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Back Cover Blurb
The third best assassin. A second rate mercenary crew. One terrifying demon.
As Sharaam crumbles under siege, a mercenary crew hires an assassin to kill the king. For Tash, it's a chance at glory - to be the best blade in the dark Sharaam has ever known. For Pitt, it's a way to get his cutthroat crew past the Tsarii siege and out of this hellhole, maybe even with some gold to their name. For Iananr the Bound One, it's a dream of shadows and human blood.
Review
Let me start off by saying I am not usually a fan of novellas. I would much rather sit down with a nice meaty tome of 500 pages or more as a reader (don't ask me why it's just always been my preference). But when it's a novella that is authored by two of my favorite writers in the genre, Michael R. Fletcher and Anna Smith Spark, well let's just say I'll make an exception. Mostly because I know they are going to pack a ton of story and action into that economy of pages. And IN THE SHADOW OF THEIR DYING did just that and more.
A brief warning to anyone who decides to give this one a go - it's bloody, violent, and well just flat-out bloody violent. But I expect no less when these two brilliant dark fantasy authors converge. So just be prepared as you embark on this journey, it's Grimdark AF and not a feel-good tale. What it is though is an absolute whirlwind of a story that involves an assassination plot set smack dab in the middle of the sacking and siege of a city. So there's a lot going on and none of it is depicted in a half-hearted way, it's all pedal to the floor with furiously quick-hitting alternating chapters that fly by in the blink of an eye due to the unbelievably engaging characters and setting.
This really is a cool way to tell a story, there's almost a ticking clock the entire time as the hunter is also being hunted (in this case by a pretty vile demon). Whose mission will prevail is the big question and what ramifications will that have to everything that is going on around them? Very intriguing questions and on the way to getting that answer Fletcher and Smith Spark hit you in the face with intense battles and treachery that is of the lowest and most vile. My only complaint is that it wasn't a few hundred pages more so that I could bask further in this world and among these characters.
In the end I walked away from this having an even bigger appreciation for how gifted both of these authors are at storytelling. I also couldn't really tell which sections of the book were written by which author (believe me I tried), it was all rather seamless and felt like one wonderfully cohesive story. I highly recommend IN THE SHADOW OF THEIR DYING if you are looking for a shorter fantasy read that still packs an incredible punch when it comes to an amazing plot. So pull up a stool at the legendary and notoriously shady Dripping Bucket Tavern and get ready to be dazzled by two masters at the height of their craft right now. This one will rarely give you an opportunity to take a breath.
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