Assassin's Heart

Order of the Sicari #2

by Monica Burns

2011 PRISM - Best of the Best

Can the truth of the soul Conquer the pain of its ancient past.

Unlike other Sicari, Lysander Condellaire has telepathic and telekinetic powers. Not until the night a Praetorian tortured him and left him for dead did he understand why. Now, the half-angelic, half-demonic face he sees in the mirror is a reminder of the monster he must keep hidden or face expulsion from the order of assassins known as the Sicari. But his dreams of ancient Rome hint at a destiny difficult to accept, especially when it involves the woman he loves, but can never have.

A gifted healer in the Order, Phaedra DeLuca witnessed her mother’s murder when she was a little girl. The haunting memory makes her loathe everything Praetorian. When she travels to Rome in search of an ancient artifact, she must work alongside a man who once cruelly rejected her love and healing touch. But her dreams of ancient Rome tell of an irreversible and possibly dangerous future. For the distant past and present are about to collide–with the one man she is destined to love.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Ebooks

419 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2010

About the author

An award-winning author of spicy historical and paranormal romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today.

Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Monic...

Her historical book awards include the 2011 RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice Award and the 2012 Gayle Wilson Heart of Excellence Award for Pleasure Me .

She is also the recipient of the prestigious paranormal romance award, the 2011 PRISM Best of the Best award for Assassin’s Heart .

From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.

Reviews

[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, yes. Yes, baby. Now we’re talking. Because this was a huge improvement from Assassin's Honor. Especially in the heroine department. Because I liked Phaedra. Very much. Sure, she had her moments – first when she believed Lysander’s lies and didn’t press the issue further, and second when she discovered what he kept from her and without thinking decided she couldn’t trust him. Yes, she changed her mind pretty quickly, thanks to her friends’ intervention, but that little lapse shouldn’t have been there.

Well, it doesn’t matter now, because this one was one heck of a story. Angst, baby, angst galore, drama, a little lighter on the action as the previous one, but what it had to offer was “da bomb”, smokin’ hot when it needed to be, sexy, bittersweet, and a lot angsty. Did I mention that? I usually don’t like my books so rife with angst, but Ms. Burns made it work in this one.
And all thanks to the one, the only, Lysander Condellarie. Boy, what a package. Hot and sexy as hell, eye-patch, scars and all. A protective streak a mile wide, loads of self-punishment, doubt, and guilt. And a whole lot of love for one woman. Angst personified, and I loved every minute of it. He was an idiot to push her away, but this reader could understand and sympathize, he was still an idiot one year ago but you could see he was wavering, and when Phae finally decided to take matters into her own hands and give him a push, this reader sighed in relief. Then there was another heart-wrenching couple of pages when he suffered for being an idiot in the beginning and not telling her (which would’ve resulted in the same treatment and they all knew it), some more suffering in the end when…Yes, there was a lot of suffering going on around in this book, but it was “good” suffering, don’t fret.

And there was an interesting side story – and possibly a glimpse into a future one – involving a Sicari Lord and the Prima Pilus, but I’m not saying more and risking spoiling it for those who haven’t read it yet.

The only problem this book had were the flashbacks in form of dreams. Sure, they were an intricate part of the plot, but they slowed the pacing down too much, and the only interesting part was the end of “history”.
And, yet again, the Sicari language bothered me. Sorry.

So, not 5 stars for this one but a solid B+.

[UKSandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the story of Lysander and Phaedra.

I read reviews that people had thought of Zsadist (whom I love so much) when reading this book and I understand why (I'm the tortured hero's number one fan!). I don't want to say too much as I don't want to give away anything about the story but trust me it's definitely worth your time to read this.

I loved this book a lot more than I ever expected to. I did find when reading it you needed to make sure you didn't miss anything as there is just so much going on. As well reading about Lysander & Phaedra you also get the back story of Atia and Marcus and as well as a great story I loved to read all about Rome, I found this a really interesting part of the story.

There was lot of action in this book which I really enjoyed - but not at the expense of romance there just seem to be enough of everything.

I believe the next book is going to be Atia and Marcus and I can't wait to read this one.

[Fil · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 omnipotentia stars. Great continuation of this story. Lysander and Phaedra story was so much more, can't wait to see how this all unfolds in the last installment.

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
Better than the first. Tortured H pushes h away for her own good kind of PNR crap.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite Quote: “Kiss me and I’ll show you what to believe,” she said in a voice that challenged him to listen to his heart and nothing else.

The Sicari are an ancient order of people and Lysander has lived his life fighting as one of their best. Now Legatus, or head of his order, it is a daily struggle to keep the demons and dark side of him at bay while he is the leader his team has come to expect. After being tortured at the hands of the Sicari’s nemesis, the Praetorians a year ago, he is left with only one eye, and half of his face severely disfigured. To make matters worse, the Praetorian who tortured him happens to be his father, and now he has to deal with the fact that he is one-half the enemy, a deep, dark secret he can’t bear to share with anyone.

Before his torture a year ago, he spent a passionate night with Phaedra, a Sicari healer. But after the torture, and the shame of finding out who his birth father is, he has pushed her brutally away. Phaedra is confused, and has been yearning for Lysander this past year. She could care less about his disfigurement, and only wants him to open up, and share what haunts him. As she pushes his boundaries, Lysander digs deeper into himself. They also have an important mission, the reason they are in Rome. They believe an ancient artifact, The Tyet of Isis is near, and with the rest of the crew, they go off on a search to bring a very valuable artifact into safe keeping, before the Praetorians get their evil fingers on it.

Assassin’s Heart is book two in Monica Burn’s Sicari series, and while I enjoyed book one, I think I liked this one even better. The prologue is completely antagonizing with the details of Lysander’s torture a year ago. It shows how strong he is mentally, but it also shows the fear and pain he had to endure. I’m really glad Monica Burns included it, because Lysander is such a broken hero, it gives us a very good understanding of where he is coming from.

There are a lot of things going on in this book, but all the events work really well together and present a book that will have you interested until the end. First we have Lysander and Phaedra’s dramatic love story. And I say dramatic because the angst and tension in this relationship will have you either biting your nails or banging your head against a wall. At times I became frustrated that Lysander would not give an inch and let Phaedra in on his secrets. I will say he stays true to his character until the very end, and for that I give Monica Burns a lot of credit. I wanted to grab Lysander and shake him, but Phaedra eventually does that for me. If you enjoy tortured heroes, Lysander is the guy for you.

We also get the story of Atia, the Prima Consul, or Lysander’s boss in basic terms and her very complicated relationship with the Sicari lord, Marcus. I won’t go into a lot of their story, but it is heartbreaking, and really adds a lot to this book. I really look forward to getting more from them further in the series. We also get some pretty bad dudes in the villain department, and some cool twists that make them much more than just villains looking in from the outside.

Now that I have read both of these books, I can say this is a series where I find myself anticipating the next one. With adventure and romance, angst and tension, this book is a really fun read.

[☆.。.:*・°☆Love2Read♡HEAs☆.。.:*・°☆ {Anne} · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 Stars

Story was very good, lotsa action too. For some reason though, I just didn't like this one as much as book 01.

I will still continue on with book 03 though.

[Erinaceina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise was interesting, Lysander was a gorgeous hero, and the romantic plot was wonderfully angsty. Unfortunately, this was all marred (not ruined, although it came close at times) by Monica Burns's invented language for the Sicari. I know that Burns says on her website that 'The Sicari language is a mix of Italian and Latin, blended together to form a dialect that is not the Italian or Latin we know or study today. The dialect has evolved over the past two thousand years as any language does.' However, it doesn't work as this. For instance, she has phrases like 'il mia signora' and 'mea amor' side-by-side in the language of the Sicari. 'Mia' is the Italian form which has evolved from the Latin 'mea'. The Sicari language would have either evolved the Italian form (or another form altogether) or kept the Latin form; it would not have both. Similarly, the Sicari language has the Latin form 'cor' and the Latin 'cuore' which are the same word (heart) at different stages in its linguistic life. (It is theoretically possible to have two words from the same original word, as in English guard and ward, but they don't tend to have exactly the same meaning).

In the phrase 'Il Christi omnipotentia', 'omnipotentia' does not mean 'omnipotent' as Burns uses it, but 'omnipotence': it's a noun. Once again, you could say that it's a change in the dialect (something weird to do with nouns being used as adjectives or something, I suppose), but it doesn't make sense, particularly as both Latin and Italian have an adjective for this and would use it in these circumstances (omnipotens and onnipotente, respectively).

The most frustrating thing was her use of longer phrases. For example:

'Mea gladius non voluntas concidi, mea kara.' (My sword will not fail, my beloved)

Almost everything in this sentence is wrong, but every individual word is Latin, and therefore it's easiest to treat it as such.

Gladius is grammatically masculine, whereas the form mea is feminine. Therefore, they do not agree. You'd expect meus gladius, but I suppose the rules of agreement could change, despite remaining fairly stable in the basics for Italian, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Likewise, it's hard to understand why the Sicari language would evolve the form kara alongside cara. They sound the same and they mean the same; they're only written differently. But at a push, I could pretend it was just part of the dialect and move on. Where the sentence really gets me is non voluntas concidi (will not fail). Trying to avoid getting too tediously technical, will in the English is a part of the verb which tells us that the action is happening in the future. Italian does not mark the future tense in this way, but instead adds bits to the end of the word like this, like the way in which English marks the past tense by adding -ed to the end of a word. Latin marked the future tense in a similar way to Italian. Not only that, but the word which Burns uses to translate 'will' isn't a verb at all: it's a noun. It's the equivalent to the English 'will' in 'it is my will that you stop fighting' (slightly strained, but you get the picture).

