Anvil of the Sun: Book One of the Cloak and Dagger (Cloak and Dagger, Bk 1) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Aristocratic assassin Vera Devereaux takes on a routine job of killing a politician, and, counter to custom, is promptly arrested for the murder as part of an ingenious scheme. Her rebellious debutante niece, who takes after Vera in many ways, rushes to rescue her and becomes enmeshed by the local revolutionary movement and its charismatic leader. This is the first of a series, but the story is complete. Ignore the said-isms and shaky social premises and enjoy the fast-moving plot. Groell has a wicked eye for farcical timing. If she tightens her control of language, she will give us some very funny fantasy of manners modelled on this one.

Product Description

Finding an unexpected chance for adventure in an assignment in Ashkharon, Jenifleur enlists the help of stalwart friend Thibault and begins a desperate quest to rescue her beloved aunt Vera.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Roc; 1st Printing. Cloak and Dagger #1. edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451455444
• ISBN-13: 978-0451455444
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,531,164 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable tale that leaves you waiting impatiently for more, July 14, 1998

By A Customer

This was a great first novel. Groell has an amazingly rich storyline and her dertailed descriptions of Ashkharon just paint a vivid picture. The only real weaknesses in this book were the characters. Thibault seemed a little to worshipfull of Jenifleur. While The Hound and The Falcon seemed at times like a bunch of bumbling idiots instead of the highly trained and experienced assassins they were supposed to be. Other than that this book was neato. Hopefully those characterization flaws will be cleaned up in the next book. I know I'm looking forward to it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An alternate world adventure novel, June 10, 2002

By	Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This novel starts out somewhat slow, but the pace picks up as the plot develops. It is a tale of political intrigue and assassins on an alternate world in a medieval setting, with some amount of magic added in. The story skips back and forth between a large cast of characters including the main assassin, the double-dealing government minister who hires her, the leader of the rebels, a mage in the desert, other assassins and government ministers, the main assassin's niece and her friend, etc. The novel periodically skips back in time to bring one character or another up to date.

The assassin is hired to eliminate a decadent First Minister, but the job turns out to have complications. Double crosses are the rule of the day, and bodies start to accumulate. There are agents betraying agents, a bugged office, stolen secret papers, dungeons and torture, truth spells, etc., as the Assassins Guild tries to even accounts with the main villain. Sometimes people seem to trip over each other's feet. Don't assume that the assassin is unarmed because she is naked (big mistake), and if she is running loose it can be your worst nightmare.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great find, January 12, 2001

By A Customer

I loved this book. It was refreshing, original and interesting. You feel like you can reach out and touch the characters, they are so realistic. You also want to get to know them and find out what happens to them. It is quite thought-provoking and poses some new and very good ideas, enough to keep me thinking about them after I put it down. For a first book, it's unbelievably good, even if it has a couple of slight flaws (which didn't detract from my enjoyment). And there are more books in the series, and they are even better. Definitely grab this one.