Ash’s review of Assassin’s Honor (Order of the Sicari, Book 1) by Monica Burns
Paranormal Romance released by Berkley 01 Jun 10
This is one of those books that I think of as a comfortable read. It was easy to sink into it without having to think to hard about what was going on. It wasn’t without its flaws though.
Assassin’s Honor is, thankfully, a break from the norm when it comes to paranormal romances. These men aren’t your typical warriors and the world is unique. Sometimes that worked, and sometimes it didn’t. The story isn’t smooth, and the mix of old world and new world just didn’t blend well for me.
The Sicari have a weird code of honor that seems too outdated, and it left me shaking my head. About the only thing that works for me is their use of swords. I just love a man who can wield a sword. I also spent most of the book feeling like I was missing things. I was expecting a big adventure with ancient artifacts and it seemed like the things that were supposed to be a big deal took a backseat to a bunch of personal drama.
I like both Ares and Emma, more so Ares, but their feelings just feel forced. I didn’t get a good, solid idea of who they are as individuals and/or a couple. They actually spend most of the time fighting with each other. There’s no build up with them, they don’t take long to start feeling each other up, and it didn’t work for me.
My biggest issue with the book is the random Latin and Italian words. They speak English, yet swear and use endearments in Latin/Italian, and they did it in almost every sentence and I didn’t want to have to stop to use a glossary every five sentences. By the way, Monica Burns has such a glossary at her web site.
With all that said, I still enjoyed the book. I like the whole idea of it and I want to know more about the Sicari world and the people in it. I like that the warriors are not all the big, scary silent types, even when I expect them to be. They feel more approachable and real.
What’s started here is still ongoing and instead of being frustrated, I am excited to see where it goes next. I am really looking forward to the next book, which features a couple that I spent this whole book wondering about. Assassin’s Honor is only told through Emma and Ares and so we don’t know yet what is going through the heads of the characters from the next book. Monica Burns did a great job of whetting the appetite for those two.
Even with its issues, Monica Burns has delivered a refreshing paranormal and the fact that I like it as much as I do, while not really caring too much about the couple, really says something. Assassin’s Honor is worth the read, and I am sorry I didn’t read it sooner.
Grade: C+
Summary:
Archeologist Emma Zale sees the past when she touches ancient relics. It’s how she uncovered evidence of an ancient order of assassins—the Sicari. When a sinfully dark stranger shows up on her Chicago doorstep demanding an ancient artifact she doesn’t have, he drags her into a world where telekinesis and empaths are the norm. Now someone wants her dead, and her only hope of survival is an assassin who’s every bit as dangerous to her body as he is to her heart.
Ares DeLuca comes from an ancient Roman bloodline of telekinetic assassins. A Sicari, he’s honor bound to kill only in the name of justice. But when the woman he loved was murdered, Ares broke the Sicari code and used his sword for revenge. Love cost him dearly once before, and he’s not willing to pay the price again. At least not until hot, sweet, delectable Emma walked into his life. Not only does she hold the key to a valuable Sicari relic, she might just hold the key to his heart.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