Now on to concidi. This is a nasty trap, and one you're most likely to fall into if you're looking in a Latin dictionary without knowing what you're looking for. Most verbs are given in the form 'I walk, to walk, I walked' form in the dictionary, but sometimes they miss out the 'to walk' form, particularly if it's exactly what you'd expect it to be. Thus, instead of 'concido, concidere, concidi', the dictionary just has 'concido, concidi', which makes it easy to confuse which one you should be using. Instead of 'to fail' ('concidere'), Burns has used 'I failed' ('concidi'). Of course, as Latin doesn't form the future tense in this way, it would still be wrong if she had used 'concidere'.

Thus, the sentence is something like 'My (female) sword (male) not will (noun) I failed'.

It should be something like:

'meus gladius' (agreement)
'non'
'concidet' (third person singular future of 'to fail' > 'will fail').

'Meus gladius non concidet' - 'My sword will not fail'.

As the original seems to have nothing to do with Italian, I think this is a fair translation. My Italian is very limited, but an equivalent would be something like 'la mia spada non fallirà'. I've probably chosen the wrong words there, and apologise, but you can see the same features: agreement ('la mia spada') and the future tense all in one word ('fallirà") - no nouns involved in the latter!

I know I'm nitpicking, but the point is that none of this reads like a carefully imagined dialect/language descended from Latin and closely related to Italian. It looks like bad Latin made up by choosing words from a dictionary and stringing them together without knowing how they work, with some bits of Italian thrown in. Language change forms patterns, but this is like someone shredded a couple of dictionaries and mixed the resulting shredded paper together. It was a pity, because there was something of her Sicari language on pretty much each page, which jolted me out of a story I otherwise really enjoyed. I'm a grad student working on how words change their meanings, and I know that I have a geeky obsession with how languages change over time, so I was more susceptible to this than most, but every time I saw something in the Sicari language, it felt like fingers down a chalkboard inside my brain. I'd rather an author didn't use foreign languages at all than put together a haphazard mishmash like this.

[Katie(babs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Assassin’s Heart (Book 2 in the Order of the Sicari) by Monica Burns is filled with incredible world building, strong, warrior type characters and an amazing romance. Assassin’s Heart stars Lysander, a facially scarred and brooding Sicari fighter. The beginning of Assassin’s Heart takes place a year before the events of the first book, Assassin’s Honor. Lysander has been taken captive by his enemy, the Praetorian. He is tortured horribly by one of the Praetorian who scrapes away the skin on part of his face and blinds him in one eye. Even though Lysander is in incredible pain and expects to die, he has no regrets, especially since he had an amazing night of lovemaking with the healer Phaedra (Sister to Ares, the hero in Assassin’s Honor). He loves Phaedra with everything he has inside him, but his torturer tells him something that will destroy him. Lysander’s mother was raped by the Praetorian torturer and from that violent act, Lysander was conceived. Everything Lysander thought he knew was a lie, and now he feels dirty and less of a man. He is saved by his fellow Sicari, and Phaedra wants to heal his face, but he rejects her healing powers and her help. He wants to live with the scars his father has given him as punishment. And he knows if Phaedra finds out he is part Praetorian, she will hate him because the Praetorians murdered her parents.

Now a year later, the Praetorians are still out to get the Sicari. Phaedra suffers silently because of Lysander’s harsh rejection, while Lysander longs for Phaedra, but turns way from her because of what he is. Phaedra wants to get to the bottom of Lysander’s grief. And even though he acts cold and uncaring towards her, she notices the heated stares he gives her. Also, both are having strange dreams where they come to the conclusion that Lysander is the first Sicari Lord and Phaedra is his wife that have been reincarnated. Not only do they have to deal with the Praetorians upping their attacks, but they must learn to work with one another no matter how hard it is. Phaedra is not one to have a man like Lysander walk away from her. She refuses to let him wallow in his despair, and won’t rest until he tells her the truth. And when he does, it’s just as explosive as the passion they have for one another

Monica really knows how to bring out the yearning, angst and smoldering lust two people can have for one another. Assassin’s Heart has wicked fighting scenes with nasty, powerful villains and more than enough hot love between Lysander and Phaedra that almost had me grasping for air. Everything is explained in such detail that I’m simply amazed by how Monica could do it all.

I’m usually not one for flashback scenes, but the ones with Maximus and Cassiopeia, both Lysander and Phaedra dream about are very well written and fit in the story. I also loved how Monica had me aching for two characters whose story must be written because they made such an impact on me. This deals with Atia, one of the heads of the Sicari Order. She is the mother of Cleo, another Sicari. Atia hides many secrets. One being of Cleo’s father who has no idea that Atia gave birth to her. He is Marcus, a Sicari Lord, who had to give up Atia decades ago because of his important role. Now he’s back and wants Atia. He won’t allow her to walk away from him as he did before. But there’s another man who protects both Cleo and Atia, who also wants her as much as Marcus does. Their relationship is filled with mistrust and hurt. And there’s a major shocking twist with their son that Marcus took away who could possible destroy the Sicari after all these centuries. At times I was more interested in Atia and Marcus, versus Lysander and Phaedra, and can’t wait to see what Monica has in store for them.

