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 ★★★★☆
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