Review: Short but entertaining
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 18, 2012
Fans of Lindsay Buroker's "Emperor's Edge" series will be happy to hear she's released a short story featuring Amaranthe and Sicarius to keep her readers busy while she finishes the fourth EE novel.It's a quick read. Amaranthe and Sicarius are in the midst of another grueling training session when they come across evidence of wrongdoing against the Empire. Amaranthe convinces Sicarius they need to investigate, and from there launches a Halloween-ish chapter in the daily lives of Buroker's biggest characters."The Assassin's Curse" reveals a bit more of Sicarius' back story, but mainly, it's just a fun read. If I had to quibble, I could wish for some indication of where in the series timeline the story takes place. After the first novel? Second? Third? Neither the dialogue nor the plot make it clear, and the answer would change the way readers interpret the scenes between Amaranthe and Sicarius.If you've never read Buroker's work before, this isn't the place to start. Check out "Emperor's Edge" or "Encrypted" first. At the price point Buroker chooses -- free for the first, $3.95 for the second -- you can afford to take a chance.