Assassin’s Heart is very rich and descriptive. The men are full of smoldering sexiness and their women are their equals in every sense of the word. If you’re lacking an action packed, swoon worthy type romance, do give Assassin’s Heart a read. You will definitely enjoy the masterful talents of Monica Burns who never fails to disappoint.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassin's Heart
5 Stars

Synopsis:
After being subjected to horrific torture, Lysander Condellarie is left with disfiguring scars and a terrible secret that results in the loss of the love of his life. Phaedra DeLuca has never understood Lysander's sudden rejection. Now the two must comply with their destinies and join forces in the search for an ancient artifact, which, if it falls into the hands of their enemies, could mean the destruction of their order.

Review:
An outstanding read! I would give it 6 Stars if my scale went up that high. It is even better than the first book in the series, which is saying a lot as Assassin’s Honor is an amazing read as well.

The plot builds on the foundations established in the first book with the continued search for the Tyet of Isis. The richness of detail concerning the conflict between the Sicari and Praetorian secret societies fills in the gaps that remained at the conclusion of Assassin’s Honor, and the author also provides tantalizing clues to the story in the next installment. I am really looking forward to finding out more about Alexander the Great’s potion.

The characterization is excellent. Lysander and Emma have a primal and fundamental connection that just leaps off the pages. Their pain and the love they feel for each other reaches out and grabs you. Lysander has an incredible strength and vitality even in the face of adversity, and while there were one or two moments where I could have smacked Phaedra upside the head, her emotions and reactions are, nevertheless, consistent with her nature. The secondary characters on not left out. The villains are suitably diabolical (I won’t tell you who they are so as not to ruin the interesting twists), and I enjoyed catching a glimpse at the history of the Sicari, both distant with Maximus and Cassiopeia, and more recent with Atia and Marcus, whose relationship is apparently going to be crucial to the next book. You’ll just have to read to see what I mean.

Burns’s writing has only gotten better, and she has managed to overcome the repetitiveness of thought and emotion that marred the first book. The flashback scenes are intricately woven into the primary story and the transitions between past and present are smooth and do not detract from the overall plot.

Overall, I highly recommend this series, which should be read in order because the plotlines are intertwined, and I cannot wait for the release of the next book, Inferno’s Kiss.

[~V~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the Order of the Sicari series was so much better than the 1st book! There were still a couple of things that were kind of distracting for me though...the author still has a tendency to be a little bit repetitive w/ some of her words and phrases..and she is still using those darn Italian words throughout the entire book..that DID drive me a little bit nutty! Having said that, Assassin's Heart was definitely an improvement! I really enjoyed Lysander and Phaedra..and i absolutely LOVED the whole reincarnation storyline!! I loved the flashbacks of Maximus and Cassiopeia..such a sweet and tragic story...and i really also enjoyed the side story of Atia and Marcus. Marcus was very intriguing and it was kind of nice to see a softer side to Atia because she came off as pretty detached and cold in the first book. I'm assuming Monica Burns will be writing more books in this series, things were definitely not wrapped up..other than between the two main characters..but the storyline is still left open as well as the future of a few main characters. I would like to see more of Cleo, she's quite the little spit fire and it would be fun to see her get a HEA. I would also like to see what becomes of Atia and Marcus..w/ everything they've had to endure it would be really great to see some closure for those two...for them to finally be together w/ out all of their obligations getting in the way.

**i wanted to add a little side note here...i checked the author's website and she has a glossary of ALL her Italian words!..It sure would have been nice to know that because i would have printed that list off and had it with me while i was reading the darn book!..ggrrr..oh well..for the next book i guess. :)

[Brandy *Ahviel* · Rating 5 out of 5]

The half-angel, half-demon face that telepathic Lysander sees in the mirror is a reminder of the monster he must keep hidden to avoid expulsion from an order of assassins. His dreams of ancient Rome hint at a destiny with a woman he loves, but can never have.

When the gifted healer Phaedra travels to Rome in search of a legendary artifact, she works alongside a man who once rejected her love and healing touch. But her dreams of Ancient Rome tell of an irreversible and possibly dangerous future. For the distant past and present are about to collide-with the one man she is destined to love.

I love the chemistry between Lysnader and Phae. These two bicker back and forth for good reason Lysander shut Phae out of his life over a year ago whithout a reason why now those reason are coming to light and Phae is having a hard time accepting those reasons. Just as Lysander is having a hard time accepting that he must accept those reason and allow himself love the woman that Phae is.
The battle of wills is great. The story line is written so much better than the first book that I really can't wait for the next installment because that book is going to reveal so much more

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

This book took me awhile to get into it...probably not until 60%!! From that point on, it got really exciting. I enjoyed Lysander's and Phaedra's story but a lot of the other background stories were distracting. Along with the repetitive phrases and the non-translated Italian/Latin words, it was a bit frustrating. I do think the author has a good idea with the series.

