What do you think?
Rate this book
The Assassins of Tamurin Hardcover - December 24, 2002
She was only eleven years old and an orphan, yet the people of Lale's village hated her and drove her into the wilderness. Cast out, she followed her destiny to a place of dark and shadowy purposes, a school for foundling girls in the land of Tamurin. There Lale found affection, sisterhood and a home...and a profession that may cost her everything she loves. Driven by the darkest sorcery, she must conceal the truth of what she truly is...
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
10 people are currently reading
1136 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 26, 2011
I first read this book for an assignment in Grade 11 English. The teacher had told us we all had to read and review two books by Canadian authors. We both knew she meant actual 'literature', but she never said it out loud so when I brought her this book and Memory and Dream by Charles de Lint, she caved. Hurrah! This book has been one of my favorites ever since. I bought it for my collection a year or so ago but I just finished re-reading it about an hour ago.
While this book is a fantasy, no question, it's not the fantastical elements that make it a great story. The plot is beautifully crafted and the main character, Lale, is both likeable and believable. The story is set in a fantasy world, with a distinctly Asian spin, which has always made this book stand out to me. While there are still swords and sorcery (but only in minor degrees as this book focuses more on subtlety and spies) the culture around it is different and so you're forced to look at things in a new way.
Now, I'm the first to admit that maybe part of this books fantastic rating has to do with my being sentimental about it. I swear though, it's an interesting mystery, a complicated love story and definitely worth a read!
While this book is a fantasy, no question, it's not the fantastical elements that make it a great story. The plot is beautifully crafted and the main character, Lale, is both likeable and believable. The story is set in a fantasy world, with a distinctly Asian spin, which has always made this book stand out to me. While there are still swords and sorcery (but only in minor degrees as this book focuses more on subtlety and spies) the culture around it is different and so you're forced to look at things in a new way.
Now, I'm the first to admit that maybe part of this books fantastic rating has to do with my being sentimental about it. I swear though, it's an interesting mystery, a complicated love story and definitely worth a read!
May 22, 2020
What a DELIGHTFUL reread!!! I checked this out easily six times from the high school library, finally tracked down a used copy last year, and returned to it now in the hope of a comfort read during quarantine. Reader, I made the right choice. Stuff that I now dislike or am wary of - first person pov, narration grounded in internal exposition rather than dialogue - ended up being soothing and restful, not requiring work from me, just allowing me to sink in and appreciate all the delicious tropes in use (FOUNDLING SENT TO ASSASSIN SCHOOL TO TARGET THE EMPEROR SHE THEN FALLS IN LOVE WITH!!!! PERISHINGLY ROMANTIC FEALTY!!!! AHHH!!!!!!); there were things I’d happily forgotten (Terem slapping Lale what the FUCK, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment I‘d been happy to miss), but also things I was happy to rediscover (the way Lale girds herself with the roles of the plays she studies is so perf!!!!).
idk that this is a “good” book - it’s certainly not one whose merit I can examine separately from my early experience of it - but it’s one that I have always thoroughly enjoyed on its own terms. It felt wholly fresh and revelatory to me when I first read it at 16, and now, many many books later, it‘s still immersive, and was EXACTLY what I needed to read In These Times.
idk that this is a “good” book - it’s certainly not one whose merit I can examine separately from my early experience of it - but it’s one that I have always thoroughly enjoyed on its own terms. It felt wholly fresh and revelatory to me when I first read it at 16, and now, many many books later, it‘s still immersive, and was EXACTLY what I needed to read In These Times.
May 13, 2012
General Review
So The Assassins of Tamurin… I came across this book in the one of the local bookstore when I was still pretty young, under fifteen but over twelve. I saw it and read the blurb and wanted it. The most surprising bit was that I actually got it, a little while later and it’s one of my most treasured books having come to me after my mother swore not to buy me any more books because I read them so quickly (I know, cruelty beyond measure but I still love her). From the very first time I read it, this book astounded me because it managed to do what other books failed to do. That is, it managed to tell a story over the course of several years of the protagonist’s life without letting the story become dry and boring. It also had an epilogue that I didn’t hate. It was a beautifully woven tale and it was a joy to read and reread.
