So I'll admit to a deep bias on this one. First of all I'm one of the faces behind the event. Secondly, I had the privilege of beta-ing this for Sammy who is a very dear friend of mine.

But let me tell you this, both of those in no way should take away from this rating. It's well deserved. I'm not a fan of historicals. In fact, I yelled at the author for expecting me to beta one lol. However, I should have remembered that she could make it interesting and the characters engaging. She had me hooked very quickly!

My only complaint? It's. It long enough! I want more lol.
( )

3.75 Stars

Too short! Too short! Too short! ( )

The early sixteenth century was not an easy time to survive. Especially if you were poor, an unmarried woman, or in any way disabled. Miles, aka The Shadow, finds himself in two of those three groups: he is mute from birth and his mother is unmarried and makes a living by "entertaining gentlemen". Miles's start in life is not easy, but when his mother dies from an unnamed disease when he is only nine years old, he is forced into an aristocrat's service - as an assassin.

Miles does what he has to do to survive, but killing people weighs heavily on him. His only friend is his master's cook who is also mute. I was uncertain how things would ever get better for him, but rescue does come, if from an entirely unexpected source. Added to the political intrigue around the "assassin business" in London during the time of Henry VIII, this short story is a great snapshot of the times.

If you like historicals, if you want to see how things can get better even for a poor boy in a time there was almost no hope for a future if you were uneducated and poor, and if you're looking for a read with a good balance between suspense, character development, and an unexpected happy ending, then you will probably like this free short story. ( )