Death Sworn audiobook

"She might be about to die, but she didn’t have to do it cowering." 3 1/2 stars. I must admit - I didn't really expect to like Death Sworn. I've had my eye on it for a while but many of my GR friends didn't like it, especially with the limited world-building.And I have to say that it doesn't fit into what I would normally expect from YA fantasy. There are certain elements of the genre that pop up again and again, and we expect them in order to consider the book "good" - kingdom/empire in peril, or reclaiming of a kingdom, magic (banned or otherwise), rich world-building that paints a vivid picture of this foreign land - and Death Sworn doesn't really meet our expectations of the genre.Weirdly, though, that's exactly why I liked it. I liked the unusually small scope of the novel - indeed, the whole story takes place in an underground cave and we see nothing of the outside world. I liked how it felt more like a murder mystery with magic than every other YA fantasy out there.Most of all, however, I loved Ileni. I thought she was a fantastic protagonist - smart, cynical, resourceful, but also flawed and human. So many fantasy heroines these days feel like snark-wielding cardboard cutouts. But Ileni was relatable, as well as badass. And I love the scene where she gets drunk and makes a fool of herself.Ileni is a sorceress but her magic has slowly been failing her. When the Elders of her village send her to be a magic tutor to secret assassins, Ileni knows it's because she's expendable. After all, the last two tutors died under mysterious circumstances. She must be careful to hide her failing powers, stay alive, and also discover what really happened to the two previous tutors before her time runs out.In this strange underground academy, many of the characters are strong and developed in interesting ways, even the ones that appear briefly. There is a budding romance, of course, but there is absolutely no instalove and the characters know that other things are far more important than romantic relationships.Given the ending, I'm expecting more world-building and a better explanation of the magic system in the next book. There will be no more excuses for it. However, I enjoyed Death Sworn very much and I LOVE the ending. I didn't guess the answers AND that whole second-to-last scene was perfection.I look forward to following Ileni into Death Marked.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Pinterest

Oh wow, this was surprisingly fun! This is definitely an under hyped series. I'm crossing fingers for the next book (full review to come soon..)

This was SO good!!!! I am so sad I waited a year after buying it to read it!! Death and peril and an uber protective (overly protective) assassin....what more could a girl ask for???RTC!For more of my reviews, please visit:

More people should be reading Leah's books.

I'm a little torn by this book, but not in the way you might think. It's very, very good on so many levels. The plot is tight with well-planned twists (that still hang together once revealed). The characters are fully realized and have strong motivations with deep undercurrents. And the romance unfolds with a beauty only really possible in contrast to the devastation surrounding it.We pick up with Ilena in the throes of a crisis of despair. She has lost the thing most important to her—her magical power. She has taken it for granted all her life as she trained in its use for she is the most powerful mage of her generation. When it begins to fade (and in such a way that her people know to be irreversible and that will eventually be complete), she has nothing left but to accept a life sentence as the tutor for her people's uneasy allies, the assassins.These two groups (the mages and assassins) are united only in their fear and condemnation of the Empire they both fled hundreds of years ago. We learn only enough to know that their fear is warranted and that their condemnation is just. Ilena is horrified by the willingness of these assassins to both kill and to die for their cause. They are truly fanatical and that is a scary thing to face. At the same time, she has to acknowledge that her own people are pretty useless, for all their power and their promises to "return" to their rightful homes.The discussion about killing, justice, and the "greater good" are sharp and deftly contrasted in a way that manages to avoid seeming either didactic or tacked on or like simple exposition. It also avoids easy answers of simple polemics. And it is, in fact, central to just about every aspect of the novel with so much hanging on the belief and conviction of those engaged in the fight. It has almost a Whedonesque aspect to it in that people are fighting an overwhelming evil and the price is steep but convincingly necessary.Which makes the ending so poignant that it almost hurts. Indeed, it only becomes clear how very tightly woven the moral, political, action, and even character relationships are at the very end when they all come together with Ilena taking all these elements that have been pushing at her all this time and forging her own path from them. That she does so in a way that is both surprising and deeply right was a great payoff for a journey that was interesting in its own right but made so much better by its completion.So why am I torn? Because the ending, for all its beauty and rightness, is an uncomfortable one and Soren and Ilena have a tough journey ahead of them with no real comfort or surcease in sight. It isn't anything so crass as a cliffhanger, but it's definitely not "happy", either. And I like me my happy endings. Which means that for all my admiration of the novel (and for the artistry and talent of Leah Cypess), I'm not sure I can handle continuing in the series. I really enjoy Ilena. And her courage in the face of truly hard choices (including some choices that others will find pretty controversial) is truly admirable. But I see a lot of pain in her future and I'm not sure it's worth wading through that just to spend more time with her.

