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Rules to Die By
Rule Number Two: Never Show Mercy
In a world without sunlight and the Gifteds, Elizabeth Kaiser lives to serve her Master, who has taught her everything she needs to know to survive, to be strong, and to kill. Life at the Tower is simple, until she is sent on a mission she isn't prepared for.
Now, Elizabeth has to decide who to believe in: her Master, who she owes everything to or her target, who makes her feel things she told herself she never would. To survive and save the people who matter, Elizabeth will have to break the rules she has always believed she would die by.
In a world without sunlight and the Gifteds, Elizabeth Kaiser lives to serve her Master, who has taught her everything she needs to know to survive, to be strong, and to kill. Life at the Tower is simple, until she is sent on a mission she isn't prepared for.
Now, Elizabeth has to decide who to believe in: her Master, who she owes everything to or her target, who makes her feel things she told herself she never would. To survive and save the people who matter, Elizabeth will have to break the rules she has always believed she would die by.
400 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2014
373 people want to read
About the author
M. Layne
3 books8 followersM. Layne grew up in Massachusetts and currently lives there. She graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and Psychology.
Rules to Die By is her first novel and she is excited about the sequels to come. Her family was a huge inspiration to her and every member is featured in her books as their own character.
Rules to Die By is her first novel and she is excited about the sequels to come. Her family was a huge inspiration to her and every member is featured in her books as their own character.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 23, 2014
I first read this story on Fictionpress, where it was kindly put up by the author, despite already being sold on Amazon.
The book takes an interesting setting and explains very well how and why things are the way they are, currently. The story seems to be as much about Elizabeth's realizations of the world around her as her actions and their consequences within it.
For a first attempt at a novel, the writing is very well paced and flowing and there are far less clichés than in many other works of this genre. I will mention that the book is meant to have a sequel, currently being worked on, which is clearly reflected in the open ending; however, I felt that the story missed some wrapping up of certain characters or proper insight into their role in the plot but I cannot deny that these may come in a later volume.
I find the narrative interesting and well worth a read.
The book takes an interesting setting and explains very well how and why things are the way they are, currently. The story seems to be as much about Elizabeth's realizations of the world around her as her actions and their consequences within it.
For a first attempt at a novel, the writing is very well paced and flowing and there are far less clichés than in many other works of this genre. I will mention that the book is meant to have a sequel, currently being worked on, which is clearly reflected in the open ending; however, I felt that the story missed some wrapping up of certain characters or proper insight into their role in the plot but I cannot deny that these may come in a later volume.
I find the narrative interesting and well worth a read.
September 5, 2015
OMG! I'm not a person who normally says that, but this book is amazing! I loved the characters, Adrian and Elizabeth are amazing! The death, which is what I thought it was at the time, in the beginning of the last chapter was something that I did not see coming at all. I was so happy that everything worked out! Elizabeth is one of the strongest leads that I have come across in a long time. She's strong, but weak. She's inhuman, but still human. The Master is also a great villain. There's just something about him that makes you want to hate him. I also liked all the rules. The plot was really creative.The ending is the prefect set up for the next book, which I am looking forward too!
September 3, 2014
A heart divided is a mind in conflict.
Elizabeth Kaiser is the President’s assassin. He saved her from burning to death, broke her emotional connection to the world and then reshaped her into the perfect weapon: a killing machine that lives to serve him in order to exact her own revenge…starting when she turned ten.
The President rules Sector 3, hunting criminals, the gifted (humans with extraordinary abilities), and dispensing justice as he sees fit. Elizabeth assassinates targets that are a threat to Sector 3 or the President’s safety…or so she believes.
Her latest assignment, infiltrating Camp 63 and eliminating a rebel leader, makes her question everything she’s been taught. The more she sees and hears, the more conflicted she becomes. The old Elizabeth and the new Elizabeth each have a dominant hold in her personality, and no one, even Elizabeth, knows how to resolve her internal conflict.
What an amazing, freakin’ alert-the-media surprise Rules to Die By is!
