The Viper and the Urchin: A Novel of Steampunk Adventure (Bloodless Assassin Mysteries Book 1)
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Being Damsport’s most elegant assassin is hard work. There’s tailoring to consider, devilish poisons to concoct, secret identities to maintain… But most importantly, Longinus has to keep his fear of blood hidden or his reputation will be ruined. So, when a scrawny urchin girl threatens to expose his phobia unless he teaches her swordsmanship, he has no choice but to comply.
It doesn’t take long for Rory to realise that her new trainer has more eccentricities than she has fleas. But she’ll put up with anything, no matter how frustrating, to become a swordswoman like her childhood hero.
What she’s not prepared for is a copycat assassin who seeks to replace Longinus, and who hires Rory’s old partner in crime to do away with her, as well. Rory and Longinus must set their differences aside and try to work together if they’re to stop the copycat. But darker forces than they realise are at play, and with time running out, the unlikely duo find themselves the last line of defence against a powerful enemy who seeks to bring Damsport to its knees.
The Viper and the Urchin is a standalone novel that is part of the Bloodless Assassin Mysteries.
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
Q – So, what makes the Bloodless Assassin series special?
A – It’s a mix of things really. When I started writing The Viper and the Urchin, I wanted to create something that I’d want to read. My top picks are usually novels that feature quirky characters with humour to them, anything steampunk or fantasy, and I do love a good mystery.
The Viper and the Urchin is a great mix of all these things. It’s a fun and easy read with a darker mystery threading throughout the story.
Q – The setting is a little unusual for steampunk.
A – Yes. One of the things I love about fantasy is being whisked away to a completely new and unknown world, and I wanted to recreate that feeling. So I’ve kept the aesthetic and technology of steampunk, but set my story in an exciting tropical world that’s very different from what readers will have encountered before.
My world is also at the start of its development of steam technology, so the city of Damsport is very much a mix of old and new.
Q – What are your favourite books?
A -I’m a big fan of Lindsay Buroker’s Emperor’s Edge series, and of Shelly Adina’s Lady of Devices series. So if people like those books I think they’ll enjoy The Viper and the Urchin.
Q -Will there be more books in the series?
A – Absolutely! I’m working on Book 2 now and I have a few more in the works. You can get notified first when a new book comes out by going here: bit.ly/CJeanjeanNewReleases (just paste into your browser).
Thank you for reading!
Fun steampunk adventure!,
Two disparate personalities, together in an uneasy alliance, each with secrets, each both stronger and weaker than they seem, a hemophobic assassin and a small but streetwise urchin girl with a desire to be a hero swordswoman. Having no resources with which to achieve her dream, Rory’s discovery of the Viper’s weakness allowed her the leverage she needed to force him to become her teacher. Together they embarked on an unexpected adventure where they both had to face their fears and their desires, their heros and their enemies, with surprising results.
In the prologue and the first chapter, I learned enough about the two titular characters to keep me reading for the better part of an evening just to find out how they’d get together. In other words, I couldn’t stop reading! Luckily for me, I was on a relaxing vacation weekend where that sort of thing is completely acceptable!
The two main characters were completely engaging, and I really enjoyed unfolding their backgrounds and discovering their secrets, especially Longinus, the Viper. I loved all the characters, but one of my favorite “non-central” characters (who I really hope to read more and more about in subsequent books!) was Rafe, one of the official guards who took a special interest in Rory.
The assassin-spy action in the story is fast-paced and exciting, but at the same time, Celine has managed to weave in the personal stories of her characters’ journeys of self-discovery, facing their fears and their temptations, and finding out how to be real-life heroes despite their flaws.
The end of the story just left me wanting to know what happens next! I would say this is a great story for those who love adventure stories and unlikely pairs and who don’t mind waiting for the next book! I think Celine’s first novel is a stunning beginning to a very enjoyable series!
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|Areally fun read. Vividly described and very imaginative!,
But the real strength of the book is in its characters. Longinus and Rory leapt off the page for me. They were both complex, fully developed characters, each with very distinct personalities. They felt both real and endearing, but at the same time following them around Damsport was a lot of fun, and at times just plain funny. And Longinus is just brilliant!
In fact, all the characters in this book are interesting. Even some of the smaller, side characters have intriguing personalities, quirks, so that the whole book is populated with a cast of characters you want to spend more time with.
For all that, a very compelling mystery runs throughout the story. There are pockets of humour throughout the novel, but the plot remains well developed and engaging throughout, so that you just want to keep turning those pages. There were a few moments that I really didn’t see coming — which is of course always a lot of fun!
All in all I really enjoyed this book. The Viper and the Urchin is a fun caper, served with big dollops of mystery and humour.
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