Shadow’s Son
Jon Sprunk
PYR, Jun 8 2010, $16.00
ISBN: 9781616142018
In holy Othir, Caim the assassin makes his living with his bow and arrow as his choice of weapon. Being a distant sniper is his preferred choice though a blade is okay if a close up action is required. Having no scruples or any dangerous dangling alliances, any assignment is acceptable as long as he completes the task unscathed.
His current client hires Caim to kill abusive torturer Duke Reinard of Ostergoth who is manhandling his guests at a whipping gala when the assassin’s lover Kit alit in his way. Somehow Caim misses the mark and hits guest Liram Kornfelsh of the Merchant Syndicate. All hell breaks loose as he shoots two more arrows at those now protecting the Duke before he flees for his life while guardian spirit Kit keeps a barrage of I told you so coming at him.
Things go from bad to much worse as soon Caim finds himself eluding the on the take law enforcement officials, other assassins, and something insidious from beyond the Other Side. He eludes crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side. Betrayed by his agent, he is now known with his only chance to survive is claiming his heritage as the Shadow’s Son. His only allies are Kit who no one else sees or hears and seventeen year old upper class Josephine as they unravel a plot that will shake the church’s foundation if it leaves the shadows of a secret society.
This is an exciting quest fantasy starring a likable somewhat surprisingly naive antihero, a perhaps too mature debutant teen, and a know-it-all spirit. The story line is fast-paced from the opening missed shot until the final revelations. Readers who appreciate a complex fantasy thriller in a strange but well designed world will want to visit the escapades of the Shadow’s Son in Sprunk’s sphere.
Harriet Klausner
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