Scan barcode
rikerandom's review against another edition
3.0
Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele
„Death Marked: Die Magierin der Assassinen“ von Leah Cypess ist eins dieser Bücher, die irgendwie so nichtssagend sind, dass man sie zwar definitiv nicht als gut bezeichnen kann, aber trotzdem liest man sie komplett durch, weil sie auch nicht so schlecht oder nervtötend wären, dass man sie einfach nicht durchhält.
Ileni, die Protagonistin des Romans, gehört einem Völkchen Vertriebener an, die ähm ja… eine Gruppe Magier, die aus dem Imperium geflüchtet sind, weil sie deren Ansichten über die Nutzung von Magie nicht geteilt haben – oder so. Aber bei denen sind auch nicht alle magisch, denn viele verlieren mit zunehmendem Alter ihre Magie, die wenigen, bei denen das nicht der Fall ist, werden zu eingebildeten, elitären Magier-Schnöseln ausgebildet. So auch Ileni, nur das sie ihre Magie dummerweise doch verliert, also wird sie kurzerhand zu den Assassinen geschickt, mit deren Meister die Ältesten aus Ilenis Volk die Vereinbarung haben, dass sie ihnen einen Magier zur Verfügung stellen, der die magiebegabten Assassinen unterrichten soll.
Ileni jedenfalls wird nach den Toden der letzten beiden Lehrer in die Höhlen der Assassinen geschickt, ohne Magie und mit dem Auftrag, die beiden Todesfälle aufzuklären – eine Selbstmordmission, aber wieso auch nicht, Ileni will ja schließlich eh nicht mehr leben, immerhin hat sie nun, da ihre Magie schwindet und sie plötzlich ja nicht mehr die größte und tollste Magierin aller Zeiten ist, ja eigentlich eh keinerlei Lebensberechtigung geschweige denn einen Sinn mehr, wieso also nicht in den sicheren Tod gehen? Dass sie nicht sterben wird, ist dem Leser natürlich von Anfang an klar, es wäre wohl zu unkonventionell, wenn man seine Protagonistin in Band 1 umbringen würde.
Diese Assassinen, zu denen Ileni geschickt wird, sind ein Haufen Jungs, die allesamt einer Gehirnwäsche unterzogen wurden und die sich nichts besseres vorstellen können, als für ihren Meister zu sterben – noch mehr Todessehnsüchte also. Und natürlich ist einer unter ihnen besonders sexy und besonders mysteriöse, Sorin! Und der ist ja ach so rebellisch und überhaupt und sowieso und Ileni ist quasi das erste Mädchen, das er jemals sieht und, naja, es kommt, was kommen musste und es kommt noch eine ganz herrliche Schnulzkomponente zur ansonsten erstaunlich inhaltsleeren Geschichte. Denn eigentlich passiert nicht wirklich etwas. Ileni versucht zu verheimlichen, dass sie ihre Magie verliert, Sorin ist öhm ja, keine Ahnung, was er ist, vor allem wohl frei jeglicher Charakterentwicklung, und der Meister weiß alles, beeinflusst alles und hat alles geplant, gibt aber nichts preis – das perfekte Storyelement um „Deus Ex Machina“ Elemente zu rechtfertigen.
Man merkt, ich bin restlos begeistert von „Death Marked: Die Magierin der Assassinen“ von Leah Cypress… Ich kann beim besten Willen nicht verstehen, warum andere den Weltenaufbau in diesem Roman so hochgelobt haben, denn meiner Meinung nach passiert in diesem Serienauftakt nicht nur nichts, was man nicht auf maximal zehn Seiten hätte zusammenfassen können, es gibt auch keinen ernsthaft gelungenen Weltaufbau, nur Geschichten über Geschichten, von denen jede die absolute Wahrheit für sich beansprucht, bei denen man aber von Anfang an das Gefühl hat, dass nicht eine von ihnen auch nur ansatzweise wirklich wahr ist.
Alles in allem konnte mich Leah Cypress mit dem Auftakt zu ihrer „Death Marked“ Reihe nicht wirklich begeistern, eigentlich fand ich das Buch herrlich langweilig und ziemlich nichtssagend, ich habe es zwar in einem Rutsch durchgelesen, aber empfehlen würde ich es ehrlich gesagt nicht und ob ich den nächsten Band lesen möchte, kann ich beim besten Willen nicht sagen… Schade, das hätte deutlich cooler sein können! :|
„Death Marked: Die Magierin der Assassinen“ von Leah Cypess ist eins dieser Bücher, die irgendwie so nichtssagend sind, dass man sie zwar definitiv nicht als gut bezeichnen kann, aber trotzdem liest man sie komplett durch, weil sie auch nicht so schlecht oder nervtötend wären, dass man sie einfach nicht durchhält.
Ileni, die Protagonistin des Romans, gehört einem Völkchen Vertriebener an, die ähm ja… eine Gruppe Magier, die aus dem Imperium geflüchtet sind, weil sie deren Ansichten über die Nutzung von Magie nicht geteilt haben – oder so. Aber bei denen sind auch nicht alle magisch, denn viele verlieren mit zunehmendem Alter ihre Magie, die wenigen, bei denen das nicht der Fall ist, werden zu eingebildeten, elitären Magier-Schnöseln ausgebildet. So auch Ileni, nur das sie ihre Magie dummerweise doch verliert, also wird sie kurzerhand zu den Assassinen geschickt, mit deren Meister die Ältesten aus Ilenis Volk die Vereinbarung haben, dass sie ihnen einen Magier zur Verfügung stellen, der die magiebegabten Assassinen unterrichten soll.
Ileni jedenfalls wird nach den Toden der letzten beiden Lehrer in die Höhlen der Assassinen geschickt, ohne Magie und mit dem Auftrag, die beiden Todesfälle aufzuklären – eine Selbstmordmission, aber wieso auch nicht, Ileni will ja schließlich eh nicht mehr leben, immerhin hat sie nun, da ihre Magie schwindet und sie plötzlich ja nicht mehr die größte und tollste Magierin aller Zeiten ist, ja eigentlich eh keinerlei Lebensberechtigung geschweige denn einen Sinn mehr, wieso also nicht in den sicheren Tod gehen? Dass sie nicht sterben wird, ist dem Leser natürlich von Anfang an klar, es wäre wohl zu unkonventionell, wenn man seine Protagonistin in Band 1 umbringen würde.
Diese Assassinen, zu denen Ileni geschickt wird, sind ein Haufen Jungs, die allesamt einer Gehirnwäsche unterzogen wurden und die sich nichts besseres vorstellen können, als für ihren Meister zu sterben – noch mehr Todessehnsüchte also. Und natürlich ist einer unter ihnen besonders sexy und besonders mysteriöse, Sorin! Und der ist ja ach so rebellisch und überhaupt und sowieso und Ileni ist quasi das erste Mädchen, das er jemals sieht und, naja, es kommt, was kommen musste und es kommt noch eine ganz herrliche Schnulzkomponente zur ansonsten erstaunlich inhaltsleeren Geschichte. Denn eigentlich passiert nicht wirklich etwas. Ileni versucht zu verheimlichen, dass sie ihre Magie verliert, Sorin ist öhm ja, keine Ahnung, was er ist, vor allem wohl frei jeglicher Charakterentwicklung, und der Meister weiß alles, beeinflusst alles und hat alles geplant, gibt aber nichts preis – das perfekte Storyelement um „Deus Ex Machina“ Elemente zu rechtfertigen.
