Review: Silent Blade

Title: Silent Blade
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Futuristic Fantasy
Published: June 2009
Ebook/Novella/Samhain Publishing

From Samhain’s website:

Old hatreds die hard. Old love dies harder.

On Meli Galdes’ home planet, the struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport—in business and on the battlefield. For years her lethal skills have been a valuable asset in advancing her family’s interests. She’s more than earned her right to retire, but her kinsmen have one last favor to ask.

Kill the man who ruined her life.

Celino Carvanna’s razor-sharp business acumen—and skills with a blade—won him the freedom to do as he pleases. There’s only one thing he can’t seem to control—his reaction to the mysterious woman who tantalizes his senses. Her eyes alone set his blood simmering, stirring ridiculous adolescent fantasies about breasts and honey. With a few words she dissects his soul. Who is she? And how does she slide so easily under his well-guarded skin?

It’s almost too easy to draw Celino within the kill zone. Meli plans to revel in him. Drink him in. Wring every drop of pleasure out of every moment.

And when she’s sure he belongs to her, she will finally repay a decade’s worth of pain—in a single, brutal dose of reality.

Warning: Contains a heroine who excels in moving targets, a hero who can’t get into her pants fast enough, and implant-enhanced sex (no, not that kind of implant…).

If that doesn't get your attention I don't know what will. I don't usually read ebooks, no ereader. Reading on the computer isn't exactly comfortable for me and with the kids on summer break there is usually someone wanting a turn on the pc. But for Ilona Andrews there's no question - I'd buy the ebook and read it on the pc. Fortunately it's short (41 pages) so I was able to print it and read it on my comfy couch.

Since the read was short the review will be too...

Let's start with the world building ~ It's surprisingly intricate considering the short format. There's no info dump but Andrews manages to add the details as the story progresses. It's a world more advanced than our earth but the inhabitants were once from earth so there are some similarities. The implants are one of the biggest differences. They seem to have an implant for improving everything from speed, strength and even scanning for poisons in food. The world is controlled by the families.

The families are like the mafia and Meli is the assassin of her family. Meli and Celino have a history and it's that history that brings them together after many years apart. What I liked about Meli is her intelligence and her single mindedness. She goes after what she wants and she doesn't apologize for doing what it takes to get it.

Celino is cold, calculated and ruthless. He's also very aware of how important he is to his family because of his amazing ability to make money for the family. Money equals power. The families needed money not only to run their businesses but to pay their soldiers. Celino's family is one of the most powerful, Meli's family is further down on the scale.

When Meli and Celino meet up it's a game of cat and mouse but it's not always clear who is the cat and who is the mouse. Both Celino and Meli think that they are the cat. The interplay between the two came quickly and very naturally. They were comfortable with each other. This was surprising given that Meli was sent to kill Celino. I think it surprised her too. He's not what she was expecting. Celino fell fast for Meli. Part of that I think was due to the fact that she didn't fall all over him. She made him work for it which made her worth more to him. She's very smart. :)

Was it good? Heck yeah. Would I like to read more in this world? Definitely. The only problem I had was that it was too short. It certainly could have worked as a full length novel. I would have loved to have these characters expanded and had more interaction between them. Show more of Meli and Celino involved in the workings of the families and the politics of the families. Maybe have them work together - he's the brains and she's the smart muscle. :) Also more of the secondary characters interacting with Meli and Celino could lengthen the story. Meli's brother and Celino's bodyguard were the type of characters who could certainly grab a reader's interest and play a larger role in the story.

If you're interested in purchasing an ebook of Silent Blade it's very easy and painless. :) Here's the link. Silent Blade is published by Samhain but the purchase is done through mybookstoreandmore. Not sure why but it's where the Samhain website sent me when I purchased it. It's listed for $2.50 on Samhain but mybookstoreandmore has it for $2.25, so it's even on sale!

The next release from Andrews is the novella Magic Mourns in the anthology Must Love Hellhounds, release date September 1. The next full length novel is the first book in a new series, The Edge. On the Edge will be released September 29. For excerpts and more check out the author's website.

Rating: B+