Cameo the Assassin (Trilogy of Shadows Book 1)

Cameo has an interesting story and a few compelling characters, but a number of problems bring it down. First: the dialogue is frequently awkward. Second: the pacing is bad. There are too many scenes in taverns that go on for too long and dont contribute enough to the story. Also, characters have a habit of going on and on about mundane things and, as I already stated, the dialogue is awkward (not to mention the fact that new paragraphs begin even if the same character is still speaking). Third: the revelation concerning what exactly Cameo is, which should have been a bombshell, is casually mentioned, as if the reader was supposed to already have guessed it. While this series has definite potential, Im just not too keen on the first book.

I read this book. I should have gone back and read Amazons description. Without it, the book is hard to follow. The book doesnt make clear much of anything. Not the period of time it is occurring, not the country, and very little about the characters. You have to fill in the gaps as you go along. It never really mentions she was raped. About the middle of the book, she finally mentions her sister and her being molested and left for dead. You run into a man who is involved with her abuse (I think) for a few sentences and then she kills him. But that is a bit vague too. It bounces around a little so you need to have a quick mind and good imagination to keep up. The male character she is having an arms length romance? with, appears to have been written by a drag queen. He uses lip rouge, makeup, frilly clothes and fancy boots he cant walk in. He is flamboyant in the extreme. A dandy indeed. I am not sure if the author intended to write this story in this manner or if the issues are with writing the first book. She is either a good writer or a sloppy one who got lucky. That being said, I actually enjoyed it. I liked Cameo. I liked Opal and Bel. I even liked the shadows. Im not particularly sure why other than they were quirky, odd, amusing, and a bit strange. I dont think Ive read a book quite like this one. I will most likely purchase the 2nd book and really am not sure if I want the writer to improve. It would throw the whole story off it the book actually got better.

Cameo is the kind of novel that sucks you in from the very first page. Filled with twists and turns it truly is an amazing novel that you lose yourself in as youre reading it. Cameo is not a classical heroine by any means and from our very first meeting with this hard-bitten character she simply continues to grow. While I wouldnt necessarily say that Cameo is likeable she is intriguing and very, very compelling. All in all as a dark fantasy adventure this is one of the better ones Ive read in recent times and I would highly recommend it; just bear in mind its not a classic fantasy in many ways.

The characters drew me into CAMEO THE ASSASSIN, and though I hated the ending, the novel was an entertaining read, and a nice break from physical perfection and honorable heroes. Characters: **** 4 Stars It was nice for once to have characters who arent physically perfect, or even very desirable. The author did a great job making me feel connected to these imperfect people and able to relate to their foibles. Cameo is a coldly compassionate assassin, with dead gray eyes to match. She has a fairy tale monster reputation for living in graveyards and killing children who dont go to bed, but she doesnt kill indiscriminately...well, unless shes paid to do so. When shes assigned to kill Black Opal, a notorious highwayman, she finds she cant go through with it, and ends up alienating herself from the Association she works for in order to keep him alive. Shes an interesting mix of self-loathing, empathy, loneliness, warrior, and friend. Black Opal, the apparent love interest, is a bit of an enigma. A dandy with a passion for fine coats and makeup, he is described both as pock-marked and handsome, and he has only one eye. While he is a womanizer, constantly picking up on ladies and whores alike, he has a soft spot for Cameo and becomes incredibly jealous any time she takes any interest, platonic or not, in another man. Secondary characters include Bel (Opals partner in crime), Kyrian (a young acolyte whos more than what he appears), and Wick (the leader of the Association and a witch capable of convincing everyone but Cameo that shes a beautiful young temptress rather than an ugly old woman who smokes too much). Overall, a very well-rounded cast. Plot: ** 2 Stars The plot wasnt terrible, but the ending killed it, no pun intended. There was a reasonably strong story arc with a good balance of action sequences and character development. However, it sometimes felt like the author was trying to build suspense by not telling the reader something that the character knows. For example, Cameo is given a task by her Master, but were not told what that task is until shes practically done achieving it. Even given that, I probably wouldnt have given the plot two stars, except that there was no ending. The book ends seconds after the climax, literally ending with an ellipsis and the word End. There are several plot points left open and no emotional release. I know the story continues in a trilogy, but each book should still be a complete novel. Setting: ** 2 Stars The story is set primarily on the road out of Lockenwood, in a quasi-eighteenth century world, but the characters just go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...you get the idea. The description is limited, even when they visit taverns or inns along the way. I really wanted more sensory detail throughout the novel. Romance: ** 2 Stars Cameo and Black Opal are an odd pair. Arguably, neither is the ideal of beauty, and yet they are attracted to each other from the beginning. That being said, Opal is more concerned about his makeup and being desirable to everyone than he is about wooing Cameo (not that she would be easily wooed, but thats beside the point). Meanwhile, Cameo is stuck in a loop of self-pity and cant see that Opal likes her, despite his obvious jealousy when shes around other men. Though they help each other through some rather horrific and violent events, they dont actually come together in a romantic way until the last couple of pages. Genre - Dark Adventure Fantasy: **** 4 Stars CAMEO THE ASSASSIN is a pretty good representation of a Dark Fantasy novel, despite its flaws. Theres blood and violence, undead creatures, and two different graveyards. While I abhorred the ending of this first book, I imagine that the entire trilogy is probably a pretty decent story, and I may even give the second book, CAMEO AND THE HIGHWAYMAN, a chance. Note: This review was requested by the author. The only compensation received was a free copy of the book.

