Reviews

Debated between 4 and 5 - rich world building, believable and flawed characters. Appreciated that there was some powerful/magical/supernatural stuff but it wasn’t a big focus of the book. My only complaint is that it didn’t really end, it just kind of stopped. Not a cliffhanger, but also didn’t feel like a natural break. I was reading it on Kindle and I turn off the “% complete” thing and I was honestly surprised that it was ending. Will definitely read more in the series when they come out.

raggedyme's review

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2.0

I want to love this book. There is lots of action, cool characters and a ton of twists. But for a satisfying read, I need things to be more woven together with every event feeding character development and growth. Many things happen for no apparent reason, other than the action of it. Many characters are introduced, but we are left hanging about their fate. The twists felt contrived; they need more foreshadowing and backstory to feel authentic. That being said, if you want raw creativity unleashed with tons of action, you should read it. Even if you're like me; this is still an author to watch.

raggedyme's review against another edition

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2.0

deehaichess's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Couldn't put this down. The poor characters just went through one catastrophic event after another. I would say rather than adventure, this is survival fiction and i certainly hope there is some big meaning at the end for the characters to make sense of it all, as that's the impression I am getting from the direction of the narrative and I'd hate to be disappointed, I'm that invested.

The first book ended quite abruptly though, almost like the author had already written everything and then just split the story up.

spiveyja's review against another edition

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4.0

(Full disclosure--the author is a friend.)
Master Assassins is an action-packed romp through a fantastical landscape with complex characters who I really cared about. Two brothers who are soldiers in a religious war they don't quite believe in find themselves on the run from forces controlled by the leader of a religious movement. They go on the run, hunted at every turn. Everything about the book is layered and deeply nuanced, from the characters (who are flawed and extremely empathetic), to the plot (which takes place as much in the present as in the past, the two interweaving beautifully), to the world itself (which is beautiful and weird and wild and dangerous). The action swept me along, but so too did the relationships between the characters. Read this book if you're a fantasy fan who likes action, deep characters, and complex worlds.

kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition

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4.0

It took me quite a bit to get into this one. I didn't like the characters at the start, and they only slowly started to really interest me - and I still don't like most of them. But at least I did care what would happen! Thankfully some of the side characters clicked with me well and dragged me along nicely enough. The dialogue felt a bit off to me at times, and I am not sure if that was deliberate as the characters also are a bit off. The rest of the prose was fluent enough that I think it was a deliberate choice.

The world and setting were quite interesting and made up for my problems with the main characters. The plot also had me intrigued.

So all in all I didn't love it, especially in the beginning, but ended up quite enjoying it after all, and maybe will keep on reading the series.

thebirdqueen's review

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4.0

I originally picked this up because of Patrick Rothfuss' endorsement, and I was not disappointed! Very enjoyable adult fantasy novel. I look forward to the second book!

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