When Ileni lost her magic, she lost everything: her place in society, her purpose in life, and the man she had expected to spend her life with. So when the Elders sent her to be magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins, she went willingly, even though the last two tutors had died under mysterious circumstances.
But beneath the assassins’ caves, Ileni will discover a new place and a new purpose… and a new and dangerous love. She will struggle to keep her lost magic a secret while teaching it to her deadly students, and to find out what happened to the two tutors who preceded her. But what she discovers will change not only her future, but the future of her people, the assassins… and possibly the entire world.
Death Sworn has it all. Magic spells. Action. Mystery. Some fun kissing. You name it, it’s all there.
Characters in Death Sworn all come with different motives and morals, and putting them all together and seeing the result plays out fantastically. Sorin, who plays opposite of Illeni and is quite the romantic interest, is so complex, and while he isn’t always swoon-worthy, it was nice seeing him break out of character every now and then for Illeni. In regards to the sequel, I’m looking forward to his return more than anything. I felt that while he didn’t grow tremendously in the first installment, he is well on his way to a large transformation, and that has me all kinds of jumpy. Illeni is also odd in her own ways, and what I loved most about her was her ability to stay calm and composed during most situations. Another thing: she can handle her own, for the most part. Urin and Bazel were also, surprisingly, two of my favorite characters, mainly because they provide most of the entertainment for over half the novel.
The mystery in Death Sworn over who might have killed the tutor previously held accountable for the assassins had me losing my mind for the most part. Between Illeni’s magical struggle and trying to keep from raising suspicions, I was worried all over the place for her. It did help that Sorin happened to be a great companion, though. This is probably the best thing Death Sworn has going for it, besides the extreme romantic tension between Illeni and Sorin, so fans of mystery won’t want to miss out.
Death Sworn‘s setting is also all kinds of wonderful. It gives off an almost medieval Harry Potter feel and this, undoubtedly, makes things even more exciting. Leah Cypress has a way of writing that makes you feel like you’re there, living the action with the characters and for the setting, this is no different.
Death Sworn‘s ending will leave you in a big ball of emotions, but I’m almost sure it’ll all be worth it once we’re graced with its sequel.
*hopes profusely*
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Anyone looking for a naturally badass heroine whose bodyguard may be the cutest ever, make sure to add this one to your TBR list.
Rating: 8/10
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