Reading DEATH SWORN made me remember the experience, as a teenager, of first discovering Meredith Ann Pierce's DARKANGEL, Robin McKinley's THE BLUE SWORD and Patricia McKillip's THE CHANGELING SEA - in other words, the first YA high fantasies that I fell head over heels in love with, that completely sucked me in and filled me with a sense of magic. I felt the same way all over again as I sank into DEATH SWORN, which is utterly absorbing, eerily romantic, and deeply, deeply magical.In a reverse of the "Chosen One" theme, Ileni, the heroine of DEATH SWORN, *used* to be the most powerful sorceress of her generation - but now she's losing all her magic, and having to come to terms with her new life as a horrifyingly "ordinary" person - finding a reason to live even when her power has been yanked away from her and she's lost all of her self-definitions. I loved, loved, loved the course of her emotional struggle - and it's coming at the worst possible time for her, as she's just been sent to tutor a group of deadly assassins, and their last two magic tutors have both been murdered. This is the one time she needs to act - and to be - as powerful and intimidating as possible, but it's the time she feels the weakest inside. Watching Ileni fight for a new definition of strength is amazing, the setting is incredibly rich and absorbing, the twists and turns of the plot are fantastic - and ohhh, is the romance fun! Ileni's star-crossed romance is just a minor subplot in the book, but it works so well - the chemistry between them is incredibly hot, but the roadblocks to their happiness are also very real. I loved the fact that when she and her romantic interest fight over big moral principles, although they have diametrically opposing opinions and worldviews, they both make sense - they're both smart people with good reasons for feeling and thinking the way they do.I devoured this book in a day, absolutely loved it...and, although it stands alone beautifully, I cannot WAIT to read the sequel!!!

3,5 PunkteGegen Ende hat es leider stetig abgebaut und der Schluss hinterlässt einen bitteren Nachgeschmack.https://martinabookaholic.wordpress.c...Meine Gedanken zum Buch:Das Buch war ein absoluter Cover-Kauf, aber auch die Inhaltsangabe versprach geballte Action und Nervenkitzel. Zum Teil habe ich das auch bekommen, aber eben nicht ganz.Irgendwie habe ich mir eine stärkere Protagonistin vorgestellt, auch obwohl es ein Jugendbuch ist und die Charaktere erst so um die 17 herum angesiedelt sind. Doch Ileni ist eher so ein Märtyrer-Mädchen, das sich mit ihrem Schicksal, ihrem womöglich baldigen Tod bereits abgefunden hat – nein, ihn sogar erwartet. Was sie in den Augen der anderen, in den Augen der Assassine, in deren Höhle sie sich begibt, mutig und furchtlos erscheinen lässt. Doch in meinen Augen hat sie einfach aufgegeben, was ich etwas schade fand. Ich hätte mir mehr Kampfgeist, mehr Elan und vieles mehr gewünscht, doch Ileni war ein eher bedrückender Charakter. Dennoch ist sie mit den Aufgaben und bei der Auflösung rund um die Geheimnisse in der Assassinen-Höhle gewachsen.Sie wurde dorthin geschickt, um einerseits die Assassine in der Magie zu unterrichten und andererseits, um im Geheimen die Tode ihrer Vorgänger aufzuklären. Ihr zur Seite steht der junge, aber immer unter Spannung stehende, gehorsame Sorin, der bald nicht nur ihr Aufpasser ist, sondern mehr wird. Diese Entwicklung war absehbar :p, aber war auch genau richtig und das hätte man ehrlich gesagt noch viel mehr ausbauen können. Daher war mir persönlich die Liebesgeschichte viel zu kurz und zu nebensächlich geraten, aber meine Hoffnungen bauen sich hier auf den zweiten Band, auch wenn ich gehört habe, dass es dort leider nicht besser werden soll.Die Handlung selbst und die Grundstruktur der Welt war zu Beginn ganz gut erklärt, aber um ehrlich zu sein, sind mir noch einige Fragen und Strukturen zu wenig erläutert, beantwortet worden, was es schwer macht, diese Welt wirklich zu greifen, ganz verstehen zu können. Es wirkt eher so, als hätte man einen Teil davon zu sehen bekommen, und der Rest liegt nach wie vor im Dunkeln. Aber da noch ein weiterer Band folgt, bin ich zuversichtlich dort noch einen besseren Einblick zu bekommen.Das Ende hat für mich einen etwas bitteren Nachgeschmack hinterlassen, da es genauso geendet hat, wie es sich für mich einfach nicht richtig anfühlt. Aber ich hoffe, ich hoffe, dass sich das alles noch auflösen und gut enden wird. Ich will man Happy End, aber sowas von! :D(Mehr dazu auf meinem Blog)

3 1/2 stars. I'm not gonna lie, this was a pretty typical YA fantasy. If you're looking for a rich high fantasy story with heavy world-building then you won't find it here.Death Sworn has the usual list of tropes—there's the special "chosen" main character, a plot to take down an evil empire, forbidden romance, a strong female protagonist, and a plot twist that happens near the end.BUT. Even though this book was far from original, it was still super entertaining. And aside from the obvious cheesiness, I didn't have any major problems with the story.I really liked the main character, Ileni. She wasn't overly tough or wimpy either. When she was chosen to investigate the deaths of two sorcery teachers in an assassins' lair, she was sickened by the assassins' nonchalant attitudes toward killing people, but she didn't let her discomfort get in the way of her mission.I was also able to enjoy the romantic angst. Sorin was ordered to protect Ileni but there was a huge trust issue between them—Sorin was an assassin and could kill her at any moment. Ileni had to give him her complete trust and the same went for Sorin. He thought Ileni was a powerful sorceress who could cast a spell with a flick of her hand and destroy him. This made for some really good chemistry. “This thing with Sorin was entirely different. It made her feel like she was walking on a knife’s edge.” The whole book was set in an underground assassins' lair (basically a cave) so there wasn't much opportunity for world building, but I think Ileni's spunky and humorous character strengthened the weaker plot.If you go into this expecting an original, dense fantasy you'll probably end up disappointed. But I think in this case fast-paced plot, action, and a slow-building romance trumped unoriginality.A light, fun read.

'"Pretty, isn't it?" he said. "Didn't the Elders tell you about this?""Of course," Ileni said stiffly, letting the magelight vanish. What they had said, actually, was 'Parts of the caves are very beautiful, but don't let that distract you from the evil within them.'' The good thing about losing everything, is that you've got nothing more to lose.Ileni had everything - her magic, her society, a future, and even love. And like anyone, she expected those things to be permanent.Until the day they weren't. Until the day she lost her magic.Faced with such a crippling revelation about her abilities, Ileni was given an ultimatum by the Elders: to live a purposeless life shunned by society, or to become a magic tutor to a secret sect of assassins. Enter a whole new world where death is a part of everyday life and each and every person has more than one weapon up their sleeve.Willingly, Ileni leaves behind the only life she's even known to tutor assassins in the ways of magic. But that isn't her only task. Two of Ileni's predecessors died beneath the assassin's caves under mysterious circumstances, and Ileni is determined to discover why...and by whose hand.Secrets will come to light...but which ones?Ileni tries to balance staying alive with solving the mystery before her, whilst keeping her own secrets safe. But nothing that goes on beneath the assassin's caves is truly secret...not from the Master of the Assassins. And he is not someone Ileni wishes to have as an enemy - not when his words hold such sway over the assassins. Even assassins like Sorin.Unlikely allies can be found in the darkest of places.Against her better judgement, Ileni is drawn to Sorin - a skilled assassin, who is all the more dangerous due to his hidden streak of independence. Walking a fine line between obeying the Master and embracing freedom, Sorin offers Ileni his protection and his aid in discovering the killer of the previous tutors. Yet, when loyalties are tested, will Sorin choose Ileni...or the life of an assassin, the only life he's ever known?Dangerous. Addictive. Stunning. Death Sworn is as sharp as a sword, with a twisting plot that readers will not be able to tear their eyes and imaginations away from. A cross between Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass and Maria V Snyder's Poison Study, it is another fantastic tale filled with bravery, wicked weaponry and exemplary characters who will not disappoint.

