Book Review of Assassin's Curse (The Witch Stone Prophecy #1) by Debra L. Martin and David W. Small

Synopsis:

Disclaimer: This book is about assassins and contains violent scenes appropriate for the story.

When elite assassin Jeda received his assignment to kill a witch and deliver her twin daughters to the Countess of Berkshire, he had no idea it would be his last. The witch stuns him with an elemental blast, but not before he's able to throw his knife. When Jeda regains consciousness, the dying witch is performing a compelling spell between him and her twin daughters. Now bonded to the girls, Jeda's old life is forfeit. His only thought is to take the girls and run as far away as he can. He has no idea that the twins are the ones spoken of in the long-lost prophecy of The Witch Stone. Forces are gathering: the white witches want to teach them; the Countess wants her grandchildren back, and the guild has sent their best assassin to bring Jeda back, dead or alive.

Jeda must use all of his assassin skills to stay one step ahead of them all, but will it be enough to save himself and keep the children of prophecy alive?

Assassin's Curse is ~98,000 words (392 pages in print) 

Review:


Assassin's Curse by Debra L. Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the first book in The Witch Stone Prophecy series. I loved it!

Jeda is an assassin, trained in the art of stealth and death from being a young boy. He is extremely efficient and dangerous. Sent on a mission, he doesn't realise how quickly fate will change his life forever! I really liked this character. I don't normally empathize with killers, but Jeda is a product of a harsh environment and is really a scared and lonely boy underneath his tough exterior.

I love fantasy novels, but I was a bit unsure of this one at first. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy a story about an assassin, but as I started to read this story, I was completely swept away. The story is told from several points of view, which is quite interesting, as each character has their own story to tell. Set over a 10 year period, the reader gets to follow the growth of the characters and experience the changes within the various lives as they occur. The two girls, Kala and Kara, grow up with a father who loves them and teaches them how to be just as skilled with the blade as he is, but they are also very powerful witches. However, they are being hunted, and the assassin that has been sent to track them is not as nice as Jeda. Mave has no conscience and is a cold and deadly killer, who will stop at nothing to get to Jeda and the girls.
The story has several twists and turns, some of which surprised me and I never saw coming! The fight scenes are described with amazing detail and are definitely intense! There is also a lot of violence, including abuse and mutilation, which may be upsetting to some readers. The ending left a bit of a chill climbing my spine, and made me wonder what is in store for Jeda, Kala and Kara in their future. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series to find out.

The authors' Debra L. Martin and David W. Small have written a fantastic fantasy novel full of danger and adventure. The story was fast paced without being rushed, and flowed beautifully from beginning to end.

Due to the violence, I do not recommend this book to younger readers. However, I highly recommend this book if you love action, adventure, thriller or fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton

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