Critical Review
Author’s Voice/POV:
The author uses the first person POV. Although it is not the same fast-paced sort of voice we’re used to in novels today I felt myself becoming intimately acquainted with Lale because of it. She was speaking to me and she was being perfectly frank. I felt like she used this voice perfectly.
Characters:
Lale Navari, as she is known for most of the novel, is an eleven year old orphan when we first meet her. She’s grown up knowing that she’s not wanted and that her mistakes carry far worse reprisals. Because of this she’s learned to lie extremely well to survive but at the beginning of the book, her lies cannot save her and she ends up leaving her village. As the book progresses, we watch her get ‘adopted’ and taken into a school raised by the area’s leader, the Despotana of Tamurin, Makina Seval. She is educated to be a lady and we watch her blossom and make friends. While there a few odd things happen and she learns to keep possibly dangerous secrets. As the story goes on she is taken to the Despotana’s secret school for spies and is trained as both a spy and an assassin, her goal being to gather information for the Despotana in hopes that they might overthrow the Sun Lord. Over the course of the novel, Lale experiences things that make her question her ‘Mother’ and in the end, the love she harbours for the Sun Lord forms a crack in her once unbreakable loyalty. When she discovers Makina Seval’s ultimate betrayal, Lale must search herself for the person she has really become, the person she is without the Despotana, and she must make a decision that will change the world as she knows it. She was such a well-developed character, and we watch as each event shapes her in perfectly understandable ways over the course of about ten years. She is a truly well-written character.
Makina Seval, the Despotana of Tamurin, was another well-written character. She seems like the angel in disguise, Lale’s saviour and as the story goes on we begin to question her actions just as Lale questions them though we do not lose faith in her. How could we? What sort of soul takes in hundreds of orphaned girls who have seen different levels of misfortune? What sort of soul gives them a family name and feeds, clothes and educates them and then makes sure they have profitable professions or make sure they end up in good marriages? A kind soul, obviously. Unless of course she is the kind of person who has gone insane over the years and uses these girls for her own purposes without them being all the wiser? Yes, Makina Seval is a well-written character, and an intriguing one.
Storyline/Plot:
This was an intricately woven tale. The storyline was very well thought out and there were no holes or obvious gaps that I could detect. I loved the way the author connected the dots for us without us being aware of the sinister plot lying under the surface. I especially loved the way how Lale came to realise everything that happened and how it shook her to her core but did not destroy her. Throughout the story we saw how small and not-so-small events affected Lale and the way they culminated to bring this novel to its climax was indeed brilliant.
Cover/ Blurb (writer does not have control over these):
The cover is passable, it depicts a scene from the book, nothing to complain about or jump up and down over. Though if it was the cover for my book I’d be ecstatic because you know it would mean I would be published (*dreams lazily for a bit*). The blurb was a tad dramatic but I found it worked. Unfortunately, it could not quite cover the vast scope of the storyline but with so few words it did a better job than most.
Rating Conclusion
I’m giving this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5. This is because I love it, it’s written reasonably well and the characters are reasonably developed. I didn’t feel like there were any loose threads, nothing triggered my writer senses. Unfortunately, it doesn’t grab me and refuse to let go in the same way that other books might.
So The Assassins of Tamurin… I came across this book in the one of the local bookstore when I was still pretty young, under fifteen but over twelve. I saw it and read the blurb and wanted it. The most surprising bit was that I actually got it, a little while later and it’s one of my most treasured books having come to me after my mother swore not to buy me any more books because I read them so quickly (I know, cruelty beyond measure but I still love her). From the very first time I read it, this book astounded me because it managed to do what other books failed to do. That is, it managed to tell a story over the course of several years of the protagonist’s life without letting the story become dry and boring. It also had an epilogue that I didn’t hate. It was a beautifully woven tale and it was a joy to read and reread.
Critical Review
Author’s Voice/POV:
The author uses the first person POV. Although it is not the same fast-paced sort of voice we’re used to in novels today I felt myself becoming intimately acquainted with Lale because of it. She was speaking to me and she was being perfectly frank. I felt like she used this voice perfectly.
Characters:
Lale Navari, as she is known for most of the novel, is an eleven year old orphan when we first meet her. She’s grown up knowing that she’s not wanted and that her mistakes carry far worse reprisals. Because of this she’s learned to lie extremely well to survive but at the beginning of the book, her lies cannot save her and she ends up leaving her village. As the book progresses, we watch her get ‘adopted’ and taken into a school raised by the area’s leader, the Despotana of Tamurin, Makina Seval. She is educated to be a lady and we watch her blossom and make friends. While there a few odd things happen and she learns to keep possibly dangerous secrets. As the story goes on she is taken to the Despotana’s secret school for spies and is trained as both a spy and an assassin, her goal being to gather information for the Despotana in hopes that they might overthrow the Sun Lord. Over the course of the novel, Lale experiences things that make her question her ‘Mother’ and in the end, the love she harbours for the Sun Lord forms a crack in her once unbreakable loyalty. When she discovers Makina Seval’s ultimate betrayal, Lale must search herself for the person she has really become, the person she is without the Despotana, and she must make a decision that will change the world as she knows it. She was such a well-developed character, and we watch as each event shapes her in perfectly understandable ways over the course of about ten years. She is a truly well-written character.
Makina Seval, the Despotana of Tamurin, was another well-written character. She seems like the angel in disguise, Lale’s saviour and as the story goes on we begin to question her actions just as Lale questions them though we do not lose faith in her. How could we? What sort of soul takes in hundreds of orphaned girls who have seen different levels of misfortune? What sort of soul gives them a family name and feeds, clothes and educates them and then makes sure they have profitable professions or make sure they end up in good marriages? A kind soul, obviously. Unless of course she is the kind of person who has gone insane over the years and uses these girls for her own purposes without them being all the wiser? Yes, Makina Seval is a well-written character, and an intriguing one.
Storyline/Plot:
This was an intricately woven tale. The storyline was very well thought out and there were no holes or obvious gaps that I could detect. I loved the way the author connected the dots for us without us being aware of the sinister plot lying under the surface. I especially loved the way how Lale came to realise everything that happened and how it shook her to her core but did not destroy her. Throughout the story we saw how small and not-so-small events affected Lale and the way they culminated to bring this novel to its climax was indeed brilliant.
Cover/ Blurb (writer does not have control over these):
The cover is passable, it depicts a scene from the book, nothing to complain about or jump up and down over. Though if it was the cover for my book I’d be ecstatic because you know it would mean I would be published (*dreams lazily for a bit*). The blurb was a tad dramatic but I found it worked. Unfortunately, it could not quite cover the vast scope of the storyline but with so few words it did a better job than most.
Rating Conclusion
I’m giving this book a rating of 3.5 out of 5. This is because I love it, it’s written reasonably well and the characters are reasonably developed. I didn’t feel like there were any loose threads, nothing triggered my writer senses. Unfortunately, it doesn’t grab me and refuse to let go in the same way that other books might.
January 1, 2009
This was book was amazing. I loved it so much that I spent days trying to find out the identity of the author behind this pseudonym so that I could read some more books by her... I never did and she never wrote anymore books under this name...
maybe-read
August 17, 2015This looks fantastic. Nenia, I hope it's as good as you say it is.
April 12, 2018
Really liked it!
June 27, 2010
Lale was eleven years old when the villagers of Riversong banished her; she was only an orphan and had no family to speak for her. However, despite her plight, she took her meager possessions and walked toward the nearest town in search of a better life. Little did she know that it would lead her to become the adopted daughter to the Lady of Tamurin.
Lale is not the only adopted daughter, and finds herself in the School of Serene Repose where dozens of girls learn the kinds of things noble daughters (and sons) are taught. This education serves Lale well as she graduates into the secret school for assassins that her ‘mother’ founded as a means to spread abroad her own army of loyal spies. And she has special plans for Lale.
Despite this being a standalone book, Tamurin is fully realized and well executed, the details of Lale’s world woven around her, including the important influences of politics and culture. It probably doesn’t help, however, that her mother is bent on revenge; a civil war caused the death of her infant son, placing another man on the throne that should have been his. Lale discovers that politics is often influenced by a person’s point of view and finds herself in a truly dangerous predicament because of it.
