Assassin's Honor

From the back cover.. A woman with visions of the past... Archeologist Emma Zale sees the past when she touches ancient relics. It's how she uncovered evidence of an ancient order of assassins--the Sicari. When a sinfully dark stranger shows up on her Chicago doorstep demanding an ancient artifact she doesn't have, he drags her into a world where telekinesis and empaths are the norm. Now someone wants her dead, and her only hope of survival is an assassin who's every bit as dangerous to her body as he is to her heart. Bonded to an honorable assassin... Ares De Luca comes from an ancient Roman bloodline of telekinetic assassins. A Sicari, he's honor bound to kill only in the name of justice. But when the woman he loved was murdered, Ares broke the Sicari code and used his sword for revenge. Love cost him dearly once before, and he's not willing to pay the price again. At least not until hot, sweet, delectable Emma walked into his life. Not only does she hold the key to a valuable Sicari relic, she might just hold the key to his heart. Their dangerous passion will redeem an assassin's honor... My Review: Emma is an archeologist and on a dig near Cairo when she once again must face a murder to someone close to her. The first murder she had to endure was that of her parents. But before her father is killed he leaves a coded message for her and she finds it right before someone tries to kill her. That's when a Sicari named Ares DeLuca tries to help her by telling her she needs to go into hiding because her life is in danger. But of course she isn't wanting to give up her whole life and Ares friends, the other Sicari are less than friendly to her when she first meets them because she is an outsider. So many things happen while Ares is hiding her and we get to meet some of the other characters in the world of the Sicari. Including the bad guys, the Praetorians who want all the Sicari dead. Monica Burns has made up a whole new world of hot heroes with smoldering eyes and telekenic powers. It's easy to tell that this new world took a lot of thought and time to make because it's incredibly believable. She even gives us a lesson in her own cross between a Latin and Italian language that the men seem to love to speak throughout the story. I even learned a few cuss words, even though I don't know exactly what they mean yet. While reading this book I got a pretty good lesson in the Sicari way of doing things and their customs, while some of them may seem barbaric at first I understood why they are needed and why honor is so important to them by the end of the book. I can't wait for more books in this series.

This is a fantastic story with sexy, sword carrying heros and an historical twist. Ares is as hot as hot can be, and Emma makes it through quite a bit of trauma to end up with her man. To be fair, I was sometimes a little frustrated with Emma, but she goes through so much, you have to cut her some slack for having trust issues. This is the first book in the series by Monica Burns. The second book, Assasin's Heart, of which I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy, is even better than Assassin's Honor. Did I mention I LOVED Assassin's Honor. Buy this book, it is a fast and furious read with steamy scenes, dangerous twists, and a fascinating link to the past. You'll love it and then run right out to buy Assassin's Heart. :)

This new start to the Order of Sicari series was great! This is a sensual paranormal romance, not an erotica romance IMHO. Ares DeLuca is the leader of his Sicari clan. They are sworn to protect the innocent, and kill those who have slipped through the justice system and intend to do more harm. Emma Zale is an anthropologist and archeologist; she is on a dig in Egypt when her mentor/father figure is killed while she is in the other room. Emma had just found proof of the Sicari, something her dad and mentor dreamed about. Three people she loved were killed in the same fashion, when Ares hears about this incident he knows there can be only one perpetrator, the Praetorians. Emma has always had an ability to read artifacts history by touch alone. With her ability Ares believes she can help him find the one thing that will help with the war against the Praetorians. Ares has his telekinesis and excellent knowledge of a sword to help keep Emma safe through their journey. I really liked this book, I thought it was going to be an Erotica Romance, it didn't matter tho. I really like the plot line and characters. The main characters along with the supporting cast were likeable and relatable in their own way. It is a very fast paced book! I couldn't put it down. I'm definitely getting the next in the series Assassin's Heart. The three love scenes were tender and sensual, very romantic. I enjoyed Ares n Emma's journey to steady sense of a relationship, up n downs that only pulled you in more. I really liked the sense of honor both sides of the fence stand by Sicari/Praetorian. Especially on the Sicari side, honor is everything. I admired how they live by that code. Hope you enjoy it as well!!

A sexy little romp through a very imaginative world. Burns has created a sensually entertaining and teeth gritting PNR that is sure to please die hard fans of the genre or newbies looking for an introduction. Very original, Burns' characters are charming, the story is something new that I haven't experienced before, and I also feel I learned something: a few curse words in Italian! While at some points the world did over-power me, it was nothing to detract from the whole, which was a well-written, well thought out novel. REVIEW: Emma Zale, archeologist, is on a dig near Cairo when her mentor is brutally murdered and the MO is the same as her parents murder 5 years earlier. The authorities immediately look to Emma as the number one suspect. When locals step forward with conflicting evidence, Emma is released and is sent back to the States, but her reputation is tarnished and she will not be able to go on any more digs. Faced with this sudden change, her life is reeling, especially after she finds a strange coded message from her father and a very hot assassin pulling a little B & E in her apartment. When hot assassin, better known as Ares DeLuca tells her that her life is in danger and she needs to go into hiding, trusting him with her future and protection, after their stormy introduction she isn't very open to his ideas. It takes a brush with death and an encounter with a not so friendly assassin for her to change her mind and follow Ares into his world, giving up her own. The world of the Sicari is richly described and quite remarkable. Burns paints a picture that will drag you down and have you believing there are hot Italian assassins running around with swords and telekinesis. From the intermingling of Latin and Italian phrases, to the portrayal of Sicari customs, you can tell Burns put a lot of effort in her world building and it paid off. There were only a few things that irked me, but nothing that detracted from the overall likability of the novel. The first was that a few plot threads were left hanging, hopefully these will be rectified later in the series. The human bad guy was eradicated a little bit too quickly for my liking - but it might have been done this way to show exactly how ruthless the Praetorians are. Then the characters were a bit too stubborn. It drove me a bit crazy. I understand pig-headedness drives a romance and builds tension - but I really wanted to slap the two of them and be like "get over yourselves!" But, once again, the novel was excellent, well worth your time. Burns has this genre down. RECOMMENDATIONS: Adult novel with heavy sexual content, violence and cursing (usual in Latin or Italian), for a mature audience. Fans of Paranormal Romance will really enjoy. A great PNR introduction for romance fans ready to take that paranormal plunge. Fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Kenyon's Lords of the Underworld, York's The Moon Series, should enjoy.

Although her parents strongly believed in the Order of the Sicari and encouraged her to do so likewise, the Chicago-based archeologist Emma Zale assumes the legend is myth and no more. Still their tales of the ancient order and their murders led Emma to study archeology as a way of honoring them. While on a dig, Emma is shocked to find evidence that the Sicari were real. Soon after, she uncovered her proof, her boss is murdered. When she meets Ares DeLuca he claims to be a Sicari telekinetic assassin. The Sicari war and the Praetorian Guards are at war with the latter committing ethnic cleansing. Unless Ares can find the Tyet of Isis, his people will become extinct. To prevent the genocide he needs Emma's help because he thinks she know where the ancient artifact is hidden; to stay alive she needs Ares' help because she thinks he is a great warrior, but her fear is he will also take her heart. The first Order of the Sicari romantic urban fantasy is a superb opening tale that focuses on a several millennia war between the Praetorian Guard and the Sicari assassins. The lead couple is a terrific pairing while the support cast enhances the sense of a long running deadly feud. Monica Burns has an excellent first act of what appears will be a wonderful series. Assassin's Honor is a spellbinding tale. Harriet Klausner