Just when I thought the beginning might be too long on the internal side, wham, the action grabs you by the throat and never lets up. I devoured Rules to Die By in one sitting. If the second book in the series had already been released, I’d have bought it on Amazon and started reading it immediately!
Strong female and male protagonists are supported by a well-rounded cast of characters that will make you laugh, make you cry, and will even make you hate them. The multi-layered plot kept me guessing until the end, and then threw a couple of twists I didn’t see coming.
Whether you’re looking for fantasy, suspense, thriller, mystery or even romance, Rules to Die By has it all. My hat’s off to Ms. Layne. I’ve been thinking about this book for days now, and I’ll be waiting on pins and needles for the sequel!
*author ecopy provided for honest review
Elizabeth Kaiser is the President’s assassin. He saved her from burning to death, broke her emotional connection to the world and then reshaped her into the perfect weapon: a killing machine that lives to serve him in order to exact her own revenge…starting when she turned ten.
The President rules Sector 3, hunting criminals, the gifted (humans with extraordinary abilities), and dispensing justice as he sees fit. Elizabeth assassinates targets that are a threat to Sector 3 or the President’s safety…or so she believes.
Her latest assignment, infiltrating Camp 63 and eliminating a rebel leader, makes her question everything she’s been taught. The more she sees and hears, the more conflicted she becomes. The old Elizabeth and the new Elizabeth each have a dominant hold in her personality, and no one, even Elizabeth, knows how to resolve her internal conflict.
What an amazing, freakin’ alert-the-media surprise Rules to Die By is!
Just when I thought the beginning might be too long on the internal side, wham, the action grabs you by the throat and never lets up. I devoured Rules to Die By in one sitting. If the second book in the series had already been released, I’d have bought it on Amazon and started reading it immediately!
Strong female and male protagonists are supported by a well-rounded cast of characters that will make you laugh, make you cry, and will even make you hate them. The multi-layered plot kept me guessing until the end, and then threw a couple of twists I didn’t see coming.
Whether you’re looking for fantasy, suspense, thriller, mystery or even romance, Rules to Die By has it all. My hat’s off to Ms. Layne. I’ve been thinking about this book for days now, and I’ll be waiting on pins and needles for the sequel!
*author ecopy provided for honest review
November 17, 2014
Elizabeth Kaiser lives to serve her Master, the man who saved her from the fire that took her family. He taught her everything she needs to know about survival. She has to be strong and must be able to kill. But was what all her Master taught really good? Will it help her when she is sent on a mission? She owes everything to this man who saved her from a fire and took her family. She may have break some rules in order to save those who mean so much.
This book was truly wonderful. I enjoyed every chapter of it. Could feel like I was a part of Elizabeth. She tries not to show mercy which was rule number 2. We all know it is difficult to follow any given rules especially when faced in a situation like Elizabeth was faced with.
I think all who read this will enjoy it. I look forward to many other books by this author.
This book was truly wonderful. I enjoyed every chapter of it. Could feel like I was a part of Elizabeth. She tries not to show mercy which was rule number 2. We all know it is difficult to follow any given rules especially when faced in a situation like Elizabeth was faced with.
I think all who read this will enjoy it. I look forward to many other books by this author.
April 12, 2015
If you're looking for an exciting, unique, and well written story, then I strongly recommend Rules to Die By. The main character, Elizabeth, is a strong female protagonist, which I love, and the supporting characters were incredibly well developed, interesting, and engaging. The storyline is fascinating, too, and it's difficult not to get sucked into the world M Layne has created. I can't wait for the rest of the series!
April 25, 2015
Holy shit. Amazing, unique and fantastic are just some of the adjectives that describes this book. Elizabeth, the main protagonist, is probably one of the most kick-ass heroines I've ever read about, and the supporting characters are very well written as well.
It's dark, but hopeful, exciting, yet dreadful. I am officially addicted.
When does the sequal come out? I need to know! Anyone...?
It's dark, but hopeful, exciting, yet dreadful. I am officially addicted.
When does the sequal come out? I need to know! Anyone...?
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews