Death from the Shadows

Space Assassins, Book 4

By: Scott Baron

Narrated by: Eric Bryan Moore

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

Looks can be deceiving. A fact sometimes learned at the pointy end of a blade.

It makes for a very short learning curve. 

Underestimating an opponent is a common mistake made by people wielding power. And when the most elite sect of assassins are involved, that blunder could prove to be a particularly fatal one. In times of subterfuge and plotting, though, it is clear they are not the only ones with tricks up their sleeves, and sometimes death is a two-way street. 

©2020 Scott Baron (P)2020 Scott Baron

Just Keeps Getting Better

The benefits that you get with a series like this (especially one set before another series I’ve read) is that you have a certain comfort level when going into it. Another benefit of books by Scott Baron is that that comfort level only goes so far, which each book in the series adding either more depth to the characters or turning the story on its head with unique storylines or new and interesting characters. Death From The Shadows does all of these things. But doesn’t just do them, it does them extremely well.

We’re introduced to some new things right away in this one (and a lot of continuations as well). And the story just builds from there. I was intrigued right away diving deep into the book in my first listen. After that, I couldn’t put it down – needing to know where the story was going to go and what was going to happen to these characters. Baron is able to bring certain things to the forefront without making them glaringly obvious. And if you’ve read enough of his stories, sometimes he “gives away” parts of the story that will be important later early in the story but not in a way that makes it obvious what’s coming next.

I don’t want to dive too deep into the actual story here since it’ll spoil the books before it, but know that you’re in for some great action, character, and world building. Along with a story that just flows off of the page. Baron’s writing is quickly becoming some of my favorite (I think this is book number 17 I’ve read and reviewed) and it’s for a good reason.

Another thing I wanted to point out that I thought I noticed in the last book but it really stood out in this one was that Eric Bryan Moore’s narration gets better as the books go on. In the first two books things were a bit off (hard to explain) but they weren’t as good as I was expecting or hoping. But book three, I didn’t notice them as much, but I figured I’d just gotten used to them. But listening to book four I noticed right away that his narration and his “getting into the story” vibes were much better. A really nice surprise for sure.

Twists, Turns, and Amazing Surprises

Hozark and the team are on a mission to reunite Visla Jinnik with his son Hapizano.  The team gathers to complete the mission.  Underestimating your foes is never a good thing as our team sets out to prove.  Danger and surprises are at every turn.  

Character and world-building have been a strong point in this series.  Our fourth outing is not different as Scott quickly expands on the world and introduces us to new characters.  There is a lot that happens in this book and with plenty of twists and turns that will leave you rooting for our team of assassins in the end.  The ending left us with a bit of a cliff hanger but sets the next book up nicely.  Henni has quickly become one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see where this story takes her.

Eric Bryan Moore narrates his story, as he has done in the previous books within the series.  He does a great job reading the book and providing voices and fluctuations to characters.  He changes his speed and demeanor when reading as the characters to add even more depth to action scenes and characters.  Great job here!     

Overall, this was a great listening experience.   

The audio production of this story was clear and well done, there were no issues.

This book was awarded the AudioBookReviewer Choice Award. This prestigious award is presented to the author of the book whose book is believed to deserve higher than the standard 5 Star Rating.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.

Excellent read

Loved it. Easy to follow along. Creative escapes from danger. Easy to keep track of characters.

Very well written

I throughly enjoyed this book. it was engaging and interesting. and kept me guessing. very good.

Even trained assassins are afraid sometimes

Ozark, and his rather odd combination of party members, are off on a rescue mission to save a young boy who is a vital piece of the Council of Twenty’s plan for world dominance. If you are asking yourself, what could go wrong? Well, let me say plenty and much of it even a professional assassin could not have expected. I’m taking about the fourth book in the “Space Assassins” series call “Death from the Shadows”. This audiobook along with the series consist of a blending of both fantasy and science fiction. It is the work of Scott Baron and the audiobook edition is very well narrated by Eric Bryan Moore. The story follows a trained assassin who is ultimately on a mission of revenge which is forced to pivot to a mission of redemption rather than of death. It is a standalone series covering early details from the Dragon Mage series, by the same author. If you enjoy action, adventure, and excitement, I recommend you give this series a try.

This fourth audiobook opens with a battle between two powerful Vislas. Much like kings of old, these rulers often battle for property, persons, or prestige. Unfrequently do not see them fighting one another. However, that is part of the story itself, so no spoilers. We have the ever-present council of twenty which appears to be the ones pulling the strings and manipulating those they have control over. For anyone that would oppose this organization, there is only pain, suffering, and even death. Our band of rescuers will come face-to-face with the magically formidable group that has much of the known universe at its beck and call. Ozark and his team will face some of the most powerful enemies in this series thus far.

With the earlier mission directive nearing completion, the current group will have to learn to get along with another newly added crew member. What makes their job even more difficult is that this new member does not understand the sacrifices made to bring him onboard and makes the other’s jobs much more difficult. It is nice to see some of the interaction and training the others take in befriending this member along with the investment of time and materials. Because of this, things begin to once again function like a precision time piece and the team is off to close things up.

As with the previous audiobooks in the series, the listener is fed some new information of both a few of the characters and locations. We get segments which are like prequels to this prequel, I know, meta. I liked it. We are also often introduced to one or more new characters and this story is no exception. We find ourselves in front of Orken (sp?) a Zumaki (dragon like creature) trainer. I have a feeling we will see more of him, or his dragons, in future tales. One existing character that continues to be rather gruff and unpolished is Bud. His language, actions, and communication remind me of an uneducated worker, which may be the right thing for a past space pirate. He has some growing up to do, and I feel we will see more of him going forward.

Like previous stories, we get time to travel to new places with different people. You really get a sense that this universe created by Baron is vast and dangerous. In one of the scenes, we see the level some will go to in an attempt to prevent others from being rejoined. A poison which can kill is added to a sweet that once tased cannot be refused and is often shared with many others. It reminded me of the Next Generation Star Trek episode where glasses were used to deliver pure pleasure and later it was found to be a tool used to incapacitate the crew and take over the ship. This sweet was much like that and the Council is the only one that controls the cure. This requires the team to divert from its original plans in the hope of saving one or more members of the crew. We are even given a view into a most unexpected character, and we are unsure if they are here to help or hinder the team.

The audiobook narration was performed by Eric Byron Moore. He has voiced the entire series up to this point, and I hope he continued until it is done. The audio performance is professional, error free, and clear. I enjoy how smooth his voice is along with his ability of keeping track of the many characters. When I start a new book in the series, I can rest assured I will be hearing the same group from the previous ones.

For parents and younger listeners, this audiobook contains a fair amount of vulgar language and some mature subject matter. There are also a few scenes that may be considered to be violent or graphic in nature. The author has never stated that he has intended this series for younger listeners, yet I think many could enjoy it. I would only recommend this series to more mature listeners because of this.

In summary, the book continues to give the listener a view into the complex life of Ozark and his friends. We see that what appears to be a simple goal at first often is more complex and dangerous even for a trained assassin. I find the characters, mostly, likable and the locations vivid and detailed. I can say that I’m always entertained while I listen and find that the author often can surprise me along the way. Great storytelling and narration make this series one worth listening to.

Disclaimer: this audiobook was provided at no cost by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias review.