The plot moves forward consistently, even though the pace can lag in some places since reading about friends and school can be dull, and Lale spends the first third of the book learning--in preparation for the events that culminate the story. The prose is average, descriptions and exposition sometimes getting in the way of the plot—and this book is plot-driven, so extra descriptions do make the story lag.
Lale is an interesting character as we watch her grow into a woman, her non-traditional education and loyalties influencing her decisions. She wants to make the right decisions for not only herself and her mother, but also her countrymen, but painfully discovers that they don’t always coincide. It was difficult, however, to always understand her feelings and motivations. Aside from a few important instances, it appears that the plot carries her along without describing how events influence her emotions, she seems too distant from people and events. But perhaps that is the result of being a trained assassin—she must keep her emotional distance and sees others only how they will be of use to her. It makes her seem cold and unfeeling, which made it difficult as a reader to feel invested in her as a character.
The final third of the book is so much different from the first third that to say anything would spoil the story. Lale’s journey from her foundling beginnings, to the daughter of a noblewoman, to assassin, can be mind-boggling at times. But Tower pulls it all together, fitting threads and people into the plot so that the important decisions Lale makes all comes together at the end.
Lale is not the only adopted daughter, and finds herself in the School of Serene Repose where dozens of girls learn the kinds of things noble daughters (and sons) are taught. This education serves Lale well as she graduates into the secret school for assassins that her ‘mother’ founded as a means to spread abroad her own army of loyal spies. And she has special plans for Lale.
Despite this being a standalone book, Tamurin is fully realized and well executed, the details of Lale’s world woven around her, including the important influences of politics and culture. It probably doesn’t help, however, that her mother is bent on revenge; a civil war caused the death of her infant son, placing another man on the throne that should have been his. Lale discovers that politics is often influenced by a person’s point of view and finds herself in a truly dangerous predicament because of it.
The plot moves forward consistently, even though the pace can lag in some places since reading about friends and school can be dull, and Lale spends the first third of the book learning--in preparation for the events that culminate the story. The prose is average, descriptions and exposition sometimes getting in the way of the plot—and this book is plot-driven, so extra descriptions do make the story lag.
Lale is an interesting character as we watch her grow into a woman, her non-traditional education and loyalties influencing her decisions. She wants to make the right decisions for not only herself and her mother, but also her countrymen, but painfully discovers that they don’t always coincide. It was difficult, however, to always understand her feelings and motivations. Aside from a few important instances, it appears that the plot carries her along without describing how events influence her emotions, she seems too distant from people and events. But perhaps that is the result of being a trained assassin—she must keep her emotional distance and sees others only how they will be of use to her. It makes her seem cold and unfeeling, which made it difficult as a reader to feel invested in her as a character.
The final third of the book is so much different from the first third that to say anything would spoil the story. Lale’s journey from her foundling beginnings, to the daughter of a noblewoman, to assassin, can be mind-boggling at times. But Tower pulls it all together, fitting threads and people into the plot so that the important decisions Lale makes all comes together at the end.
October 31, 2012
In short: loved 98% of it! Strong female characters (though with flaws, some of them fatal), male characters who are equally strong, characters of both genders who are not always as good (or as evil) as they might first seem... add this to clear, engaging prose, good pacing, and tie it all up in a neat bundle that becomes a quite enjoyable read.
"The Assassins..." is also an interesting look at the way a person can become lured in and indoctrinated to particular beliefs, how love can be twisted into a tool for hatred, and how a quite ordinary person can become something that many might fear or revile. For any of us who have wondered "how could someone do that?" while studying historic events such as the Nazi genocides, or the various suicide bombers who have worked for a particular cause, this is an intriguing story.
My only criticism comes with the ending: perhaps a little too neat and tidy, a little too Hollywood. Still, it wouldn't prevent me from picking up another book by the same author.
"The Assassins..." is also an interesting look at the way a person can become lured in and indoctrinated to particular beliefs, how love can be twisted into a tool for hatred, and how a quite ordinary person can become something that many might fear or revile. For any of us who have wondered "how could someone do that?" while studying historic events such as the Nazi genocides, or the various suicide bombers who have worked for a particular cause, this is an intriguing story.