I found Cameo interesting and I was glad to see a vampire back to being a bad-guy instead of a heart throb. Although Haffef is her Master, he is neither good nor kind to Cameo. I read this straight through, on a Sunday. I think the book was good, however the ending seemed a little choppped/forced to me, and while I understand a cliffhanger ending to lead to the next book, the one here just seemed a bit artificial. Hence 4 stars instead of 5.

I struggled to get through this novel. The writing was weak and character development short-sighted. In fairness, I was never able to finish the book (I finally gave up at 78%) so maybe there is a radical and amazing turn around at the end, but I doubt it. This was a novel that started well, but lost me in the middle with a disjointed and rambling plot. It doesnt lack for potential and action, it just lacks decent writing.

Cameo is an assassin for hire with corpse-like eyes. Shes the source of stories that parents used to scare their kids into behaving. Everything is going normally until she meets with a highwayman dandy who sees her as a woman and not a killer. This story was a pleasant surprise. Reading the synopsis, I had no idea it was about vampires or zombies. But they do feature in the story. In a fascinating and great way. Cameo is a fully developed character. She is more than just a killer, and her true personality and depth are revealed slowly, and more through her actions than narration. The highwaymen Opal and Bellamy are interesting, humourous characters. Opal in particular is more than he seems. He comes across as a shallow, empty-headed dandy, but that is mostly a front that he has created. Kyrian is mostly an unknown, even after the story is done. I assume that he features more in the sequel, but what I did gather is that he also is more than he seems. Overall, I like the story quite a bit. It was not what I expected, but definitely exceeded the expectations I had. I look forward to reading the next book.

I generally stick to high fantasy when reading, but lately Ive branched out into the urban fantasy genre. Cameo the Assassin happens to be one of those new discoveries I have made. I must confess, I am not a vampire fan in the least, and when I saw that this book was tagged as a vampire book, I was a bit unsure of what to expect. But the plot sounded interesting and Ive been trying to read more indie books of late, so I went ahead and purchased the Kindle version. Im happy to say that the whole undead theme seemed, at least to me, a background detail; the story is more about the characters and their battles within and without as opposed to a focus on what supernatural powers the undead possess. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the nonstop action and the unique setting of this story, I absolutely loved the two main protagonists the best. Cameo and Black Opal are so hopelessly flawed that one would never consider them to be ideal heroes at all. They both have a past that is dark and dismal, and as the reader gets to know them, this past is revealed little by little. I consider this to be a wonderful attribute to the story, for there is nothing worse than reading about a hero or heroine who is absolutely perfect. Bravo Dawn McCullough-White on a well crafted tale!

Book One in The Trilogy of Shadows was interesting. The authors take on vampires was one Im not used to seeing. Unfortunately, this also meant that it was something I didnt immediately understand. I spent the first half of the book trying to figure out why Cameo wasnt being a vampire since shed been turned into one. I mean why didnt she defend herself?? Turns out, she wasnt. Shes an imorotal Thrall of a vampire. This means she received just enough vampiric blood to make her undead but not enough to make her a vamp. Instead she was referred to as more like a Zombie and under the compulsion of her maker. Super cool huh? This idea of dead but not dead, immortal but not a vamp, human but inhuman... I just wish I understood it better. I mean, why did she eat? Did she poop? Shes dead so no digestive system... There was also the issue of Shadow People who she seems to be able to give tasks. I think the author has a great imagination but was trying a little too hard to keep some things in her vest pocket. Instead of making me want to read more, it frustrated me because I didnt understand. Overall, this was an interesting and unique story, set in a world which allowed for some fabulous characterization and plot twists. If you like historical vampire pieces this one is well written and intricately conceived. Personally, it didnt spark my fire, so while I enjoyed Book One, I wont be reading Two or Three.

This book was so mysterious. In a really good way! I really, really enjoyed it. Cameo is so complex. When I started out the book, I just thought of her in a very one-dimensional way; as a killer. But as the story progresses you keep unraveling more parts of her past and she just becomes so much more real and interesting! I really liked her, I was surprised by how compassionate she was. Black Opal was such a strange guy. He was peculiar, but I liked that about him. I cant wait to see what is going to happen between him and Cameo. Im really happy that he was such a major role in this story because I initially thought that he was only going to be a minor character. I also love how taken he is with Cameo. He goes out on a lot of limbs for her and I think that is just so cute. I was astonished by how many plot twists and surprises there were. It was awesome! I cant even tell you how many times I didnt see something coming. And I love it when that happens. When a book can totally surprise me, and catch me off guard, it makes me so happy! I want to tell you guys some of the things that blindsided me while reading, but not knowing was part of the fun for me, so I wont take that away from any of you. Just know that there are some really cool twists in this story. Once I got about 25 pages into this book I just did not want to put it down. At all. I had to know what was going to happen next. Would I be surprised again? Would I be able to guess what was going to happen? Not knowing if something was going to be revealed that would send the story in a completely different direction was really fun for me. I will say that sometimes the story switched between different scenes kinda quickly. I was left with an incomplete picture at times and then just shifted over to something completely new. I know that adds to the mysterious vibe that I really enjoyed about this book, but it also left me confused at moments. And the cliffhanger! Oh that cliffhanger- it definitely did its job, I want to read the second book right now! michelle @ [...]