Lysander and Phaedra were really sweet. The reincarnation story was interesting and I enjoyed how it played out. I was hoping that Lysander would've been "healed" physically but unfortunately that didn't happen.

I was surprised that Gabriel was killed and am interested in Cleo learning about her Dad and what happens.

[Hbeebti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh yes I truly loved this book! Lysander was just so..... wounded and passionate . I just wanted to gobble him up! Poor guy. I don't care about the scars. His character was even better than I thought he would be. This had plenty of action. Lots of drama and some hot sex going on. Oh and a couple of shockers.Loved the almost side story of Marcus and Atia. That was really great. Nothing was resolved with the baddies. But hey that means more books for this series!! Oh yeah baby I cant wait! Cleo's book is next and I cant wait to see what happens. Now the secret is out. What is she going to do? I hate having to wait!!ugh............... Oh well.... These Roman's are HOT!!!

[N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was a little disappointed in this one. The first book seemed much more thought-out in comparison. The character's weren't as well developed and at times I felt like I was getting whiplash with the emotional polarities they would jump to one after another (lusty - angry - sad - happy - angry - shy...all in one page by ONE character!). But the plot was interesting, so I still read it to the very end!

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tortured male. Surprise paternity of tortured male shocking everyone. Two factions warring against each other in modern day Rome. An order of assassins that seemed to be more a background factor than highlighted in this text. An OK read but I was slightly disappointment as I thought it would have a little bit more action in it.

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

#REINCARNATION #FATEDLOVERS

NEVER READ THE FIRST BOOK, BUT STILL CAN BE READ AS A STANDALONE. I found this exhilarating and an absolute page turner. Sure, there were stereotypical moments but, it didn't bother me at all. However, be warned that the MCs are stubborn to a fault.

PHAEDRA is the reincarnation of Cassiopeia back in ancient rome, and now, in modern times, she's part of the Sicara - one of their best healers. Since I didn't read the first book featuring her brother Ares and Emma, I missed out on the angst between Phaedra and Lysander, but fear not, even a noobie could see that those two needed a good angry-sex session to finally get it out of their system. Or not. Love breeds hate, and when the Lysander cruelly rejects her in the story opening (he has his reasons), one year later, they're rather at odds with each other. Beyond hurt and angry, believing that he played her, Phaedra can't seem to get over him because she still loves him. What's worse, in order to find a sacred artifact they now have to work together, and their attraction only burns brighter! THE SEXUAL TENSION AND ANGST BETWEEN THESE TWO COULD SET ANYTHING WITHIN A FOOT ON FIRE. IT WAS BUONISSIMO! I like that the author didn't shy from writing Italian in some of her conversations, it just makes it that much more well...Italian. I also like Phaedra. She's loving, stubborn and passionate. Emotions might cloud her judgement sometimes, but at least she wasn't an annoying or unlovable character.

LYSANDER is the reincarnation of Maximus, also the husband of Cassiopeia. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO GUSH OVER THE FLASHBACK SCENES OF MAXIMUM AND CASSIOPEIA. THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! TRAGIC, BUT STILL WHOLESOME. Typically, I'm not a fan of flashbacks, but Max and Cass's love story was just too beautiful to pass up on. Frankly, Lysander was too fucking stubborn. He tested my patience and I wanted to tear my hair out in frustration while punching him in the face for hurting Phaedra - CONSTANTLY. He loved her, but he didn't have the guts enough to fight for them. COWARD, would be an apt description. You must be wondering, if so, then why not rate this story lower? Well, ironically, there's perfection to imperfection. That's just how Lysander is, and even so, he has his strengths - protective, considerate, responsible, honorable - and Phaedra loves him for it all - well, except for his secret that was the main reason why he rejected her. That was the breaking point for them, until they realized their relationship lacked trust, and FINALLY these two bonkerheads knew they needed to CHANGE in order to move forward.

OVERALL not every reader will agree with me. That's the kind of story Assasin's Heart is. You'll either love it, hate it or just feel meh. For me, I enjoyed it very much, mainly because even though the characters fuck up sometimes, and they were annoyingly stubborn (HELLO, ANGST!)...I still felt the love they had for each other through it all - and frankly, that's the most important part for me. As a couple, they were severely tested, and at the end of the day, they came out stronger, realizing what went wrong. I think that's important for couples in real life. Reflection and communication. Especially understanding and forgiveness. So, perhaps this story was relatable to me, and thus, I highly recommend this to readers who enjoy a little Roman Holiday in their spare time. Also, the sex scenes were BUONISSIMO!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, this series does not disappoint. I love when a series has several different things happening at the same time, keeping you on your toes, but not burying or confusing you. This author accomplishes that perfectly. There are so many exciting things happening concurrently, but they blend together perfectly.

