Death Sworn

By: Leah Cypess

Narrated by: Cris Dukehart

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Ileni is losing her magic. And that means she's losing everything: Her status as the renegade sorcerers' most powerful rising star. Her purpose in life. The boy she loves. Her home.

Exiled to teach sorcery to the assassins hidden deep within the mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two tutors died within weeks of each other. As Ileni unravels the mystery surrounding their deaths, she'll uncover secrets that have been kept for decades...and she'll find an unexpected ally and dangerous new love.

But even he may not be able to protect her. Not when she's willing to risk everything.

©2014 Leah Cypess (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

Meh - fans of Throne of Glass might enjoy

I’m not quite sure how I feel about Death Sworn. I enjoyed it (kind of) – and the mystery around the murders kept me guessing, though admittedly, I’m never very good at figuring out the whodunit type of stuff (some people are really good at it!). Overall, this book just felt kind of “meh”. I didn’t dislike it nor did I find myself nitpicking, but I wasn’t gushing over it either.

I guess that, for me, there wasn’t enough world building. The reader learns that sorcerers can wield their power/magic to do spells, but there wasn’t any detail about the spells themselves. Only that a fire spell was cast or a water spell was cast – no actual incantation mentioned – and that made it feel less real.

Also, the entire book takes place in one setting – underground with assassins. There’s no change of scenery and I think I got bored by the end of the book. Plus the love interest just didn’t feel right to me – it felt too forced.

Fans of fantasy lite a la Throne of Glass might enjoy this if they’re okay without a love triangle and a little less action.