Assassin

The Prince's Soulmate #1

by Katy Haye

Kiss or Kill? Why not both?

Kit was sent to the Sudharainian court with one kill Prince Talal, heir to the sultanate.
Kit’s never wavered in his duty before, but he’s taken aback by a sudden, powerful attraction to the man he’s been sent to assassinate.
The attraction seems to be mutual, so perhaps Kit can use it to his seduce the prince to get close enough to murder him.
There’s just one Kit knows a hundred ways to kill a man, but since he’s never even been kissed, he has no idea how to begin a seduction...

Isolated by being both prince and heir, Talal has been eager to meet his soulmate since the age of two.
He knew his soulmate would come from across the sea where customs are different, but he couldn’t have guessed the man would be a beautiful killer who considers soulmates an abomination.
The only place they’re compatible is in the bedroom. Talal will use that connection to forge their bond. Since soulmates are united for life, that will give him plenty of time to establish a relationship ... won’t it?

If you enjoy Tavia Lark and E H Lee's MM fantasy stories, you'll love stepping into the world of Adventurers and Exiles. Join Kit and Talal in their timeless romance where a feral cinnamon roll meets his intellectual bound-by-duty prince.

The Prince's Soulmate
Book 1 - Assassin - out June 2023
Book 2 - Protector - out August 2023
Book 3 - Hostage - out October 2023
Book 4 - Heir - out December 2023
Book 5 - Warrior - out February 2024

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Romance, Historical, LGBT, Enemies To Lovers, Queer

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2023

Reviews

[Bon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Happy release week!

Thanks to the author for a copy to review via Gay Romance Reviews. This is a very honest review.

Unfortunately, I found this incredibly disappointing. The summary sounded promising - a would-be assassin falling for their target is often a good time. But readers are immediately thrown into the deep end of what proved to be a very half-baked, if even that, world, and the writing quality made everything even murkier. It felt like things just haphazardly happened on-page, very chaotic vibes that were hard to follow.

There are two very prominent NOs in this for me personally, as well: constant religious references, as well as a central soulmate trope, neither of which were mentioned in the summary that made me request this. I would not have. There are lots of prayers and references to an "almighty". Talal knows on sight that Kit is his soulmate, and there's some wishy washy magic of the soulmate link that maybe makes them both immortal? But it was never fully explained, and the religions and religious divides between cultures weren't fleshed out, and...I just need more from a fantasy whose summary sounds so plot-driven, but instead has characters we don't even know yet banging at eleven percent in. In fact, even the smut was unfulfilling, a strange combination of odd detail and then fading to black scenes.

Hope this book finds its readers!

[Amur Thera · Rating 2 out of 5]

The good
+ Kit being a man of honor
+ Kit demanding they build a connection based on something other than lust
+ Talal's sister
+ Kit's friends
+ Kit with children
+ Kit with dogs

The neutral
o I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. My review remains honest and unbiased
o Why doesn't Talal have any guards, does he never learn? Even after Kit said that yeah, it was likely his father would try again there was never a guard nearby
o When is Kit gonna get his own dog?

The bad
- Talal was an asshole. He treated Kit like a child, got angry at Kit for doing exactly as he asked, condemned Kit for not knowing things while simultaneously refusing to educate him, even considered sexually assaulting Kit like that's a normal thing to do to criminals, and then summoned Kit like he was one of his servants. Yes, Kit had tried to kill Talal, but he had been sent to prison and saved Talal's life afterwards, so I'd say he paid for his mistakes and made up for them, too. Yet Talal still says "We must agree to let it go, hmm? I was wrong, you were wrong, we're different men now and we'll do better from this point forward." So Kit had to do all the work, and Talal just swept all of his own mistakes under the rug like they'd never happened. Kit deserved better. A sincere apology, some major groveling, an acknowledgement of his status at the very least
- Talal decided to give Kit gifts. I got really excited. Talal got Kit one gift. That was the extent of their courting. I am disappointed
- A lot of things Kit was taught regarding his religion were wrong, but definitely not everything. Yet Kit had to adjust his view so it fit Talal's every time, and Talal never conceded and adopted a belief of Kit's
- Kit had supposedly been trained to kill Talal since he was a child, but he wasn't a very good assassin. Especially since he hadn't expected to survive the whole ordeal anyway, it should've been much easier to just do something. The blurb also calls Talal an intellectual, but that definitely didn't show in the book
- Talal's vizier and best friend was objectively awful to Kit, but Talal let him get away with it. What kind of best friend does that?
- Talal was apparently trying to rebuild the justice system so it'd become more fair. Which resulted in... punishment for someone who had no clue what was going on? What was up with that 'responsibility' for your family or whatever? And the worst of it was, the vizier didn't even want that wife. That wife was forced on him by the Sultan, who of course washed his hands off any responsibility whatsoever on the matter
- The main plot involved the stealing and buying of children into slavery, and the punishment for the big bad mastermind was to go home with her husband to find out why she did this and become a better person. I repeat. Guilty of forcing children into slavery. Yet an unsuccessful attempt to kill the emir was punishable by death. There is something seriously wrong with the sense of justice in this sultanate


I really didn't like Talal. He was an arrogant asshole who couldn't be bothered to lift a single finger to get what he wanted; he just demanded it. Kit was really sweet and tried his very best in a strange land where he knew none of the rules and didn't have any friends. I liked Kit a lot. As their relationship is now in a much better place, I am curious enough to read the second book. I hope Talal's behavior will improve, so I can enjoy the sequel to the fullest. I'll hold off on recommending this until I've read the sequel and decided if it's worth it.

[Elaine White · Rating 2 out of 5]

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine

DNF'd at 30%. This review is to explain why.

~

Assassin (The Prince's Soulmate, 01) by Kate Haye
★★☆☆☆
275 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual POV
Content Warning: violence, assassination, suicide, self-harm, mentions of one MC intending to (but not actually) r*pe the other MC
Themes: Insta-attraction. Assassination attempt. Immortality. Soulmates.

When I started this, I fully expected this book to be a 5* from a great new-to-me author. Unfortunately as the story unfolded, it was clear that it lacked two very important things: detailed worldbuilding and depth. Without them, it just became a story that lost my attention and left me aware that I'd end up DNFing at some point along the way. That finally happened at 30%.

It began with real promise: excellent writing quality, engaging storytelling and great characterisation. Sadly it didn't exactly go downhill from there but it definitely stagnated.

At 30%, I should be fully invested in the story, the characters and their journeys. But I'm not. There just isn't enough depth or substance to the plot to keep me intrigued and engrossed.

-

I know this is a fantasy novel because I read the blurb and saw the cover, but take that away and there's some confusion. There's no sense of place or time within the novel. It feels like we're meant to see the word Sultan and instantly picture the timing, location and atmosphere.

There are important background details that make up worldbuilding for this kind of story that are completely missing:
- Why was Kit's family invited to Talal's birthday celebrations? Is it political? On which end? Is it traditional to send a representative of each country? State? Region? to a high born heir's birthday, or is the Sultan the ruler of *all* of these people?
- If the Sultan *is* the ultimate ruler of all these people then why are Kit's beliefs so pure and prudish while the Sultan's people are comfortable with the opposite practices?
- Is being gay normal in this world? Or just in the Sultan's country? Or is Talal accepted because he's the heir?
- Why does Talal believe in soulmates but Kit consider them fairytales? What creates that different belief? Their rulers? Kit's clearly sheltered and religious life?
- What sort of brotherhood or organisation does Kit belong to that he's become a holy assassin? Is this normal for his people?
- How far are their countries from each other? What are the differences in landscape, their customs, language? Are they branches of the same rule or entirely different entities? We know the Sultan forbids alcohol, and men share sauna style baths while Kit finds this unacceptable, but they're the only cultural differences mentioned.
- Is Talal's country wealthier or more powerful than the others?
- At 9% Talal refers to Kit as "the Exile" with no explanation of why or what it means, as he's had multiple POV scenes before now and never used that term. Similarly, at 20%, Kit begins referring to Talal's people as Adventurer. This whole Adventurer Vs Exile thing is never explained.
- Kit uses the term Pater for higher-ups, suggesting it's the Latin for Father/priest, while Talal uses Arabic phrases. Yet, it's never clearly established why, because there's no mention of their different customs or the distance between their home countries.
- At 11% we discover they speak different languages. Does that mean there's a local and a broader language as how English is internationally taught/learned? Has Talal been speaking the wider language all this time? We don't know.

These questions were burning my brain at 8%. If they're answered later, fine, but if they're bothering me now then it says the pacing and worldbuilding aren't in sync and that's an issue which needs to be reflected in my review and rating.

There are other issues with the choice of when and how deeply things are explained. For example it takes until 10% to learn why Talal needs to die and the difference in religion.
There are also instances of not explaining the worldbuilding that is mentioned, eg a "reedcrake" causes an incident. It's described as giving a cry and flapping wings so I presume it's a bird of some kind...but, a bit more would help. "The reedcrake, a bird of fist size/ whose wings spanned a man's arm" would just clarify type of animal and size, which is important in a moment where it causes chaos. Is it an unavoidable size? Is it small enough you don't see it coming? This is why it's important when creating a new "world" that you go into detail if things have a plot-important impact.

There's some rushed attempts at worldbuilding that don't quite work or feel right. It feels like a last minute justification of a plot twist rather than part of the established world.

It doesn't make sense that Kit is so reluctant to kill Talal the first time, then when he's not dead and Kit faces his own resurrection from certain death he's suddenly convinced it *must* be done, because...sorcery.

The heavy emphasis Kit puts on sorcery=bad religion=sacred is already wearing at 17%. Contrary to other reviews I've seen, I don't connect to Kit at all. He's quite one dimensional, whereas Talal feels like a far more complex, interesting character, if a bit naive and vain, as some book princes can be.

Strangely, after the second attempt on Talal's life, they engage in a very physical, brutal struggle for the knife, which results multiple (non-)fatal injuries they recover from, which lasts a whopping 6 pages. For being such a "reluctant" assassin, he kills Talal about 8 times, including nearly decapitating him just so his wounds won't heal. Then he's so ashamed he kills himself?!
And I'm expected to root for these two to have an HEA after that?? Why?? At 19% they barely know each other, have very little chemistry together and the plot has been so focused on religion Vs assassin and soulmates Vs sin that there's little else to make me want to keep reading.

~

Overall, this is a story with a lot of potential that was never realised. It needs much stronger worldbuilding and more depth of character, maybe with a longer struggle and build up to Kit and Talal becoming soulmates.
The insta-attraction and physical intimacy shared before the first assassination attempt would have been far more interesting if neither MC had known they were soulmates until after, or during, the assassination. Knowing from almost page 1 takes the thrill out of the fights and removes any hope of an enemies-to-lovers connection that would have added more intrigue to the plot.
Unfortunately we were just thrown into a story that wasn't fully formed and dragged it's heels getting to the good bits. The pacing was inconsistent and the entire world was lacking the detail required to make a strong fantasy novel.

[Jacquie Stewart]

Not going to review since this wasn't for me and I didn't finish.
In the blurb it isn't mentioned but religion plays a large part in the story and there is a lot of violence in the first quarter of the book alone.

[S a n d r a · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Rating: ⭐⭐✨

I was intrigued by this book at first sight. I mean… assassins and soulmates? I'm in!

I don't know why but I expected this to be longer. Maybe because it gives fantasy vibes (it's not), or maybe it was for another reason I can't imagine, but u expected for this to be around 400 pages long. Which it isn't.

Of course, that's neither good nor bad. It just is a fact hahaha

Personally, I find it was the perfect length for this story. It didn't feel too rushed, we had time to nicely develop the romance while also having a supporting plot. And it didn't feel like it dragged too long, which is a plus! Who likes getting bored because the author doesn't know when to finish?

The setting for the story was pretty great. We get slowly introduced to how their beliefs work (since their religion is pretty important for how their story goes), and I glas so glad since I hate when we get overloaded with information at the beginning of a new book.

The author does a good job of starting the story straight to the point (Kit already being at the Emir's territory with the secret task of killing the man) without making it confusing. And the first time they meet? I LOVED having that scene in dual POV since it was so telling.

The core of their romance, of Kit's struggle, is that both are from different places and despite them praying to the same God, they do it very differently. And so, Kit's people believe Talal's to be… Sinful. The book has a big religious influence, even if not the religion we know IRL, so if that's a big no for you… just skip this one.

I don't usually enjoy religion in my books, since ugh… But this one being fictional and all, I tried to be open minded and enjoy it nevertheless. And it was overall good, except for a couple of things that make me wince a couple of times (I get Kit comes from a more closed minded place and that his and Talal's beliefs clash more than once, but I wish their talks would have been more dialogues that go both ways and not "how to make Kit understand what he was told was wrong". And yes, I believe he was mostly wrong, but when dating someone who has a different belief you don't make one of them completely change… it's about giving and taking, and Talal doesn't even try to understand even once, or that was how I felt it).

This being about soulmates, you can expect the instalove. There are certain details that make the romance flow slowly either way. First, because Kit must kill Talal. Second, because Kit doesn't believe in soulmates and had been raised to believe Talal is a sorcerer, so he thinks what he feels for him is due to an enchantment of sorts. And third, because as Kit tries to come to terms with his situation and his bond with Talal, he struggles with lust, having been raised to think lust (and pleasure in general) is sinful.

And that third point I loved. I mean, seeing them fight because they are both sometimes wrong. Seeing Kit coming to terms with what they share and how he feels, and inspiring for them to have something more than just lust for each other.

Once again, I believe Talal was in the wrong with his attitude and I can see readers disliking him because of it. But I think it was a believable attitude coming from the Emir, someone used to people coming out of their way to please him, and used to people doing what he says without thinking twice. He feels the bond, knows what it means and has been raised (unlike Kit) to wait for his soulmate, and once he does he doesn't even believe they are so. He was kind of a d1ck, but I understood where both of them are coming from.

(Wouldn't have minded to see some courting, though, and not him just hiring some musicians and waiting for Kit to come around).

The supporting plot was about little kids going missing and being sold. It was interesting, seeing Kit investigate and meeting new people in a foreign land that makes him feel he belongs while also help him with the search.

What I didn't like, though, and this made me Lowe the rating, was the ending of the investigation, and this will be a spoiler, so don't keep reading if you don't want to be spoiled.

They find the kids and arrest the bad guys, and that's perfect, until it's not. Suddenly, Talal's best friend (Qiran, also his vizier) comes crying because his wife (who he barely speaks to since he doesn't love and was forced to marry) was proved to be the mastermind behind the whole thing. And what do they do? They try to punish the man (who let's be real was an a ** hole) because of his wife's doings, when he didn't know about them because *eye roll* men must know what happens in their homes. Ok… so many issues here, but that's not all. Him being Talal's bestie, he gets indulgence… and is made to go back home until he understands what made his wife behave like that, and then he will be permitted to go back to the palace. And the wife? The mastermind who let's remember kidnapped and sold kids? Nothing. Zero. Nada.

I'm even thinking of lowering the rating even more, because the more I think about this I get more pissed off.

This was utterly ridiculous, more so considering they believe "kids to be sacred" and then they don't punish the mastermind??? Like WTH??

And this talk about Qiran reminded me of another thing I didn't like. Quiran himself. His attitude towards Kit. He hates Kit and not only shows it but acts on it. What does Talal do to prevent Kit from being treated like that? Nothing at all. What??

I truly believed Qiran to be jealous over Kit, him being Talal's soulmate and all. I thought he was in love with his friend, but nothing was said. And also, I thought he was involved in the kidnapping wince when Talal makes him investigate he finds nothing. No disappeared kids, no involved people. Nothing. How is that possible when Talal and Kit find many clues not long after?

Are you really saying he was not involved? And if not, how does Talal not confront him over his sh1tty investigation? Urrg. This was frustrating!!

Overall, however, it was a nice story and an interesting beginning for this series. I don't know how many books it will have, but feels like it's a HFN and there we will continue these two's story in at least one more book (and I hope there we meet Kit's family and see Talal having to understand Kit better).

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

Assassin by Katy Haye is the first book in the Prince’s Soulmate series and my introduction to this author. I was intrigued by the cover and the blurb, which pretty much had me from this line: Kit knows a hundred ways to kill a man, but since he’s never even been kissed, he has no idea how to begin a seduction… Unfortunately, the story doesn’t really quite deliver on what is promised in that regard. There were also a lot of world building questions that were not addressed. However, I did find myself generally enjoying the story overall.

This is the start of the series and it looks like things will continue with Kit and Talal as leads. It seems like the next book further explores the idea of soulmates, something that was one of the more interesting parts of this book to me, so despite having some issues with the story, I’d consider continuing on with the series.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Joanne Mccorkell]

DNF @ 28%
This is my introduction to this author and it feels like Im missing something.

We are dropped into this book, when Kit the assassin arrives to Kill Talal. Nothing beyond the Arch-pater said God deemed that Talal dies, no reason. Nothing to explain why the religions are different or how they are different.
Talal feels smug and snobbish. He acts like although Kit is his soulmate, he is to follow Talals lead.... Kit just trots along like a sheep... firstly to kill Talal like he was told too, ( he tried, often) then literally trots after Talal.
I personally didnt take to this story as you can tell from above. But neither main character connected with me. I had no vested interest in either. Shame as the blurb was interesting.

[Nancy Lockett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected a somewhat historical romance between 2 MC's from different cultures which it was, but this book also had unexpected elements to the story. Kit is sent to visit Prince Talal's court with the sole purpose of killing him. In fact, he has been trained all his life for this purpose. Kit was raised with quite strict religious beliefs and was taught that anything or anyone different was wrong. When they meet, Talal is quite taken with Kit with his blond hair and blue eyes so different from his own darker coloring. Talal soon realizes that they are soulmates and seduces Kit in the baths. Kit is guilt ridden due to his desire for Talal and undertakes his mission to kill him and stabs Talal. He thinks Talal is dead but he rises up and in return stabs and "kills" Kit. They go back and forth "killing" each other a couple of times until they realize due to their soulmate bond that they cannot die. Kit is unable to return to his homeland due to not killing Talal. Thus begins their journey of getting to know each other and learning to compromise in regards to their different beliefs and cultures. They grow closer when they band together to discover who is kidnapping and selling children to be used as slaves. Their story ends on a HFN and will continue in the next book in this series. I enjoyed how the author employed a bit of the paranormal in the story as well as the mystery surrounding the missing children and am looking forwards to the next book.

[Once Upon a Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassin is a historical fiction with fantasy elements, specifically regarding soulmates. The soulmates concept brings along some very interesting and beautiful qualities that makes the novel really unique!

The main focus of the book are the gay soulmates, both from different countries and with different cultures and beliefs. It is absolutely amazing and realistic to read their differences in views, customs and culture and how they find a way to each other - or lack thereof at first. Despite the main focus being on the romance (or soulmates in this case, you'll get it once you've read the book) there's an adventure that keeps them busy as well.

Usually I'm someone who prefers it the other way around, a good storyline as priority of the book and the romance secondary. This book is the other way around, however it truly works for this book and it hooked me right from the start. There's a lot of depth in both main characters that just kept things interesting. More elements of this book that sum it up pretty well: Culture, different beliefs, different customs, family, duty, soulmates and romance, faith / religion, political intrique, court, betrayals and slavers.

If you haven't read this book yet, go get yourself a copy right now! You won't regret it. It's one of a kind, a real gem to read and enjoy. I'd recommend it to anyone! 📖✨

[Menoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

/i received an arc from gayromance review, this is my honest opinion/
I picked this book because the cover intrigued me !
It was easy and quick to read, some aspects didn’t work out for me but I think it might still work out for everyone else !
I liked the secondary plot, really liked some characters and I wished we got more of that !
I didn’t care that much for the main romance,, it felt rushed somehow, but it’s a soulmate romance and they’re often like that !
But since it’s the first book in a série I’ll probably pick book 2 because I still enjoyed the characters!

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m honestly conflicted with this book. I almost didn’t rate it because I ended up skimming through a third of it, but in the end I thought if I made myself finish it, I deserved to rate it.

The premise of this story sounded so intriguing. A feral cinnamon roll assassin that falls for his target? Sign me up!!! But what we end up getting is a pushover, weak man and a rude, self-absorbed tyrant. I did NOT like Talal at all. He had zero redeeming qualities. Kit was likable but so soft. His character was all wrong because while I love softies that are killers, Kit was just submissive and flat and that didn’t sit well with me. Talal was just annoying. I kept waiting on his character growth and it never came.

Also, religion was a HUGE topic in this story and we got no explanations! We were dropped in the story, have prayers often, and zero guidance on why the world is like that. For this to be a fantasy, I felt like we had no build up or setting.

I’m disappointed. I was really looking forward to this one. I probably won’t be reading the next one.

This is my honest review in exchange for an arc so don’t let my review push you away. Some readers liked it and some didn’t.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited about this book when I got the ARC.
Unfortunately, the book did not really catch me completely ... but this is on me I think as I am in an undecided mood at the moment ( not really sure what to read and therefore very critical 🤔)

The religious aspect was a bit difficult for me and everyone who reads this, should consider that. Religion is one of the big issues between the two MCs.

All in all, an interesting idea which could have been a bit more detailed in the world building

[Siâni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I overall enjoyed this novel. I think I'd have preferred the rivalry to last a smidge longer, especially considering Kit was having a very difficult time accepting that soulmates existed!

Kit has been sent to kill Prince Talal. Kit has been brought up to believe the way he has been raised to praise and worship their god is correct. Though Talal and his people worship the same god, they do not worship him correctly. The two men come from very different backgrounds and communities, and Kit's father has deemed this enough to warrant killing Talal.

This goes wrong when Talal and Kit discover they are attracted to one another, and there may be a stronger power at play bringing them together.

The beginning of the novel was a bit iffy for me as I found Talal to be quite inappropriate. It may seem silly to say that when they do go about trying to kill each other, but considering he knows Kit has come from somewhere where soulmates may not mean the same thing, he is very handsy with Kit. He says he won't do anything he doesn't want, but he says this whilst naked in the baths with him and already touching him. I found this to be an uncomfortable scene to read, especially as Talal was meant to come across as the kind and loving one at this stage.

Despite this, the book grew on me and I found I couldn't put it down! I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

[Alix Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un grand merci à l’auteure pour cet ARC et sa confiance.
Je suis totalement fan de ce genre d’ambiance colorée de palais orientaux et du clash de cultures. Les différences de coutumes et les préjugés attendus entre deux peuples si géographiquement et culturellement éloignés. Comme lorsque la vertu de Kit est mise à mal dans les bains publics… tout est un cauchemar continu pour lui.😂

Kit est dépêché en tant qu’ambassadeur de Lindumia auprès du sultanat de Sudharain, mais ses motivations n’ont rien de diplomatiques. Chargé de tuer l’émir Talal Al-Shajaa, Kit connaît sa proie sur le bout des ongles mais rien n’aurai pu le préparer à leur rencontre.

Talal est pourri gâté et arrogant! Le premier instant dans ses pensées m’a fait éclater de rire:
Kit - il est magnifique, sent le jasmin et les agrumes… SORCELLERIE! Je ne devrais pas désirer mettre ma tête sur ses genoux et ronronner!
Talal - Ce doit être mon âme sœur car comment expliquer autrement que malgré son apparence déplorable et son odeur nauséabonde je sois attiré par lui?
🤣

Vous l’aurez deviné c’est un Enemies to Lovers particulièrement savoureux! Leur premier baiser était tellement chaud et sensuel!😮‍💨🥵
Kit est tellement aux prises avec les contritions religieuses qui lui ont été martelées toute sa vie qu’il lui est impensable d’envisager une autre voie.
Kit à la tête dure, il a du mal à penser par lui-même tandis que Talal est un érudit. J’ai adoré leurs débats.
Même si, bien sûr, Talal a ses propres défauts qu’il lui faudra travailler.

Sylvan est tout simplement horrible, mais je pense que c’est pour nous rappeler que Kit n’est pas le pire, que malgré son étroitesse d’esprit il reste bien moins obscur et malveillant que certains.
Mais c’est dommage car j’adore ce prénom. Il devrait y avoir une règle tacite interdisant aux auteur.es d’affubler un personnage putride d’un beau patronyme.😉😆

Je trouve cependant un peu dommage que la seule représentation de non-croyants soit par deux malfrats.
En plus de l’intrigue amoureuse l’histoire développe une intrigue secondaire assez importante.
Par contre, la fin m’a laissé un goût très très amer. (Tout va bien pour le couple😉). Je ne comprends tout simplement pas pourquoi le sultan s’acharne à vouloir faire souffrir deux personnes dans un mariage sans amour comme si en les enfermant ensemble suffisamment longtemps ça allait changer leur personnalité et leur point de vue sur l’autre. C’est malsain au possible!

[Sandy Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captive Prince fans and deadly enemies to lovers fans this is for you!

Assassin is a breath of fresh air in the romantasy/historical fantasy arena. Though not as sophisticated and intricate as Captive Prince, this is a read those fans are likely to enjoy, as well as fans of a true deadly enemies-to-lovers trope and those who love culture clashes/fish out of water stories. It took me a few chapters to feel emotionally connected to the characters, but I became evermore engaged as the story continued and began to fascinate me with questions of both What will happen next and wider questions on fanaticism and just how difficult that is to eradicate, and all the trouble it causes in the real world where soulmates don’t exist this way. Too bad they don’t! Might solve a lot of problems. Oh, and I wound up loving the romance too.

TWs for actual violent murder and thoughts of SA (that aren’t acted upon).

Kit, an Exile from Lindumia, has been sent to assassinate the emir/heir of Sudharain, Talal. Too bad that one look at Talal knocks him for six and has him uneasy about his mission. Their draw is shocking yet undeniable, and for a man who’s been trained to think all pleasure is evil and who is as innocent as a grown man and assassin can possibly be, his fascination with the man is mind-blowing and scary as hell. So what can he do? He has to murder the man who puts all he knows in doubt.

Too bad it doesn’t take. But Talal, who first rejoiced in meeting this man he senses is his soulmate, doesn’t take the assassination attempt lightly, and these two must first do each other grievous bodily harm and then accept their fate to get past intense feelings of betrayal and wrongness before they can understand and embrace the true gift they’ve been given.

Kit’s exposure to a new culture and his homesickness make for a fascinating comparison of cultures and questions of religion and how understanding depends on the lens of the beholder, so to speak. Having his zealotlike faith questioned throws Kit so much, and it’s revelatory to see him having to rethink all that’s been groomed into him by his cultlike homeland’s religious leaders. His contrast of innocence and fanatical righteousness makes for a tough challenge for the openhearted but equally oblivious to the ways of Kit’s people Talal, and the contrast shows how both men fail to listen to the other due to cultural biases neither realizes he has until it’s too late. But. Then the power of communication comes into play. What might the world be like if people actually talked and listened and accepted their differences instead of holding fast to what they think they know? Hmmm. A dilemma for the ages.

Seeing Kit explore Sudharain and find people from his homeland and how they’ve adapted to life here, and finally open his mind and body to the ways of his lover and soulmate is rewarding. Their tentative s3xual explorations grow from sweet to on fire. Seeing Talal have to get off his “I’m the emir” high horse and figure out how to treat his soulmate as a man and equal is equally fascinating. The danger Kit’s adventures in the city cast them into draws both men out of their bubbles and forges a new relationship in which they must work together as equals to help the people, revealing the sordid underbelly of the city and solidifying a new trust between the soulmates.

I must admit I didn’t understand the reactions at the end once the villains are revealed. Certain characters seemed more upset at Kit and Talal for bringing the sordidness to light than glad the baddies were stopped, and my own lens of experience and moral code couldn’t make sense of that. It did leave me wanting more of these two, and I look forward to their next adventure.

Secondary characters are well-developed and add layers to the read. Talal’s little sister and heir Jakashna and Kit’s new friend Malachi are particular favorites. There are several all-evil antagonists, but some are more complex, as are certain morally gray characters, and there’s promise of more intrigue to come. I look forward to seeing how it plays out.

HFN/HEA to come over the series. Enemies to lovers, soulmates, historical romantasy, no cheating or emotional cheating (well, one tries but…can’t bc soulmates! Which worked for me). Recommended, and a promising start to the series.

My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.

[Merissa (Archaeolibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ASSASSIN is the first book in The Prince's Soulmate series and I have questions - lots of them. This is an MM Fantasy Romance, so right up my street, but it is also an odd mix.

Two worlds collide in here, with Kit from Lundimia (Exiles) where their way of life is harsh with firm beliefs in the Paters. And then there's Talal from Sudharain (Adventurers) where their way of life is almost hedonistic compared to Kit's. Talal believes in soulmates; Kit doesn't. Kit like bread and butter; Talal likes flatbread dipped in oil. These are just a few but the list goes on. You would think their differences are insurmountable but Talal is convinced by the soulmate bond. Unfortunately, he puts all his trust in that bond without any of the work that should go with it. Courting? Forget it. Getting to know someone and their customs? Not worth it, just make them follow yours.

Amidst all this, there is a story of children being either bought or kidnapped and sold to slavers. Kit tells Talal. Talal gets his vizier to look into it, the same guy who can't stand Kit, but doesn't tell Kit about it. Honestly? I wanted to slap the pair of them. So much miscommunication or complete lack of communication.

The first book in a series usually has so much world-building, especially if it's in the fantasy genre, but this book needed so much more! In my opinion, there was very little world-building, just things for the reader to accept, not question, and move on. Characters and situations don't make much sense in places and I really wanted them to, plus their so-called justice system sucks! The punishments just are comparable to the crimes committed. Especially when one punishment is to spend time with your husband! I won't tell you the crime but that was just laughable in a bad way.

It is hard to determine the age range for this book with regard to the intimate scenes. Some are slightly descriptive, some fade to black, and some just finish and pick up the next day, hinted at in either Kit or Talal's thoughts.

I am left with so many questions about the Adventurers and Exiles and the world they live in, the different lands and cultures. This world and its characters intrigue me. I want Kit and Talal to grow, to become a strong couple who communicate and trust each other. They have a very, VERY, long way to go. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would visit their world again.

Oh, and be prepared for religion because it is on pretty much every page!

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 15, 2023

[Leigh Gaskill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This felt like two books. The assassin plot is simply to bring Kit and Talal together, as well as being to light their soulmate magic (which I do admit is very interesting). The soulmate magic is not well explained initially, Talal states they cannot harm each other, which I took to mean they couldn’t kill each other (or stay dead I guess in this instance) yet it extends to death by outside factors as well (in Kits’ instance twice). For how long, we don’t know. Anywho, once the assassin plot line is resolved, Kit is thrown in the dungeon and we have my first major issue with this book: Talal makes his way to the dungeon intending to force himself on Kit whether he wants it or not. The author explains this in the beginning of the book, notes where the reader can skip this, but it is not noted as a trigger warning in the blurb and it is an absolutely useless plot grab. It does nothing to further the story, Talal (as far as we know) does not have a history of abusing his prisoners this way, and he doesn’t continue to treat Kit in this manner. It was unnecessary, especially between two MCs and without fully informing the reader in the blurb (my opinion, but there it is).

Then we have the second part of the book. Talal thinks it’s his way or the highway. Kit (understandably) is a grown freaking man, and explores the city. He finds there are child traffickers operating out of the port of the city. Major problem number 2. Again, this is not mentioned as a trigger warning in the blurb AT ALL. It’s not even mentioned before the start of the book under content warnings. Had I known about these two major issues, I would probably still read the book (I have less triggers than most) but other readers are going in blind and they may not.

Ok, now that that’s out of the way, the traffickers is the main story line (nothing about the dad that sends Kit to kill Talal but whatever) and that kept my interest on simmer. The justice at the end was a farce. Seems to me Qiran knew way more than he said and was hoping they would just kill his wife so he would have to be with her anymore (definitely think he’s got the hots for Talal) but that backfired as he has to go back to her (which if she’s really the mastermind then she should be tried? Hello she TRAFFICKED CHILDREN). The religious system in this world is messed up. Seriously. I will likely not read the next book.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite things about Assassin is that the antagonism between the main characters doesn’t resolve within the first 50 pages. For me, there’s not much point to the enemies to lovers trope if it’s going to go up in smoke before we get a chance to gnash our teeth a bit. Assassin is an an m/m fantasy romance that has about an assassin and his intended target. Kit is sent to assassinate Prince Talal of the Sudharainian court. Though the book does not make this explicit, Linduania, where Kit is from seems to have a Christian cognate and Sudharian an Islamic one. Kit is for the first time in his life confronted and immersed in a culture and belief system far different than his own. When Prince Talal meets him, he realizes that Kit is his soulmate. The only problems? #1: Kit was essentially raised to kill Talal. #2: Kit comes from a culture with no notion of soulmates. His disbelief and the cognitive dissonance of what he experiences versus what he was taught to believe has him literally fighting the bond between him and Talal. Haye does a great job of portraying Kit’s culture shock, both in little details and big thoughts. Without spending a lot of time world-building, she gives us enough that we understand what Kit is going through, as well as the differences between the two lands.
And that lasts for a substantial part of the book, so we get to really enjoy the tension.

A shortfall of the book is while it is big on the antagonism, it takes a while to understand why Kit is attracted to Talal in spite of his enmity of him.

There is an important sub-plot that eventually brings the two men together, working for the same goal. Without going into detail, this portion of the book seemed more contrived than the rest – as if its main function was getting the two men working together for a common goal. It also redeems Kit’s character, too, if we didn’t already buy that he was not an assassin by choice.

I also found a few details a little muddy. Kit’s childhood and relationship to his Dad who sent him on the assassination mission is sketched out, but not really filled in. I also became confused about his thoughts on sexuality. But despite these reservations, this was an enjoyable read and a welcome addition to the enemies-to-lovers subgenre.

[Joyffree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kit is sent to the Sudharainian court to kill Prince Talal only to find he is having trouble completing his objective. He is a skilled killer, but he is also kind and compassionate. When faced with the final strike he finds he doesn't want to kill Talal, but he knows that he has to.
Talal is Kit's complete opposite. Charming, powerful, and confident. Talal never dreamed that the soul mate he so desperately desired would be so opposite to him.
When Kit finally makes the killing blow things don't quite go as they should have, and after a bit of back and forth (I don't want to spoil this) their new reality becomes obvious
Kit has failed to fulfill his duty and is unable to return to his homeland leaving him no choice but to see where this bond with Talal leads him.
Will he have to choose between his duty and his heart?

I enjoyed the way their romance developed, the tentative moments, the sweet touches, and the more smexy moments. All are portrayed with heart.
For Kit so much of the emotional and physical side of their relationship was new territory. He was testing the waters and Talal was there to help support him.
Then you have Talal who has spent his life guarding his emotions and having to make the tough choices which at times left him a bit overbearing - for lack of a better word.

This had some action, mystery, and a few surprises
A solid storyline that was engaging.
There were times the story was a bit heavy on their religious beliefs
I get that it was a big reason for their opposition to each other but I think it overshadowed them at times.
Also, I felt some scenes could have used more detail and/or background because I have questions - inquiring minds and all
However, this is the first in the series so I am sure a lot of my questions will be answered in upcoming books.

[Olivia Ganzenmuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should definitely read this one if you like Tavia Lark and A H Lee. I thought this was dark fantasy so I put it off, and that was a mistake. At first its like a normal enemies to lovers assassin sent to kill leader thing, and then DAMN! Unexpected Twists and Turns! It's like ground hog day stuff but without time elements. No spoilers from me though, you'll know when it happens. I'm so glad I picked this up. The emotions are to die for.

Assassin has the perfect balance between supportive hurt/comfort mm romance and a political intrigue story with action/adventure themes about making the world a better place. It's great.

If you like vulnerable assassins and self-assured leaders who are supportive partners, this is for you. It does have a bit of a religious theme going on which I was hesitant about, but it's not preachy or used an cheap excuse to progress the story. Instead, character arcs and internal conflicts are focused on self-worth issues. Kit, our assassin, is touch starved and starved of general affection. See Exiles and Sudharainian worship the same god, but Exiles, where Kit is from, are more conservative and oppressive, where pleasure is a sin. They're bad people. Sudharainian culture is a lot more loose and free and not judgemental. Kit goes through a lot of learning curves, but despite coning from and enotionally abusive background, he genuinely wants to help people. It's great seeing Kit and the Sudharainian heir, Talah, interact.

In terms of spice, I thought this was closed door because while they had spice masturbation scenes, they didn't have penetrative sex book 1, but currently reading book 3. I can say spice in this is just very very slow burn. It makes more sense givin' Kit's background, I don't think Kit would've been ready for a lot of the spice we're used to in this genre. It's well worth the wait.

Highly recommend.

[Juniper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things about this book that really worked for me:

— the concept. I love the idea of a very competent assassin with no idea how to pull off a seduction falling for his royal target. This is a great premise, with so much potential.

— the author’s prose style. It’s polished and readable and interesting.

— some of the characters. Kit is super interesting. Talal’s younger sister is a gem. I’d read her book in heart beat.

The rough edges:

— there’s a distinct lack of world building, which makes motivations and details and context feel nebulous or non-existent. There’s a lot I don’t get about how things work or why people do the things they do here, and that’s a shame. There *is* a strong religious focus in the story, but the details of the respective religions, while clearly meant as central motivators for the characters, especially Kit, are not as fleshed out as they could be, despite their omnipresence.

— the plot. I’ll keep this a vague as possible to avoid spoilers, but there’s a lot going on, and it can be easy to get lost in. Also, there are some developments with some of the narrative threads that I found extremely frustrating (villains getting off lightly, etc).

— Talal. While I found Kit to be an intriguing character and an easy one to invest in, Talal often read to me as…kind of a tool? Like on his best days, he’s pretty much the ultimate royal pain, and while I guess that makes sense in some ways (he’s a prince) the whole smug/inflexible/uncompromising thing is…not the best look.

Overall, I think there’s a ton of promise here, and I do want to see more of these characters.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[I. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Flat, one-dimentional, rides the instory equivalent of fundamentalist protestantism to death and is badly written on a technical level:

Sylvan's character is only for revealing the assasination ideas in conversation between them, otherwise this character is only annoying.

Talal wants to rape Kit...

Kit tries to kill Talal and nobody is interested in the why? Or interested in the travel company (Sylvan) of the assassin? Or if there's more danger? Or just let's him wander around?

Kit is just a bland vessel for whatever other people tell him:
Religious Leaders at his home: "You must kill him because of religion!"
Kit: "I must kill him because of religion!"
Talal: "A soulmate is not a curse and you can totally sleep with men!"
Kit: "Indeed, I just shed all my fundamentalistic religious hangups!"

To cite the book on Kit "It was as though the man wasn’t capable of independent thought."

Kit would totally wear scratchy underwear just so that he has the peace of mind that he is sufficiently miserable for his god.

The most interesting moments are left out for ~suspension~, but those moments would have been those actually building the suspension.

Why the hell is Talal suddenly called an Adventurer? I thought he's an emir?

Then follows pages upon pages of Talal indoctrinating Kit with "Not everything is sinful!". Kit is a bit slow, but since he is an empty vessel at some point the new teachings overwrite the older ones from his fundamentalistic religious leaders.

Kit was shaped 20 years to the perfect assassination tool - for which he does not display any special skills.

The author tried to balance Kit's "I am proud I never had a single independent thought in my life" WITH HIM HATING MINT TEA. => DNF at only 42%

[Tashyka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though it was largely what I anticipated , this book surprised me in several ways. Kit is dispatched to the palace of Prince Talal for the express aim of assassinating him. He has been prepared for this role his entire life. Kit was raised in a very religious household, where she learned to fear and reject everyone who was different from her. Talal is immediately drawn to Kit because of the striking contrast between his dark skin and Kit's blond hair and turquoise eyes. Soon after meeting, Talal identifies them as soulmates and seduces Kit while she's in the shower. Kit, plagued by guilt for his attraction to Talal, decides to carry out his objective and fatally stabs Talal. Despite his initial belief that Talal is dead, he gets up, stabs Kit, and "kills" him. After "killing" each other several times back and forth, they finally learn that, because of their soulmate connection, they are immune to death. Kit's failure to murder Talal prevents him from returning home. This is the beginning of an adventure in mutual understanding and respect across cultural and religious divides. As they work together to stop the kidnapping and sale of youngsters as slaves, they develop deeper bonds. Their narrative is left hanging at the end of this book, but will be continued in the following installment. I liked the paranormal elements and the mystery of the missing kids, and I'm looking forward to the author's next novel. I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review

[Ezra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did in fact stay for the plot (and bc I’m determined and unwilling to change my reading goal even tho I’m almost certainly not gonna manage) but I almost DNF-ed around 50%

Thoughts:

a) Qiran’s wife who he canonically hates and doesn’t even live with ran a child slavery organisation and pls tell me why they were like well Qiran needs to be punished actually. his wife is his responsibility. huh??? jumpscare policy tbh. but then the only consequence was like go be w your wife and figure out why she did this and make sure she’s okay and come back when y’all are happy together. like. SHE SOLD KIDS????? I’m screaming. I thought Qiran himself was going to be involved? or he hated Kit because he’s in love with Talal or something, which would’ve been extremely cliche but still better than this imo. the more I think about this the more I want to scream.

b) Talal is an entitled asshole. his mom calls him out but then he doesn’t actually ever change or apologise for how he acted? gross. he fully was like well I’m right and I know everything and Kit’s and uneducated idiot who needs to catch up. like???? buddy. that’s icky af. like the whole come back when you can be “rational”. ew.

c) this soulmate bond situation was Not it. like I don’t think we spent enough time thinking about how coercive this was. once again, icky.

d) what is the lore?????? tell me more about the Exiles and Adventurers. maybe this is covered in later books but I will not be reading those so it would’ve been nice. idk I hope it’s good lore.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katy Haye’s Assassin is one of those books that left me conflicted. Although I never came to love this book, it was addictive enough that I finished it in no time. Thus, I found myself rounding my rating up to a three-star rating.

Assassin grabbed my attention because it promised something intriguing. Yes, it is a concept that has been done before. However, I am always intrigued by the assassin falling for their target. Especially when it’s a royal and there is a magical bond in place. Thus, I went in with high hopes. From the start, I was uncertain about this one. I felt like I was missing a lot of information about the world and what was happening, almost as if I’d been thrown into the story partway through. Such remained the case for most of the book. Things kept happening, yet it seemed to jump from one thing to the next, without ever exploring things as deeply as I had hoped. Due to this, I kept finding myself interested in things without ever being fully satisfied by the way things played out. Add in the fact that I never came to like the characters and I did not fall for this as deeply as I had hoped. Despite this, it was an easy read that I finished in no time, so I guess a part of me was invested – just nowhere near enough.

While I can see this working for many, it did not tick the right boxes for me. It passed the time, but I will not be returning to this world.

[Bretton Coppedge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting of this world is a fantasy sultanate which I think is pretty uncommon. It was interesting to see the uniqueness of that setting such as the sultan having a harem and the prince not being the first born son. I will admit that Talal was not my favorite, he was a pretty big jerk to Kit and just about everyone else. It did fit in the story however, because he was a spoilt prince who was raised knowing that he would be blessed by their God.

Kit is definitely the more likable MC but we don't get very much background for him, that would have helped flesh him out. I will admit that their love story didn't really work for me. I truly couldn't figure out why they suddenly decided that they loved each other.

The intimacy scenes are fade to black. I only mention it because of confusion on my part. Kit was a complete virgin but somehow they rush into having nightly passions. What that meant is unclear but it seems like there should have been more exposition around that. I was also super confused why there was no mention of Talal wanting to marry Kit or make him a consort. But maybe that's not part of their culture?

Ultimately the ending also came out of left field to me. You're led to suspect who the villain is but it ends up being a character who we never see. I would read the next in the series to see if there's more explanations and if Talal starts to actually seem to be deserving of love.

[Antonella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kit is an assassin, grown up with very religious thoughts, sent to kill a prince, the emir Talal. Once in front of him, he finds himself attracted to the man, and decides to use this attraction to his advantage, to get closer to him and fulfil his task. But instead, he finds himself seduced in the baths by Talal. Despite this, Kit attempts to kill the emir without succeeding, and eventually the two men find a kind of compromise that keeps them both alive.
Actually, Talal is convinced that Kit is his long-awaited soulmate, but Kit doesn’t believe in this kind of things. In any case, he accepts Talal’s offer to stay with him, and as the days go by, they find themselves closer and closer to each other. The story ends with an “happy for now” and will continue in the next books.
I liked the story, the fact that there is also some mystery, since Kit has to investigate in a case of children slavery, and I appreciated the other characters beyond the main ones. In particular, I loved Talal’s mother and sister, who, despite her young age, looks like she’s very mature and clever, giving the right advice to the two men. I didn’t like so much Talal, the way he treated Kit sometimes, and the fact that he acted like a very spoiled child. Well, he was a prince used to do whatever he wanted with everyone, that’s true, but it didn’t convince me too much in any case. I enjoyed the reading though.

[Pygmy Potamus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (rounded up from 3.5)

I really love the enemy to lovers trope and these guys were definitely enemies. I like how it focused on the differing ideologies - they viewed their relationship through their religious upbringing and they grew to accept and understand each other. I like seeing how society differs in my fantasy and like how it focused on things other than just court life and class issues. However, I think the similarities between actual religions was a bit jarring so please be careful if you are religious and will take offense.

I did feel that the relationship was quite unequal and I didn't really understand the role that Kit played in the political scheme of things considering this. I would have preferred the two characters talked more and Talal actually listened and made a change rather than just expecting to be obeyed.

The side story was fun and interesting but I think this didn't have the impact it should have considering the seriousness of the investigation so please be aware of trigger warnings.

The side characters were my favourite part of this one. They added a sense of world building that isn't really explained. They also were such good foils for the main relationship as well as great friends which softened the inequality that I struggled to accept.

Overall I enjoyed this one but don't think I will continue with the story.

I received a free ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kit was sent to kill the Emir of another country. He failed miserably. Talal felt a pull towards his would be assassin. That was before, during, and after they killed each other. The soulbond was not to be denied between them and did create something incredible. Their lives were full of confusion and strife as they tried to work through the impact the soulbond had on them.

They were both bratty in the extreme, which did get annoying at times. I liked that Kit found friends outside the palace. The friendship gave a kind of relief to Talal’s dictatorial presence. Kit’s refusal to allow himself to understand Talal’s belief in the soulbond was detrimental to any type of relationship they might form. See…. bratty.

Some action and a side story kept it interesting and included a heaping helping of blood. As the man set to inherit the kingdom I felt that Tala’s freedom wasn’t particularly realistic. Also, the way the despicable person who was the bad guy (and basically got a slap on the wrist) was anticlimactic.

It was an enjoyable story though.

I received an arc of this book.

[Tracy Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m rounding up from 2.5 stars because I was able to finish. I’m not a big fantasy reader, but the blurb sounded good. So I was surprised to find that so much of the book revolved around religious beliefs and differences. If I had known I wouldn’t have requested it to review. The book was lacking the world building needed to get me invested in the story. I had a hard time liking either mc. When the blurb says that Kit has never been kissed I anticipated some intimate scenes that addressed this and perhaps some tender moments where the “soulmates” connect. But, for the most part the physical scenes were either plagued with religious guilt and/or fade to black. The stolen children plot did add some interest and allowed Kit and Talal to finally get on the same page. Yet, the way it resolved was totally unsatisfying and left me scratching my head. I’m sorry to say this is the end of the line for me, and I won’t be continuing with the series. I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion.