Assassin's Kiss

Assassin's Heart #1

by Emery Rachelle

Twenty-year-old Runa Bielke is better known as the infamous assassin Lady Moirai. Few know her identity; no one has her trust.

When a fling develops into something more, Runa faces hard choices. Who is she willing to eliminate? How much trust can she afford to give?

What are the consequences when an assassin falls in love?

This 32,000-word queer fantasy romance is perfect for fans of unique magic and bisexual heroines. Contains mature romantic content; recommended for readers ages eighteen and older.

Genres: Fantasy

ebook

Published September 6, 2021

About the author

Emery Rachelle (they/them) is bisexual, genderfluid, and somehow always hungry. They write spicy queer love stories with magic, diversity, plenty of love interests, and (eventually) happily-ever-afters.

Reviews

[Elliot (El) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not affect my opinions in the review below

Okay.. first of all.. stunning writing style. This author had me believing it was not a debut novel, but rather that they’d been a writer for decades.

Assassins Kiss has just the right amount of detail. Too much detail seems to turn me away from a book, as it feels too drawn out and mundane. The author has a great way of worldbuilding and storytelling that isn’t too much and isn’t too little. They truly know how to keep a reader enthralled

Now, in some fantasy novels I find myself frustrated when trying to read due to long/difficult to pronounce names within the book, whether it be names of people, places, etc. I didn’t have any issue with that in Assassin’s Kiss. I read through smoothly, and found myself often talking in the way some of the characters lines seemed to be accented. am I the only one who talks in my head while reading?

And obviously, I must talk about the LGBTQIA+ representation in the novel. I can’t say much without giving away a spoiler or two, so I’ll keep this part of the review brief. It’s difficult to find a “true” LGBTQIA+ friendly book in fantasy (in my opinion of my own tastes when it comes to books). I feel as though a lot of the time the characters are usually secondary or minor characters at best. Hats off to the author here, they did a fabulous job! This novel is unapologetically queer and I am HERE for it.

As my clock hit 1 a.m., fully knowing I have to be up early today, I couldn’t put this book down. Reading it in multiple sittings over a few days was not an option for this one. Instead, the author truly captured my attention and had me hooked until the very end.

[Emery Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited to share the first book of my new series with you all!

Things to look forward to in this series:
- bisexual main character
- multiple love interests
- polyamorous relationships
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
- fantasy world with diverse cultures and characters
- romantic escapism at its finest
- lesbian and nonbinary representation

The Assassin's Heart series will include six books, with one releasing the first Monday of every month. Free to read on Kindle Unlimited!

[Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Magic, assassin's, bisexual MC? I genuinely couldn't resist.

The main character is flirtatious, mysterious, and exciting, the world she lives in is a place I'd like to live in myself.

As someone who identifies as off the usual gender binary, seeing a more genderfluid character, someone who identifies as male one day, and female the next and can alter themselves with magic to suit them truly appeals to me.

There's unexpected twists, magic, and I loved getting to know the main character, and I want to know more

I finished all too quickly, and I can't wait for book two.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an early copy of this book to review because I always love a good fantasy story, but it's so so much better than I was hoping for when I first asked, not having read any of Em's blog posts. The worldbuilding is beautifully detailed and also feels totally natural. The queer representation made my heart soar, and the homomisia-free fantasy universe is extremely refreshing: we come across precisely one queermisic character, and that hatred only underscores the character's extreme asshole-ness. Even the next-most-asshole character respects the other characters' queer identities without trying to change them. ...of course, I use the word queer, but I haven't seen any of the characters label their sexual orientations. But why would they have to? In their universe, they aren't outside the norm.

Additionally, the assorted relationships - plot-important and plot-less-important alike, feel totally real. The way the Ephraxa siblings treat and talk about each other had me thinking fondly of my sister even though we don't have equivalent family situations to react to.

And of course Runa and her current assignment - assassination of course - and the emotional entanglements she finds herself in that complicate the assignment... I was on the edge of my seat at the end of nearly every chapter. I absolutely couldn't put the ebook down. And after the climax, the story doesn't collapse and get boring: the ending of the book resolved something I'd been wondering about since chapter two, and at the same time promised much more rich worldbuilding and fascinating character interactions to come. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series

[Catrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into- and I’m glad I didn’t! It was a totally surprise of everything I read, and I really had no idea of what to expect. First off, I hadn’t read the synopsis/blurb that tells you what the book was supposed to be about- I honestly just saw the cover and was like, “this looks good.” Oh man, I was right!

Since I came into this book blind, it was a wonderful surprise to find that it is queer! I find that books are just better when it’s gay: and I really can’t explain why, it just is. It also was a great addition that it’s like a fantasy setting with MAGIC. If I did end up reading the blurb, I would still read it: but I found that it was even better that I knew I would like it- just at first glance!

I do have to admit that at times while reading, I was a little bit confused. Since it is a fairly fast-paced book, it can be more difficult for the reader to keep up. I wished things like the magic system and overall backgrounds were more in depth, so that I could feel more in touch with the story- and spent less time confused. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t confused that often- but the few times I was, those were the things I wished were explained more.

