Night of the Assassin

Assassin Series Prequel

By: Russell Blake

Narrated by: Dick Hill

Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Night of the Assassin is the gritty, edge-of-your seat prequel to King of Swords. A no-holds-barred, breakneck-paced thriller, Night of the Assassin charts the early years of El Rey - known as the King of Swords - a super-assassin responsible for some of the world's most spectacular and daring executions. Framed against the backdrop of present-day Mexico's brutal narco-trafficking violence, Night of the Assassin chronicles the making of a monster - a cold-blooded, ruthless killing machine. Raw, disturbing, edgy and unflinching, this epic saga defies convention to create a roller-coaster of intrigue, suspense and thrills that will leave even the most jaded thriller aficionados gasping for breath.

©2012 Russell Blake (P)2013 Russell Blake

Insight into Early Days

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and that may be part of the reason I can only give it a 3. The narrator was very slow, and I had to bump up the speed of the app in order to get through the story.
I enjoyed the beginning of the story as we followed the development of El Rey, but I felt in the latter part of the book it was a bit hard to stay with the story. We no longer had any insight into the assassin and simply followed his feats. I did find the storyline interesting enough to read some of the other books in the series. I think I will read the Kindle version instead of listening if the same narrator is used.

So similar to Lee Child

...but the it is the same narrator. If you like Jack Reacher, you'll probably like this too.

Excellent

Love everything that Mr. Blake writes. I believe I own all that he has written.

Riveting Fast and Brutal

What did you love best about Night of the Assassin?

This book fleshed out El Rey - the assassin. It gives background to how he became so cold in carrying out murder for hire with out a second thought. The things he sees and his own personal tragedies shaped what he would ultimately become.

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

I always like Dick Hill. He is an excellent narrator, I found these books by searching for books he has read.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Without spoiling it for anyone yes. when Jasmine tells what happened to her after the murder of her father.

Any additional comments?

Really good book, fast paced, brutal at times but believable. I highly recommend this book. If you're looking for something different in this genre you've found it!

a short romp

Would you listen to Night of the Assassin again? Why?

yes takes a bit to really get the flow of things

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Basically kept my attention

What about Dick Hill’s performance did you like?

great job

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

yes the obvious one raising issue of "mercy" act

The King of Swords

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it is very fast pace and entertaining.

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Dick Hill is acting the entire book

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

He is coming for you

Any additional comments?

The book is called Night of the Assassin and is part of the Assassin series. It serves as a prequel for King of Swords, it was my first Russell Blake book and I enjoyed it very much.

The main character is a boy, that learns everything he needs to know about the power of self control, weapons, diving, hunting and many other things and grows to become one of the most feared assassins in the World

The world of the Drug Cartels depicted in this book is very scary and, at times, makes you wish it’s just fiction, but we all know it is not. The good part is that the author doesn’t go into so many gory details as I recently saw in The Power of the Dog, that one was really brutal, but I hope to review it at some later date.

I don’t want to spoil the experience you are going to have by reading or listening to this book so I will not get into too many details. The boy, which by the middle of the book will be a grown man, will begin to make a name for himself as a ruthless assassin and will become El Rey a.k.a. The King of Swords. The action is very fast paced and the book is going to stay in your hands from the first page to it’s last.

Night of the Assassin is a great short story on it’s own and the fact that the audiobook is performed by one of the best narrators in the industry makes it even better. Dick Hill is perfect for this book. The accents he uses and the voices he chooses for every character makes you get even more absorbed into the story, because he has the power to bring them to life. He can be emotionally flat as El Rey, scared, defiant or anxious as some of his victims, he can switch accents on the fly and increase the tension, as dictated by the book’s pace, leaving you breathless.

Should have known ...

I would not have purchased this story if I had known it would have been repeated in the four bundle set. Good story but a waste of money.

dont waste your time

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A less ridiculous story

What do you think your next listen will be?

BV Larsen

What does Dick Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Like a diamond in a gravel pit Dick Hill is the only value in this waste of time

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Night of the Assassin?

It is just a flawed premise .An assassin but certainly not as well written as Mark Greaney's or Tom Wood's assassins

Any additional comments?

How this gets 4 stars is not a surprise. Look at James Patterson silly inaccurate rubbish but always a best seller.