Review: Worth every minute of the excruciatingly long wait
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2013
The fifth book in Assassin series is finally here after 9 long months, an eternity considering the rate at which Mr. Blake coughs up books. I say it's about damn time.Assassin series is what I consider Mr. Blake's best work so far. And I had been mildly annoyed every time another book in JET series was released, 4 books in a row - that is FOUR books straight! - instead of the next book in Assassin series. Oh, don't get me wrong. I LOVED JET series, a pure adrenaline rush, over-the-top action, perfectly suited for silver screen, and very well-written (as with all his other books) too. But it ain't no Assassin series.Mr. Blake seems to be able to control the mood or feel of his writing according to which series the book belongs to with each book he happens to write. Each series has its own distinct ambiance to it without going stale after sequel after sequel, etc.Blood of the Assassin, as expected, maintains the dark and somber mood of the series. But different. The more obvious difference is that it has more funnies in it, which isn't to say it was written in the similar hilarious vein as Geronimo Breach, my favorite, but unexpected humor that mixes well with the abject misery of Cruz's situation. The less obvious difference is that Mr. Blake delved deeper into some of the character's emotions than ever. When Cruz's shoulders slumped, mine sagged in sympathy feeling the futility of it all that he must have felt. When Briones's scar caused by El Rey's bullet pulsed and burned after a confrontation with El Rey, the scar (not from a bullet) on my shoulder seemed to want to do the same. It was quite an experience.I could use words like gripping, riveting, high-octane, blistering, etc, but I'm so tired of seeing those overused words repeatedly in reviews, I cringe at the sight. I could say, like a fine wine, Blake seems to get more complex and interesting with age, but it hasn't even been two years since his first book was published. What a phenomenon. So I'm just going to say this: Ah want him to have mah baybeees!