventure, I thought it'd be fun with these three people. And it was. Each has a different insight and knowledge they bring to the table, and it works.

The story is rather fast paced, but the actions to the natives on Sentinal Island seem to work with the story. So it doesn't feel as it's rushed. There is something that happens in each chapter, whether working toward communicating with the Sentinelese or the mystery behind other things involving the Sentinelese.

The natives are different. There are some lewd sexual gestures hinted at here. Or what some may take as lewd, but it's in reference to the natives on the island and it's how they perceive to communicate. You don't get all the details, but you get the gist of the display. It did not bother me. It held true through the book so felt to fit the nature of the natives. Then we see their reactions to the crew when we are ON the island.

The experiences with this island grow stranger and stranger. Really. What they find here are mind blowing. I never expected to come in and find what we did...how we did. I had to know what was behind these natives being as they are. Then I worried if all would make it off the island, or at least the people I'd grown fond of.

This is a quick paced adventure story that keeps you wondering what strange event will happen next. And leave you wondering if it's all true or not. Jeremy gave me what I was expecting and more in this story.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Sunday Post #191

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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I took  along weekend this weekend. And I think I need to do this more often. I took Friday off to try and get a few things done. My den was getting out of hand, and having a new kitten....well he was jumping up and knocking things over. So I took Friday off to clean the den and go to the doctors for my elbow. I really did clean like all morning, straightening and throwing away things. Then went to the doctors appointment, which she's not 100% sure what's going on in there with the pain. She said some of it sounds like tennis elbow or tendentious. So x-ray is next and if nothing shows then an MRI. I got the x-ray done Saturday morning. We'll see. Then I went and had my car appraised with the thinking we may trade it in for a rental (to save money). And came home and relaxed for the evening. Saturday I had some running, and went to talk about leasing a car. No dice. Price wasn't what we needed it to be. So we'll wait a little longer. I did get through a god chunk of photos in the editing process here and posted some back reviews on sites. I felt like I was getting somewhere! Today, I don't know what I'm going to do. lol. If I can get squared away on these things, I can get back to writing (or re-writes)! Yes!

How about you? Have you felt you are getting through those things that have been lingering?

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The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... I did get 2 walking days!! It's a miracle! I got on treadmill Monday evening and walked at lunch on Wednesday. (The weather was beautiful!)

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Starsigns by A.F. Grappin


Current Audiobook:
Hush by James Maxey

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Alone by Scott Sigler (You can listen for free too! Go to Scott's website.)

Finished Last Week: 

Books:
Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier

Audiobooks :

Forbidden Island by Jeremy Robinson

Dragon School: First Flight by Sarah K.L. Wilson
Winter Rose by Rachel A. Marks

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

None.

DNFed:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!) - Author's stopped posting it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

Guest Posts:

Posts:

Meet Livi Talbot Trailer:

Meet Livi Talbot from Skyla on Vimeo.

Spellbound in a Flash:
Spellbound in a Flash now has a Facebook Page!

Post:  Winter it Up


Challenged Writers:

Around the Internet...

Reviews:

A Witch's Concern by N.E. Conneely

"This is mostly Michelle learning about herself and growing. The story still has the same action and full of spell being thrown around, but it's about Michelle this time and not just helping others."


Age of Assassins by R.J. Barker

"I was so tangled up in the story, needing to hear every word spoken, that I couldn't have other sounds around me. Everything drifted away as I was engulfed in the tale spun with these assassins and their mystery to solve."

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:

I have two reviews to finish and schedule for you.

~~~~~~~~~~

Received For the Last Month:

(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:

Audio Books Requested for Review:

Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

Audio:

Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.

The Goddess's Choice by Jamie Marchant
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a world where the corrupt church hides the truth about magic, the fate of the joined kingdom falls on the shoulders of two young people from opposite ends of the social hierarchy. 

Crown Princess Samantha’s life begins to fall apart when she starts seeing strange colors around her potential suitors. She fears that she’s going insane--or worse that she’s defying the Goddess’s will. Robrek is a lowly farm boy with incredible magical powers. He has been biding his time waiting to get revenge on those who call him a demon. 

Thrown together by chance, they must overcome their differences to fight their common enemy Duke Argblutal, who, with dark magic, is slowly poisoning the king’s mind and turning him against his own daughter. Time is running out for those chosen by the Goddess to prevent the power mad duke from usurping the throne and plunging the joined kingdoms into civil war.

Bartholomew Roberts' Faith by Jeremy McLean
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
What makes a man a sinner? 

What makes a man a saint? 

Where does good stop and evil begin? 

John Roberts considers himself a Christian, a religious man of God, but when his faith is shaken he begins to question the biblical rules he stood for his whole life. 

Roberts' life on a slave ship is filled with hard labour, low wages, and no chance for advancement. When Roberts becomes friends with a slave named Bartholomew, he couldn't know it would start a chain of events leading him on his first sea adventure. 

In an age of pirates who are slaves to no man, Roberts finds himself torn between a world of just and righteous men, and the evil sinners around every corner. 

Will the religious Roberts become a sinner or stay a saint during his biblical test of faith? See where Roberts' trials take him in his short stories full of action and adventure set during the Golden Age of Piracy.





Free Audio Books/Stories:

~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron

The Sentinel by Chris Lester

The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester

Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton

Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone

Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

Danger's Halo by Amanda Carlson
Winter of Ice and Iron by Rachel Neumeier

Forbidden Island by Jeremy Robinson

Dragon School: First Flight by Sarah K.L. Wilson

Winter Rose by Rachel A. Marks

Audio Book Review: Age of Assassins

Age of Assassins

By:  R.J. Barker

Publish Date:  August 1, 2017, Audiobook Release August 1, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 13 hrs 3 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Jameson

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  1st in The Wounded Kingdom series

Impression:  Use an assassin to find who wants the heir killed. Oh the secrets uncovered...

Synopsis:
To catch an assassin, use an assassin...

Girton Club-foot, apprentice to the land's best assassin, still has much to learn about the art of taking lives. But his latest mission tasks him and his master with a far more difficult challenge: to save a life. Someone, or many someones, is trying to kill the heir to the throne, and it is up to Girton and his master to uncover the traitor and prevent the prince's murder.

In a kingdom on the brink of civil war and a castle thick with lies Girton finds friends he never expected, responsibilities he never wanted, and a conspiracy that could destroy an entire kingdom.

First Sentence:
Darik the smith was last among the desolate.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Who wants the heir to the throne killed? What better way than to hire an assassin to look for an assassin (but mostly, who hired them).

Joe is a new narrator for me. I like how his voice is young and fits Girton yet he voices all the characters in their own maturity and personality. His accent fits the setting of the story. Joe did different tones for males and females. He even has a different hardness to his voice when voicing characters, particularly Merela Kane and a few others. Even the young men who feel they are better than all others have a strong personality to their voices to go with the words. There are some characters that have distinct sound differences, and they pop while listening. The pacing is voiced evenly. The pacing of some people talking is adjusted to their own cadence, furthermore bring individuality to the characters. For example an older person. I was really taken with the character personalities he portrayed. Wow. Well done.

Girton feels special. He's very disciplined as a young person. When he's told to do something by his Master, he does, even if he knows he could get away from the trouble at hand. He listens acutely. And when he counts, he counts 1 my Master, 2 my Master, and so on. Girton is good at what he does. Girton must pretend that he's not good at a few things for this job though, and seems to hide himself well. Girton does have a club foot, which people see as a disability. However it doesn't slow Girton down. This is a great thing. The clubfoot doesn't deter Girton in his job. Where people think less of him, he excels. Merela has treated Girton the same and trained him as any other, the clubfoot not a deterrence for her.

I found I was drawn into this story and world rather easily. I liked the indications hinted at with the way of the world and magic of past. The world is fully developed and we see it in everything Girton does. From the gods they believe to magic gone. Even with the festival coming and the assassin's way. The way people live is seen as well. Every angle is fleshed out and a part of the story to draw the world, the characters, and the story. All is one and intertwined as it should be.

The story is told from Girton's POV. He's the apprentice to Merela Kane, and on this mission, her eyes and ears around the castle. Girton is great to his Master. He doesn't question her, but he learns and thinks. He tells her what he sees and learns from others. He's even adverse at thinking people out. He's still learning though. He gets distracted at times as he's feeling emotions he's never felt before. He finds a young girl he's attracted to. He finds a friend he can talk to. He's living actions he's never had the privilege to do. He's an assassin, and they don't live this way.

Oh the secrets that Girton and Merela uncover here at this castle. Everyone is suspicious of possibly wanting to have the heir killed, but they all have motivators and plans. I loved the mystery and following all the leads we find for all the people involved here. It does all come together in the end.

We get Interludes from time to time through the book. These are dreams or memories of Girton's that details out a turning moment in his past with his Master. It also is a reference for something to come or that has already happened, giving more details about something for us. But it's nice seeing Girton's past and how Master made a huge difference in him. She inspires him to be more.

I suspected something about Merela and Girton early on that Girton didn't know. I was right, about them, and other assassins. When Girton learns it, it unsettles him to his core. It's something that he'll need to overcome, if he wants to live on. As assassins there is a dance to their style of moving and fighting. I love how Girton fights or watches his master fight. The fighting is done with a dance he's learned. It's beautiful.

I was so tangled up in the story, needing to hear every word spoken, that I couldn't have other sounds around me. Everything drifted away as I was engulfed in the tale spun with these assassins and their mystery to solve.

I love how we learn about the assassins as we read of Girton and his Master, who are assassins, looking to solve the mystery of who hired another assassin to kill the kings heir. So well constructed together! The relationships Girton forms here seems to be the beginning of something bigger in his life. I really look forward to listening to all these books!

****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon. Thank you!