Rating: 3.5 StarsWhile a countless number of hidden gems flit under my radar on a weekly basis, I make it a point to hunt out every fantasy novel I can get my hands on. I thrive within the fantasy genre. I’ve grown up breathing the air of thousands of different worlds and I don’t intend to stop – not just yet. Mistwood, Cypess’s debut novel, similarly did not fail to come under my radar when it was first released; an ambitious piece, for a debut, and not without its flaws, but also shining in its merits. While I haven’t picked up a Cypess novel since, I couldn’t resist the allure of Death Sworn, the combination of its cover and synopsis proving to be my undoing. For better or for worse, however, Cypess has improved as an author – but only a little.Ileni’s world is one held in a precarious balance: assassins, magicians, and politics. As a child, Ileni held a great reservoir of magical energy and as she grew up and trained under the tutelage of the Elders, she became a sorceress; one of the best. But now, Ileni’s magic is failing. The Elders failed to predict this when they initiated her into the world of magic and now, with Ileni’s powers fading, she is of no use to anyone. Except, that is, to be sent to the assassin caves. Both the assassins and the sorcerers have shared a history of bad blood. In a weak attempt to bring peace among their people, the sorcerers send one of their own to live and tutor the assassins in basic forms of magic. In return, their lives are spared. Ileni is the third magician – the first sorceress – to be send to the cave in a matter of months. As her last two predecessors died, the Elders have now volunteered her as their tutor of choice for the simple reason that Ileni’s task is a suicide mission and with her powers fading into nonexistence, she is dispensable. But Ileni, despite having lost her home, her reputation, her magical abilities, and her family has not lost her courage. Against all odds, she resolves to survive the task she has been forth and, what’s more, solve the mystery of the murders occurring in the caves.Death Sworn carries an interesting premises. After all, what’s not to love about a group of assassins hiding out in caves, slowly sneaking into a city to take down a political regime they despise, all with the help of rebel magicians? One of the best elements to this tale is the fact that Cypess’s assassins are deadly. Each and every one of them is willing to risk their life for the future of the Empire and, moreover, willing to kill without question as well. Although these assassins are mere boys, they have been trained to become cold and unfeeling beings, brutal in their ways. Or, at any rate, this is how Ileni sees them. When Ileni first enters the caves she is a cynical character, already embittered from her own experiences with her people and now entering into a domain with preconceived notions about these “stone-cold” killers. As Ileni learns to live among these assassins, her opinion of them changes, lending itself perfectly to a steady, and sure, growth arc. From the first page itself, Ileni is a quiet, but fierce heroine. With her powers gradually waning, she is stuck in a cave of assassins virtually powerless. Yet, she never lets these obstacles hold her back. Surrounded by enemies, Ileni is reluctant to become close to anyone, let alone show much emotion. Sorin, who Ileni slowly comes to form a close friendship with, is also loathe to wear his heart on his sleeve. As an assassin, he seems rather cold and calculating at first but as the novel progresses, Ileni witnesses that Sorin – and all the assassins for that matter – have manages to retain their own personalities, doubts, fears, and inner bitterness despite the fact that their profession calls for a complete lack of feeling. Sorin and Ileni’s romance, too, is impeccably timed, starting out as a very firm friendship before progressing any further. Even when it does go forward, though, it is constantly pushed aside in favor of the plot in question. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this slow-burn sizzle, merely because it allowed us, the reader, to see the true personas behind the blank facades these characters have learned to wear so well. Ironically, these very same personalities prove to be a bit of a downfall throughout the novel too. At times, they could almost be a little too apathetic. While I grew to love the individual Ileni becomes by the end of the book, I lacked a strong connection with her character during the duration of the story. Moreover, Ileni and Sorin are written into the molds of Teacher and Assassin who are intended to “hate” one another, but these shapes they wore detracted, again, from my emotional connection with the story. An issue of even more concern, however, is the lack of sufficient world-building. First off, Death Sworn is set entirely within caves which I found was a tactically unsound decision. The main plot points of the novel revolve entirely around the Empire but we know very little of it, especially as the political situation is kept under wraps for most of the book and, even then, only briefly hinted at. Additionally, the layout of this world felt unfamiliar. Are these caves at the foot of the Empire? Is there a gate, like the one to Mordor, that guards the Empire? Or is the cave miles away from the Empire? While I have no doubt that the sequel will be heading in a much more detailed direction concerning the Empire, I couldn’t help but be disappointment by the tid-bits we were meant to be satisfied with. Nevertheless, the reason Death Sworn has received such a favorable rating, from me at any rate, is because of the ethical situations it manages to bring up. Is it moral to use death to achieve a higher purpose? It is ethical to consort to evil means to destroy another source of evil? Is not making the most use of an individual’s death a dishonor to their life? As Ileni is surrounded by assassins, all of whom make decisions about death almost all the time, these are fascinating questions that are probed over the course of the narrative. Cypess questions the value of a life, particularly during a political war, which I appreciated.Ultimately, Death Sworn is not a perfect work, but I will be on board for the sequel to this duet. While this novel felt, in many ways, like a prequel to the true story, it was still an extraordinarily entertaining introduction into this world and its characters. Although I fear that hardcore fans of fantasy may be disappointed, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the sequel more than makes it up to them (and me!)

