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Daughter of Vengeance
A young lady is thrust into a world of espionage, betrayal and murder against her will. A survivor at heart, she befriends a master assassin who takes Michelle as her apprentice. Her new taskmaster is demanding and sparing in her praise, but Michelle is resolute in her desire to prove herself worthy. After years of training and careful planning, she begins her life as one of the Kings many spies and returns to a world much more prepared for the trials that await her. Unknown to her, and her masters, a plot has slowly been unraveling which will not only destroy the fragile peace of the Kingdom of Rouen, but could descend the world into chaos and war. Can Michelle rise above the short-comings and failures of her predecessors and set right the wrongs done centuries before? And will her life be the ultimate price she pays for the sins of others?
- GenresFantasy
316 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2013
About the author
David Temrick
6 books112 followersFor my sixth birthday, my father gave me a leather-bound copy of Treasure Island. At the time I remember being disappointed that it wasn’t an action figure of some kind. After reading it though, the story lit a fire inside of me and my joy of reading was born. Shortly afterwards, I began reading as many classics as I could get my hands on. I began to notice that the vast majority of classic literature had many elements of what are now classified as fantasy.
That genre became my focus when trying to find modern authors to enjoy.
I definitely don’t take myself too seriously, the books and stories that I write are in no way re-inventing the wheel nor am I trying to be the voice of a new generation of readers and writers. I write fun adventures which focus on characters that I care about and want others to care about.
That genre became my focus when trying to find modern authors to enjoy.
I definitely don’t take myself too seriously, the books and stories that I write are in no way re-inventing the wheel nor am I trying to be the voice of a new generation of readers and writers. I write fun adventures which focus on characters that I care about and want others to care about.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 18, 2015
Daughter of Vengeance
By David Temrick
Daughter of Vengeance by David Temrick is the story of Michelle, daughter of Michael, granddaughter of Alexander; and quite possibly the greatest assassin that ever lived. Michelle is an orphan, raised by her grandparents to be the next master seamstress in the family line. Life couldn’t get any more mundane, or so she thought. Until, one day, she is abducted, in broad daylight, by the Earl of Blanc Roche. Beaten and enslaved, her torment would seem without end. Her body is nearly broken by the atrocities committed by the Earl and his men, on a daily basis. Just when her life should come to a bitter and miserable end, Michelle is swept up by a mysterious assassin known as Samantha. Suddenly, control is given back to Michelle, but at what cost?
Daughter of Vengeance takes us into the magical world of Varania, where we are plunged deep into the life of an assassin. In this haunting tale, we watch Michelle grow from a timid child, to a competent and deadly warrior, through the eyes of her ancestors. The girl’s magical abilities and fighting skill continue to grow under the guidance of a team of seasoned killers as her eyes are opened to brave new world of dragons, Gods, magic; and fiends that would claim her life
There are so many big titles that I could compare Daughter of Vengeance to: Game of Thrones, Assassin’s Creed; however, doing so wouldn’t do David Temrick’s amazing vision justice. This book is like no other I’ve read in terms of lore and originality. I found myself hoping for spinoffs and companion books to further the beautiful world of Varania.
There are almost too many characters to list here, but I was able to form a bond with most of them, especially Samantha. Although I wouldn’t have taken the focus off of this lead, mother figure so quickly, she manages to stay at the top of my favorites list throughout the story.
The angle that I found especially appealing was the way the wheel of life and purgatory were featured in Daughter of Vengeance. The Banquet, or purgatory, is a sort of meeting place for spirits in the afterlife. It is the place where Michael, Michelle’s father, can watch over his daughter and carry out deeds in the spirit world. David delves deep into reincarnation and the idea of Heaven and hell, as this story is told adjacent to the tale of the assassins. It became disjointed at times, switching between life and death, yet, not so much that I lost my place.
This book covers every facet of Michelle’s life in great detail; from her emotional development to her views on men and women to religion in Varania. I must say that I LOVED the fact that she had a clearly defined power set, and a cool one at that. The pacing is quick and never leaves the reader bored; however, I found to be a little too fevered at times.
The thing that I feel holds Daughter of Vengeance back from greatness is a certain fundamental lack of editing. As an author, I know that it can be tough to catch everything wrong with a book; however, I feel that certain things in this title will keep it from being as well-received in the highbrow community. These mistakes did NOT trip me up, nor did they detract from the story, yet, as a reviewer, I feel they deserve a mention.
If I say too much more I will ruin the story, so I will say this: If you are a fan of assassins, Dungeons and Dragons, or any sort of action, fantasy series then check out Daughter of Vengeance- by David Temrick. Be advised that this book contains strong, mature subject matter that some may find offensive. I would not say this is a children’s book by any stretch of the imagination. Thank you, David. We can’t wait to see what you have on the horizon.
