Assassin's Dagger

Thirteen Realms: Thief of Souls #2

by Marina Finlayson

Most estranged fathers would send an email. Mine sends a zombie.

The infamous dagger known as the Thief of Souls is now mine. Its seductive power comes with a catch—the blade is determined to control me, and I’m losing the battle.

Ash wants to free me from its clutches. He’s an ice-cold fae assassin who bizarrely seems to care for me, but can I trust his motives? A little voice inside me is screaming yes, but I can’t even trust my own thoughts anymore.

So of course dear old Dad picks this moment to crawl out of whatever hole he’s been hiding in for the last five years. He’s a dangerous necromancer, and he wants the dagger, but maybe I can use him. Because he’s the key to what I want most in all the world—if I can bring myself to pay the price.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2020

About the author

Marina Finlayson is a reformed wedding organist who now writes fantasy. She is married and shares her Sydney home with three kids, a large collection of dragon statues and one very stupid dog with a death wish.

Reviews

[Kreela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I spent 50% of the book absolutely terrified for Sage, aka. The Serpent. I wanted to put the book down. I wanted to scream at her to examine why she was acting like an egotistical overlord. As the manager and leader of the Viper Assassins, she has to exhibit a sense of control and lack of caring, but the dagger she accepted just forces her into a manic servitude to it that I found frightening. It completely obliterated her own reasoning, and her friends rightfully either attempted to stop her or dispossess her.

In her epic insanity, she decides to take on the most difficult assassination in order to prove herself....then drops the ball and never actually attempts it. What she does instead is amusing: attack a dragon with her tiny dagger. That was special.

Sage gets lucky that her boyfriend Ash doesn't let her complete a kill. In addition, her Necromancer dad shows up and explains that he can bring her mother back. Sage reads between the lines and assumes that her mother would not come back as a decayed zombie, which he never stated. Sage assumes her dagger could do all the work, but that is the dagger's talk. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! It is heart-rendering.

I finally found some light. When Sage enters the pub in search of her friends, the inklings of loneliness and sound of music start to bring back her sanity. The garden in her old backyard also spark memories of love and happiness.

Ultimately, you can enjoy the action. I really enjoyed the interaction between Sage and Fallon. Both wanted what they could not have. He had come to some acceptance, and had developed some very creepy skills. But he seemed to have gone through the same stages that Sage is experiencing here. Although I think Necromancy is creepy and a testament to ripped and decaying power-trips, it really works in this story.

And this story seems to be redemptive at the end. Thank goodness.

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

How weird was my life? Less than two months ago, I’d been playing in a band with my fae friends, working at a real estate agent’s office during the day. I was half fae, but my magic had been so weak it was hardly worth mentioning—and now here I was, one of the most powerful people in all the Realms of Faerie. . . . It was a dream come true. Plus, I now killed people for a living.

Sage now has the powerful (and deadly) Thief of Souls, the dagger that makes her the new leader of the Night Vipers. She was a guitarist in a rock band and now leads a guild of assassins: how cool is that? I'm honestly impressed by that girl's resume.

The only thing is, the dagger can think on its own. Sage has to fight for control, which becomes harder as time flies.

I was fascinated by all the scenes where Sage communicates with the dagger. You can feel how hard she tries to overcome her doubts and fears, which makes her inner struggle even more real. I wished though that Sage were less naive. As the new leader of a guild of assassins, she can't be nice to everyone and needs to make difficult choices. Luckily, Ash is there for her.

I read Assassin's Dagger in a day. The story was captivating! I didn't want to let it go until the end—and then, I wanted the next book. Assassin's Bane can't come soon enough!

*The author kindly gave me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mrs. Garen L. Herd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Book two had loads of danger, and surprises. Sage is now head of the Vipers, the deadliest group of assassins. The dagger, known as the Thief of Souls, is digging it's claws deeper and deeper into her. She is so conflicted and confused that every time she tries to pull away, it uses her insecurities to draw her back. Then good old papa comes back on the scene with lies and promises. It took me awhile to get back into book 2, but don't give up, it gets better. Highly q.

[Jill Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I can’t wait for the next one! Marina Finlayson has created a fantastic but weirdly believable world of fae, changlings and humans. I love stepping into her world for a while - this book is full of intrigue, betrayal, friendship and love. I have read several of Marina’s books more than once and this will be no exception.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Continuation of the Seties

This book is the second in the second entry in the Theft of Souls series. We follow Sage in her journeys from trying to find the secret base of the Night Vipers assassins to her becoming the leader of the group. The story has many twists and turns and is exciting to follow.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another page turner but a grueling one! I was hoping we could move on to the next bit of plot quickly but it lasted for most of the book, knowing what was going to happen and watching it slowly and painfully play out. But I still love all the characters, the magic, and the overarching plot.

[Caprice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book in general although it was more difficult to read than the first one. I struggled to reconnect with MC, and because of total personality change I was moving slowly through the book. Anyway it's part of the story and I'll be waiting for the next book.