My only criticism comes with the ending: perhaps a little too neat and tidy, a little too Hollywood. Still, it wouldn't prevent me from picking up another book by the same author.
November 28, 2020
3.5 stars. It took me a month and a half to read the first half of the book, and then 2 days to finish the second half. The first half had a lot (so much) of politics of history and factions and leaders of countries, which I really cannot be bothered about. In other fantasy books that come with maps, I rarely feel the need to consult them, but the geography and politics seemed SO important and so convoluted that I wished I had a map! There are also a ton of detail and description which I guess was meant to fill the world out but I just found cumbersome. In the first half, our protagonist moves from location to location, meeting new people at each site who probably won’t play a big role later. Around the halfway point she gets to where the rest of the book is set and the relationships and plot feel much more deep and interesting. So I was hooked at that point and finished it as fast as I could. And I did really enjoy the second half! So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
May 22, 2014
Very, VERY slow book. Good writing at times, but I find myself skipping entire pages with no decrease in my enjoyment or loss of important information. I am 2/3 the book and that far there have been no assasinations of any sort. There was no explanation of the assassin/spy training. The first three chapters can be summed up in 1 sentence. "Village found an orphan girl, raised her, were mean to her, and she ran away"
I have a hard time not giving books I am reading a 4 or above, but I am just going to finish this one because I am 2/3 of the way through.
I have a hard time not giving books I am reading a 4 or above, but I am just going to finish this one because I am 2/3 of the way through.
August 7, 2019
I have read this book at least 100 times since buying my copy sometime in 2004. If I am going through a hard time, I can simply sink into Lale's life and her world. I could wax poetic for thousands of words on my love for this book but it is suffice to say it will forever be an always on my bookshelves and I am so glad for its existence.
February 17, 2019
One of my lovely friends sent me a copy of this book for Christmas this year, and so I began reading in hopes of discovering a new world and new adventures, and I was definitely not disappointed.
When Lale, as a baby, washes up on the banks of a teeny, tiny poor village called Riversong and the people take her in, they do it grudgingly. They hardly have enough to eat themselves, and are not excited about one more person dependent on their meager resources. So, when she, as a child, makes a mistake that costs the village a valuable resource, they cast her out of their community, and she decides to try and make her way. Before long she is found by a woman who goes simply by Mother who offers to take Lale back to her school and teach her as one of her daughters. And so begins the grooming process.
I felt at its simplest, this was a story about community, and about how important it is to provide good community for the vulnerable. Lale is happy to be adopted by the woman she calls Mother because she is offered home, love and opportunity there when no one else will. The world itself is divided into Despotates ruled by Despots & Despotanas who live in extravagant mansions while taxing the incredibly poor people who they are responsible for, and so they live in constant fear of being overthrown. The drastic inequality has created an instability so pronounced that once thriving towns and cities are literally starting to crumble.
When Lale comes of age and is sent out into the world to do Mother's bidding, she begins to see more of how the larger world works, and wonders at this inequality she sees and why things are the way they are. This is a great coming of age story as we see Lale question the forces that have brought her to where she is, and consequently begin to take actions of her own accord.
This is S.D. Tower's only book (that I can find), and is out of print. As a book-lover & collector, this also makes this book a little extra intriguing. I enjoyed the writing and plot. The pacing was pretty consistent, with one little bit in the middle that dragged a tiny bit before the third act really kicked up. The ending is tied up very neatly, some might say too neatly, but I enjoyed it just the same, and would recommend this book as a thoroughly enjoyable read.
When Lale, as a baby, washes up on the banks of a teeny, tiny poor village called Riversong and the people take her in, they do it grudgingly. They hardly have enough to eat themselves, and are not excited about one more person dependent on their meager resources. So, when she, as a child, makes a mistake that costs the village a valuable resource, they cast her out of their community, and she decides to try and make her way. Before long she is found by a woman who goes simply by Mother who offers to take Lale back to her school and teach her as one of her daughters. And so begins the grooming process.
