Review: Big emotional punch in a small package
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 29, 2011
I recently discovered this author because of an anthology with three other authors and really enjoyed her dark, gritty voice so before purchasing any full lengths I wanted to try out another novella. I was not disappointed!Meli Galdes is ready to retire from her position as an assassin for her family, but they want her to do one more job: kill the man who broke her heart and ruined her life, forcing her into excise (basically she was publicly considered a leper to her family though she did their dirty work). Celino Carvanna broke Meli's heart when she was young in a callous way, but that's not what destroyed Meli. She could forgive his youth. He took away her freedom with his actions and even though he hadn't realized what he'd done in that aspect (can't say what without giving away spoilers) she still wanted him to pay for what he'd done, though not in the way her family wanted so she could truly be free of him.Both Meli and Celino are products of a harsh society and I like that their actions and decisions weren't glossed over. Meli was an assassin but she had a moral code and a soft side. And while Celino was a brutal businessman and an all out dangerous man, he was very tender with her. This was a very emotional story and the ending wasn't immediately wrapped up with a neat bow which I liked. They had to work for their happy ending. For such a short story, this author packed an incredible emotional punch so even though the ending was a little abrupt, it whet my appetite for more from this interesting world.