As we learn more about some of our favorite members of the order (or members that become favorites as we read this book), we find so many super cool twists that show many of them are much more connected than we realized. And by connected, I mean by past events going back thousands of years, to events that have happened in recent years. When Lysander is one of the first to figure out many of these connections, he’s immediately devastated, as he thinks it changes everything he ever thought it was, and although he’s falling for Phaedra, he truly believes these truths will make her hate him, so he decides to end things first.

The problem is that Phaedra is not your average woman. She’s a kickass heroine in a thousand different ways. Although hurt at first, she’s not buying what Lysander’s selling. She knows something’s up. And when they’re both sent to Rome on a mission, with Lysander assigned to lead, the phrase “nobody puts Baby in a corner” comes to mind over and over, just as “no one puts Phaedra in a corner”. I LOVE Phaedra. Whether it’s the woman who raised her (and also leads the order), or Lysander that constantly tries to keep her out of harm’s way, she goes ahead with her own thing – and she’s pretty much always right.

I won’t give it away too much, but one of the critical parts of the story brings us back and forth from a story in ancient Rome to current day. I absolutely loved the depth this added to the story. What happened in the times of ancient Rome were not only revealing for critical information to their mission in current day Rome, but it also brings some shocking revelations that Phaedra is one of the first to start figuring out.

Once again, the writing in this book was perfect. The fight scenes kept you on the edge of your seat, and you never had to re-read it to figure out what was going on, no matter how action packed it was. There were definitely some super HOT scenes, and they were very smoothly written, not awkward or moments where you want to say “please stop over using that word” (we’ve all read at least one of those). Everything she wrote felt real, flowed smoothly, wasn’t drawn out, but wasn’t too short either.

This book kept my attention the entire time, and I most definitely enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see what happens next with the mysteries they’ve discovered in Rome!

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

We pick up the series in a heartbreaking tale for Lysander. We learn so much about him here. We went through some horrific moments and survived and now is dealing with so so much that your heart goes out to him. The search for the Tyet of Ises continues in this book and we get the love story of Lysander and Phaedra.

Lysander is a honorable and decent man. He is loyal and kind despite what he now looks like on the outside. Why he suffered the pain he did is so heartbreaking and now he is reeling from the effects of it. he is lost in his confusion, anger and darkness. He feels he doesn’t belong and is trying so hard to keep people at bay. he doesn’t want healers particularly Phaedra to heal him because than they will know what lies inside and this he fears. He fears losing everything he holds dear and that includes Phaedra. Even though he loves her with all his being he pushes her away to protect her. So sad.

In this story she pushes back though and we see them butt heads but also heal one another. Phaedra is one stubborn girl but she has a heart of gold. Her love for Lysander never wavers. I didn’t like how she reacted at the end but was glad Ares kicked her butt into reason and to see Lysander’s view.

Their story is heartbreaking and healing. To see the pain Lysander is going through and all he is dealing with tears at you. He is such a great character and so well developed. Phaedra does break through the barriers but it takes a lot and it is worth it. Both are in danger constantly in this book as they race to find the tyet of Ises and meet their enemy head on.

A heartbreaking and wonderful love story, danger abound that has you on the edge of yours seat and a book that shows how love and loyalty show a man he is more than the secrets inside him. That it doesn’t matter once known only the man he is does.

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋💋
Lysander and Phaedra , present day , are reincarnations Of Max and Cassiopeia ,from Rome in the year 310AD, they see their past lives in dreams and feel their emotions , love ,sadness terror , but they don’t understand where it will lead them .
They are made for each other , have been for over a 1000 years , and now they just need to sort out wether they believe it or not.
With the help of others in the Sicari , they search for the Tyet Of Isis , in the hopes of finding it before the Praetorians.
What they find is trouble , and pain both physical and mental, but together have a better chance at success.
A stunningly , emotional, enjoyable and addictive book/series .
I could not put this book down ,
I challenge any woman reading this not to fall for Lysander, tall blonde , brooding, damaged and in need of a good woman .
My hands up , I volunteer .
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

[Catherine Trooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good storyline

I really enjoyed the book. It was as much a suspense story, filled with action, and pleasure mixed in appropriately. It wasnt overwhelming, and it portrayed the extremes of an extreme lifestyle exceptionally well

[Donna Nalbandian Woerner Homschek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Must Read

An adventurous paranormal love story. A love so strong even two thousand years could not prevent them from being together.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/13/2021)! 🎁

[Danielle Schlottman · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Stephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Lysander Condellaire has never recovered from the wounds inflicted upon him a year ago. All damage was made worse when he learned that the very Praetorian who inflicted is wounds is also is father. After being rescued by his fellow Sicari, he pushes the one person he cares for most away in fear of what she will think of him. Now in present day Rome, he dreams of an ancient time that feels all too real and is the only place he can be with the woman he loves.

Phaedra DeLuca has spent the last year suffering in silence at the loss of Lysander. Being the Sicari's best healer, she is sent to Rome to help find an ancient artifact that must not fall into the hands of her enemies. While there she also has vivid dreams of another time. Both learn that these dreams may be the key to unlocking the location of the artifact they seek and their chance at redeeming their lost love.

