I thought this story was ok. I was expected more and from the synopsis and the title of the book, I was expecting it to be very action packed but you don't see much action until the end of the book. There were some scenes that had a little bit of action in it but they didn't last longer than a page. I did like all the characters. Ileni was sarcastic and funny, I loved her and Irun was the character you just loved to hate. Only thing is I'm kind of indifferent when it comes to Sorin (the love interest), he was ok but I didn't really care about him. There were some twists towards the end though some of it was predictable. I do hope the next book is better. It won't take place in the caves like this and Ileni won't just be teaching assassins magic so hopefully it will be a bit more action packed. Overall it was a decent first book, 3.5 stars. ( )

Killing is bad, and although Ileni has accepted that she is destined to die in the caves she is heading to too, she still struggles with the fact that the caves are filled with assassins. Who kill without remorse. As Ileni searches for the killer of her two predecessors, she struggles with her beliefs. With what she has always trusted as the truth, as Right. Can she hold onto her beliefs or as she comes to know these assassins, will her views change? Will she embrace the power offered to her in these caves or will she find a different path?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Ileni takes us on an adventure of mystery, love, and self-awareness. With an ending leaving you wanting to find out... what next! ( )

Interesting new fantasy world, in which a young sorceress is condemned to a life underground, teaching a group of deadly assassins magic, and trying to stave off the loss of her powers as she attempts to solve a mystery.

It's a little too histrionic for me, frankly, on the drama-and-romance front, but I appreciate the strong pair of protagonists and deft murder mystery. ( )

Really liked this. Can't wait to read rest of the series. My sister Lissa will enjoy. ( )

Another impulse read, and well, it's left some very mixed feelings.

On the one hand, the text is riveting. Ileni's struggles are very real; the danger she's steeped in, very poignant. Given a task that most see as amounting to a death sentence, she manages to blunder through, not generally elegantly or subtly, but with a panic and urgency that captivates.

Plot wise, if you read the back cover, everything plays out as expected. Not many surprises there, maybe one or two.

It's this latter point, but mostly the leaden feeling left by the end of the book that questions whether to brave the sequel. Touching on a messy area of preemptive war and the ethics of assassination and calculated sacrifice, Death Sworn really drives home the bleakness of destruction in the dynamic between Ileni and he who is her only friend, Sorin.

Romantic fulfillment? Eh. Star-crossed lovers? Not really. Two individuals forced to sacrifice for their different paths? Perhaps a bit more like that.

Essentially, it can be a quick, yet draining read, without much emotional benefit to be reaped for the effort.

Understandably, it is a first of three books, so...things might perk up. Maybe. ( )