Re-Read (2013) Original review below ... I read this 10 years ago. I definitely remembered reading it, but didn't recall much of the story. Figured maybe I'd do a re-read, and continue on with the series, which I didn't do originally (now they are available at my library). 

On my first review - I thought of the similarities of other female assassins. With additional books under my belt, the poison (being immune, using it on others, recognizing it) had some slight similarities to the [book:Three Dark Crowns|28374007] series. 

I went with the audio edition this time (had read it originally, glad to note I had the Kindle copy in the cloud as I did refer to it a couple of times still). Good narration, nice accents to add some ambience. I struggled a bit with the names, so many foreign/unfamiliar ones that I just wasn't remembering well. Many French names/accents. The "solar" ... I'd always pronounced it soul-er in my head like the sun (here, a location in the palace) the narrator pronounced SAUL-er ... I tried looking that up to see if it was an alternate pronunciation, per the setting (European) or different meaning (location, not the sun). 

While NOTHING at all like The Sound of Music ... there were just a couple moments that brought comparisons in my head "yes Reverend Mother, I love him" ... a little bizarrely twisted to think of sweet Julie Andrews in THIS role!

1st person/present tense ... written well enough that the tense didn't bug me. 
No proFanity, some slight sexual content, some violence.

*** Original Review 2013 *** 


I'd heard a lot of good things about this book, and I did quite like it. I think one way I judge is how quickly I get through a book, if it goes quickly, or if I struggle a bit to finish. This book was over 500 pages, but was a quick and easy read, even though the language was often poetic (that can make a book a little more difficult to get through at times). It was different than others I've read, a touch of romance. I actually really liked that it ENDED. Although there are more in the series, it looks like the focus of the character shifts. I guess I'm perhaps a bit burned out on all the trilogies and liked that this was more of a stand alone book. 

... while this was in a historical setting, with nuns and talk of gods and saints ... I still couldn't help but compare it a bit to Alias or Nikita (other women assassins from contemporary television) *Ü* 

I bought this on sale (2/15) for $1.99, as the library didn't have it at the time. They do now ...