DNF: I think this book has a lot of potential and its interesting and different but it just isn't working for me. I am struggling with the writing style and word choice. This might be one I pick up at a later date to try again, but for now, its a DNF

Assassin’s Honor by Monica Burns
Book #1 in The Order of the Sicari
4.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Emma Zale is an archeologist with the uncanny ability to "see" the past upon touching ancient relics. Now she is in danger as two separate secret societies are under the mistaken impression that she is in possession of an ancient artifact. In order to survive, she must rely on a deadly assassin who is as much a danger to her heart as a threat to her life.

Review:
This is a tremendously entertaining book. The plot revolving around archeological findings and secret societies is excellent. It would have been even better with additional detail in this area but hopefully it will be forthcoming in the next book – gives readers something to look forward to.

The characterization is brilliant as Ares and Emma’s backgrounds and motivations come to life on the pages. Emma’s sarcasm and stubbornness may be off putting to some readers but I found it very much in line with her personality and past experience. The supporting characters are just as well developed, especially Lysander, the tortured hero who will appear in the next book. I am just dying to find out about his past relationship with Phaedra.

The amalgamation of the historical, paranormal and contemporary elements is fluid and contributes to the unique sub-culture within the book. The language and dialogue are intelligent and witty, and I enjoyed the inclusion of words in Latin and Italian (don't worry, their meaning is quite clear from the text and there is always Google Translate). This element adds authenticity to the world Burns has created. My one small nitpick, however, is with the writing style as some of the descriptions of the characters internal thoughts are repetitive.

Recommendation: A definite must read for lovers of romance of any kind. ( )

This book was at once compelling and completely frustrating. I really found the world of the Sicari engrossing and you could tell Burns put a lot of effort into creating their world. The story was a classic oldie but goodie. A big strong warrior male must bring an unknowing smart and gutsy female into his secret world to protect her from a great evil. The action scenes painted an exciting picture. The love scenes were tame (for me) but sexy. All this should equal up to a satisfying three star read for me but it just didn't gel.

I think I'm going to chalk it up to pacing. Things just moved too slow. I liked getting inside both Ares and Emma's heads and seeing how they felt and what motivated them, but there was too much of that. There also wasn't enough action. I never really felt Ares and Emma were in that much danger. Most of the story took place between two ultra secure Sicari compounds so Ares obsession with keeping Emma safe seemed more neurotic than alpha male protective. In fact, I didn't really care for him or Emma and that's a horrible thing in a PNR! I wanted more of Ares as a strong, respected leader. A little more interaction with his fellow warriors or some backstory on why he was so respected by Lysander, Phae and the others could've gone a long way in making him more believable. Emma. Oh Emma. A gutsy heroine is admirable, but Emma's version of that came across as whining and annoying. There were several times where I wanted Ares to just duct tape her mouth shut and chain her to a chair so she'd stay put and be quiet.

The secondary characters intrigued me most. Lysander, Ares second in command impressed as well as Ares's sister Phae. I also enjoyed meeting Atia, the Sicari leader and Ares's godmother and Cleo another warrior and skilled swordswoman. Lysander and Phae are up next in Assassin's Heart and I look forward to their romance.

All in all I liked the world and the secondary characters enough to read the next book. If Burns stays true to the Lysander and Phae we met in Assassin's Honor it should be one wild read. ( )

2.5* I really wanted to like this book. The idea for the Sicari warriors was really interesting and the action was great, but the hero and heroine (especially the heroine) drove me batty. Using misunderstandings and mistaken assumptions to prolong the story and put off the HEA is one of my least favorite plot devices and it was used over and over in this book. It felt like padding to make the book longer. I got to the point where I just skimmed their "tortured" inner monologues about whether or not they could trust each other, because it was torturous for me to read! Argh! I've heard the next book is much better and I try to read two books in a series before I give up, so I'll give the next one a try eventually. ( )

So you get 2 super secret psychic societies, a sexy archaeologist, a missing artifact, sex, cryptic warnings, etc. etc. Anyone else getting Indiana Jones vibes? Me too...at first, but really they're not related.

Ares (yes that's really his name) was sooo sexy, dark, brooding, dangerous, mysterious...at first, but than he had to ruin it by getting feelings . Now don't get me wrong, feelings are great, but not when it turns the man into a sap. I mean, once the feelings came into it, the dark, brooding, dangerous etc etc. pretty much disappeared.

Emma was a great heroine, really relatable and very stubborn, which means you start feeling bad for Ares at some point.

Of course there's the necessary life or death situations, the misunderstandings (aLOT of those) the whole nine yards.

All that being said, it is worth a read, and I really did enjoy it. ( )