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Death Sworn is an unforgettable, engaging novel with a dark tone and an eerie quality about its setting. This is a smooth blend of mystery, romance, and magic that makes for a story that will blow your mind.Opening Sentence: The first step should have been the hardest.The Review:Ileni is a sorceress who had once been extremely powerful, but her magic is fading rapidly. The Elders gave her an assignment, one that she will fit because she is “expendable”, and that is to train the many secluded assassins that live in a formation of caves. The assassins and the sorcerers have an agreement, after all, and that is that in exchange for the assassins leaving them in peace, the sorcerers will send one of their own to be a mentor to those with magical talent. It’s a dangerous job… not only will Ileni be living in a cave full of assassins that are obsessed with following their master’s will, but the last two teachers that came were murdered for unknown reasons. Ileni also has the burden of discovering who, and why, this happened. Let’s not forget her handsome, seemingly uncaring protector against this unknown predator, Sorin, either!Right off the bat, I could not tear my eyes away from the pages. There are multiple plots in this book: the evil rulers of the kingdom, the assassin’s killer, how Ileni’s powers are fading, Sorin and Ileni’s relationship, and more.I want to tell you guys about the Master. This “Master” rules over the assassins, and his word is law, with no hesitation. In one scene Ileni witnesses, the Master demonstrates his power over them by ordering a young boy to kill himself — unblinkingly, eager to show his devotion, this is followed out. Constantly, it is argued whether he is considered evil, because every order is set to help little by little his master plan to end the empire, and yet some of the things he does are so horrible. Personally, I loved this character! He has just the right amount of goodness, slightly unbalanced by his cruel ideas and playing of his followers like pawns on a chessboard. When you are reading scenes with the Master you want to shiver.The romance between Ileni and Sorin moved very slowly, in subtle touches and quick glances. It never gets boring, though. Sorin’s lack of emotion most of the time makes him showing any emotion a very strong statement. Even though it wasn’t exactly your normal love story, I was still very fond of the pairing of these two characters.There is always a very morbid and sinister feel about this novel as you read it. The dark tone is set very nicely, adding some creepiness to anything and everything. Even the scenes with fun and laughter had an undertone of this scary feeling. The only time I really felt content and peaceful was when I closed the book, but that isn’t a bad thing, because Death Sworn caused my emotions to unravel and swirl.I did have one problem, though. I wish that I had seen more of this “empire” that is considered so horrible and evil, although we did get hints that book number two would give that to us, which makes me even more excited about the sequel. Sadly, I have to wait awhile for that. The setting the whole story through was in the caves (which were very vast, I’ll give you that).I absolutely loved Death Sworn. I can’t rave enough about how fast I read this, or how unique the writing style was. The beginning hooks you in, the middle never gets boring, and the end is explosive and exciting. Definitely add this to your to read list on Goodreads, you will not regret it! Thank you for this masterpiece, Leah Cypress!Notable Scene:That was why he had gone after Bazel. To give her a chance to escape.The door to her prison had been wide open, and she had turned away.Ileni felt her lips twist as she gave him the truth, knowing he wouldn’t believe it. “I was sent here for a reason. I won’t leave until I find out who killed Absalm and Cadrel.”Something passed swiftly over his face, something that wasn’t disbelief, before it went blank again. “Or until you become the next victim?”She turned away from him. “Or that.”FTC Advisory: Greenwillow Books/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Death Sworn. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

