Death Marked (ARC Review)

Death Sworn: Death Marked | Leah Cypess

Published by: Greenwillow Books, March 3rd 2015

Genre: YA, High Fantasy, Magic

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Greenwillow Books, via Edelweiss

A young sorceress’s entire life has been shaped to destroy the empire controlling her world. But if everything she knows is a lie, will she even want to fulfill her destiny? The sequel to Death Sworn is just as full of magic and surprising revelations, and will thrill fans of Leigh Bardugo and Robin LaFevers.

At seventeen, Ileni lost her magical power and was exiled to the hidden caves of the assassins. She never thought she would survive long. But she discovered she was always meant to end up, powerless, in the caves as part of an elder sorcerer’s plan to destroy the evil Empire they'd battled so long. Except that Ileni is not an assassin, and she doesn't want to be a weapon. And, after everything, she’s not even sure she knows the truth. Now, at the very heart of the Empire—its academy for sorcerers—the truth is what she seeks. What she finds challenges every belief she holds dear—and it threatens her fledgling romance with the young master of assassins.

Leah Cypess spins an intricate and beautiful conclusion to Ileni's story. In the end, it may not be the epic decisions that bring down an empire, but the small ones that pierce the heart.

Death Marked started off weaker than its predecessor. I wasn't enjoying it as much, I didn't particularly like the new characters or care to learn more about them, but at some point around the middle it just clicked. I was flicking every page, consumed by this book. The setting continues to be strong and incredibly unique. From a cave of assassins, we're taken to a mountain academy of sorcerers. I can find absolutely no fault in Cypess's worldbuilding and look forward to going deeper into the Empire (I hope?) in the next book. 

The main characters - Ileni, Sorin - stay strong through the series, fascinating even when they crush my heart into teeny, tiny shards. I'm so invested in their relationship it hurts. Like I said, I didn't much care for Evin (is it Evin? It's been a  while and he's quite forgettable. Oop.) or the other students, and Irys made me want to punch her a good five times. But the story was so damn good when it got going, enthralling and demanding of attention. This book managed to get deeper and grittier than the first, somehow, and we're shown the rotting underbelly of the Empire as Ileni struggles to take it down, while balancing the compulsion of being able to use magic again. It particularly hit me hard that children and the elderly and sick are the victims of the Empire. That is so fucked.

I highly recommend this series. Each page is packed with action and tense emotion, intrigue alongside romance and the horrors of human temptation. If you haven't read the first book, Death Sworn, pick it up now! You don't want to miss this series.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Reading round up (72)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

30th March

I read 77% of Death Marked by Leah Cypress, finishing it. I was a little unsure around the 1/3 mark but this was just as good as the first book!!

31st March

Didn't read anything today for some reason.

1st April

I started my Falling Kingdoms reread (25 pages read). I LOVE these books. My favourite epic fantasy by a long mile. I don't want to rush reading books 1 and 2 but I NEED to read Gathering Darkness. I have the shiny metallic hardback!!!

2nd April

The busiest day ever today!!! Seven and a half hours spent fixing The Forgotten second print edition before I get a round printed, another hour writing 1000 words. I only had time to read 24 pages of Falling Kingdoms, which I'm sad about, but I'm happy with my productivity output.

3rd April

Read 50 pages of Falling Kingdoms, bringing me to 100, and I still have NO time to read. This has been my worst reading week all year.

4th April

Because I am getting nowhere with Falling Kingdoms in the very short slot of time I have per day until I get over a writing wall that's stealing hours from me (what took me 1 hour is taking 5), I turned to graphic novels. I just wanted to actually finish something. I attempted Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth, by Grant Morrison and Dave McKean (around 40 pages read) but I JUST CANNOT read the Joker's speech. The lettering is horrendous - it's scratchy red text over scratchy white. I stopped reading, and I'm pretty sad because Grant Morrison. But my eyes can't distinguish the words.

Instead I read volume 1: Days Gone Bye of The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman (144 pages) which I liked but I expected something a little better tbh. Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Still, I'll definitely continue this series without a doubt.

5th April

I read 15% of The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath by Ishbelle Bee which is AWESOME. I LOVE THIS ALREADY. Caps was necessary.

Books finished this week: 2
Books DNF'd this week: 1

For review:

The Stars Never Rise | Rachel Vincent

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

THE STARS NEVER RISE IS ON MY KINDLE. AND I CAN READ IT. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO EXCITED IN MY LIFE!!!

Bought:

Temeraire | Naomi Novik

Blood Entwines | Caroline Healy

State of Emergency | Summer Lane (For my Saruuh Explores NA project)

Under Different Stars | Amy. A. Bartol

Dead Spots | Melissa. F. Olson

I also got these AMAZON FREEBIES:

Witch's Brew | Heidi. R. Kling

Purenet | HJ Lawson

Bound by a Dragon | Linda K. Hopkins

Emma | Jane Austen

Of Sea and Stone

Fire Study

Reading round up (70)

Reading round up is a weekly journal where I record my daily reading progress, my thoughts on each book as I read it, and any books I've acquired during the week.

16th March

Read ... pages of Death Sworn by Leah Cypess and finished it. This book is a damn good fantasy, and I adore the assassins. Not enough magic for me personally but that's because Ileni is losing hers so it makes sense. Hoping for more when she finds a super-magic-ball-thing!

I also started Beauty and The Beast by Jenni James because 1) I need a small break between Death Sworn and my next book, 2) this book is pretty short, and 3) it counts towards my fairy tales challenge.

17th March

I finished Beauty and The Beast, and I actually really liked it. More than I expected to. It's a cute story, and even has a bit of danger and threat - unexpected!

18th March

Started Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder because I loved book one! Read 165 pages and I don't love this setting as much as book one. I really like Bains, or Bain, or whatever the stuffy old teacher is, though, and I see potential in Lief if only he'd stop being an aggressive douche.

In an effort to actually read The Arctic Code by Matthew. J. Kirby I read 13% today, bringing me to 53%. It's slow and boring, but I'm (optimistically) expecting it to pick up.

19th March

I read 123 pages of Magic Study, which got marginally better with the appearance of Valek (the bastard!) and 8% of The Arctic Code, which is actually never going to pick up. I'm so bored.

20th March

Read 14% of The Arctic Code and even though they've found the big secret (paleolithic aliens? which somehow manage to also be dull?) I'm still not feeling it. I feel like I've read 75% of nothing. Can't wait for it to be over tbh.

I also read 71 pages of Magic Study, which I'd hoped to finish but at well. These last 100 pages have been better than the entire rest of book... :|

21st March

Finished Magic Study, which was good but not amazing, and skimmed the last 25% of The Arctic Code, which was boring as hell. I also started Beauty Awakened by Gena Showalter (33%) because I was feeling shitty and needed something PNR.

22nd March

I read 53% of Beauty Awakened, bringing me to 76% and I officially do not understand how the title fits. Neither characters' beauty has been awakened. Their self forgiveness, maybe, and their self-esteem definitely. Beauty? Nah. (Also where is Koldo's beard on the cover? That look nothing like him. Rude.)

Books finished this week: 4
Books DNF'd this week: 0

 

Hidden Huntress | Danielle. L. Jensen

Dragons Are People, Too | Sarah Nicolas

HIDDEN HUNTRESSSSSSSSSSSS!!! ALSO POC DRAGONSSSSSSS.

Death Sworn

Beauty and The Beast (Jenni James Fairy Tale Collection)

The Arctic Code (Scheduled for 24th March)

Magic Study (Scheduled for  26th March)

Death Sworn (Review)

Death Sworn: Death Sworn | Leah Cypess

Published by: Greenwillow Books, March 3rd 2015

Genre: YA, High Fantasy, Magic

Pages: 345

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

When a young sorceress is exiled to teach magic to a clan of assassins, she will find that secrets can be even deadlier than swords. Teen Vogue proclaimed, "It's impossible not to fall deep into the dark yet alluring world of sorcery and secret assassins." A dangerous and eerie fantasy about murder, shocking discoveries, and fiery star-crossed romance that readers of Cinda Williams Chima and Robin LaFevers won't be able to put down.

Ileni is losing her magic. And that means she's losing everything: her position as the rising star of her people, her purpose in life, and even the young man she loves. Sent to the assassins' cave hidden deep within the mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two sorcerers sent died within weeks of each other. Accidents? Or something more sinister? As Ileni navigates the dangers--both natural and human--of the caves, she'll discover secrets that have been kept for decades. And she'll find an ally in Sorin, the deadly young man who could be the assassins' next leader. With Sorin determined to protect her, sparks--magical and romantic--will fly. But will even he understand the choice she must make in the end?

Death Sworn is one of the best fantasies I've read in a long time. There's none of the preamble, none of the lengthy OTT world building. It's just immersive. It throws you head-long into the assassin's caves from page one (literally) and builds the setting so expertly, so exquisitely, that you don't even realise it's happening. I haven't seen this in a YA high fantasy for a long time.

The story is packed with danger and intrigue and mystery without being bogged down by the setting or long winding stretches of the character's internal monologue. Death Sworn is just such a good book. It's fun and fast and hid a plot twist I didn't see coming. Truly, truly good. The characters are complicated and morally grey, the cave of assassins is hella cool (and weirdly reminds me of that underground bunker thing in Unravel Me), and I even loved the romance - it moved at a steady, natural pace.

Everything about this book is awesome and demands your full attention. My only gripe is there wasn't enough magic for my liking but given Ileni's fading magic I understand it. Hoping there's more in the next book!

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