I received a copy of this book
for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Assassination of Hope is the second in the Star Marked
series of Young Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy Adventure novels by Justin Doyle. It was
preceded by Embargo on Hope, which I enjoyed - you can find my review
for Embargo HERE.
As with the first book, I also
enjoyed Assassination immensely. Sometimes second books in a series can be a
letdown from the first, but that is not the case here. It is well paced,
written, and edited. If you are into action packed books, this one will appeal
to you. There are two things I noted while reading Assassination. One is
the growth of the characters. It was great to learn more of the background of
Darynn and Fyra, but I think the character that had the most growth was Kaylaa,
and it is ironic that Kaylaa was absent for a lot of the story.
I also was fascinated with the
world-building displayed by the author. In this volume, we move from Darynn's
home planet to Kaylaa's frozen world where she is in the middle of a fight. The
descriptions of the cold and how the characters handled it was well described,
and the prose made me see and feel their plight.
I am not a fantasy fan as much
as a sci-fi nerd, but I loved the way Justin could bring the science and technology
together with magic to produce a plausible story all readers can enjoy. At the
top of my list, along with a fine mixing of genres, were the battle scenes. The
fights were epic in scope and the author went into great detail to describe
them, but not so much as to make them difficult to read.
Be warned, Assassination
is not a standalone story, but a continuation on Embargo, so be sure to
read the books to get the full appreciation.
Blurb from the book...
The destruction of the embargo
has made Darynn Mark a lot of enemies: an interstellar bounty hunter, the Grand
Cardinal, families of the fallen. On top of that, Darynn struggles with his new
responsibility to discover the truth behind Vastire’s gods, while battling his
growing internal desire to destroy.
Darynn and Fyra must travel to
the frozen planet Yiptae to find the final pieces of the gods’ puzzle. But
Yiptae has problems of its own, from a violent revolution to the assassination
of a key immigrant rights activist. In the middle of it all is Kaylaa, whose
mysterious past leads to new opportunities, conflicts, and enemies.
Darynn, Fyra, and Kaylaa must
work with new allies to solve the secret to the past while navigating the
revolution and solving the murder. If they don’t, they will be buried in a
frozen wasteland, and the truths of three worlds will be obscured forever.
The principal characters,
Darynn, Fyra, and Kaylaa are all well written and have come alive for me as a
reader. All are concerned with justice, but their approaches to obtaining it,
or seeing that it is done, are different.
Darynn is a bit of a hothead.
He seems to be angry all the time and if someone get in their way, they are
going to have trouble. He has a special talent for being a one-man wrecking
crew. He leaves destruction in his wake. One thing that keeps him from
destroying everything at every turn is his budding relationship with Fyra.
Fyra is a calming influence on
Darynn, and they are falling for each other. Their relationship is just
beginning, but they do complement each other. On first meeting Fyra, one might
think she is a compassionate, gentle fawn who appreciates nature. But don't be
fooled by first impressions, she can release some wrath when the occasion calls
for it.
Kaylaa is the consummate
warrior. She is always ready for a fight, but she also can think and plan her
battles. She is intelligent and can see situations develop before acting.
Kaylaa also has a soft side she rarely lets out. I was pleased about a reunion
in the story involving one who I would have to say is my favorite of the three
characters in the triumvirate.
As the principal characters,
those three are the best developed, but there are many others, some good, some
bad, that have enough development to know and care about.
My favorite point of plot is
the marriage between the elements of Sci-Fi and Fantasy. We have space travel
and interesting devices that do some amazing things, and I also like the way
the magic is handled. I often find magic in a story becoming the deus ex
machina used to get a character - or the author - out of a tight
situation. Not so here. The magic in the story is always used with good
purpose, and used sparingly, making this a character driven story who use
science and magic as tools, but not as defining elements.
My takeaway from Assassination
is how no matter what one has done in the past, the quest for justice is a
never-ending journey fraught with twists and turns. This story is full of
surprises, and it is a fun read.
Whether you are a Sci-Fi fan,
or a Fantasy fan, there is something in this book for you. It is a story moving
at a blinding pace full of characters one can care about, and one can love to
hate. Sometimes, one doesn't know what to think about them, but you always
discover in the end whether they are trustworthy. The banter between them is
always fun and cleverly written and reading Assassination brought a
smile to my face or made me laugh out loud several times.
There is also tragedy, great
scenes of battle, and some blood and guts descriptions, but they are appropriately
written and entertaining.
I recommend this second book in
the Star Marked series, but as mentioned earlier, be sure to read the Embargo
on Hope first to get the full flavor of the characters and settings.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
He now works for the Center for
the Advancement of Science in Space, who manages the International Space
Station National Laboratory. He lives in the Houston area with his wife,
daughter, and various small mammals.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
