3 out of 4 stars
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Most of us find hurting and, on the more extreme end, killing someone to be an unimaginable evil. However, some individuals make a living out of this, using the darker ends of the internet as their means of connection. David Diegert is one of those people. Dawn of the Assassin, written by Bill Brewer, follows David’s transformation into a decorated assassin. After his dishonorable discharge from the military, David finds himself out of options. He tried to get a fresh start as a bouncer at a bar, but this job gets him into hot water after he gets hired by the Russian mob to beat up a rival gang member. The man he hurt ends up getting killed, implicating David in a crime he did not commit. While he is laying low in a safe house, David is introduced to the world of assassins on the dark web. Unfortunately, the men at the safe house are not so kind, leading David to kill them in self-defense. This event leads him to take on a job as an assassin, changing his life forever.
The global nature of the book really drew me in. David travels to countries, such as Somalia and France, in his work as an assassin. It was enjoyable to see David interact with the global community and interact with a wide variety of people. David’s character also interested me. On the surface, he doesn’t seem too bothered by killing. Once we get to know him better, we learn that he is deeply affected by it, often resorting to crying as a means of releasing his emotions. This added a vulnerable aspect to him, something we don’t usually see in male characters. Another aspect of his character that was unique was his sense of justice. The reason why David gets a dishonorable charge is his disdain for a drug operation that was occurring in Afghanistan. His unit was involved in shipping opioids, something that disgusted David. This leads to him losing his temper and getting in a fight with his superior officer. This event perfectly illustrates the warring components of David’s personality: his integrity and his hot-temper.
There were a couple of things that I did not enjoy about the novel. One detail I noticed was that every man who was gay ended up harassing or hurting David in some way. For instance, the reason why David killed one of the men at the safe house was because he tried to rape him. This negative portrayal probably wasn’t intentional, but I think this issue could be rectified by including a few more LGBT+ characters in a positive light. The main issue I had with the novel was the uneven pacing. I enjoyed David’s development in the first half, but this section felt much longer than the second half. As a result, the middle and end of the book felt rushed.
Dawn of the Assassin contained errors. While they weren’t severe enough to detract from my enjoyment, they did indicate that the book still needs to undergo another round of editing. An example of an error I noticed was the use of “manned” instead of “maned” when referring to a lion.
I rate Dawn of the Assassin 3 out of 4 stars. While the novel was action-packed, the errors and rushed pacing prevent me from giving it a higher score. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy action and adventure. More sensitive readers may find the violence and sexual content to be off-putting.
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Dawn of the Assassin
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