Between Shadows - Chanel Cleeton (Assassins #1)

If you had told me I would like a novel about assassins a few weeks ago, I probably would have laughed at you. I don't pick novels about assassins, cold blood killers, anything like that really. Then I picked up Between Shadows. I initially was attracted to it due to the cover, I mean that'll grab anyone's attention, and then I read the synopsis. Talk about attention grabbing! I couldn't say no, there was a mystery there I wanted to know the answer to, so I dove right in. Boy, was I impressed and now I have three other novels about mercenaries to read. Can't help it! Chanel Cleeton totally sucked me in from page one with this book and I happily added this series to my "series to actually finish" list. If you've read this one, or plan to pick it up in the future, let me know!

Rating: 4 Stars
Published: January 2016
Many thanks to Netgalley and Chanel Cleeton for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Amazon Goodreads

X has been preparing for this moment since she entered The Academy, she must complete one final task before she is released into the world as an assassin. Except she's a bit different than the others, her kills stick in her mind, she has nightmares of the past, and she's always curious about the truth. Is justice the only purpose they serve? When everything starts turning upside down, X has to ask if the truth she's been told is really the truth at all. When it comes down to it, the game has changed, and X must use all her killing skills in order to survive.

 This book was awesome, I initially got it based on the cover thinking it was a contemporary romance, boy was I so wrong and SO glad I went into this book without expectations. X is an awesome character, she's got a past like you wouldn't believe, and she kicks butt. I loved how she was so sure of herself at the start, but the inner conflict she was dealing with, even before everything twisted, showed she was still a real person. Often times assassin novels have characters with no emotions at all and I have a hard time believing that with people, so I really like what Chanel Cleeton did with her characters. Right away readers will be immersed in this book, wondering who X really is and why The Academy has her killing for them. Then enters Luke, swoon! I love a character that shakes things up in a novel and Luke does just that. Without revealing anything, he brings another dimensions to this book because with him comes the past and present, tying together the scary future they must face as all the truths about The Academy come tumbling down. The twists were so interesting, I even liked the secondary characters good and evil, and I love how Chanel Cleeton didn't give us all the answers very easily.

I would really like to know about Luke, maybe from his POV, and definitely see more of this bad ass side of X. At times she seemed so strong and sure and other times she seemed confused, like her training didn't work in real life scenarios. I definitely stayed engaged the entire book, although the general goal of The Academy and those who run it still is up in the air for me. There is a lot going on, which could take away for some readers. I definitely want another book right away, because there are so many more questions and the ending was insane.

I definitely enjoyed Between Shadows and am glad I went into it without expectations. Novels of the assassin type are not normally something I go for, but this one really did keep my attention from start to finish. It's a series I will be sticking with. There is a lot of emotions, piles of drama, and Chanel Cleeton did an awesome job of writing great characters with extensive detail.