Death Sworn

by Leah Cypess

Overview

When a young sorceress is exiled to teach magic to a clan of assassins, she will find that secrets can be even deadlier than swords. Teen Vogue proclaimed, "It's impossible not to fall deep into the dark yet alluring world of sorcery and secret assassins." A dangerous and eerie fantasy about murder, shocking discoveries, and fiery star-crossed romance that readers of Cinda Williams Chima and Robin LaFevers won't be able to put down.

Ileni is losing her magic. And that means she's losing everything: her position as the rising star of her people, her purpose in life, and even the young man she loves. Sent to the assassins' cave hidden deep within the mountains, she expects no one will ever hear from her again. The last two sorcerers sent died within weeks of each other. Accidents? Or something more sinister? As Ileni navigates the dangers—both natural and human—of the caves, she'll discover secrets that have been kept for decades. And she'll find an ally in Sorin, the deadly young man who could be the assassins' next leader. With Sorin determined to protect her, sparks—magical and romantic—will fly. But will even he understand the choice she must make in the end?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062221223
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/03/2015
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Leah Cypess wrote her first short story—in which the narrator was an ice cream cone—at the age of six. She has degrees in biology, journalism, and law, and has traveled to Iceland, Israel, Jordan, and Costa Rica, among other places. She now lives with her family in Maryland. She is also the author of the acclaimed fantasy novels Death Marked, Mistwood, and Nightspell.

Editorial Reviews

[I]t’s impossible not to fall deep into the dark yet alluring world of sorcery and secret assassins.” — Teen Vogue

“In a striking start to a new series full of magic and murder, Cypess has created a heroine at the intersection of Tamor Pierce’s Alanna and George R. R. Martin’s Arya Stark.” — Booklist

“A thoughtful exploration of identity and responsibility wrapped in a twisty, suspenseful mystery and set in a gorgeously realized fantasy world.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Cypess masterfully depicts battles with daggers, spells, and wits. The surprising conclusion leaves readers hoping for a sequel.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“A dark, atmospheric, murder mystery laced with sorcery, intrigue, and dangerous romance. Prepare to be ensnared from the very first page.” — Cinda Williams Chima,author of the best-selling Seven Realms series

“Death Sworn is YA fantasy at its finest. Intricate and clever world-building, heart-stopping action, and an unforgettable romance that left me breathless—I adored every single moment and never wanted it to end. This is Leah Cypess’s best book yet!” — Sarah J. Maas, author of the best-selling Throne of Glass series

From the Publisher

[I]t’s impossible not to fall deep into the dark yet alluring world of sorcery and secret assassins.

Teen Vogue

Death Sworn is YA fantasy at its finest. Intricate and clever world-building, heart-stopping action, and an unforgettable romance that left me breathless—I adored every single moment and never wanted it to end. This is Leah Cypess’s best book yet!

Sarah J. Maas

A dark, atmospheric, murder mystery laced with sorcery, intrigue, and dangerous romance. Prepare to be ensnared from the very first page.

Cinda Williams Chima

In a striking start to a new series full of magic and murder, Cypess has created a heroine at the intersection of Tamor Pierce’s Alanna and George R. R. Martin’s Arya Stark.

Booklist

Cypess masterfully depicts battles with daggers, spells, and wits. The surprising conclusion leaves readers hoping for a sequel.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

In a striking start to a new series full of magic and murder, Cypess has created a heroine at the intersection of Tamor Pierce’s Alanna and George R. R. Martin’s Arya Stark.

Booklist

03/01/2014
Gr 9 Up—Ileni was once a powerful sorceress, poised to be a leader among her people in their war against the Empire that exiled them long ago. But her magic is slowly and inexplicably fading, and she has been sentenced to spend the rest of her life as a teacher to assassins in a distant cave fortress. The teen also hopes to discover who killed the previous tutors sent by her people. The mission becomes further complicated by Ileni's growing feelings for Sorin, the assassin charged with protecting her. As Ileni delves deeper into the caves and the murders, she discovers more than she bargained for about herself and her people's relationship with the assassins and their mysterious leader. This book has a strong beginning that quickly fails to deliver, due in part to poor world-building. While Cypess gives a strong impression of a deep history of Ileni's people and the Empire itself, she doesn't delve into that history enough, which causes the story to lack a sense of true power. The romance is sluggish, despite a promising start, and Ileni herself, while steely and strong, has a tendency toward overt self-pity and whining. The novel's twists and turns set inside claustrophobic caves often lead to dead ends and will frustrate readers. Fans of Sarah J. Maas and Kristin Cashore may be drawn to this title but may not get deeply engaged.—Necia Blundy, formerly at Marlborough Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

★ 2014-01-15
A teenage sorceress without magic attempts to solve a murder in a cave full of killers. What could possibly go wrong? Deemed expendable due to her rapidly dwindling power, Ileni is sent to the Assassins' Caves to teach magic—and secretly to investigate the sudden deaths of the previous tutors dispatched there. Resigned to her task (and likely murder), Ileni despises the assassins and all their works yet is also reluctantly drawn to the unexpected grace and even joy in their lives, as well as their selfless dedication to a greater purpose. Cypess has a talent for bringing freshness and depth to tired tropes; her lyrical prose and understated imagery evoke the claustrophobic caverns and the unbearable stress of ever-present danger. Ileni, with her complex blend of intelligence, arrogance, longing, despair and determination, is an exceptionally vibrant heroine. While her delicately passionate romance with her assassin bodyguard appears uncomfortably close to Stockholm syndrome, it also encapsulates the constant tension between popular perceptions of assassins as awesome and sexy superninjas and as callous, mercenary, bloodthirsty thugs. As her constricted surroundings paradoxically result in a more nuanced appreciation of the wider world, Ileni gradually learns the difference among those things worth killing for, worth dying for and worth living for. A thoughtful exploration of identity and responsibility wrapped in a twisty, suspenseful mystery and set in a gorgeously realized fantasy world. (Fantasy/mystery. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews