Beltharos may have won the battle against the Cirisians, but the true war is yet to come.For the first time since breaking the Guild’s sacred oath, Mercy is under the control of the woman who has manipulated and tormented her all her life—and Illynor has no shortage of punishments awaiting Mercy for her crimes. All will be forgiven if she repents and dedicates herself to the Guild, but doing so … to the Guild, but doing so means losing the family and life she left behind.
Chained and half-starved, she vows to never give Illynor the satisfaction of seeing her break, but her resolve weakens every day she must endure the Guildmother’s torture. She can only hope Tamriel finds a way to free her before it gives out entirely.
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This book, what can I say about this book other than it was so severely powerful that I had to keep putting it down to be able to finish it. The emotions this drew out of me were beyond anything I’ve felt in a very very long time.
Mercy is in the hands of the monster that basically created her. Having finally gotten away, she thought she was safe, but safety is an illusion, and Mercy has no illusions any longer. All she has is hope.
Being back under Mother Ilynor’s control, Mercy has to hold tight to the hope that someone will come to get her out of this unbelievable hell. Tamriel is doing everything he can to get together what he needs to go get her back, but with a kingdom that requires some major cleaning up after the war that they just barely won, he’s having a hard time getting the army he needs together to go get her out. Mercy’s family is chomping at the bit to go get her free so she can finally know the family she never even knew she had. And Faye, well, Faye has her own troubles.
There is action, heartfelt romance, friendship, and so much more in this book that there is no doubt that it is an epic fantasy. As the newest book in the Born Assassin series, this one really shows you what the Guild of Assassins is all about, what kind of kingdom Tam wants to have, what kind of people are in Mercy’s life, and just exactly how much stamina you have for heart-crushing emotion. I didn’t have much. It definitely crushed me.
Jacqueline Pawl will never stop amazing me with what she can do with an idea and a computer. I am so very much in love with this series that I spread the word wherever I can. This series is what epic action/romance fantasy is all about. The romance is in the love the characters have for each other, not in any unnecessary sex scenes. The action is in the evil that she knows is in the world, and portrays through wars, guilds, and evil characters that make up this story that is so very captivating. Jackie has a talent that we don’t see much of anymore. The talent to pull you in and keep you there long after the story has ended.
Excellently done, Jacqueline Pawl! Excellently done, in-very-deed!
I received an ARC copy, and give this review of my own volition and in my own words. As always.
This book is so powerful, so dramatic, I read it in one sitting. I started it this morning and before I knew it, most of the day had passed! I have mentioned in reviews on the prior books in this series, how every emotion I have is brought to the fore, but I was not expecting another such strong reaction! Well, now that my emotions have been scattered in every feasible direction, I’ll take a deep breath to write something coherent…. After everything Mercy has gone through, her determination to get away from the Guild and start a new life with Tamriel, is taken from her when she finds herself captured by the very person she tried to escape from. Yet Mercy will not yield, she will not succumb as she desperately holds on to hope, hope that somehow she will escape. The evil of Illynor, her need to control Mercy is incredibly described, as is Mercy’s handling of the torture she is forced to endure. It is honestly so well written, one can feel every blow, every emotion. The characters are so diverse, so real, so extremely raw. They are so human, they make mistakes, they seek redemption, they feel remorse, but ultimately, they know they need to stop Illynor. The love between Mercy and Tamriel is so appealing and their characters grow stronger throughout. Tamriel faces adversary at every turn, yet his convictions and caring nature never falters. I have loved Calum from the very beginning, even when he was charming and scheming the death of his cousin, he’s extremely likeable and vulnerable. There were not a single moment I could predict what was going to happen, and I was taken aback by some of the events in this fast paced book. Event after event, emotion after emotion, battle after battle, I was invested every step of the way.And goodness me, that was quite the cliffhanger! I desperately need book 5…
It is such a compelling read, I felt like I had run and won a marathon by the end, all sweaty and exhausted, but elated, that I needed time to come off my high.