[REVIEW] A Prince Among Killers by S R Vaught and J B Redmond

Published: November 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Age Group: Young Adult - Fantasy
Series: Oathbreakers #2 [end]

The second half of the Oathbreaker story opens at the assassins’ stronghold, Triune, as Aron and his sworn comrades try to find peace in a world on the brink of war. Dari and Stormbreaker grow closer as they search for Dari’s missing twin; Nic and his captors find it harder to conceal their secrets; and Aron must decide whether the bond he keeps to his family will prove stronger than the oaths he has sworn to his closest friends.
Vaught and Redmond have created a heart-wrenching tale exploring the many kinds of love and war in an amazing world of two moons, shapeshifters, and humans with powers beyond reckoning. (From Goodreads)

This is the second and last part of this two part series. 
In this book, the focus is taken off Aron and Nic becomes the main character. Also the change in the titles is also an indicaton. There is also a more romance aspect in this book then adventure and the characters are less emotional at least the feelings you would get when you read about their emtotions. A Prince Among Killers starts right where Assassin's ended. Throughout the story, the focus is one Nic and Dari's budding relationship and the impending war. Aron, after finding Nic and the Stone sister with him injured, races to rescue him, almost causing his death in the process. When Nic sees Dari, it is clear to readers that he has special feelings for her, (think of them as soul mates) although perhaps Nic and Dari don't realize at first. Aron is in a jealous fit but when the war comes straight to Stone Guild's front gates, they have to put their emotions aside and work together to battle against armies ready to attack them.

To be honest, the second part of this series was much worse.

I don't like the character Nic and found this change in focus to be quite dull.

I also found this war to be ridiculus. It is still unclear to me what the war was actually for, besides to march to one's death. 

It would seem this story would have been better with a third book. Many of the actions were short and everything was very quickly paced. There wasn't any depth to the actions in my opinion that the first book had. I never got to be completely attached to this book like its first part. 

The plot also completely changes in my opinion. Now it's all about bringing peace to Eyrie by making Nic king. Finding Dari's sister becomes a sub plot and avenging Aron's family dissapears altogether. I almost completely forgot about it until it was mentioned in the last 100 pages are so. 

Truly, I am very dissapointed with this book but I got through it, just for the sake of how good the first one was and that i really wanted to know what the ending was . 

The ending was horrible by the way. I was completely shocked that the ending was so bad. For such an exciting adventure and action book, you would think the ending would be a little better then what they chose.

Anyway, I won't say don't read this book, all I can say is if you read the first book, then just remember how good that one was when you read this one.

3/5
(originally posted in the TPL Word Out program)

[REVIEW] Assassin's Apprentice By S R Vaught and J B Redmond

Published: January 2010
Publisher: Random House
Age Group: Young Adult - Fantasy
Series: Oathbreakers #1

In Eyrie - a world of two moons, shapeshifters, and powerful magic - Aron of Brailing knows he owes loyalty to his guild, obedience to the code of the land, and his life to his closest companions, but it is his own family he holds closest to his heart. Kidnapped and forced to become an assassin, Aron must learn to control and harness his own fearsome talents even as he grieves for the family he knows is lost forever. But when he is tempted to put everything aside everything he has learned in order to avenge his family's killers, will Aron make unforgivable mistakes? Assassin's Apprentice unveils an intriguing cast of characters whose sense of honour, strength, and history binds them together, and whose incredible talents of mind and body set them apart. (From Goodreads)

This is the first book in a two part series.

The story revolves around three characters whos adventures end up becoming interwined together. The world of Eyrie is made up of different areas controlled by different rulers. The inhabitants of Eyrie are those that have magic powers or shapeshifters or those that have neither, deemed as silent. First, we are introduced to Aron Brailing, a boy from a farmer's family living on the outskirts of Dyn Brailing. Dyn Brailing is one of different areas controlled by rulers. Every few years, there is a Harvest. The Harvest is when members from the two guids, Stone and Thorn. Stone is the guild where they train assassins and Thorn the place where they train scholars and healers. The guilds harvest children that have some indication of fae blood in them, essentially those that magic powers in them. Aron is one of the children and is kidnapped from his family taken as a Harvest Prize. While being kidnapped by the Stone Guild, Aron meets another child. Her name is Dari and unbenowest to all, she belongs to a group of people that are shapeshifters thought to be extinct in the last great war. When she accidentally reveals herself to save Aron and a Stone Guild member, Stormbreaker (who actually is nicer then one would think an assassin would be) the three swear an oath to keep the secret. Dari also reveals that she is looking for her twin sister, who ran away from their home and is mentally ill and could become a powerful weapon in the impending war. The third character in this book is named Nic Mab. He is the last heir to the throne of Mab since all of his previous brothers, sisters and father have died before him. After his sister's death, Nic rises as the heir but is soon betrayed by those close to him and pushed off a tower. There he is found by a Stone assassin who treats him, knowing of his orgins. Along the way, Aron and Nic share short conversations with one another, having no idea who the other is or where they are, through the use of their magic. Later on, it is also revealed that as the war draws closer, Lord Brailing started to turn on his own people and Aron`s family is one of those that were killed. Now Aron has no choice but to become an assassin and have the chance to avenge his family when he is strong enough but when the oppurtunity arises, will Aron avenge his family even though he would be commiting an unforgivable mistake in the process?

Assassin's Apprentice follows Aron Brailing more then any of the other characters. 
The book is often told in different perspectives by one of the three characters. 

This story was surprisingly quite interesting. 
At the beginning, the many names and often terms made me confused but the more you read, the easier it becomes at understanding them. 

This book definitely showed that for every action there is more then one perspective. Reading different narratives really shows the feelings of one character that another would not know at all. The character development was very well in this book. Each character has their own distinct personality that is created over the entire book. You start to understand who is the sympathetic person or who is the person that would often scowl or laugh. 

The plot in this series is also pretty solid. It is unclear though which is the main plot which leads me to conclude that there are two, Aron's goal to avenge his family and Dari's, to find her sister. 

This book completely drew me in and i couldn't stop until i had finished the entire book. The beginning is sort of slow because they introduce each character and you're just getting used to each of them but later on in the book when there is a better understaind of each character, the story and the action and adventure in this book become much more exciting to read and to follow.

If you're a fan of adventure, fantasy and action, you should definitely try this book!

5/5!
(originally posted in the TPL Word Out program)