The worst part of Lysander's torture was learning who is father is. After the shocking news, he sees himself as tainted and pushes Phaedra away from him in fear of what she would think if she ever found out. It really tugs at your emotions to read the thoughts that go through his mind and Phaedra's pain of being without Lysander. She knows their time spent in bed together was more than just physical need and is confused and hurt by his sudden rejection. A year later they are forced together on a mission that sends them looking for The Tyet of Isis. While in Rome both dream of Maximus and Cassiopeia, the first Sicari Lord and his wife. These glimpses into the past were both beautiful and heart breaking to read. Aside from helping them on their mission, the connection and feelings their past lives bring up helps to bring Lysander and Phaedra closer together.

Lysander is both frustrating and heroic (I've never wanted to hug and slap someone more than I did him) and Phaedra is caring and selfless in her healing. The relationship between Lysander and Phaedra is one of my favorites of the genre.

Aside from Lysander/Maximus and Phaedra/Cassiopeia's story, Atia (the Prima Consul aka the boss) has secrets of her own we are learning about. Her past relationship with Sicari Lord Marcus is coming to light and we learn the two have a painful history of their own. In Assassin's Honor Atia felt cold to me and just not a character I think I'd like. I can't say she is my favorite person now but her character gets more depth to it and her faults and secrets make her more feel normal. Also, the Praetorian are coming at the Sicari stronger than ever. They kill the male Sicari without mercy and do even worse things to the women. The Sicari have a rough road ahead and I look forward to being there for it all.

Monica Burns takes her already wonderful series to another level in Assassin's Heart. She truly does the Paranormal Romance genre justice. If you're a fan of romance, action, great world building and a bit of mystery and adventure then The Order of Sicari books are for you. Saying I'm excited for the next book in the series doesn't begin to cut it.

[Cid Tyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we just take a moment to collectively appreciate the cover?

I got this book as an advanced read, and I really intended to read it over at least two days – I really did! But then I started and I just couldn’t stop. If you liked Assassin’s Honor, you’ll love Assassin’s Heart.

The Setting -- deviates from the Chicago and New England setting of the previous book. Assassin’s Heart picks up with the search for the Tyet of Isis which began in earnest in Assassin’s Honor. The setting is in the heart of Rome, visiting many historical landmarks and brushing history its self. Because of the peculiar nature of the main set of characters in Assassin’s Heart several pieces of the story take place in the past, like in the days of the ancient Roman Empire past. The world of the Sicari is vivid and rich with history that makes you want to believe in it.

The Characters -- are, once again, phenomenal. Lysander piqued my curiosity in the first book and I was really excited when I learned that the second book featured him. The characters in Assassin’s Heart have a lot to overcome; brutal deaths, torture, inner demons and past pain. I liked how both of the characters experienced uncomfortable growth. Not only did they have to face some things they really would have preferred to never deal with, but they had to get over themselves and learn how to apologize and trust and work together. I’m probably completely biased too, because I liked Ares, but loved Lysander. I couldn’t help but feel for him.

The Plot -- picks up the search from the first book. The Assassin’s books really should be read in order because of the over arcing plot that spans the books. There is at play the constant struggle between Sicari and Praetorians. And then there are the stories of Lysander and Phe, and Atia and the Sicari Lord, long lost missing children, and secret loves! I like my romance books with plot and this one delivers a punch and jab! You cheer on the romance and bite your nails during the action. There’s this really awesome fight scene towards the end that I reread to get a really good minds-eye-view of what was going on; part of me wants a movie based on these books – because they’re that exciting, and movies these days just can’t hold a candle to some of the books I read.

Thank you Monica Burns. Can we fast forward to the release of the third book? I can’t wait to hear Cleo on paper again.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Assassin's Heart, not as much as Assassin's Honor but I still thought it was good!

Was it just me, or did anyone else find Assassin's Heart much more angsty than the first book? It could possibly be because I’ve just finished it but I’m unsure. And by angsty I mean the relationship between Lysander and Phaedra. It was so much back and forth, are we together are we not? What would be next to stop their relationship from moving forward, at one point I just had to put the book down because I was getting so frustrated with the back and forth of their relationship I needed a break!

The rest of the book however, was amazing. I wasn’t a big fan of how the book started, with Lysander’s torture scene and the death of his team but once that was over I really got into Assassin’s Heart. It was brilliantly written, the writing was one of the main things that kept me hooked with Assassin’s Heart, the other was the storyline. I loved the overall storyline, Lysander trying to deal with who his father was and what that meant for him and his relationship with Phaedra that he was trying to avoid. There was a secondary storyline within Assassin’s Heart featuring Atia, one of the heads of the Sicari Order and Marcus who is a Sicari Lord. They have a history which is mentioned but I’m not going to ruin it for you! But it’s so good, I enjoyed it just as much as the main story with Lysander and Phaedra.

