Assassin's Apprentice: Oathbreaker

by S R Vaught, J. B. Redmond

Overview

A murderer shoves a prince to his "death."
An assassin legally kidnaps a terrified boy.
A ruling lord orders an atrocity so devastating it will change the course of history.
So begins this highly original and engaging epic fantasy, a story of love, family trust, sworn promises and hard-earned friendships, in which two boys must put aside their childhood understanding of the world and accept their own incredible power to do right.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599908014
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	04/10/2011
Series:	Oathbreaker Series , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Lexile:	1020L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Susan Vaught has written a number of fantasies for young adults, 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, a fantasy fanatic his whole life, has overcome difficulties arising from his 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.
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.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 7 Up

The first part of a two-part epic fantasy is set in Eyrie, a bird-shaped land divided into dynasts, or large provinces. Aron Brailing is a humble farmer's son until the Stone Brothers, a noble order of assassins, come for their annual Harvest and choose him to join their order. It turns out that Aron has an untapped potential for magic. By custom, his family disowns him so he can join the Brotherhood, and he finds himself traveling with the formidable Stormbreaker and his apprentice; and Dari, initially a prisoner but then a party member in her own right. The group makes a perilous journey from Aron's home dynast to Triune, where Stone apprentices receive training. Pursued by malevolent manes, monstrous mockers, and warring dynast armies, the group members are drawn together by their common goal of survival. At last, the party arrives at Triune, and Aron faces new challenges, including rigorous training and the inexplicably vicious hostility of another apprentice. Episodic, and without a true climax, the book nevertheless contains a few meaningful characters and relationships. Several chapters come from the point of view of Dari, who is strong and independently motivated. Aron, whose impulsiveness occasionally strains credibility, is kindhearted but flawed enough to be sympathetic. This novel is best suited to voracious fantasy readers eager to devour another story of an unlikely hero caught up in an epic adventure.-Megan Honig, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

A complex and original fantasy, burdened by unrelieved grimness. Despite his aristocratic lineage, Aron has shown no signs of Fae magic for 14 years and desires only an honest farmer's life. His dreams are dashed when he is claimed by the Stone Guild, assassins charged with dispensing justice in Eyrie, and his terrifying gifts are revealed. But Aron's personal tragedy is only part of a larger disintegration, as treachery, slaughter and madness brutally rip his world apart. After a slow start that dumps awkward chunks of world-building into the narrative, the tale picks up speed, interweaving swift action with reflection on the repercussions of conflicting loyalties. Unfortunately, much of the plot revolves around brutality and waste, and Aron's unrelenting rage and grief becomes wearying. The few respites into other characters' threads offer equally bleak viewpoints. As this volume is only the first half of a single narrative, the abrupt cliffhanger ending lacks any resolution. Readers seeking an in-depth exploration of the darker side of magic will be on tenterhooks; those who prefer a little fun with their fantasy will probably not make it that far. (Fantasy. YA)

Kirkus Reviews