Published: Dec. 19, 2010
Words: 7,765 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781458145390

Description

She’s wanted for crimes against the throne. He’s the empire’s most notorious assassin. With bounties on their heads and soldiers hunting them, they’re not likely candidates for heroics. But when they unearth a plot against the military’s premier ice breaking ship, they may be the only ones who can thwart the saboteurs...if the soldiers don't kill them first.

Tags

fantasy, mercenaries, fantasy adventure, fantasy fiction, fantasy books, assassins, swords and sorcery, fantasy stories, fantasy and science fiction, fantasy action

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Reviews

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Review by: tom10i on Dec. 09, 2012 : (no rating)
Another excellent story by Ms. Buroker. Her writing is always intelligent and the characters are compelling. Glad to find this.
(review of free book)

Review by: Rhiannon Morris on Oct. 22, 2012 :
This is not my favourite short story in this series, however its still a five star masterpiece. It gives a great introduction to the characters, if you are new to the series and a taste of some of the small adventres that don't make it into the larger books in the series.
(review of free book)

Review by: Sophia DeLuna on July 23, 2012 :
I really like this story and the writing style.
The characters are intriguing and the interaction between them is fun to read. I'm looking forward to read more about them in The Emperor's Edge.
(review of free book)

Review by: Carol on April 12, 2012 :
A quick adventure in a world defined by the full length books in the series.
(review of free book)

Review by: Chris Northern on Feb. 01, 2011 :
I was instantly charmed by writing of style and grace, a world of promised depth and complexity, and an engaging and delightful protagonist. This story is handled with a great deal of skill and the calm confidence of a writer born. I very much look forward to having the following prediction proven by events; Lindsay Buroker will be a No.1 bestselling author.

Chris Northern: responsible for The Last King's Amulet & The Key To The Grave
(review of free book)

Review by: Tom Andry on Jan. 17, 2011 :
I very much liked this. While it wasn't explained much in the text, you could tell that the characters were well defined and fleshed out. The setting, as mentioned, was original and different for a fantasy setting (with the guns and all). Very, very good and probably one of the best things I've ever read on Smashwords. Looking forward to more.
(review of free book)

Review by: Kris Moon on Jan. 14, 2011 :
I came across this after buying Buroker's novel, The Emperor's Edge, from Amazon so this was a pleasant find. I was already familiar with the characters and loved this additional installment. I think it would work okay as an introduction to Buroker's work but this does take place after the events in the novel, which sets up the relationship between these two.

The dialogue between the characters is natural and fun. The ice breaking ship as a target for the bad guys is a neat and original device for a fantasy story. The plot moves along quickly, and the writing never gets in the way of the story. I disagree 100% with the fellow who said the prose was awkward. I wouldn't have known this was a self-published piece if I hadn't found it on Smashwords.
(review of free book)

Review by: Luther Giordano Nancy Edgington on Dec. 30, 2010 :
As Sword and Sorcery goes, this story is pretty good. It's well written and fast paced. The characters are intriguing. The ending is odd: two wanted felons essentially take the commuter bus home after saving the city. It's a short story so I'm willing to suspend my questions about the back story.
(review of free book)

Review by: A Sylvana on Dec. 20, 2010 :
A fast-paced adventure story akin to something you'd find in Black Gate with elements of swords and sorcery and steampunk. The prose is solid and easy to read.

There aren't as many laughs as in the author's other work, but I appreciated the subtle humor between the two heroes. I will check out the novel when it's up because I'm definitely interested in how these two characters got together in the first place.
(review of free book)

Review by: Francis Porretto on Dec. 20, 2010 :
This is pretty good. It's got an original setting for an S&S fantasy, akin to the docks of late 19th Century London, and adequate action for a story of its genre and length. The characters, while the story doesn't really last long enough to color them fully, appear evocative and appealing. I found no low-level mechanical errors, and you might be surprised how many Smashwords writers have command of neither grammar, nor spelling, nor punctuation. However, you have some stylistic problems; a significant fraction of your prose is awkward and arrhythmic.

Amaranthe and Sicarius need room to breathe and develop. They must have backstories; I want to know about them. I look forward to seeing the novel mentioned in your afterword.
(review of free book)

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