The Assassins of Tamurin - S.D. Tower Book Review

Enter a review
of your own!

Other books by
author S.D. Tower

"The Assassins of Tamurin"
Message Board

Click here for free online dating advice!

Review Summary

Eos, Jan 2003, 25.95, 464 pp.
ISBN: 0380978032

The Riversong villagers assign the lowest lowlife eleven-year old urchin Lale to deliver the golden needles to the princess because no one else is available. The child loses her package while crossing the dangerous Hatch Creek ford. Already considered worthless, the villagers drive the lass away. After a harrowing trek, Lale finds refuge with the “Midnight Mother”, Makina, the ruler of Tamurin. Makina sends her latest “daughter” to the School of Serene Repose. Six years later, Lale attends the School of Three Rivers for ninja training.

A few years later, Makina believes Lale is ready to begin her plan of vengeance on the neighboring ruler Terem Rathai. Lale enters Terem's land Bethiya as an actress. Terem notices her and Lale is quickly becomes his mistress. Lale finds Terem is an enlightened kind monarch and begins to fall in love with him. However, if she changes loyalty, she dies a nasty death by sorcery while as a war fought on two fronts (mundane and magic) is imminent.

THE ASSASSINS OF TAMURIN is a taut, exciting, and well written epic fantasy that works on several levels because the countries seem so authentic as if magic existed in Ancient Asia. This occurs because the characters provide a realistic social environment for the plot, especially the fantasy elements to perch. The first person account by Lale that later becomes a dialogue with Terem enables the audience to understand the key characters. Though the ending seems too rapidly short, this novel towers over much of what the genre offers.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of The Assassins of Tamurin

Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
New movie search (click here) New book search (click here)

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - great warrior
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - falling in love with the enemy
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - change of heart
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - warrior/knight
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript

Most similar books to The Assassins of Tamurin
Shapechanger's Song - Chronicles of the Cheysuli 1 by Jennifer Roberson
Aphrodite's Flame by Julie Kenner
The Prize in the Game by Jo Walton
The Dreams of Darkness - Everdark Wars 1 by Elizabeth Burton
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

Try our new Star Wars & Star Trek puzzle pictures! Click here

Advertise with us
Feedback
Star Wars Revenge of the Sith plot spoilers
Hobbits
The politics game
The lawyer game

3 Movie search options!
1) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
2) Detailed movie search
(click here) or

3) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion

Games:
Trivia Masters!

Rescue your favorite
scifi characters from
slavery!

Talk to your favorite
scifi characters!

Eating New Yorkers
Computer Game

Pomeranians

Most recent TV & Movie discussions:

Charmed: What's wrong with Rose McGowan's chin? 7/5/2008 11:53:33 AM

Charmed: Is Piper really a Halliwell? 7/5/2008 11:48:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best Doctor? 7/5/2008 4:23:13 AM

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 7/5/2008 2:40:59 AM

Doctor Who: Who was the best companion? 6/30/2008 7:37:52 AM

A Boy and His Dog: A Boy and His Dog 6/30/2008 12:55:48 AM

Lost in Space (TV): What kind of a name is Guy for a guy? 6/26/2008 10:21:30 AM

Lost in Space (TV): Wasn't it obvious that Major West was never going to get any? 6/26/2008 10:17:45 AM

Alien Series: Was Vasquez a lesbian? 6/26/2008 6:57:27 AM

Battlestar Galactica: Do Vipers fly past the speed of light? 6/26/2008 1:27:52 AM

Newest slaves:
Chellina 10:02:40 AM
Shannon Elizabeth 9:59:06 AM
Jadzia Dax 9:58:11 AM
Ezri Dax 9:57:23 AM
Winona Ryder 9:55:25 AM
Queen Amidala/Padme (Natalie Portman) 9:54:06 AM
Natasha Hymenstretch (Henstridge) 9:53:07 AM
Wolverine Dim Sum (Kelly Hu) 9:52:12 AM
Tokra Boob Girl 9:48:14 AM
Doctor Carolyn Lam 9:47:46 AM
All slaves
(click here)

Celebrity interviews:
President George W. Bush 6:32:00 PM
Jan-Michael Vincent 2:16:51 PM
Captain Kathryn Janeway 3:47:46 PM
Jack ONeill (Richard Dean Anderson) 1:39:22 PM
Jennifer Aniston (Friends) 5:01:07 PM
All celebrities
(click here)