I am absolutely eager to read the following books in this series because the plot and characters just flow so well together! It’s easy to read and has the perfect little atmospheric detail, that really tops it off. I read this in one sitting, which considering I haven’t had the motivation to read that consistently at once lately, has to speak for something! It was an overall joy to read, and I cannot wait for the next.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an ebook advance reader copy for free- in exchange of me leaving a review both honestly and voluntarily.

[Radhika Bansal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emery Rachelle’s Assassin’s Kiss is the first book of her new series, The Assassin’s Heart. Based in a fictional world with towns like Swyndale, Beldale and Kingdoms, namely Sahil; the author has invested more time in building the characters rather than the world.

I got the feel of an old-school market place from the town of Swyndale. Sort of like the one from the live action Aladdin movie. At the same time, I imagined the rich family homes to be like those planned community blocks of the suburbs, but with mansions instead of homes.

Our heroine is an assassin with a heart, with magic at her fingertips. She is much more emotional than any assassin I have ever read or seen. I like her emotions on display as she plans for a mission that may have just changed her entire life. For the purpose of the suspense maintained by the author, I would not disclose her name here.

This was one of the very few books that I read which had genderqueer characters in the limelight. The others being the Magnus Chase books by Rick Riordan. I liked the simplicity of the acceptance for Ash as a character. Their personality and orientation are accepted by almost everyone who know them.

The instant attraction between them both was a discovery for the characters as well as the readers. This series seems to be fated for star-crossed love, but I will not know that until the later books in the series are released.

As this was one of the few assignments that the Lady Moirai did not complete, the after-effects will surely have a part to play very soon. The dangers that come with the job were not very visible in this first book, so I think that the Lady Moirai has a long journey ahead of her.

The relationship that she shares with the children of her connections provide sweet moments in a setting that should be bleak with the plot setting. Even after reading the first book, this character is still shrouded in mystery. I wish to know her backstory very soon.

Hope to meet these characters again very soon.

[Lauren Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. The worldbuilding and magic were both interesting without getting in the way of the narrative - or the romance. I particularly enjoyed how the use of illusion magic tied in with the book's theme. The characters were well-done, particularly the main love interest. I would have liked to connect a bit more with the main character, Runa, but she felt a little distant, like I never really had a clear grasp of what she wanted (other than to fulfill her contract), ie: her internal motivations/goals. The book ends, not on a cliffhanger, but with promises of more story to come. All in all a solid read that left me wanting more. :)

Note: I received an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Kerstin Rosee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters in an immersive world.

Welcome to Runa's world where you will soon find out that being the best in your line of work doesn't always guarantee a smooth work day.

Runa is a very likeable heroine and mixes and mingles with many fully fleshed out characters. There are enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes and the ending, though not what I expected, was satisfying.

Emery's world-building is fantastic. She packs a veritable punch of information into this story. The world building is phenomenal and will appeal to all senses. The magic system is well thought through and makes sense without losing the mystique of a world which actually has a magic system.

There are some high heat scenes in the book, but they are suited to the top end of YA and don't feel out of place at all.

I'm looking forward to the second book in the series and following Runa's adventures.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Runa, better known as Lady Moriari, is an accomplished assassin who keeps her identity hidden. She's tasked to take out a heir to a powerful family. But what will she do when ends up falling for them?

4.5 stars
There was a lot of mystery to this book in the beginning as you figure out who Lady Moriari is. The author sets up the story in a way where you get bits of information as the story unfolds so that you're pulled in, wanting to know more. I was glad to see this wasn't a straight forward assassin novel, and it had a little more inclusitvity with the characters love interests.

The story had a lag toward the middle of the book, so it didn't hold my interest the entire time, but it picked back up and finished strong.

[Andjela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in a few hours and let me tell you it’s absolutely amazing! Can’t wait for the second part to come out!

[mar✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

me gustó mucho, ando ansiosa de empezar el segundo

[R.E. Admore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book although this review differs from the many five star ratings, so don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it. What I really liked were some of the twists that were a surprise and were different from anything I have read before (and I read a lot). I also like that in speaking one word, one of the characters reveals their true and lofty self. That was a key moment for me for liking the book and the author's sensibilities.

At first, I had trouble liking the main character, but then, they are an assassin so I don't think I can be faulted for that. And they weren't a loving, altruistic assassin, or at least I did not get that impression at first, and well...assassin. When they did show some compassion, I began to change my mind and it added more depth to their character.

The book is told in First Person. It seemed to me that the author used a lot of description with sentences beginning with: "I walked to", "I stopped and", "I saw that", "I felt that",...I am sure they did those things, but the writing lost a little bit of its power, and I feel a different phrasing could have given as much information in a more exciting way. I probably didn't explain that correctly. It is the difference between "I was hungry and stopped to buy a biscuit" and "The aroma from the bakery awakened my hunger that demanded to be satisfied. One particular biscuit practically begged to be eaten." You can stop laughing now...or soon anyways. I must admit I tend to enjoy a lyrical quality to writing that is not appealing to others. The ending was a little meh for me, but I was glad it didn't end in a ridiculous cliffhanger as many fantasy books do.

There are some sexual episodes, and I know some people are sensitive to that. I am not, and thought the scenes were pretty well done. It was nice to see genderqueer and bisexual perspectives and I hope to see more in future books. Oh wait, I did. I read the first three books in this series before writing this review and look forward to the fourth book. Did I tell you I liked this book?

[Sabrina Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Great read. Each chapter had me begging for more.