The Vespus Blade

Space Assassins, Book 2

By: Scott Baron

Narrated by: Eric Bryan Moore

Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Only a fool would target the deadliest order of assassins in the galaxy.
The galaxy had no shortage of fools.

Treachery and deceit were the stock-in-trade of the secretive order of killers, but the tables had been turned. One of their own had fallen victim to a nefarious plot. And very soon, someone would be paying the price.

Also look for this title boxed with book one in the Space Assassins one and two bundle.

©2020 Scott Baron (P)2020 Scott Baron

Yay

I was quite suprised by this book, did not think I would like it so much. After listening to a few chapters and getting to the action par I really enjoyed it. The characters are very well developed and each have their own quirks. The story is fun and full of action, not very complicated but you still need to listen carefully to fully understand what is happening.
In conclusion I like Vespus Blade a lot and I need to know what happens next!

The true power of a weapon

“The Vespus Blade” is the second audiobook in the “Space Assassins” series. It is expertly written by Scott Baron and superbly narrated by Eric Bryan Moore. For more high-level details about the new series, take a look at my review of the first book (The Interstellar Slayer) as this will provide additional background on the series itself. Take the best of science fiction and similar amount of fantasy, blend them together, and you will get a good idea of what this book, and series, has in store for the listener. I have enjoyed a fair number of Scott Baron’s works, and if you have, you know what you are getting into. I feel the publisher’s summary does a good job when it opens by saying, “Only a fool would target the deadliest order of assassins in the galaxy. The galaxy had no shortage of fools.” Who or what has the hidden agenda to rid the universe of this prestigious order of assassins? Who or what has some in the order concerned for their own lives. If you enjoy a fair amount of treachery and deceit, you are in for a great story. What is even better is that the third book in the series is already available on Audible. I would recommend you pick up this audiobook and the other giving them a listen.

The second audiobook of the series continues by following one of the most well trained and feared Ghalian assassins as he seeks revenge for a hit gone wrong, one of his close friends is killed — Ozark will get his vengeance or die trying. He is not one to sit idle as the tide turns and many in the order fear for themselves. Instead, Ozark takes us on an adventure that has us questioning the highest-ranking members of the Council to the farmer out in his fields. There are numerous sleeper agents on both sides of this war ready to take up the fight for their cause. I find the mystery that encompasses the Ghalian a key aspect of the book, and one that continues to be slowly revealed in this audiobook. What could be more feared than a vampiric creature that is able to steal one’s powers by ingesting its blood. Make sure you lock your doors at night.

As the title suggests, a fair amount of the story is centered around the shadowy vespus blade. We begin to understand the power the holder of this weapon can possess along with the shear difficulty forging one is. It is a tool that has not been crafted for some time as those who could have all perished long ago; or did they? Additionally, this story introduces the listener to a new and quite powerful weapon referred to as a claith. I’m not one to give spoilers in my reviews, so you will need to give the book a listen to learn more.

What I liked the most of this audiobook was the mystery of this shadowy order of assassins, yet even these trained killers are vulnerable. Something as simple as a special water, obtainable by only the most power of people, because of its scarcity, can greatly wound or kill this species. If you have come to this series after listening to Mr. Baron’s “The Dragon Mage” series, much of the world will be familiar to you. There are plenty of references to characters, places, and people groups from the other series, I like the tie-in. Yet, this series expands the listeners knowledge of the past world where many of the characters came from. There is slavery, magical hair, assassins, and of course a type of powerful dragon as well. However, we are dropped in a time where the Council of twenty reigns, there is plenty of powerful Visla clans, and more magic than one can imagine. Because we are prior to the events of Charlie and his bringing technology to the people, this series is more heavily focused on fantasy with some aspects of technology, such as space travel.

I am a big fan of Eric Bryan Moore’s narration, and I really like how he is able to bring Ozark to life along with the many other characters he voices. There is a richness, clarity, and expressiveness that many other narrators are unable to achieve. Mr. Moore hits them all, and that is what take a great story and elevates it to a greater story. This audiobook, along with his other narrations, shows a level of professionalism that I have enjoyed very much. There were no audio artifacts that I recall hearing while listening, and the levels were consistent from start to finish. I look forward to more from this narrator in the future.

For parents and younger readers, this book has quite a bit more use of vulgar language then the first one in the series. One of the main characters of the party has the vocabulary of a truck driver or seaman. I’m not saying that all in these professions use such language, but it is a stereotype of the professions. This audiobook also contains some rather graphic violence along with some torture. If any of the items listed here offend you, I would not recommend picking up the audiobook. However, apart from the language, the other items are typical of fantasy and science fiction tales, and remember it is about assassins.

In summary, if you are seeking a book that contains plenty of deception, determination and destruction, look no farther than this tale. There is mystery, suspense, and action all blended with science fiction and fantasy. The author’s ability to paint with words is something I enjoy along with the great narration. It is a new series that will challenge even the most passionate Charlie fans, and I do not think this is a bad thing.

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

Excellent

The Vespus Blade was also excellent and I flew through that was as well. For it being around 10.5 hours of the box set – it felt like it was probably more like 5. The pages and minutes just flew by. Like with Baron’s other books, the character development really shines here, and right away we’re treated to deep backstories and emotional connections with characters. It makes reading their stories, trials, and tribulations that much more enjoyable. And definitely makes rooting for them, even when they’re in what seems like insurmountable situations – so much fun.