J.B Maynard
By David Temrick
Daughter of Vengeance by David Temrick is the story of Michelle, daughter of Michael, granddaughter of Alexander; and quite possibly the greatest assassin that ever lived. Michelle is an orphan, raised by her grandparents to be the next master seamstress in the family line. Life couldn’t get any more mundane, or so she thought. Until, one day, she is abducted, in broad daylight, by the Earl of Blanc Roche. Beaten and enslaved, her torment would seem without end. Her body is nearly broken by the atrocities committed by the Earl and his men, on a daily basis. Just when her life should come to a bitter and miserable end, Michelle is swept up by a mysterious assassin known as Samantha. Suddenly, control is given back to Michelle, but at what cost?
Daughter of Vengeance takes us into the magical world of Varania, where we are plunged deep into the life of an assassin. In this haunting tale, we watch Michelle grow from a timid child, to a competent and deadly warrior, through the eyes of her ancestors. The girl’s magical abilities and fighting skill continue to grow under the guidance of a team of seasoned killers as her eyes are opened to brave new world of dragons, Gods, magic; and fiends that would claim her life
There are so many big titles that I could compare Daughter of Vengeance to: Game of Thrones, Assassin’s Creed; however, doing so wouldn’t do David Temrick’s amazing vision justice. This book is like no other I’ve read in terms of lore and originality. I found myself hoping for spinoffs and companion books to further the beautiful world of Varania.
There are almost too many characters to list here, but I was able to form a bond with most of them, especially Samantha. Although I wouldn’t have taken the focus off of this lead, mother figure so quickly, she manages to stay at the top of my favorites list throughout the story.
The angle that I found especially appealing was the way the wheel of life and purgatory were featured in Daughter of Vengeance. The Banquet, or purgatory, is a sort of meeting place for spirits in the afterlife. It is the place where Michael, Michelle’s father, can watch over his daughter and carry out deeds in the spirit world. David delves deep into reincarnation and the idea of Heaven and hell, as this story is told adjacent to the tale of the assassins. It became disjointed at times, switching between life and death, yet, not so much that I lost my place.
This book covers every facet of Michelle’s life in great detail; from her emotional development to her views on men and women to religion in Varania. I must say that I LOVED the fact that she had a clearly defined power set, and a cool one at that. The pacing is quick and never leaves the reader bored; however, I found to be a little too fevered at times.
The thing that I feel holds Daughter of Vengeance back from greatness is a certain fundamental lack of editing. As an author, I know that it can be tough to catch everything wrong with a book; however, I feel that certain things in this title will keep it from being as well-received in the highbrow community. These mistakes did NOT trip me up, nor did they detract from the story, yet, as a reviewer, I feel they deserve a mention.
If I say too much more I will ruin the story, so I will say this: If you are a fan of assassins, Dungeons and Dragons, or any sort of action, fantasy series then check out Daughter of Vengeance- by David Temrick. Be advised that this book contains strong, mature subject matter that some may find offensive. I would not say this is a children’s book by any stretch of the imagination. Thank you, David. We can’t wait to see what you have on the horizon.
J.B Maynard
June 27, 2016
Daughter of Vengeance is a paranormal, urban fantasy and honestly, not something I would normally read. However, I was given a free copy and asked to do an honest review.
This, not so nice, story centers around Michelle who, at a very young age (pre-teen) is kidnaped, raped, beaten and simply used at the whim of an evil Lord. After several years of this, she is rescued in her early teens, put into assassin boot camp and trained to become an assassin/spy. Finally, still barely a teen, she works her way into the king’s elite assassin and spy corps.
I’ll start with the good part. Overall, I liked the book but I’m honestly not sure why.
The bad parts? There are a lot of errors! And almost as many characters; which makes it really hard to keep track of everybody: Especially those introduced in the very beginning, who don’t reappear until very deep into the story.
Some of the reviews talk about twists and turns but all I found was the same things being repeated over and over again with, maybe, a slight twist. Particularly the attacks on Michelle at every turn in a hallway or from behind every tree and bush she passes.
The characters are impossible to believe, especially Michelle who gets severely beaten on just about every page. No one (and I do mean no one!) could possibly survive what this girl goes through. (Not even Supergirl!)
As for when this story takes place? I have no idea. There’s a little of every century hinted at throughout the book so, it’s impossible to figure out if it’s 1700’s, 1800’s, 1900’s or what. Finally, the author mentions Steampunk but the only steampunk I found was a steam powered wagon at nearly the end of the story.
So, if you can plow your way through and forget trying to figure out when, where and a lot of how, it’s a good story. (I think)
This, not so nice, story centers around Michelle who, at a very young age (pre-teen) is kidnaped, raped, beaten and simply used at the whim of an evil Lord. After several years of this, she is rescued in her early teens, put into assassin boot camp and trained to become an assassin/spy. Finally, still barely a teen, she works her way into the king’s elite assassin and spy corps.