I felt at its simplest, this was a story about community, and about how important it is to provide good community for the vulnerable. Lale is happy to be adopted by the woman she calls Mother because she is offered home, love and opportunity there when no one else will. The world itself is divided into Despotates ruled by Despots & Despotanas who live in extravagant mansions while taxing the incredibly poor people who they are responsible for, and so they live in constant fear of being overthrown. The drastic inequality has created an instability so pronounced that once thriving towns and cities are literally starting to crumble.
When Lale comes of age and is sent out into the world to do Mother's bidding, she begins to see more of how the larger world works, and wonders at this inequality she sees and why things are the way they are. This is a great coming of age story as we see Lale question the forces that have brought her to where she is, and consequently begin to take actions of her own accord.
This is S.D. Tower's only book (that I can find), and is out of print. As a book-lover & collector, this also makes this book a little extra intriguing. I enjoyed the writing and plot. The pacing was pretty consistent, with one little bit in the middle that dragged a tiny bit before the third act really kicked up. The ending is tied up very neatly, some might say too neatly, but I enjoyed it just the same, and would recommend this book as a thoroughly enjoyable read.
June 29, 2025
When Lale is exiled from her village, she is found by the Despotana of Tamurin, who will stop at nothing to get revenge against those responsible for her son's death.
Spoilers ahead.
I have such mixed feelings about this book! There were certain aspects I really enjoyed, like how Lale was picked up off the street by Mother Midnight, and then trained to be a spy/assassin. I suppose I just love school-type settings--though obviously, Lale needing to be bonded was really disturbing and terrible. I thought the plot was fairly predictable. I suspected that Lale would fall for the Sun King, Terem, and that this would lead to her betraying Mother Midnight. I liked that this book was so character-driven, and I adore how a husband and wife wrote this book together (Stormaflu could learn something from this). However, I also did feel there was a LOT of telling, and I found myself getting bored and sometimes wishing I could skip ahead. The pacing was choppy and I was close to DNFing this book several times but ultimately persevered. I can see why there is such a niche audience for this book, but perhaps I'm not quite the right audience for it.
Spoilers ahead.
I have such mixed feelings about this book! There were certain aspects I really enjoyed, like how Lale was picked up off the street by Mother Midnight, and then trained to be a spy/assassin. I suppose I just love school-type settings--though obviously, Lale needing to be bonded was really disturbing and terrible. I thought the plot was fairly predictable. I suspected that Lale would fall for the Sun King, Terem, and that this would lead to her betraying Mother Midnight. I liked that this book was so character-driven, and I adore how a husband and wife wrote this book together (Stormaflu could learn something from this). However, I also did feel there was a LOT of telling, and I found myself getting bored and sometimes wishing I could skip ahead. The pacing was choppy and I was close to DNFing this book several times but ultimately persevered. I can see why there is such a niche audience for this book, but perhaps I'm not quite the right audience for it.
February 26, 2021
When I first set out to read this book, my partner warned me; it wasn't perfect, but it was incredibly dear to him. And as I finished the last few pages of this wonderful story, I can easily see why.
The Assassins of Tamurin is utterly unique. Herein lies a wonderful story from start to finish with a glorious climax and a very satisfactory ending. Though I would not say that it is masterfully written, I do think that the humble dialog and sometimes clumsy exposition really add to the joys of this read, not subtract from it.
This book definitely has its place on my favorites shelf, and I will keep a copy in my home forever.
The Assassins of Tamurin is utterly unique. Herein lies a wonderful story from start to finish with a glorious climax and a very satisfactory ending. Though I would not say that it is masterfully written, I do think that the humble dialog and sometimes clumsy exposition really add to the joys of this read, not subtract from it.
This book definitely has its place on my favorites shelf, and I will keep a copy in my home forever.
November 22, 2018
I like it. A great ending!
November 3, 2021
I read this book so many times when I was younger. It will forever remain a favorite and a total hidden gem.
June 22, 2025
What happened to show not tell???
