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A Marked Man
Bastian Hooke, known to the underworld as Mace, is an assassin and a thief. He was the last person anyone expected to carry out great deeds. So when the Seeress gives prophecy and sweetens the deal with a sack of gemstones, Bastian finds himself thrown headfirst into a quest he cannot possibly understand. Sought by a dark sorcerer, surrounded by secrets and lies on all sides, he is charged with the protection of the last of the dragonslayers... the very last thing he meant to do was fall in love.
Catreen An'dello has been divorced from her soul for ten years. Betrayed by her former lover to the dragon, imprisoned inside a living statue and nearly driven mad, she wishes nothing more than to forget. Desperate to ease her guilt and soothe her pain, Catreen drives a demon's bargain with the man who saved her soul.
Can an assassin and a dragonslayer find the strength save the kingdom from destruction?
Catreen An'dello has been divorced from her soul for ten years. Betrayed by her former lover to the dragon, imprisoned inside a living statue and nearly driven mad, she wishes nothing more than to forget. Desperate to ease her guilt and soothe her pain, Catreen drives a demon's bargain with the man who saved her soul.
Can an assassin and a dragonslayer find the strength save the kingdom from destruction?
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First published December 15, 2014
10 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Townsend
64 books41 followersLynn Townsend is a displaced Yankee, a mother, a writer, a dreamer, and the proud owner of a small black hole residing under her desk that tends to eat kittens, odd socks, staplers, and her car keys.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 22, 2014
First rule of thieving – don’t get caught. When Mace has to duck under the dining room table, he hopes his growling stomach won’t give him away. Or someone picking up a fallen fork, and spotting the thief. Accidentally overhearing the premier wizard of the realm plotting treason doesn’t make him feel any safer, either.
Why is a careful thief in such compromising position? The seeress told him to fetch her the magical Stone of Whatsit – Mace doesn’t want more details – and no one argues with a prophecy.
Still, he got the magical stone, and a few other shinies, and he escapes. With the Stone of Whatsit – which he really, really should have asked more questions about, before it kills him – he goes back to the seeress and finds out the stone can wake up a statue of a woman.
Pygmalion had it easy. He woke up a statue with no past life. Mace wakes up a woman who has lost, loved, and been betrayed. Can she ever love anyone when she still yearns for the man who betrayed her?
A woman who spent the last 10 years dead – for her own safely – needs to stay hidden, and Mace renames her Jewel. This gives readers a handy way to distinguish between each character’s point-of-view pages: Mace thinks of them by their tags, and Jewel thinks of them by their real names.
Jewel was once a famous warrior. She needs to get her sword so she can save the day again. On the way, they need all their wits about them as they meet soldiers with orders to arrest the dangerous thief Mace, Jewel’s murderous former boyfriend, a hostile non-human. Then it gets really dangerous – it’s time meet the relatives.
The romance gets hotter and hotter. Can people from such different social levels ever meet as equals? But Jewel might not have the resources she once had, and Lynn Townsend has scattered hints that Mace just might be more than he seems. Neither of them is ready to trust anyone – betrayal leaves long shadows – but the Stone of Whatsit broke certain barriers before Mace handed it back to the Seeress. Jewel might not be comfortable in a revealing dress, but when it comes to posting notice that this is _her_ man, she’s ready to do what it takes.
I loved this story. Mace and Jewel seemed to avoid the trope where he-hates-her and she-hates-him until lo and behold, the utter hotness melts their brains and they fall in love. Instead, Mace rescues Jewel and is… oh dear, I don’t think these words are allowed on the internet… he is honest with her. And she is fairly honest with him, in turn. And things still go wrong, until they go right. And that’s utterly hot.
The only problem is that a duology means waiting for the second book to come out.
Why is a careful thief in such compromising position? The seeress told him to fetch her the magical Stone of Whatsit – Mace doesn’t want more details – and no one argues with a prophecy.
Still, he got the magical stone, and a few other shinies, and he escapes. With the Stone of Whatsit – which he really, really should have asked more questions about, before it kills him – he goes back to the seeress and finds out the stone can wake up a statue of a woman.
Pygmalion had it easy. He woke up a statue with no past life. Mace wakes up a woman who has lost, loved, and been betrayed. Can she ever love anyone when she still yearns for the man who betrayed her?
A woman who spent the last 10 years dead – for her own safely – needs to stay hidden, and Mace renames her Jewel. This gives readers a handy way to distinguish between each character’s point-of-view pages: Mace thinks of them by their tags, and Jewel thinks of them by their real names.
Jewel was once a famous warrior. She needs to get her sword so she can save the day again. On the way, they need all their wits about them as they meet soldiers with orders to arrest the dangerous thief Mace, Jewel’s murderous former boyfriend, a hostile non-human. Then it gets really dangerous – it’s time meet the relatives.
The romance gets hotter and hotter. Can people from such different social levels ever meet as equals? But Jewel might not have the resources she once had, and Lynn Townsend has scattered hints that Mace just might be more than he seems. Neither of them is ready to trust anyone – betrayal leaves long shadows – but the Stone of Whatsit broke certain barriers before Mace handed it back to the Seeress. Jewel might not be comfortable in a revealing dress, but when it comes to posting notice that this is _her_ man, she’s ready to do what it takes.
I loved this story. Mace and Jewel seemed to avoid the trope where he-hates-her and she-hates-him until lo and behold, the utter hotness melts their brains and they fall in love. Instead, Mace rescues Jewel and is… oh dear, I don’t think these words are allowed on the internet… he is honest with her. And she is fairly honest with him, in turn. And things still go wrong, until they go right. And that’s utterly hot.
The only problem is that a duology means waiting for the second book to come out.
December 18, 2014
I was hooked on this book from the first line. I’m not a big fantasy reader, but A Marked Man is the kind I enjoy—fantasy elements backed up by solid historical research, well-rounded characters and excellent writing. The main character, Mace, is just the sort of charming rogue I’ve always loved reading about—think Han Solo. Jewel/Catreen kicks ass. Lynn Townsend allows all of her characters, male and female, to show their weaknesses and emotions, making them relatable and sympathetic.
I found myself staring in horror at my Kindle as I watched the percent finished at the bottom. When it got to 99%, I couldn’t believe the book was over and I wanted more!
There were a few passages where I wasn’t sure if the events were currently taking place or were in the past. Part of that was deliberate I think, when Mace has the soul stone and is confused, but there were a couple of times further in that were unclear to me.
If you enjoy character-driven fantasy, a good adventure story, and very well written romance, you’ll love this book!
I found myself staring in horror at my Kindle as I watched the percent finished at the bottom. When it got to 99%, I couldn’t believe the book was over and I wanted more!
There were a few passages where I wasn’t sure if the events were currently taking place or were in the past. Part of that was deliberate I think, when Mace has the soul stone and is confused, but there were a couple of times further in that were unclear to me.
If you enjoy character-driven fantasy, a good adventure story, and very well written romance, you’ll love this book!
December 9, 2014
A lovely, lyrical fantasy with just the right amounts of action, romance, and adventure. Ms. Townsend builds an appealing world filled with fey, dragons, thieves, and evil mages. A Marked Man is an engaging read that kept me turning pages and wanting more when I reached the end. The next book can`t come soon enough!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews