Assassin Queen

Majat Code #3

by Anna Kashina

Defeated by the Majat forces, Nimos and the other Kaddim Brothers retreat to their secret fortress in the southern mountains. Nimos knows that the Majat's victory is only temporary: during the flight, he managed to place a mark on Kara, one of the top-ranked Diamond Majat. His mind magic would now allow him to use this mark to confer her fighting skill to the Kaddim warriors and turn her loyalties to their side. The new Majat Guildmaster, Mai, is planning a march against the Kaddim. His key ally, Prince Kyth Dorn, is instrumental in these plans: Kyth's magic gift can protect the Majat against the Kaddim mind control powers. But Mai and Kyth are having trouble getting over their rivalry for Kara's affections--even after they realize that this rivalry is the least of their worries, at least for the moment. Something about Kara is not right...

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy

528 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2016

About the author

Anna Kashina is a critically acclaimed award-winning author of “The Majat Code” series, featuring adventure, swordplay, intrigue, and romance in a historical fantasy setting. She is the author of the official novelization of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, a bestselling video game by Nihon Falcom Co.

Awards: 2015 Prism Award (Fantasy, and "Best of the Best" grand prize), Locus Award Nominee, 2013 ForeWord Book of the Year (IndieFab) Award, 2014 Independent Publishers Book Award (IPPY).

Reviews

[Viking Jam · Rating 1 out of 5]

https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/04/2...

Publisher: Angry Robot

Publishing Date: June 2016

ISBN:9780857666079

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 1.2/5

Publishers Description: Defeated by the Majat forces, Nimos and the other Kaddim Brothers retreat to their secret fortress in the southern mountains. Nimos knows that the Majat’s victory is only temporary: during the flight, he managed to place a mark on Kara, one of the top-ranked Diamond Majat. His mind magic would now allow him to use this mark to confer her fighting skill to the Kaddim warriors and turn her loyalties to their side.

Review: In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Kara is extra super speshul. Not only can she kick anyone’s ass and yearn for that man-stink that smells like a pine forest but go from kaddim possessed doucheling to QUEEN ALJIHARA!! See, she has a mark on her neck that just happens to signify she is royalty and…. and she got captured by the usurping queenie and she looks like the twin of her assassinated mom queenie and she was stolen at birth and raised by the assassins guild and…. and one time at band camp.

Besides the stilted prose, wounded story line and juvenile situations our phrasing friends are back to expedite the scenes. “Shiver”, “shivered” and “shivering” down backs and spines (20x) and bodies was used 40x. Blushed, blushed and blushing – 34x and “chilled”, “chill” or “chilling” 18x. There is still this remnant love triangle but Prince d-bag is ok with it now that he got laid in a tent with a gurl. Mai/Kai (cause all the YA novels use Kai as the man hunk) is always looking stern or his eyes go soft or they turn to steel or his manly chiseled chest/crotch has Kara’s head buried in it. I could go on but refuse to keep thinking about this book

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This joint review was originally published at The Book Pushers

Reviewed by E and Marlene

E: I absolutely fell in love with this series and Kashina’s writing with the first installment of the Majat Code that I reviewed with Marlene. We both enjoyed it and subsequently reviewed the second book as well. It was a very happy day in my life when I received an email from Marlene telling me that Assassin Queen was available for review. I think I about broke my fingers typing my reply and then requesting the book. I have to admit I was slightly worried despite my excitement when I started this story because the main protagonists were divided amongst themselves and I knew if they didn’t manage to work together things would be extremely bleak. Thankfully Kashina matured her characters throughout this story so I thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience.

Marlene: Well, technically, we reviewed Blades of the Old Empire separately and The Guild of Assassins together, but the point is that we both fell in love with these characters and this world. When last we left our heroes at the end of The Guild of Assassins it was obvious that there had to be more story, but that story was not in sight. When Assassin Queen finally popped up on Netgalley, I couldn’t type fast enough either, telling E that it was finally here!

I too was more than slightly worried at the beginning of Assassin Queen. Just when we thought our friends were out of the woods, they were instantly back in the thick of a whole lot of bad stuff. I felt so terrible about more and awfuller things happening to our protagonists that I skipped to the end just to make sure things were going to turn out all right.

E: Assassin Queen started off without really letting up any of the tension from the previous book. In fact when I found out what the Kaddim Brothers were plotting I became even more concerned because they could capitalize on the split between the protagonists and gain additional advantages. Seeing how Mai, Kyth, and Kara planned to counteract the Kaddim relieved some of my tension but it was still a precarious plan with so much depending on them. I think each time I started to relax a new twist was introduced so by the time things came to a head it took me a while to uncurl my fingers from around my e-reader.

Marlene: Assassin Queen starts out at one of those, “things are always darkest just before they turn completely black” moments. It reminded me of Sam and Frodo at the beginning of The Return of the King. Sam fears that he has to carry the burden alone, only to discover that YAY! Frodo is still alive and BOO! he’s a prisoner of the Orcs.

While Mai, Kyth and Kara have a battle plan, they also have to deal with one of the most insidious plots ever on the part of the evil Kaddim Brothers. And it’s the sort of evil turn that exploits all of the aching fissures in the relationship between Mai, Kyth and Kara, as well as the tenuous hold both Mai and Kyth have on their powers and alliances. It was an evil genius plan of the highest order, and instantly succeeded in driving everyone to the breaking point.

E: One of the things I really enjoyed about this series is how the characters struggle, grow, falter, regroup, and still keep pushing forward to what they believe in. They all had to accept a personal weakness and then figure out a way of counteracting it while trusting in each other. Some of their earlier relationships helped the transition while others made it seem almost impossible. The fact that none of the characters were perfect or the “Chosen One” made Assassin Queen and this trilogy extremely enjoyable.

Marlene: E is so right. One of the great things about this series is that there is no chosen one. While it could be claimed that there is a Chosen Three, none of our heroes see themselves as fated, and neither does anyone around them. In fact, the one time one of them gets near that precipice, they reject the idea and everything it stands for. They question themselves and each other all the time.

One of the biggest weaknesses in their little circle was just that, the circle. Kara nearly had a relationship with Kyth, but then turned to Mai. Mai and Kyth are just young enough to get close to a pissing contest over Kara, but never quite fall over the edge. And there is no dreaded romantic triangle, thank dog. Kara was attracted to Kyth, but fell for Mai and never looked back. Not even when that looking back was nearly forced upon her.

E: As much as I enjoyed the action, tension, and worrying about if/how the world was going to remain free from Kaddim domination, I also really enjoyed how the romantic tension was handled. As a reader I wasn’t left feeling that anyone got the short end of the stick or was left out which is something I valued because I liked all of them. While Kashina tied up the major plot threads, a few of her scenes have left me hoping she will write some novellas in this same world or even go back and write more full-length novels focusing on different aspects.

Marlene: All of the big loose ends from the previous stories, as well as the ones that came up in this story, were marvelously resolved. We are left with a definite feeling that this chapter is over, while at the same time know that evil is never completely vanquished – it always lies dormant for a time, then crawls out of the shadows to strike again.

E: Assassin Queen was a great conclusion to a very exciting trilogy. It was well worth the wait between releases and I think this series will be one on my reread list. I found the characters, the world, and how everything unfolded captivating. I will continue to check on Kashina in hopes of whatever her next release will be.

I give Assassin Queen an A.

Marlene: I absolutely agree. Assassin Queen was a terrific conclusion to an epic trilogy. As much as I hated to wait for the final volume, the ending was well worth waiting for. As the author discussed in yesterday’s guest post, it was lovely to read a series where the heroes could come of age without killing all off all the mentor figures. The author provided plenty of emotional heft in the story without orphaning the cast entire. And the political machinations at the end made for the perfect way to wind down the action and the story. I definitely look forward to more and even greater stories from Kashina.

I also give Assassin Queen an A for Awesome.

[Isis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Angry Robot & NetGalley for a copy of this e-ARC to review. While I received this ebook for free, that has no impact upon the honesty of my review.


Goodreads Teaser: "Defeated by the Majat forces, Nimos and the other Kaddim Brothers retreat to their secret fortress in the southern mountains. Nimos knows that the Majat's victory is only temporary: during the fight he managed to place a mark on Kara, one of the top-ranked Diamond Majat. His mind magic would now allow him to use this mark to confer her fighting skill to the Kaddim Warriors and turn her loyalties to their side.

The new Majat Guildmaster, Kai, is planning a march against the Kaddim. His key ally, Prince Kyth Dorn, is instrumental in these plans: Kyth's Magic gift can protect the Majat against the Kaddim mind control powers. But Mai and Kyth are having trouble getting over their rivalry for Kara's affections -- even after they realize that this rivalry is the least of their worries, at least for the moment. Something about Kara is not right.. "


As the final book in this trilogy, it still had a fair bit of ground to cover if everything was going to be resolved by the end. I'm happy to say that not only was everything resolved, plenty more happened than I had anticipated. A bunch of it good, but one issue really rubbed me the wrong way. Doubtless others will love the same thing that bogged me, but then that's the joy of reading and immersing yourself into other worlds.

So we return to Kara, Mai, and Kyth as the central figures, but several others played increasingly larger roles, or were introduced as already large characters we'd not yet truly encountered. While Mai and Kyth grew as people, I was rather disappointed in Kara. Granted she was under tremendous strain much of the time, but she was such a pessimist throughout. I don't really remember her as being like that in the prior books. And she tends to get weepy a fair bit. So she went from an ass-kicking warrior to a weepy, but still dangerous woman? Not really my idea of personal growth. Yes she let Mai in when she fell in love, as yes she'd been trained never to love anyone. So she's in love and suddenly a weepy mess that is always only feeling she can truly relax when leaning into Mai??? Yet he too breaks the rules and falls for her. Does he breakdown into a sniveling mess when things get tough? Of course not. In fact his lot just gets harder and harder, and sure he gets snarly and surly sometimes, but he never just bursts out crying. So why is it that Kara does? They have the same training, the same upbringing, are facing many of the same challenges - so why make the formerly ass-kicking female into a sniffling potentially ass-kicking female?

That aside, the changes we see in Kyth in particular are pleasantly surprising. He really comes into his own and finds himself. In short, he grows up. Sure he had lots of help, some outright such as his training from Lady Ayalla, and some more subtle like the support and admiration of the Lady Celana. While he does become increasingly more powerful he also learns when he needs help and to gracefully accept it.

Mai remains much the same. If anything he just grows ever more cocky and confident. As his swagger is backed up by ability his attitude kind of goes unchecked. Thankfully he seems to have enough inner maturity to deal with himself before spiraling out of control. So yeah, as I write this my earlier rant comes back to me from a slightly different angle. Out of this couple why did the author elect to make the male protagonist so much stronger than the female? Physically, mentally, basically in every aspect he's more in control than she is. Even in a matriarchal society, a queendom where the males are the consorts/concubines, a place where Kara is handed all the power simply by being female - and still Mai is the one holding all the power, from beginning to end.

Why did I have to lose almost all my prior respect for Kara? Sorry, it seems I can't stay off the topic, so I guess it annoyed me far more than I consciously knew until actually writing this review. Because I finished the book pretty much satisfied and only mildly annoyed, but in the short course of consolidating my thoughts to review the book my annoyance level only increased. I suppose that can be considered a good sign, because it must mean I was invested in her character enough to find these changes so disturbing. And they are disturbing, not just for the character but for what it says to me about how the author thinks people view women.

Overall I liked the story. With pretty much nonstop action, even in places where there was very little actual action there was still action. Emotional, planning, scheming, dreaming - something was always happening. And as I said before, the characters grew up and into themselves. Sadly there is obviously a large flaw for me. But it may not be so for other readers, and it certainly shouldn't stop you from finishing this series. Or from finding out how it ends! Originally I was going to give this a solid 4 stars, but now I'm down to 3 stars for the possibly unconscious message embedded in this story.
*Sigh* I think I preferred my blissfully unawakened state.

[Jeffrey Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't review the previous book in the series even though that one was a bit better than the first and third, in my opinion.

The third book suffers from the same overall issue as the rest of the series. The writing is not particularly complex and puts one in mind of a young adult novel except for the sexual themes woven throughout the book. This volume in particular cranks that up as a good portion of the story takes place in a matriarchal society where marriage is a loose to nonexistent concept and no one is shy about their physical desires.

Apart from that the themes remain the same. Readers familiar with fantasy tropes will recognize where the story is going long before it gets there, so one is reading to find out HOW things will happen rather than what will happen. This wasn't as much of a problem in the second volume because so much of the story dealt with the Majat and their code. Since this environment was alien to the reader, the how was extremely opaque, so reading had the rewards of more worldbuilding information, something still lacking in the series.

This volume returns to the form of the first novel, where stereotypical fantasy settings and organizations abound, as do the behaviors of most of the characters. Also, it would help if it were made more explicit that The First Sword is a prequel volume to the series. While it doesn't handicap things, many references to character backstories are made only briefly - helpful enough to someone who knows the characters and events from the previous book, but not enough for a new reader. The character of Alder in particular gets sidelined a lot in these books yet has close relationships with Kyth and Ellah that are drawn on a lot. For example, the fact of them being separated at points is mentioned as significant, but very little interaction is shown to suggest the level of their friendship or bond.

In all this is not a bad series; I enjoyed reading each book and found myself reading past my "alotted time" on occasion to find a break point in the story. Like I said, this would be very accessible as a young adult series apart from the sex scenes, which are explicit if not totally graphic. I feel like mature younger readers could deal with them, and the protagonists involved are all of an age where it wouldn't be an issue, but US YA fiction in particular tends to avoid the content most of the time.

[Debra Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible final book to the Majat Code series! With heart-pounding suspense and so many twists and turns, the Guildmaster Mai, along with his ally Prince Kyth Dorn, leads an army to defeat the evil Kaddim, all the while trying to keep his beloved Kara from descending into madness from a Kaddim mind link and turning on everyone she loves.

It was refreshing to see a strong female lead character and even when Kara is showing her softer side to her lover Mai, there is still an element of danger about her. She's a diamond ranked Majat assassin and she's always on guard. Ms. Kashina does a spectacular job letting the reader into Kara's mind as she fights the Kaddim mind link and Mai's character holds such a depth to it, one could not help but fall in love with him. He's the Guildmaster, the highest ranking Majat and yet, he must also try to temper his actions regarding Kara as she becomes more and more linked with the Kaddim. The struggle he faces would surely tear a lesser man apart.

There are quite a few surprises along the way and I could hardly read fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. The ending was fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed this final book and fans of fantasy will definitely have a new series to devour. Highly Recommended.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the key players are here in the final book of the Majat Code. Kara has been marked in the last battle with the Kaddim Brothers and that is at the heart of this final battle. That mark can turn her to the other side and there does not seem to be any way to stop that from happening. I loved how every character on the good side worked so hard to win that final battle and how everything turned out to be for the best for every characters. There is a lot of action, tension and danger in the book. It all weaves into a wonderful ending for everyone. Start at the beginning for maximum enjoyment of this interesting and different series.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó este libro más que el primero ya que el primero para mi estaba un poco aburrido. Pero este libro me encantó, Mai la protege mucho. Hace todo lo posible por cuidarla y protegerla y tiene mucha en ella. Por favor lean estas series. Y por si alguien es como yo que les gustan un final feliz, con este final no van estar tristes.

[Christine H Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the lot

This is the best book of the series and was definitely worth reading. Overall, I enjoyed the series even if the second book left much to be desired. This book has some irritating typos towards the end as if the editors gave up before finishing it. Much of the plot is expected and you aren’t surprised by any of it except maybe the ending. A worthwhile read.

[Keith Karr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooked!

What a great ending to the series. I couldn't stop reading all the way through. Pretty much your happy ending all the way around.

[Núria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyble

[Star Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This week we have the final novel of the "Majat Code" trilogy. I previously reviewed the first and second novels and have read a short companion novella as well. Some may recall me raving about the first novel and being slightly disappointed about the turn of the second novel. The novella was more in tune with Blades of the Old Empire and added to the hype for The Guild of Assassins. So with the letdown from the latter book, why did I get the third? More importantly, how did I feel about it?

Redeemed and exacerbated. How can you feel both of those at once? That is the mystery of the third novel of the "Majat Code." There were some extremely awesome, butt-kicking scenes reminiscent of "Blades," and the romance from "Guild" was still included. I was excited and disappointed at the same time reading this book. I can easily say I have never read anything with that emotion set previously.

The plot devices were mostly formulaic, but a couple of instances just really threw me off my guard. Many times, characters would monologue for pages while I had already figured out the decision. There were no completely-did-not-see-that-coming moments, more wow-she-really-went-there-with-that moments. When I was lagging in my reading, one of these moments would come up. Then, five chapters later I realized I was supposed to stop reading an hour ago.

The final estimation of this book: just read it for yourself. The experience will boggle your mind. It truly was a great way to end the series. Despite the down moments and some pet peeves on writing style, I found it hard to break from reading. It was a unique reading experience and I recommend everyone else try it for themselves. I feel that the uniqueness will include incredibly varying opinions for decades to come.

Visit Angry Robot Books for more information, author interviews, and where to find your own copy. Assassin Queen publishes June 2, 2016.

[Keira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful series!!! I have been waiting for book 3 for almost 2 years, and it lived up to, and exceeded my expectations! I love the characters and the way they all found themselves in such different ways. And yes, the Queendom of Shayil Yara is just priceless! This book provides a great conclusion to the series, although I would love to see more of the Majat Code books in the future!

For newbies coming into this series, this book can be enjoyed on its own, since it provides all the necessary background, but I highly recommend starting with "Blades of the Old Empire" -- or, if you are heavily into romance, you can also hop in at "The Guild of Assassins" stage. If you don't, you will want to go back to those books, guaranteed.

[J.M. Sidorova · Rating 4 out of 5]

It isn’t about love – but it is! But it isn't! Fantasy romance and battle arts are not just blended together but one justifies another in the plot of this last book of the trilogy, just as in the previous two books. Kashina succeeds marvelously in putting her characters in situations that are both seductive, sensuous -- and absolutely critical in propelling the action in a fight of good guys against the (very) bad guys. The reader will enjoy another immersion into the world of the Majat and their enemies, where pressure points can also be points of sensual pleasure, swordplay is foreplay, a kiss can be a debilitating blow, and relationships are settled on the battlefield.

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Assassin Queen is a thrilling, highly satisfactory conclusion to Anna Kashina's Majat Code trilogy I absolutely love. In this book, my favorite characters come together for one last battle against the evil Kaddim Brotherhood, which will test their limits in every possible way. Expect cliffhangers, unexpected twists and turns, and some very good romance in this action packed adventure that left me breathless!

[Effie Eshel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well told story

Anna Kashina created a very interesting world and told a story that is well worth the effort. The story of Kara, Mai , Kyth and the other characters is developed through the four books in an interesting way that kept me reading with joy.
Good work that unlike many others I read will be remembered.
Thanks A K.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story. I won this in a contest and I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5

Mai has become the new Majat Guildmaster. After the Majat victory against the Kaddim, Mai plans to follow the Kaddim to their camp to finish them. Kara is a Diamond Majat - one of the best warriors ever. Kara and Mai are deeply in love but protocol between a Guildmaster and a Majat is strict regarding what they are permitted to do. But right now Kara has another problem... during the combat, one of the Kaddim placed a 'mark' on Kara allowing him to affect her fighting prowess and listen in to what Kara hears. The one person who can help Kara also has feelings for her and helping her would help his rival, Mai.

I read the first two books in this series (see the review for book one here, and book two here) and started out really enjoying these characters and this world. But the second book took a turn and was as much about the romance dance between our main characters as it was about the skills of the Majat. But there was still some wicked scenes of combat that were really exciting and kept the book flowing. But I could sense the change.

And now the change is even more obvious. This book becomes much more of a romance than an epic fantasy story.

My biggest issue with this change is the change in characterization. Kara, our main protagonist (alongside Mai) becomes more of a teenage girl with desires and faults than the supremely trained warrior that first fought alongside Mai.

This first became obvious when the Kaddim ability to infiltrate Kara's thinking interrupted her during a fight. She says, to herself, "It's the Kaddim. They can disable me in a fight. There was no way in hell she was going to say this out loud. If she did, it would make it all true." But most of the fights hinge on Kara and prowess. Rather than being the leader that she has been through the two previous books, she jeopardizes the entire Majat forces because of her pride.

A whole section of the book revolves around a meeting with another group whom the Majat hopes to join forces with to defeat the Kaddim. This group, led by women, require a 'swapping' of people for sexual gratification. This alone felt like a throwback to John Norman's "Gor" series, though with the roles lightly reversed. Nothing is explicit, but the dance around the connubial relations is obvious. Certainly obvious enough to make the warrior Kara blush:

Kara averted her gaze. She knew she should be used to women ogling Mai by now, but the idea that he would be propositioned by women used to getting what they want and not in the least bit shy about it still did not sit well with her.

...

Ulhari turned to Kara. "You've been intimate with the Majat Guildmaster?"
"Yes." Try as she might, Kara couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"I did." Kara felt hot now, despite the cool evening wind wafting through the tent.
Ulhari leaned forward and patted her arm. "Good for you. Things like this make me wish I was younger, still able to chase after men I took fancy to."

Although I was hesitant to begin the series, I found that I really enjoyed the first book and looked forward to reading the series. But I grew disappointed with the turn the series took (at least the turn I observed) and I end the trilogy feeling betrayed. I was not expecting to read a YA romance/fantasy, but that's what I got.

Looking for a good book? Assassin Queen is the third book in the Majat Code series by Anna Kashina and is much more a YA romance than an epic fantasy that the first book set up.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Franki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lot of surprise, lot of intrigue, i like the characters and the story is interesting until the end.