LOVE IT! It was a murder mystery, assassin filled, stubborn love interests book that took place in caves. How much cooler can you get? And Sorin's last line? Killed me. That struck home, my friend. Right in the heart. Can't wait for the sequel!!!

Dark, thrilling, and full of secrets, Death Sworn was an absolutely amazing YA read. I completely and totally loved this book. The world was dark, the romance was lovely, and the story was brilliant. Loved it!The world building in this book was great. I never felt confused, despite the entirely separate world that was created. It was dark and magical and wonderfully done.Ileni was a strong heroine. For most of her life, she trained as one of the strongest sorcerers in her society. But, now her magic is draining away and she has suddenly lost her position and path in life. The Elders send her to train the group of assassins in the arts of magic and to find out who was killing the previous tutors. Even with her magic draining, she was a force to be reckoned with. She even learned how to fight in regular combat to make sure she always had a way to defend herself. She was very clever. She knew when to trust and when to keep her own council. She managed to not only navigate the world of the assassins, but beat them at their own game. And, she went though a lot of growth over the course of the book. She started out as somewhat narrow-minded, having never seen anything outside her society and what they taught her. But, as she lives with and gets to know the assassins, she realizes that not all is black and white and what she was taught might not be right. I really liked her. I thought she was totally badass. Sorin was the love interest in this book and he was a puzzle. He was an assassin and he had absolutely no qualms about killing. Not even the innocent. To his mind, if the master commanded it, then it must serve a higher purpose, so the death was justified. He could kill a person in a thousand different ways and not lose a wink of sleep. He was ruthless and a highly skilled killer. He was not an idealized hero, in any way. But, he wasn't a bad person. For one, like Ileni, he changes over the course of the book. He began to see other perspectives. And, he was sweet in his own way. He was very devoted to Ileni, determined to protect her and adorable in his own way. It did't matter that he was a ruthless assassin, I still adored him.The romance was fairly light. It took a while for Ileni and Sorin to trust each other enough for romance to even be an option. The attraction was there immediately and, once deeper feelings came into the equation, it was very sweet. Neither of them bothered to deny their feelings and those feelings were always clear. They complemented each other, with their different morals from what they were taught and they were one bad ass team. After that ending, I'm not sure what will happen with them, but I'm hoping they will be able to have a happy ending somehow.The plot was fast paced and I was hooked the entire way through. There were a ton of secrets revealed during this book and they were all a shock. Especially the truth about who was killing the magic mentors and why this person was doing it. I never saw it coming. I never guessed how deep and far that plan went. I really enjoyed the story and that ending has me dying to get my hands on book 2. I need to read it now!Death Sworn was an absolutely brilliant YA read. I loved everything about it. It was dark, thrilling, romantic, and full of secrets that I never saw coming. This is a book you definitely don't want to miss.*I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Original Review found at: www.beawesomebeabooknut.blogspot.com If you suffer from claustrophobia, do not read this book. Why? because 99.7 % of this book is done underground, in caves. Yeah... there were times I was needed to step outside to get my head out of the book and remember I'm not trapped in caves. I would NOT have done well if I was Ileni (the main character), nope. This book was fun, it has it all, murder, magic, mayhem, political intrigue, no love triangles, plot twists, no insta-love. It was great! So Ileni, our heroine, is on a suicide mission--pretty much-- due to her fading magical power. She was one of the greatest, most powerful sorceress and then she kind of grew out of it. She didn't understand it and so she volunteers herself to enter the caves of-just men-assassins, to teach them the art of magic and how to best use it in what they are being trained to become, assassins. Because she knows her power is fading, and fading fast, she leaves her lover, her life and pretty much the only family to knew to become a teacher for as long as she is able until one of the assassins decides to kill her like the 2 previous teachers were before her. Not only is she brought there to teach but to find out what happened to the 2 precious magical teachers brought here to help only to be murdered after a short time. However throughout the entire book she struggles to survive, and keep herself one step ahead of the "game" and keep herself afloat for as long as she possibly can without letting anyone know of her fading power because once that's gone, what use will they have for her? And she can't be set free to divulge any of their secrets. Then there is Sorin, an assassin asked to be her protector-she after all the ONLY female in all the caves-yet they don't get a long because Ileni can't/doesn't understand how someone can be taught to be completely devoid of feeling and take something so precious as life and end it, without thought or conscious. And Sorin can't/doesn't understand why her people don't protect and use their power to take down evil for the greater good. Sorin is a great character, not a "bad guy" and yet is quick to do what is asked of him without hesitation. He desires to be of use and not sit around guarding some female who is hold secrets, stubborn and impulsive. These 2 together are just....great! They work so well together because they come from completely different worlds but compliment each other as opposites. I loved it! The whole story was different, and this was a great start for the next few books, it's paved the way with and built up so many different things that is exciting, I can't wait to see what else this series holds! Overall: It was quick and fun and I completely enjoyed myself Sexual Content: mild (some kissing) Language: mild Violence: moderate (scenes of murder, suicide (not graphic) and some mild fight scenes) Drugs/Alcohol: mild (1 mild party scene where alcohol is present)

Death Sworn is a really interesting twist on standard coming-of-age stories: Ileni doesn't need to learn how to harness her powers, because she's losing them. And so, per a rather vague treaty, she is sent by the Elders to teach the nearby guild of assassins after their current magic tutor dies, with the knowledge that she won't be able to protect herself for very long and that she'll probably be the third tutor to die that year.The worldbuilding is excellent. It's limited by Ileni's perspective to the caves in which the assassins live, but I'm hoping the sequel expands on the intriguing threads mentioned. The conflicts are logical and well-constructed and yet they always maintain an off-kilter, foreign feel that seems appropriate for a novel about assassins. This is a book in which the worldbuilding, and the characters' fairly indefinite place in world events, is more compelling than the characters themselves. Ileni is well drawn, but not as much as the worldbuilding, and Sorin is never more than a constant threatening presence. This might be due to Ileni's limited perspective, too, but a stronger presence would anchor the book more, create a compelling counterbalance. And I'm not such a fan of the relationship between Ileni and Sorin - it's clearly inevitable, though the fact that a) Ileni knows it's not smart, and isn't driven by it and b) Sorin seems to view it as a weakness does make it a bit more palatable. I'd have appreciated a partnership between allies more, but that's probably the less likely option between a desperate seventeen-year-old former sorceress and an assassin waiting to be deployed.This is a case in which the open-ended conclusion doesn't feel like a flaw or a lack of completion; there's a huge - huge! - development right at the end, but it's a clever result of an earlier storyline, and so there is a sense of one story ending neatly while another, wider world opens up. It's a good balancing act.