A Prince Among Killers: Oathbreaker Part II

by J. B. Redmond, S R Vaught

Overview

In this second half of the Oathbreaker story, Aron, the apprentice to the assassin's guild, his master, Stormbreaker, his teacher Dari, and his mysterious acquaintence, Nic, join their formidable talents of mind and body as they battle the leaders who want to destroy their land. Whether Nic can take his rightful place as the king of Eyrie, whether anyone can win Dari's heart, and whether Aron can control his own strengths for the good of all are just some of the mysteries that will be solved as this story comes to its violent and thrilling conclusion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599908007
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	04/10/2011
Series:	Oathbreaker Series , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	432
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

S R Vaught has written a number of fantasies for young adults under the name Susan Vaught, including the award-winning Stormwitch. She has also written Trigger, Big Fat Manifesto and Exposed, all contemporary novels drawing from her experiences and her work as a neuropsychologist for adolescents.

JB Redmond, S R Vaught's son, has been a fantasy fanatic his whole life, and has overcome difficulties arising from Cerebral Palsy to record his portions of this story.

S R Vaught has written a number of fantasies for young adults under the name Susan Vaught, including the award-winning Stormwitch. She has also written Trigger, Big Fat Manifesto and Exposed, all contemporary novels drawing from her experiences and her work as a neuropsychologist for adolescents.

Editorial Reviews

In A Prince among Killers our young hero, Aron of Brailing, accepts his fate as an assassin and bonds with his Stone Guild family. While he grows into a fine specimen, Dari sees Aron only as a student and best friend, and she gives her heart to Stonebreaker. This love triangle wreaks havoc on Aron as he learns to accept Dari's decision and moves on to find another conquest, but first they must rescue her. Dari has been told time and again that she must not endanger herself to find out the fate of her twin sister, Kate. Regardless, a search is launched and mission accomplished except the world is still a battlefield. It takes the efforts of all the Stone Guild, and lives will be sacrificed to save the world. Aron must make the most difficult decision of his life: does he save his father and become an oath breaker or kill the man that loves him more than life? Not unlike Book I, Assassin's Apprentice, the number of characters overwhelm the story and make it difficult to stay up with the plot. The authors create a unique story line that shows how senseless and violent war is, especially when it tries to make enemies of a father and his son. This book is part of the "Oathbreaker" series. Reviewer: Julia Beiker

Children's Literature - Julia Beiker

Gr 7–9—Picking up where Assassin's Apprentice (Bloomsbury, 2009) left off, this story finds Aron wandering through the Deadfall of Eyrie with another apprentice as punishment for a fight. After the two teens barely escape with their lives, Aron faces more tests and struggles as he tries to come to terms with his Graal, or magical ability. After he finds Nic, Eyrie's lost heir to the throne, it is up to him and Dari, a shapeshifter, to confront their destinies and figure out how to save Eyrie from sinking into unending war. While ripe with promise, the book becomes too bogged down in world-building and description. There is much lag time between battles, and all of the complicated relationships begin to take their toll on the story's pacing, making it difficult to follow exactly what is going on. The love triangle between Aron, Dari, and Stormbreaker, Aron's master, is highly melodramatic, and Dari's switch from her relationships with the two men to loving Nic seems rushed and stilted. While there are moments of stirring beauty and fierce, magnificent battles, this story and its characters fail to engage readers fully. They will be completely lost if they haven't read Assassin's Apprentice. Give this to fans of that book.—Necia Blundy, Marlborough Public Library, MA

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