Title: Assassin Study
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: The Chronicles of Ixia #1.5, The Study Series #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Assassins, Magic, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Slow, Medium, Fast
Format: Novel, Novella
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Children had been tormented.

Yelena, the heroine of Maria V. Snyder’s stunning debut novel Poison Study, is on her way to her ancestral homeland of Sitia to be reunited with her family and to learn more about her magical powers. An order of execution hangs over her head should she ever return to Ixia. But her true love, Valek, quickly learns that an assassin has taken it upon himself to make sure Yelena doesn’t reach her destination.

As Ixia’s chief of security, and a highly skilled assassin himself, can Valek track down the killer in time to save Yelena’s life?

I didn’t love the way that Poison Study left Valek and Yelena’s relationship. So this did a lot to heal that frustration. It was a great short story that followed Valek as he tries to make sure that she survives yet another threat to her life.

The part that I enjoyed the most about Assassin Study was that it showed the depth of Valek’s emotions for Yelena. Poison Study is all written from her point of view, and whilst it’s obvious that there is a connection, I wasn’t entirely confident in Valek’s emotions. After all, he’s a scary, scary assassin. So, it was great to read a tale in which he risks everything and throws caution to the winds, just to rescue the woman he loves.

Image source: Goodreads