Something else I enjoyed within the storyline, which added some interesting history about the Sicari and how they came into being was Lysander and Phaedra dreaming about their previous life as Maximus and Cassiopeia. It was great to have the idea of seeing Lysander and Phaedra in a previous life and them actually being happy together.

It was great to have Emma and Ares in Assassin’s Heart as I wasn’t sure they’d feature in another book with how Assassin’s Honor finished.

I really enjoyed the ending it was a tad bit predictable but I thought it was what Lysander needed to kick his ass into gear with Phaedra so there was no way either of them would doubt one of the others feelings again!

Overall Assassin’s Heart was a great read and I’m really looking forward to the next book sometime in the future!

[PepperP0t · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year ago, Praetorians captured and tortured a trio of Sicari warriors. Two of them to death, leaving Lysander Condellaire disfigured and escaped with a Sicari female healer. It's rare to survive a Praetorian torture session and Lysander, in danger of losing an eye and carrying scars where his skin was stripped, refuses help from Phaedra DeLuca, the most powerful Sicari healer.

Lysander decided he could bear his injuries better than letting Phaedra find out his father was the Praetorian that tortured him among other things. He decided to give up his lifelong desire of mating Phaedra and cruelly forced her away from his side. During the year since his rescue, Lysander has become temporary Legatus of the Sicari and avoided Phaedra when possible. It's no longer possible.

While a draw for this reader, Lysander and Phaedra's romance was one thread among many. Emma's clues summon many of Sicari to Rome, the seat of Praetorian power to find an artifact. Atia's past with the current Sicari Lord is teased out. Both Lysander and Phaedra are plagued with the same dreams of ancient Rome (yuck flashbacks!) plus un-translated Italian and Latin phrases kept things moving.

With so many threads one would think the outing would be too full. That isn't the case here. Everything fits nicely, including the requisite angst and recriminations of the rocky romance and the spilling of well kept secrets. The leads were great as well as the set-up for the next installment. The secondary characters are meaningful and do so much more than hold the leads hands throughout the read.

I liked but didn't love this outing the very necessary flashbacks and the un-translated phrases (could have been context explained) tended to dampen this reader's enjoyment and slow the pacing a bit. This is not a stand-alone read and many references are made to Assassin's Honor. Make no mistake this series is an undiscovered gem.
Rating: 4.5stars

[Spacklefritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars - not my cuppa tea

Well I liked the (apparently) ongoing plot in the books. I haven't read the previous ones, but the underlying story seems interesting, and the world rich. However, this was one of the most difficult books for me to read.

Why?

The total and complete angst-fest in this book. The main characters have angst, the side characters have angst, heck, even one of the villains suffers from bouts of angst. Now I know some people love angst, which is why I say this is not my cup of tea. I can handle it, in small to moderate doses, not in liberal amounts, and then some.

Then there's the relationship between the H/H every time we think okay, they're moving ahead in their relationship, oh no. Instead we find them moving, two steps backward. It got to the point where I was glazing over the words and waiting for the book to finish. This could have been remedied with a swift kick in the head to the Hero and Heroine of the story.

It should also be noted that this book is a part of a series and I would suggest that if you want to read this series, start from the first book. There's an ongoing story and as such, you may find yourself stumbling a bit, trying to figure out what's going on.

As I said before, the book isn't completely hopeless, I didn't feel a disconnect with the characters (despite wanting to throttle them), and I like the world building was good. I liked the parallel story of Cass and Maximus in ancient Rome. (See those two know how to work a relationship without the buckets of angst :P) Which can account for me rounding up to 3 stars.

Also I believe the reader would've benefited from a glossary of terms. just sayin'.

[Ida Plassay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!Captivating and a Page Turner!
Monica Burns can surely spin a sizzling spicy hot romance novel,vividly and with ease, leaving her fans begging for more.
In this Sicari novel; Phaedra and Lysander not only struggle through their many problems, making it difficut to share their ultimate need and unending love for each other, but also to believe they are the incarnate of Maximus and Cassiopeia of Ancient Rome,hoping and fighting against their same end result...of Cassiopeia dying by the dagger held by Maximus,preventing her from a slow agonizing excruciating painful death,of being burned alive, and Maximus wanting to die with her.
The love scenes between Phaedra and Lysander, or Maximus and Cassiopeia were very explicit,intriguing,seductive,steamy hot,and even explosive!

It's a must read!
I highly recommend it.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh where do I begin!
Well I have to say I liked this book much better than the first. Not that I didn't enjoy the first one, but I just love how there was soo much going on in this one and it made me want to keep reading to find out what was going to happen with all the characters!
We get to know Lysander much better in this book and why he looks and acts the way he does, and boy don't you just love him! I do!! I can't really explain this book because I have no idea how to summarize it lol, there is just so much that is going on, but loved it and I loved how there is a past life..ooo with who you say? Can't tell, read it!! (that was my favorite part of the book) If you liked the first book you'll love the second. I assume Monica Burns must be writing more to this series because it really makes you want more at the end!