June 25, 2016
*3,5stars*
I had been looking for this book for a while, since it was no longer in print, and finally fount it on ebay a few weeks ago. So I was very eager to read and had high expectations for it. Im not exactly disappointed and I really did like the book but rather than a great read, I would call it impressive. The first half of the book was a bit slow(this might be because I already got a glimpse of the plot from the description on the back and was all the way waiting for Lale to meet Terem and for the romance and plot to deepen), but it was also this part which made me quite impressed, as the book is very well written, the world-building realistic and complex and most of the buildings and surroundings were described in full detail. Unfortunately, at the same time that it made me impressed and made me believe in the world the author had created, it also made me space out quite often andI had to reread a lot of pages. I guess it was a bit too heavy for me x) There was not a map at the beginning of the book, so I never quite grasped where all the different cities and countries were situated and to be honest, all the history went in one eye and out the other:p The plot was exiting, though, and midway it got really interesting. I really liked Lale and Terem, and they were a good couple, but I also felt that there could have been more romance and I wish there would have been more scenes/dialogue with them(I felt that they would have had a better chemistry if it had been so). I also felt that the ending could have been a bit longer, seeing as everything happened quite fast and some questions were left unanswered, but altogether it was a very pleasant read.
I had been looking for this book for a while, since it was no longer in print, and finally fount it on ebay a few weeks ago. So I was very eager to read and had high expectations for it. Im not exactly disappointed and I really did like the book but rather than a great read, I would call it impressive. The first half of the book was a bit slow(this might be because I already got a glimpse of the plot from the description on the back and was all the way waiting for Lale to meet Terem and for the romance and plot to deepen), but it was also this part which made me quite impressed, as the book is very well written, the world-building realistic and complex and most of the buildings and surroundings were described in full detail. Unfortunately, at the same time that it made me impressed and made me believe in the world the author had created, it also made me space out quite often andI had to reread a lot of pages. I guess it was a bit too heavy for me x) There was not a map at the beginning of the book, so I never quite grasped where all the different cities and countries were situated and to be honest, all the history went in one eye and out the other:p The plot was exiting, though, and midway it got really interesting. I really liked Lale and Terem, and they were a good couple, but I also felt that there could have been more romance and I wish there would have been more scenes/dialogue with them(I felt that they would have had a better chemistry if it had been so). I also felt that the ending could have been a bit longer, seeing as everything happened quite fast and some questions were left unanswered, but altogether it was a very pleasant read.
September 25, 2014
44 pages in, and OMG, what a world the author has created! seems a shame that there's only one book. (edit: I believe the author's other books, which are in French, are part of this world.) the level of detail and depth to create the new world, it's just amazing.
124 pg. Oopsie... gave it 5 stars way too early... looks like our assassin spy will have to to get into the political fray. Prudish of me? oh yes, absolutely. I am not ashamed of being a prude! Which these days is a bit more shameful than being a slut.. of course, that's why i write reviews only under my nom de plume ;)
pg261. okay, so i continued reading on. it is a rather engaging story, and i sort of trusted the author to not be cheap. and i thought the way the relationship between h and her lover developed was really well done. and now we find out that it's very well done, so if this is something you won't mind, if properly handled (and it is), then go ahead...
124 pg. Oopsie... gave it 5 stars way too early... looks like our assassin spy will have to to get into the political fray. Prudish of me? oh yes, absolutely. I am not ashamed of being a prude! Which these days is a bit more shameful than being a slut.. of course, that's why i write reviews only under my nom de plume ;)
pg261. okay, so i continued reading on. it is a rather engaging story, and i sort of trusted the author to not be cheap. and i thought the way the relationship between h and her lover developed was really well done. and now we find out that it's very well done, so if this is something you won't mind, if properly handled (and it is), then go ahead...
August 23, 2008
This story starts off with the sad life of Lale, an orphan found on the banks of a river in a poor community. Treated abysmally by the village that found her, she finally leaves. It is no surprise that when she is taken in by a woman who grooms her and other orphans into spies and assassins, that Lale becomes very loyal to Makina (aka Mother), the ruler of Tamurin. Lale finds her family with the other girl trainees and works very hard for Mother's approval. Mother has very ambitious plans for Lale: to kill the King. Lale thinks she has no problems obeying, but after meeting and growing closer to him, it becomes harder and harder to go through with it.
I thought this was a very absorbing straight fantasy with strong female characters. And an interesting dilemma for the main character, especially reading about everything Lale experiences. I'd like to read more by this author but I haven't found anything else published by them yet.
I thought this was a very absorbing straight fantasy with strong female characters. And an interesting dilemma for the main character, especially reading about everything Lale experiences. I'd like to read more by this author but I haven't found anything else published by them yet.
Read
May 2, 2011lale is a foundling in a village that dislikes and mistrusts her. one day she loses a valuable item and they punish her for it, and this prompts her to leave to search for a better life, she meets a wandering story teller who she had seen before in the village, and just as things seem to be getting better for her, he gets killed by bandits. All is not lost though because shortly after she crosses paths with a Despotania who takes her to her school for orphans.
I like this story a lot, I have read it a couple times and there are still parts that bring tears to my eyes. I love the way the characters develop as the story progresses, you can see how she learns and grows and becomes herself through the many trials she faces as eventually overcomes.
I like this story a lot, I have read it a couple times and there are still parts that bring tears to my eyes. I love the way the characters develop as the story progresses, you can see how she learns and grows and becomes herself through the many trials she faces as eventually overcomes.
June 27, 2024
I am not a fan of epic fantasy, but this book was fantastic! The beginning dragged on for a bit, but the rest of the book made up for it! I know it wouldn't be everyone's favorite book, but to me it was one of the best books I will ever read. The plot was unique and thought through and it left several questions in my mind that kept me hooked throughout the entire book:
Why is her "Mother" crazy?
Who were Lale's parents?
Where did Lale come from?
How will she escape the spirits?
Anyways the end was so satisfying to read, so I recommend this book to anyone who has the time and patience to read it. 10/ 1o amazing read.
Why is her "Mother" crazy?
Who were Lale's parents?
Where did Lale come from?
How will she escape the spirits?
Anyways the end was so satisfying to read, so I recommend this book to anyone who has the time and patience to read it. 10/ 1o amazing read.
July 22, 2010
An entertaining but ultimately disappointing fantasy read that doesn't live up to its potential. Some solid characters and conflicts, and an imaginative setting, are bogged down by clumsy exposition, an annoying preference for telling over showing, and a climax that feels rushed and unsatisfying. The ending is pretty saccharine and completely throws out the moral ambiguity that the first half of the book seemed to be setting up. Too bad, because it could have been much improved by a few solid rewrites.
January 9, 2012
A lot of world-building and very descriptive imagery of the world Lale lives in. The society is an odd one, and almost feudal. I liked that most of the political machinations were perpetrated by women, and the focus the tale gives to the female gender.
The love story wasn't as trite as I thought it would be. There was a great buildup for this act of treason and when it came, it felt somewhat anticlimactic to me.
The love story wasn't as trite as I thought it would be. There was a great buildup for this act of treason and when it came, it felt somewhat anticlimactic to me.
August 26, 2016
DNF. I was really excited about this book, but it just did not excel in the aspects that I personally favor. Plot was good and the overall story was interesting. However, character interactions and depth was generally absent. A lot of that had to do with the multitude of time jumps - I just don't feel like I was ever given enough time to really get to know anyone in the story. Overall I think it was a decent book, just not my cup of tea.
February 3, 2014
I read this book years ago, and loved it. It has a somewhat slow start, as far as I'm concerned, and I almost put it down a quarter of the way through, but I am so glad that I didn't. It is fresh and well-conceived as fantasy novels go, and both the world and the characters are intriguing and complex.
August 28, 2013
A beautiful story, and well written too. Lale's world is rich and vivid and intriguing at times. I liked the characters, but I did find the descriptions a bit much at times.
There were also some beautifully written paragraphs in there.
I enjoyed this book, though I don't think the characters or the plot will leave an unforgettable impression on me.
There were also some beautifully written paragraphs in there.
I enjoyed this book, though I don't think the characters or the plot will leave an unforgettable impression on me.
March 4, 2010
I really liked this book, it was very well written. There were some really wordy parts that I just skimmed that were kinda boring, but still worth the 5 stars. Really interesting and kept my attention very well. Great mystery/love story.
March 1, 2012
I found this book by chance at a dusty used book store and bought it on a whim so I wasn't expecting much. Yet I couldn't put this book down once I started reading. I absolutely loved reading it. I has become one of my favorite books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews