Customer Reviews

A Prince Among Killers: Oathbreaker Part II

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After being harvested by the Stone and taken to the guild's stronghold (Triune), Aron Brailing has been training as an assassin's apprentice.

The second half of the OATHBREAKER story starts out where the first left off; Aron has to face the horrors of the ruined keep and hope to make it back alive. In the midst of his training, war is breaking out among the dynasty lords and threatening to come right to the Stone Guild stronghold.

The threat becomes real when enemies learn there is A PRINCE AMONG KILLERS. Aron has been forbidden to use his legacy upon pain of death, but if he doesn't use it, his friends might die. In addition to that impossible choice, Aron is faced with another when he draws his first stone. His choices may lead him down the path to becoming an Oathbreaker.

As with ASSASIN'S APPRENTICE, the characters and world in A PRINCE AMONG KILLERS were compelling and thrilling. I enjoyed getting to know the characters further and the promise of exciting revelations kept me turning the pages.

I loved reading A PRINCE AMONG KILLERS - I only wish it hadn't ended.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

I loved the first book in this series, and was expecting another amazing installment in the series with A Prince Among Killers. Unfortunately, like the jacket says, this book has a large amount of romance and introspection. If the romance was believable, or even interesting, I wouldn't have minded it. Instead, it feels forced and unrealistic. Two people fall in love with no real reason. They meet, then a few pages later they are getting married. We get to hear from both parties in the relationship and nothing in their chapters gives any indication of love. Even without the romance this book wasn't that great. Most of it involves thinking, brooding, planning, and complaining. I would like a little more action and plot progression. Yet, even when there was action I was uninterested. Events didn't unfold logically in this book. I really felt that it didn't flow. One minute people are standing around talking, the next minute everyone is going out for a fight, then in the middle of the fight we stop for some thinking, then the fighting is over. A Prince Among Killers is not as well developed and well rounded as it's predecessor. I think it lacks planning. Maybe it suffers from second book syndrome, but there is nothing here that makes me want to continue reading this series at all. The surprises and twists weren't very exciting, the characters aren't progressing, and the secret past of a certain character wasn't that shocking at all. I was able to finish the book, but I can't say that I really enjoyed it. Very disappointing.

All right, the bad news: "A Prince Among Killers" is not as good as "Assassin's Apprentice," the first in this series.

I had REALLY high expectations going into this one, though, so it would be tough to live up to them. The first book was, in my opinion, a masterpiece.

The good news: "A Prince Among Killers," though not as good as "Assassin's Apprentice," it is still an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

That being said, I feel this book could have been better. I felt like the authors rushed the first three-fourths of the book, up until about the last 100 pages or so. It failed to bring the characters to life as much as the first book. I felt like they were glossing over scenes, "telling" more than "showing," perhaps in an effort to get to the climactic end quicker? Sometimes, while in the head of a specific character, for instance, I was told that the character thinks another character is feeling a certain way. How would that character know that, though? I think it would have been better to simply play out the interaction more and let the reader come to his or her own conclusions.

Another thing I missed: for some reason this book doesn't capture the same creepy vibe as the first one did in regards to the spirit world. The world also didn't breathe and live like it did for me in the first book. That opening scene from book 1 in which Aaron is on the farm with his father was so memorable: I still remember the dirt on his hands, and his discussion with his father. Great stuff!

All my dislikes set aside, though: the last 100 pages of "A Prince Among Killers" do successfully redeem the authors' original storytelling style and bring together what they were attempting to do in the first 400 pages of this book while maintaining a much better pace of storytelling. I wasn't so disappointed with the first part of the book that I couldn't keep reading.

Perhaps the book would have been better as a trilogy, though? Or, at least, having several of the earlier scenes expanded upon to provide more detail, setting description, and interaction between characters and the world? Another hundred pages or so of interaction to breathe life into the setting and characters would have done wonders.

Anyway, I enjoyed this story from book one to the end. That being said, I hope the authors will continue to put out more works and, if they do, I will be sure to pick them up!

Read part 1 and was "champing at the bit" to read sequel. Frustration!!!! Not yet available in Australia. Thank the Gods of the Internet for Amazon. Painless purchase and prompt delivery in perfect condition means I'm now enjoying "A Prince Among Killers". Gotta go, my book calls!

Without hesistation, this book picks off right where the previous left off. Aron and his nemesis, Galvin, are ordered to cross the Deadfall and check supplies at the tower. This is suppose to help them connect, but instead the Author chooses to change the relationship while letting it remain stagnant. Although Galvin continues to harass Auron, it is no longer hinders Auron. The only point I can see from this journey is for the author to introduce Dari's cousin. I expected action and bonding, not a tense meeting with awkward dialogue from both characters. My main critique of this book is the style of writing. At times it feels repetitive, and unsophisticated. At times I found myself wondering the purpose writing, like the first 300 pages of this book, seeing how not much happened at all. Many pages are wasted explaining the complicated relationships that Dari becomes intertwined with, and then is simply solved. Not to mention that most of the plot is extremely predictable.

"spoilers"

Like Kate and Auron seemingly getting along since shes Dari's twin, Nicandro first seeing Dari and knowing was bound to happen. This made the romance seem stale. Also, Canus being Aron's father was nothing sort of obvious. A scarred bandit, freeing Children, looking for Auron? Yeah, no major twists in this book.

"End"



What interested me most about these two books were Auron, and as this story progressed, it seemed more centered on other characters than Auron. His power never truely becomes fleshed out, and only is addressed at the last couple of pages at the book.