Man merkt, ich bin restlos begeistert von „Death Marked: Die Magierin der Assassinen“ von Leah Cypress… Ich kann beim besten Willen nicht verstehen, warum andere den Weltenaufbau in diesem Roman so hochgelobt haben, denn meiner Meinung nach passiert in diesem Serienauftakt nicht nur nichts, was man nicht auf maximal zehn Seiten hätte zusammenfassen können, es gibt auch keinen ernsthaft gelungenen Weltaufbau, nur Geschichten über Geschichten, von denen jede die absolute Wahrheit für sich beansprucht, bei denen man aber von Anfang an das Gefühl hat, dass nicht eine von ihnen auch nur ansatzweise wirklich wahr ist.
Alles in allem konnte mich Leah Cypress mit dem Auftakt zu ihrer „Death Marked“ Reihe nicht wirklich begeistern, eigentlich fand ich das Buch herrlich langweilig und ziemlich nichtssagend, ich habe es zwar in einem Rutsch durchgelesen, aber empfehlen würde ich es ehrlich gesagt nicht und ob ich den nächsten Band lesen möchte, kann ich beim besten Willen nicht sagen… Schade, das hätte deutlich cooler sein können! :|
ameserole's review
4.0
Kind of hard to rate - definitely between 3 and 4 stars though.
Death Sworn was a pretty interesting book. I won it from a reading challenge and went into this book with zero expectations. I ended up liking the book in the end, but I still feel like it was missing something.
Death Sworn takes place in an underground cave. Sounds cool already right?? You never see the outside world either which of course piqued my interest even more. Then there's Ileni, who was beyond awesome and a completely likable character. She wasn't magically amazing at every little thing with zero practice. Nope, she had flaws just like the rest of us mere mortals. She was also a freaking bad ass and I loved the drunk version of her. I have no idea if my drunk version is half as awesome as hers.. but I aspire to be that level of awesomeness one day. Maybe - I don't know.. the girl made me laugh.
Ileni does have powers though because she's a sorceress. However, her powers are slowly fading - probably because of the whole cave living thing.. but I'll get back to that (maybe). The Elders of this cave-like village, send her to some assassins to be their tutor. Of course this is where she could fall into trouble easily... because her powers are fucking fading people! If anyone catches this.. well, she's a goner.
Besides that horrifying thought, there was a smidge glimpse into some romance.. but I loved that nothing was instantaneously happening in this book. Again, people weren't magically amazing one minute after sucking ass before. I also fell even more in love with Ileni because she was just so amazing throughout the book.
Overall, it was an okay but super interesting book. The ending could've been better but I'm still going to end up reading the second book whenever I get my hands on it. I'm that committed guys!
Death Sworn was a pretty interesting book. I won it from a reading challenge and went into this book with zero expectations. I ended up liking the book in the end, but I still feel like it was missing something.
Death Sworn takes place in an underground cave. Sounds cool already right?? You never see the outside world either which of course piqued my interest even more. Then there's Ileni, who was beyond awesome and a completely likable character. She wasn't magically amazing at every little thing with zero practice. Nope, she had flaws just like the rest of us mere mortals. She was also a freaking bad ass and I loved the drunk version of her. I have no idea if my drunk version is half as awesome as hers.. but I aspire to be that level of awesomeness one day. Maybe - I don't know.. the girl made me laugh.
Ileni does have powers though because she's a sorceress. However, her powers are slowly fading - probably because of the whole cave living thing.. but I'll get back to that (maybe). The Elders of this cave-like village, send her to some assassins to be their tutor. Of course this is where she could fall into trouble easily... because her powers are fucking fading people! If anyone catches this.. well, she's a goner.
Besides that horrifying thought, there was a smidge glimpse into some romance.. but I loved that nothing was instantaneously happening in this book. Again, people weren't magically amazing one minute after sucking ass before. I also fell even more in love with Ileni because she was just so amazing throughout the book.
Overall, it was an okay but super interesting book. The ending could've been better but I'm still going to end up reading the second book whenever I get my hands on it. I'm that committed guys!
amethystbookwyrm's review
4.0
This and my other reviews can be found at http://amethystbookwyrm.blogspot.co.uk/
17 year old Ileni is losing her magic and with that everything she has ever wanted, her place as the most powerful sorceress in the Renegai, the man she loves and her purpose in life. The elders send her to be the magic teacher to the group of assassins who they have an alliance with, but her real mission is to discover what happened to the previous 2 magic tutors who died under unusual circumstances. The assassin’s caves are not how she imagined and neither are the young assassins, some of whom are hostile towards her but all of them will to anything to stop the Rathian Empire and obey their master, even if they will die. With some of the assassin’s out to get her, more twists to how the two teachers died and her growing feelings towards her protector, Sorin, Ileni has to find out what is happening in the caves before it is too late.
Death Sworn is a really good fantasy book which is fast paced and an interesting read. I liked this book partly because, unlike most other YA books about assassins, they were actually deadly and would actually kill people. However, there is not much world building in this book as all we really know about the world was the assassin’s caves and not much about anywhere else.
I liked Ileni as she was fatalist and depressed about her situation but instead of mopping around and waiting to be killed, she was determined to go out fighting and is willing to stand up for herself against a cave full of deadly assassin’s. Sorin is reserved, does not show much emotion and comes across as cold, but he is willing to bend the rules and is caught between his feelings for Ileni and his loyalty to the cause. I would have liked to have known more about Tellis as he was an important part of Ileni’s past but I knew nothing about him.
I really enjoyed this book but I hope we get to see more of the world and learn more about Ileni’s past in the next book. I would recommend Death Sworn to fans of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen or Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas.
17 year old Ileni is losing her magic and with that everything she has ever wanted, her place as the most powerful sorceress in the Renegai, the man she loves and her purpose in life. The elders send her to be the magic teacher to the group of assassins who they have an alliance with, but her real mission is to discover what happened to the previous 2 magic tutors who died under unusual circumstances. The assassin’s caves are not how she imagined and neither are the young assassins, some of whom are hostile towards her but all of them will to anything to stop the Rathian Empire and obey their master, even if they will die. With some of the assassin’s out to get her, more twists to how the two teachers died and her growing feelings towards her protector, Sorin, Ileni has to find out what is happening in the caves before it is too late.
Death Sworn is a really good fantasy book which is fast paced and an interesting read. I liked this book partly because, unlike most other YA books about assassins, they were actually deadly and would actually kill people. However, there is not much world building in this book as all we really know about the world was the assassin’s caves and not much about anywhere else.
I liked Ileni as she was fatalist and depressed about her situation but instead of mopping around and waiting to be killed, she was determined to go out fighting and is willing to stand up for herself against a cave full of deadly assassin’s. Sorin is reserved, does not show much emotion and comes across as cold, but he is willing to bend the rules and is caught between his feelings for Ileni and his loyalty to the cause. I would have liked to have known more about Tellis as he was an important part of Ileni’s past but I knew nothing about him.
I really enjoyed this book but I hope we get to see more of the world and learn more about Ileni’s past in the next book. I would recommend Death Sworn to fans of Stolen Songbird by Danielle L Jensen or Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas.
aoosterwyk's review
2.0
I lost patience early on with this book, but it seemed to have great backing so I held on. I was disappointed.
Not much happened in this book and I found myself skimming...a lot.
Not much happened in this book and I found myself skimming...a lot.
betwixt_the_pages's review
5.0
When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.
But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.
- - - - -
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: awesome, cohesive world-building; plot driven by action, suspense, and intrigue; kick-ass main characters with growths, distinct backstories, and personalities befitting their lots in life; engaging, gorgeous prose
Oh. Oh, my. I LOVED this read, and I'm so happy I decided to finally pick it up. Huge thanks go out to Sarah and Abby from YA Buddy Readers' Corner for sending a copy of this my way—you girls rock!
So, first and foremost (and probably not surprising, if you've been paying any attention at all to my reviews): the cover. It is absolutely GORGEOUS, and manages to portray in at least a small way what this book is about. Whoever designed the covers for this series did a beautiful job—the colors, the perspective choices, everything about it helps set the tone SO well. To be honest, I was initially drawn to these books because of the covers alone. Now that I've read it, I'm going to need to own physical copies—these would look beautiful on my shelves.
But enough about the outside—we don't read books JUST for that, right? I know I don't. The writing here is just as gorgeous as the cover art. Leah Cypress knows how to paint pictures with her words. She's woven a tapestry of magic, secrets, and politically charged intrigue. Her voice and the story are so strong, you won't believe this is only the first book in the series!
The characters are stubborn, snarky, and refreshing—they might be a little naive about SOME things, but they all know they're not invincible. They all know they're not irreplaceable. Our main protagonist's voice shines clear and strong in the writing; despite being 3rd person POV, the narrator's focus remains almost completely on Ilena and her journey to rock-bottom (figuratively and literally here). Her unique outsider perspective and reckless care lend her a degree of sass I fell in love with almost immediately. Honestly, the girl could cut you with her words, and I LOVED that about her.
Despite realizing she was sent to the caves to die, she doesn't let the struggles she faces bog her down or keep her from seeking answers. She spits daggers at danger and laughs; she plays with fire almost heedlessly at times. I just adored her completely—watching her grow and shape right alongside Sorin, the unexpected and surprising (in a pleasant way!) love interest, only helped my love for her leech to my heart like a fungus.
Theirs is NOT the love conquers all, give up the fight, lay down my weapons and surrender type of love. They come from different worlds, different religions, different upbringings...and instead of fighting this, or trying to change who they are, or wishing for a miracle, they accept, they move on, and they help each other grow. They don't feel the need to hide or change who they are—they love each other regardless, and that makes this sort of unique as far as YA goes. Their personal growths, brought on largely by each other, are endearing and heart-wrenching; you'll fall in love with them as individuals and as a couple MANY times before the last page.
His eyes met hers, cold and deadly, and the dagger's edge pressed against her skin. Then his expression shifted into horror. He lowered the dagger and stepped back. “Ileni. That was not smart.”
I just adored this read so much, I wish I could put it into more cohesive words here. I loved all the characters (even the “bad” ones, because I mean really, they're all just so human and relatable and well-written!) The prose is gorgeous, the plot is intelligent and well-constructed, the scenery Leah Cypress chose to work with is unigue and so fitting the tone. This whole thing is a masterpiece—readers are bound to be enthralled from page one. The exploration of the ridge between magic and murder is just the cherry on top of a beautiful and dangerous mound of wonderful.
I highly enjoyed this read, and recommend it to lovers of Maggie Stiefvater, Sarah J. Maas, and Renee Ahdieh. I will definitely be picking up the sequels as soon as I can; I can't wait to see what happens next!
But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.
- - - - -
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Quick Reasons: awesome, cohesive world-building; plot driven by action, suspense, and intrigue; kick-ass main characters with growths, distinct backstories, and personalities befitting their lots in life; engaging, gorgeous prose
Oh. Oh, my. I LOVED this read, and I'm so happy I decided to finally pick it up. Huge thanks go out to Sarah and Abby from YA Buddy Readers' Corner for sending a copy of this my way—you girls rock!
So, first and foremost (and probably not surprising, if you've been paying any attention at all to my reviews): the cover. It is absolutely GORGEOUS, and manages to portray in at least a small way what this book is about. Whoever designed the covers for this series did a beautiful job—the colors, the perspective choices, everything about it helps set the tone SO well. To be honest, I was initially drawn to these books because of the covers alone. Now that I've read it, I'm going to need to own physical copies—these would look beautiful on my shelves.
“It's not hard to kill,” Ileni said softly, as if discovering it all over again. “Not if you hate someone. It's so very easy.”
But it shouldn't be.
But enough about the outside—we don't read books JUST for that, right? I know I don't. The writing here is just as gorgeous as the cover art. Leah Cypress knows how to paint pictures with her words. She's woven a tapestry of magic, secrets, and politically charged intrigue. Her voice and the story are so strong, you won't believe this is only the first book in the series!
The characters are stubborn, snarky, and refreshing—they might be a little naive about SOME things, but they all know they're not invincible. They all know they're not irreplaceable. Our main protagonist's voice shines clear and strong in the writing; despite being 3rd person POV, the narrator's focus remains almost completely on Ilena and her journey to rock-bottom (figuratively and literally here). Her unique outsider perspective and reckless care lend her a degree of sass I fell in love with almost immediately. Honestly, the girl could cut you with her words, and I LOVED that about her.
How to throw assassins off balance: cry in front of them.
Despite realizing she was sent to the caves to die, she doesn't let the struggles she faces bog her down or keep her from seeking answers. She spits daggers at danger and laughs; she plays with fire almost heedlessly at times. I just adored her completely—watching her grow and shape right alongside Sorin, the unexpected and surprising (in a pleasant way!) love interest, only helped my love for her leech to my heart like a fungus.
His dark eyes searched her face. “But you love me,” he said finally.
She had no reason to deny it. Ileni lifted her shoulders. “I'll recover.”
Theirs is NOT the love conquers all, give up the fight, lay down my weapons and surrender type of love. They come from different worlds, different religions, different upbringings...and instead of fighting this, or trying to change who they are, or wishing for a miracle, they accept, they move on, and they help each other grow. They don't feel the need to hide or change who they are—they love each other regardless, and that makes this sort of unique as far as YA goes. Their personal growths, brought on largely by each other, are endearing and heart-wrenching; you'll fall in love with them as individuals and as a couple MANY times before the last page.
His eyes met hers, cold and deadly, and the dagger's edge pressed against her skin. Then his expression shifted into horror. He lowered the dagger and stepped back. “Ileni. That was not smart.”
“I know. I'm sorry...” And this time, she didn't even try to stop the tears.
I just adored this read so much, I wish I could put it into more cohesive words here. I loved all the characters (even the “bad” ones, because I mean really, they're all just so human and relatable and well-written!) The prose is gorgeous, the plot is intelligent and well-constructed, the scenery Leah Cypress chose to work with is unigue and so fitting the tone. This whole thing is a masterpiece—readers are bound to be enthralled from page one. The exploration of the ridge between magic and murder is just the cherry on top of a beautiful and dangerous mound of wonderful.
I highly enjoyed this read, and recommend it to lovers of Maggie Stiefvater, Sarah J. Maas, and Renee Ahdieh. I will definitely be picking up the sequels as soon as I can; I can't wait to see what happens next!
brandypainter's review
4.0
3.5 stars
Originally posted here on Random Musings of Bibliophile.
I enjoyed the first two books by Leah Cypess, but felt they didn't reach their full potential. Her latest book, Death Sworn, does reach its full potential and more. Magic, assassins, intrigue, mystery, and backstabbing (literal and figurative) make this an exciting read from start to finish.
The world Cypess has created is shrouded in mystery for the majority of the novel. It is inherently fascinating due to this mystery. There is an evil empire who uses black magic taken from dead and dying victims to thrive. That is what Ileni has spent her whole life believing. In opposition to that are the Renegai, people who broke off from the Empire due to their magic torturing ways and have been building back up their resources and powers for the past four hundred years. In between the two, in a vast network of caves dwell the Assassins, boys of all ages training to be the deadly weapons to bring the Empire down. They all follow the orders of their Master absolutely. Ileni, who is losing her ability to do magic, is sent to instruct those with magical abilities. The entire plot takes place inside these caves. Which should have been dull, and may be for some people, but worked well for me. Like an Agatha Christie novel where all the potential victims are trapped with the killer. Except in this case there are a lot of potential killers and only one targeted victim. I enjoyed the questions Cypess raises as Ileni attempts to carry out her mission, questions of good and evil and what degree people will go to for a cause they believe in. There is also some food for thought here on the power of indoctrination. The Assassins believe fully and wholeheartedly that the Master knows everything and to question him is fundamentally wrong. They are working to bring down the Empire and their lives are to be given in that cause. It is all for the greater good. But most of them have been there since they were young children too young to question what they were being taught. And that the Master has power can not be denied. As I said, the world isn't fully explained and shrouded in a lot of mystery. The entire plot centers around what is going on in the caves so that is the only part of the world, the only view the reader gets. It is, of course, just the first part of the story. One other book will follow. I'm looking forward to see what Cypess does with this world as it expands beyond the confines of the cave.
The plot was just the sort of one I like, where the protagonist doesn't know who to trust and every move is covered in danger. Ileni has to solve a murder and keep herself alive while negotiating the inner politics of the Assassins. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and was unable to put it down. While I saw one aspect of the reveal coming, there were others I was surprised by. The end moved a little fast and I was a bit disconcerted with the lack of closure. It isn't exactly a cliffhanger, but it is open-ended and one thing Ileni does in the end is going to have some MAJOR consequences and that was sort of glossed over more than I would have liked for the end here.
Ileni is a fantastic heroine. She is smart and actually keeps her wits about her. Even when she is feeling attracted to and falling for her Assassin bodyguard, Sorin, she keeps her head. She has reached a point where she's convinced herself that her life means little to her and is completely focused on her mission. As a result she is snarky, not at all obedient, and a bit reckless. At the same time, she has no desire to die until she has completed what she came to do and she is singleminded about that. There is a lot in her to admire. I like that she is the one with the romantic experience too, while Sorin is the one who is stumbling into his first relationship. That is a refreshing change. Sorin is harder to figure out. He is definitely an Assassin to his very core, which causes me to not be completely on board with his character. I wanted him to question more. I wanted him to let out the rebellious side that is very clearly there. This, however, is exactly how Cypess wanted me to feel I expect because it is how Ileni feels. He is also not entirely trustworthy due to his loyalty to the Master, which adds a fraught aspect to the relationship that develops between him and Ileni. I loved that their relationship started out as merely business and developed slowly. Ilenis is given no choice but to trust him as her protecter and, smart girl that she is, she warded herself against attacks from him first thing. He isn't supposed to be involving himself with her on that level. It's not in his orders. Their relationship is a slow burn one and I enjoyed their interactions. I also liked that most of their romantic interplay was conducted off-page. I was quite satisfied with the way Ileni conducted every part of their relationship, particularly the end. Let's just say, the next book will be quite interesting in more ways than one.
This is my favorite type of fantasy, and the sort of book I would love to see more of. I can not wait to read the sequel, which will hopefully come out sooner rather than later.
I read an e-galley received from the publisher, Greenwillow, via Edelweiss. Death Sworn will be in stores on March 4.
Originally posted here on Random Musings of Bibliophile.
I enjoyed the first two books by Leah Cypess, but felt they didn't reach their full potential. Her latest book, Death Sworn, does reach its full potential and more. Magic, assassins, intrigue, mystery, and backstabbing (literal and figurative) make this an exciting read from start to finish.
The world Cypess has created is shrouded in mystery for the majority of the novel. It is inherently fascinating due to this mystery. There is an evil empire who uses black magic taken from dead and dying victims to thrive. That is what Ileni has spent her whole life believing. In opposition to that are the Renegai, people who broke off from the Empire due to their magic torturing ways and have been building back up their resources and powers for the past four hundred years. In between the two, in a vast network of caves dwell the Assassins, boys of all ages training to be the deadly weapons to bring the Empire down. They all follow the orders of their Master absolutely. Ileni, who is losing her ability to do magic, is sent to instruct those with magical abilities. The entire plot takes place inside these caves. Which should have been dull, and may be for some people, but worked well for me. Like an Agatha Christie novel where all the potential victims are trapped with the killer. Except in this case there are a lot of potential killers and only one targeted victim. I enjoyed the questions Cypess raises as Ileni attempts to carry out her mission, questions of good and evil and what degree people will go to for a cause they believe in. There is also some food for thought here on the power of indoctrination. The Assassins believe fully and wholeheartedly that the Master knows everything and to question him is fundamentally wrong. They are working to bring down the Empire and their lives are to be given in that cause. It is all for the greater good. But most of them have been there since they were young children too young to question what they were being taught. And that the Master has power can not be denied. As I said, the world isn't fully explained and shrouded in a lot of mystery. The entire plot centers around what is going on in the caves so that is the only part of the world, the only view the reader gets. It is, of course, just the first part of the story. One other book will follow. I'm looking forward to see what Cypess does with this world as it expands beyond the confines of the cave.
The plot was just the sort of one I like, where the protagonist doesn't know who to trust and every move is covered in danger. Ileni has to solve a murder and keep herself alive while negotiating the inner politics of the Assassins. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and was unable to put it down. While I saw one aspect of the reveal coming, there were others I was surprised by. The end moved a little fast and I was a bit disconcerted with the lack of closure. It isn't exactly a cliffhanger, but it is open-ended and one thing Ileni does in the end is going to have some MAJOR consequences and that was sort of glossed over more than I would have liked for the end here.
Ileni is a fantastic heroine. She is smart and actually keeps her wits about her. Even when she is feeling attracted to and falling for her Assassin bodyguard, Sorin, she keeps her head. She has reached a point where she's convinced herself that her life means little to her and is completely focused on her mission. As a result she is snarky, not at all obedient, and a bit reckless. At the same time, she has no desire to die until she has completed what she came to do and she is singleminded about that. There is a lot in her to admire. I like that she is the one with the romantic experience too, while Sorin is the one who is stumbling into his first relationship. That is a refreshing change. Sorin is harder to figure out. He is definitely an Assassin to his very core, which causes me to not be completely on board with his character. I wanted him to question more. I wanted him to let out the rebellious side that is very clearly there. This, however, is exactly how Cypess wanted me to feel I expect because it is how Ileni feels. He is also not entirely trustworthy due to his loyalty to the Master, which adds a fraught aspect to the relationship that develops between him and Ileni. I loved that their relationship started out as merely business and developed slowly. Ilenis is given no choice but to trust him as her protecter and, smart girl that she is, she warded herself against attacks from him first thing. He isn't supposed to be involving himself with her on that level. It's not in his orders. Their relationship is a slow burn one and I enjoyed their interactions. I also liked that most of their romantic interplay was conducted off-page. I was quite satisfied with the way Ileni conducted every part of their relationship, particularly the end. Let's just say, the next book will be quite interesting in more ways than one.
This is my favorite type of fantasy, and the sort of book I would love to see more of. I can not wait to read the sequel, which will hopefully come out sooner rather than later.
I read an e-galley received from the publisher, Greenwillow, via Edelweiss. Death Sworn will be in stores on March 4.
murphhdog's review
4.0
I'm not quite sure how to feel about this book right now. It was good, it kept me reading, but there was just something missing.
*More to come later.
*More to come later.
_camk_'s review
4.0
I really liked Death Sworn. I found the story original! I thought the characters were enjoyable and found Sorin's and Ileni's relationship bearable!
carolinevaught's review
4.0
I honestly don't know why I liked this book as much as I did. I guess it's because I was always on edge and the main character didn't completely lack basic instinct and thought or maybe it was the lack of a love triangle and the fact that we could see the feelings growing between Sorin and Ileni without them being overstated and over worked and then the plus side of them not falling in love instantly. However, the ending brought this down from 5 stars, but I still can't wait for the next book!