#Review & #Giveaway of The Leopard (Marakand #1) by K.V. Johansen

Part one of a two-book epic fantasy, set in a world as richly drawn as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, but with Mideastern and Eastern flavors
In the days of the first kings in the North, there were seven devils…

Ahjvar, the assassin known as the Leopard, wants only to die, to end the curse that binds him to a life of horror. Although he has no reason to trust the goddess Catairanach or her messenger Deyandara, fugitive heir to a murdered tribal queen, desperation leads him to accept her bargain: if he kills the mad prophet known as the Voice of Marakand, Catairanach will free him of his curse. Accompanying him on his mission is the one person he has let close to him in a lifetime of death, a runaway slave named Ghu. Ahj knows Ghu is far from the half-wit others think him, but in Marakand, the great city where the caravan roads of east and west meet, both will need to face the deepest secrets of their souls, if either is to survive the undying enemies who hunt them and find a way through the darkness that damns the Leopard.

To Marakand, too, come a Northron wanderer and her demon verrbjarn lover, carrying the obsidian sword Lakkariss, a weapon forged by the Old Great Gods to bring their justice to the seven devils who escaped the cold hells so long before.

 About the Author

› Visit Amazon's K. V. Johansen Page

Biography

K. V. Johansen was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, where she developed her lifelong fascination with fantasy literature after reading The Lord of the Rings at the age of eight. Her interest in the history and languages of the Middle Ages led her to take a Master's Degree in Medieval Studies at the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, and a second M.A. in English Literature at McMaster University, where she wrote her thesis on Layamon's Brut, an Early Middle English epic poem. While spending most of her time writing, she retains her interest in medieval history and languages and is a member of the Tolkien Society and the Early English Text Society, as well as the SFWA and the Writers' Union of Canada. Her previous works for adults include the Sunburst-nominated Blackdog and the short story collection The Storyteller. She is also the author of two works on the history of children's fantasy literature and a number of books for children and teens, including the award-winning Warlocks of Talverdin and Torrie series. Various of her books have been translated into French, Macedonian, and Danish. Visit her online at www.kvj.ca

Well this one started out ok. With goddesses and a woman searching for an assassin.  (what is with all the spy and assassin books I've been reading haha) I really loved this world.  Being Pagan I devour almost anything that deals with old religions and of course witches and wizards which this book has.  I loved the first few characters and the story was great.  I was taken on a journey with Deyandara to find this assassin and then all of sudden these characters disappear in the story and other characters pop up.  So unfortunately although I loved the setting the story was very odd.  I wish it would have stuck with the characters that it started with. Instead of falling into a hole and giving us new ones.

I am still going to read book two. (cause I have to haha)

 Go Into This One Knowing 

Draws you in then BAM changes things, Great setting. 

"All opinions are 100% honest and my own." 

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  Disclaimer: Thanks to Goodreads and Amazon for the book cover, about the book, and author information.

Posted in: 2 Stars, Adult, Giveaway, Review