Assassin's Apprentice: Oathbreaker Part I [Paperback]

J.B. Redmond (Author), Susan Vaught (Author), S.R. Vaught (Author), J B Redmond (Author), S R Vaught (Author)

Book Description

Series: Oathbreaker | Publication Date: June 9, 2009

A murderer shoves a prince to his “death.”

An assassin legally kidnaps a terrified boy.

A ruling lord orders an atrocity so devastating it will change the course of history.

So begins this highly original and engaging epic fantasy, a story of love, family trust, sworn promises and hard-earned friendships, in which two boys must put aside their childhood understanding of the world and accept their own incredible power to do right.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Susan Vaught has written a number of fantasies for young adults, including the award winning Stormwitch. She has also written Trigger, Big Fat Manifesto and Exposed, all contemporary novels drawing from her experiences and her work as a neuropsychologist for adolescents.

JB Redmond, a fantasy fanatic his whole life, has overcome difficulties arising from his Cerebral Palsy to record his portions of this story.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599901625
• ISBN-13: 978-1599901626
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I started writing when I was eight, and I try to write a little bit every day even though I'm a psychologist, too. I love to hear from readers.

I especially love to hear from kids and young adults who enjoy writing and reading. I'm also happy to answer parent-questions about the content of my books--or to hear from grown-ups who like what I write, too!

I hope my book make people think, make them talk, and more than anything, let them escape into a well-told story.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Assassin's Apprentice, April 9, 2010

By 

Ithlilian "Ravenous Reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassin's Apprentice: Oathbreaker Part I (Paperback)

I came across Assassin's Apprentice in the library and picked it up without even reading the jacket. Some assassin-in-training books that I've read have been good, others have been horrible. I was expecting this book to be mostly training and eventually, well, assassination. Now I know I shouldn't have judged this book based on my previous experience. Assassin's Apprentice is just my cup of tea. The author does not explain every little detail to the reader right away. You actually have to pay attention, read between the lines, and think a bit. Nor does the author give the back story of every character. Events in each character's pasts are hinted upon, but never explained. Nothing makes me want to eat a book up more than great characters with mysterious pasts. In addition, Assassin's Apprentice has a great plot. I am very interested in the Thorn and Stone guilds as well as the ruling houses, and that is something I hardly ever experience when reading fantasy books. As mentioned previously, the characters are strong. They are multidimensional and flawed. You will find no perfect heroes here, and I love it. I can't wait for the next installment in this series. When I first saw the reviews I thought they may be biased, but they are spot on. This book really is good. My only complaint would be that the second part of the novel drags a bit. My interest peaked in the first part and fell off a bit on parts two and three. That doesn't change the fact that I really enjoyed the book and would read the second installment in a heartbeat.

Be warned there is a massive cliffhanger ending. Don't expect anything to be resolved in this installment.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 2, 2009

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassin's Apprentice: Oathbreaker Part I (Paperback)

Aron of Brailing dreams of raising animals, but his dreams are shattered when he is "harvested" by the Stone Guild and forced to become an assassin's apprentice. Unfortunately, someone would rather see Aron dead.

Forced to train with his strange new master, Stormbreaker, and an even stranger young woman named Dari, Aron must learn to control his powerful legacy or meet certain death. Aron isn't sure what lies ahead, but he's determined to face it with all the strength and determination he possesses.

Hopefully, it will be enough to keep him alive long enough to complete his training.

The characters and world are compelling and thrilling as all good fantasy should be. It was easy to connect with the characters and the pacing was perfect, with enough action and adventure to keep me turning pages as fast as my eyes could take them in.

I loved reading ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE and am very much looking forward to volume two, A PRINCE AMONG KILLERS. Especially since volume one has an amazing cliffhanger ending.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In a word "Awesome!", July 29, 2009

By 

Mike Karkabe-Olson "Mike" (Ferndale, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Assassin's Apprentice: Oathbreaker Part I (Paperback)

This book has vaulted to the top of my list of all-time favorites: and I'm talking #1 (replacing "Elfstones of Shanara", "The Hobbit," and R.R. Martin's "A Game of Thrones"). I hope the sequel turns out to be as good. I picked this book up and had a hard time putting it down. It's the first book I've ever read that I finished and immediately wanted to read again (and I rarely ever read any book more than once). The storyline is unpredictable, the characters easy to like, the world vivid and original. And the Dialogue flows. Scene-setters are gripping. You can smell, taste, feel everything the characters are experiencing. And you live what it's like to be a farmer on the fringe of society, and what it's like to be ripped from your family -- your whole being in life. And what it's like to struggle with new-found powers. It's truly a masterpiece, and the lore of this world is amazing and believable.

Even better, it contains an unusual spirit afterlife that is, well, in a word "creepy." Not in the conventional sense, mind you. (I don't want anyone to think this is a blood-and-gut horror-genre book). No, this is a sort of secondary feeling that builds up and sneaks up on you, and gives you chills. The creepiness is in the realistic way the spirits are portrayed and the unusual lore behind them. I HIGHLY recommend this book!