The Assassin

by Lyz Russo

"Remember who you are!"

His sister died with those words on her lips.
Something sinister lurks in his psyche.
Something that loves killing.
Can he complete his mission
without selling out to this entity?

The voyage of the Solar Wind continues...

Two data capsules tell an evil story. Both the Unicate and the Rebellion want those capsules - but they are in the possession of Radomir Lascek of the Solar Wind. Hunted by both these forces, Lascek scrambles to keep his Solar Wind alive. But things explode in his face, and he is forced to move. Shattered, Lascek launches his own Master Plan – too early.

Professional Review (1):

Readers already familiar with the remarkable Solar Wind schooner, her ‘pirate’ crew, and her twisted world of the future, will expect the constant surprises and puzzles which leap from the pages. Those not, will soon find their sea-legs and adapt to the writing style which, without using first person narration, changes to the point of view of main characters in each scene.

Amidst intrigues and treachery aboard, it comes to light that the evil Unicate regime has extremist factions whose fanatical leaders are threatening the very safety of the planet. Assassination seems the only solution - and there is a trained assassin aboard. This Assassin needs help from someone as protection from a dangerous other-self, and from other people for part of the task. Who fills these roles is part of the delight.

As the story develops, emotional entanglements and youthful indiscretions provide further complications. Teenagers and young adults alike show typically impulsive behaviour, threatening not only individual safety but the very success of the vital missions.

As happened in the first novel, mysteries frequently arise and solutions to some emerge; others remain to provide future threads. Action is not limited to elimination of individual baddies, either. There are some pitched battles. This makes it sound like a violent book, but the author handles such scenes with a sensitivity suited to younger readers; yet with enough realism to satisfy adult ones.

Overall, this is the sort of book – and series – which one wants to re-read in order to enjoy the parts one breathlessly skimmed over the first time. Dialogue is good. In between action scenes one breathes a sigh of relief and enjoys humorous situations or a ‘ceilidh’ break as much as do the crew. Imagination never flags.

Bad points? I’ll come back to you if I think of any.
(Review by Leslie Hyla Winton Noble, as printed in the Rekord East newspaper, Pretoria, February 2011)

Reader's

"An exhilerating fast-paced tale"

An exhilarating fast paced tale that keeps you glued to each page from beginning to end.

Again we meet all our old friends from the Solar Wind in an adventure of a different sort, testing friendship and trust. I recommend “The Assassin” to anyone who wishes to escape to an exciting life at sea with some of the most diverse and interesting characters.

(Ruthven Frylinck – Reader; posted on Lulu.com, 2011)

556 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 19, 2011

About the author

Peeps, sorry - the first "Solar Wind" book is not entirely free any longer. It is still deeply discounted at only $1 on Smashwords though. That won't break the bank.

Here's the link:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Grab yours while this lasts. The sequels come in at $4.95 - those are big books, folks. Immersive, escapist. If you liked the first, you'll love the others.

Or feel free to help yourself to a shortstory from here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/byse...

Enjoy!!

(Footnote: I have not yet started writing again. Once my life has stabilized, once I have kept a number of commitments, then... I'll write again. Maybe 2 more years.)