I’ll start with the good part. Overall, I liked the book but I’m honestly not sure why.
The bad parts? There are a lot of errors! And almost as many characters; which makes it really hard to keep track of everybody: Especially those introduced in the very beginning, who don’t reappear until very deep into the story.
Some of the reviews talk about twists and turns but all I found was the same things being repeated over and over again with, maybe, a slight twist. Particularly the attacks on Michelle at every turn in a hallway or from behind every tree and bush she passes.
The characters are impossible to believe, especially Michelle who gets severely beaten on just about every page. No one (and I do mean no one!) could possibly survive what this girl goes through. (Not even Supergirl!)
As for when this story takes place? I have no idea. There’s a little of every century hinted at throughout the book so, it’s impossible to figure out if it’s 1700’s, 1800’s, 1900’s or what. Finally, the author mentions Steampunk but the only steampunk I found was a steam powered wagon at nearly the end of the story.
So, if you can plow your way through and forget trying to figure out when, where and a lot of how, it’s a good story. (I think)
November 23, 2014
Daughter of Vengeance by David Temrick is an exciting, action-filled, somewhat gritty fantasy.
Michelle, the heroine of this novel is a strong, capable woman who has had some tragic life experiences. The first one being left an orphan. As Michelle matures, her magical powers set her apart from others, as does her beauty. She is then taken hostage by Earl, an evil man. When all hope is just about lost, Michelle is rescued by Samantha and taught to fight. This then leads to more training from others to rein in her powers and ultimately prepare her for the conflicts that will occur later in the book.
Michelle, from the beginning is a very likable lead character, as is Samantha and Fred. I found myself cheering them on and hoping for a happy ending for all of them. I was not disappointed. The author did a great job with the plot, character development and details of Michelle's journey through life.
Although there was some violence and sexual content, it was not too graphic for a young adult audience (16+). I would recommend this to those who like a good fantasy story with a robust female protagonist.
Michelle, the heroine of this novel is a strong, capable woman who has had some tragic life experiences. The first one being left an orphan. As Michelle matures, her magical powers set her apart from others, as does her beauty. She is then taken hostage by Earl, an evil man. When all hope is just about lost, Michelle is rescued by Samantha and taught to fight. This then leads to more training from others to rein in her powers and ultimately prepare her for the conflicts that will occur later in the book.
Michelle, from the beginning is a very likable lead character, as is Samantha and Fred. I found myself cheering them on and hoping for a happy ending for all of them. I was not disappointed. The author did a great job with the plot, character development and details of Michelle's journey through life.
Although there was some violence and sexual content, it was not too graphic for a young adult audience (16+). I would recommend this to those who like a good fantasy story with a robust female protagonist.
April 27, 2014
Daughter of Vengeance is a coming of age story about a girl named Michelle who was orphaned at birth and raised by her grandparents. However because she has magic she is abducted by a mage who makes her a concubine. However she is rescued by an assassin named Samantha and spends years training to serve the king of the land. However as the story progresses dark forces from the past arise and Michelle will have to learn about her family's history in order to save the kingdom's future.
David Temrick takes the elements of high fantasy and steampunk, and merges them into one in this story. Yes there are dark moments but there are also light moments too so it kind of works like a roller coaster ride with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. The book is well written with no grammatical errors. A fun plot, well written politics, and fun characters all help to make this a wonderful story.
David Temrick takes the elements of high fantasy and steampunk, and merges them into one in this story. Yes there are dark moments but there are also light moments too so it kind of works like a roller coaster ride with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. The book is well written with no grammatical errors. A fun plot, well written politics, and fun characters all help to make this a wonderful story.
June 15, 2015
I won a copy of this book from the Goodreads Giveaway in return for an honest review.
Take one orphaned girl who is bored with her life and add a bit of family history and some kick ass ninja assassins in a slightly steampunked world and BOOM! This is a wonderfully created story with a heroine you will cheer for ;)
Take one orphaned girl who is bored with her life and add a bit of family history and some kick ass ninja assassins in a slightly steampunked world and BOOM! This is a wonderfully created story with a heroine you will cheer for ;)
July 2, 2015
A good story of what strength a woman is capable of when there is nothing left but to go for it. a good book to help show all young people that strong independent women can stand on their own, but we all benefit with a little help from friends!
July 11, 2015
I won this novel in a goodreads drawing.
A young girl's family is killed, and she becomes an assassin in a slightly steampunk world.
A good effort, although the book becomes a bit slow around the three-quarter mark.
A young girl's family is killed, and she becomes an assassin in a slightly steampunk world.
A good effort, although the book becomes a bit slow around the three-quarter mark.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews