Title: Angel and the Assassin
Author: Fyn Alexander
Cover Artist: Justin James
Publisher: Loose Id
Buy Link:Buy Link Angel and the Assassin
Genre: BDSM, Contemporary M/M
Length: Novel Plus
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
A guest review by Raine
Summary Review: Angel with daddy kink meets assassin with killer instincts for complex sex, thrills and sensationally…love.
Blurb: Kael Saunders loves to dominate handsome, masculine men like himself. Being in charge is his way of life whether it be in his work with the Secret Intelligence service, his personal life, or in the dungeon. The last thing he expects when he is out on a hit is to fall in love with Angel, an eighteen-year-old boy desperate for the love and guidance of a Daddy. Yet Angel also has a passion for being spanked and restrained. Two very different men find love in a world of skilled assassins, Bosnian terrorists, and dungeon play.
Review:
The assassin of the title is Kael Saunders, an antihero, who is totally unapologetic about his job, announcing:
“The only person in the world who I would not target is my own mother. Everyone else is fair game. Everyone.”
Kael’s personality and actions and my reactions toward him reminded me of the TV character ”Dexter”—it is somewhat disturbing to find yourself wanting a psychopath to succeed.
This is the world of MI6 espionage, terrorism and hitmen…no sorry—professional operatives in the British Secret Intelligence Service. The book introduces Kael as a mess of twisted pathologies; he enjoys killing for a living, and as an extra frisson, sometimes he has sex—consensual—before he kills his targets. He has no conscience about killing any witnesses to his initial hits, who he considers collateral damage. He is obsessed with control of his body, his environment, and as a master, is heavily into the BDSM scene. Kael’s back story is revealed by him writing in a notebook about his previous life. He wants to leave something behind for his mum so she would know about his life. This is a new development provoked by the death of a friend in the service.
This gives us insight into the Kael behind the assassin. He had a hard, poor, rough childhood, tormented as a scholarship boy at an independent school for the privileged until he fought back, even using rape as a weapon. When we are first introduced to Kael, it is as a man in total control of his hard won, successful but nihilistic life. This is to be spectacularly blown apart by Angel, perhaps the real hero of the book.
It is an intense, bizarre first meeting, with a naked Angel, helplessly hiding from the assassin in the shower, so scared he pisses himself, but for Kael it is equally frightening,
An unexpected and overwhelming feeling gripped Kael in the belly. He wanted to take the boy in his arms and calm his fears. He wanted to comfort him, not kill him.
Angel is an unexpected witness to the murder of his arms-dealer stepfather by Kael. Although in a previous episode it has been established that Kael is quite happy to kill an innocent witness, something about Angel saves him. For all his short life, beautiful and willful Angel has been neglected, and abandoned, emotionally needy on a cosmic scale, his sexuality is, if anything, more complex than Kael’s. Angel has an adolescent obsession with sexuality. He is very self aware of what he wants—a leather Daddy or a Master, but his real desire is for a Daddy. The attraction between them is mutual and instant. They both lie and manipulate each other in that initial meeting, and we find that Angel is not the helpless victim he first appears.
Kael decides he can’t kill Angel and decides to take him from the US back to England to keep him safe. He is so obsessed with keeping Angel safe he is willing to sexually blackmail his boss in order to get him a passport. A great deal of fun is had in introducing a stroppy teenager into a control freak’s immaculate life. One of the most enjoyable scenes in the book involves fastidious, ‘anal retentive’ Kael rummaging through rubbish bins to recover something of Angel’s that he had thrown away without realising it’s value to him.
He had run with bullets whizzing past his head while he laughed out loud as he dodged them, and it was never enough. Yet here he stood feeling deliriously happy watching Angel hug the filthy blanket while looking at him with unadulterated admiration.
” Daddy, you are the man.”
The man.
Angel is fascinating mixture of immense vulnerability and common sense. He is the catalyst to enormous change in Kael’s life. Although Angel gains stability, sex, affection and a role model, it is Kael who is miraculously transformed by the relationship. In many ways the relationship does illustrate the sub/Dom rule that the sub is the one with the power. Kael’s new life is expanded to include friendships and new emotions. This speech illustrates the changing relationship with a light touch:
…all he felt was incredibly responsible for Angel’s safety and emotional well-being. He wanted to live up to Angel’s belief in him, so he stayed silent, holding him close, wanting to forget the world for a while.
“Daddy, what are you thinking? Bet I know.”
“What?”
“You’re thinking you’d like to spank my ass.”
I have to confess I had to take several sharp intakes of breath to cope with the whole Daddy kink, but I did really enjoy Angel as a character so my feeling of unease did mostly wear off. I think, though, that it could be off putting to some people. The BDSM is heavy and detailed. I did have some reservations about the fisting scene in terms of reality as it seemed a bit much as Angel was only one fuck off a virgin. Angel is eighteen, and not Kael’s usual type, but his mental age does move both up and down in range. When he seems younger it can all be a bit much; Angel still has a blankie, he likes to play on the swings and he drops to the ground just like an obstinate child when Kael rushes him away from an internet cafe.
However to balance this Angel has considerable intellectual maturity. He questions his own and Kael’s psychology:
“Daddy, do you think I want a daddy because I never had a father?” …
“I never had a father and I don’t want a daddy,” Kael said. “Listen, boy, you know what you want, how many people wander through life never knowing what they want?”
Angel has a real passion for getting all he can out of his life, no matter how restricted it is. This enthusiasm for things as varied as anime magazines, Big Macs and spankings is totally endearing. He is shown to be brave, observant, calculating and strong—an interesting skill range for Kael’s own profession in the secret service.
Their relationship develops within a twisting, and turning story written with humour and pace involving kidnapping, rescues and of course, killing.
Oh, and an aside? The cover is a really good illustration for the book.
Recommended
Warning: Strong BDSM and Daddy Kink
Excellent review, Raine. I am not so much into BDSM/D/s books, but I am intrigued by how you have presented it. I think I’ll add it to my TBB pile. Thanks
Thanks Aunt Lynn,
I have a feeling this is a love or hate book- no half measures here.
I am reviewing the second one Angel and the Assassin- Be Brave later this week.
Hi Raine,
From your review alone this book sets my teeth on edge; I don’t think I’d have the stomach for this. So thanks for the “warning”
😀
Have you ever watched the French movie “Leon the Pro”? The plot is not unlikely this book’s, although there’s no sex between the killer and his “angel” (a little girl)
Hello Feliz
Thanks, I didn’t know about the film, I think I’ll get it on LoveFilm to check it out. I’m clearly in hitman mode….
I don’t think this is for everyone, and that is mainly down to Angel, if he doesn’t win you over as a character then neither would the book.
Great review, Raine! I haven’t read this one, but the author is very gifted. I really enjoyed her first one, Precious Jade, an historical.
Feliz, I remember that movie! The Professional with Jean Reno. It was Natalie Portman’s first screen role as the little girl. She was terrific.
Thank you Val,
I haven’t read that one yet as historicals are perhaps my least favourite genre. I hadn’t come across Fyn’s work until Angel. I read it at one sitting and bought the new one too.
I intend to read this one after reading the review, Thanks!
I really hope you enjoy it.
I am still trying to describe it even though I’ve finished the first review!
It would be great if you’d let me know what you think of it.
Great review. I have added it to my “to reads”. Thank you.
Thank you Jen.
When it hits the top of the list, I’d be really interested in what you thought. It wasn’t my usual instant type of book.
Hmm … not a fan of bdsm but your reveiw has me intrigued – on to my very long TBR pile. thank you – 🙄 we have to have a bunny –
This one is heavy on the BDSM, Minnie, but the relationship between Kael and Angel really carries it.
Don’t mention the Easter bunny 😥 – I just found my serial killer cat eating one in the corner of the room! RIP
Raine
Great review.
Although I like BDSM but I don’t know that I can read this book, especially the fisting of someone who is almost a virgin, as well as the Daddy kink. 🙁
Sometime ago Jen (I think it was Jen) told me that she couldn’t review this book because it was too extreme for her, and she really likes BDSM books. I think it would take someone with a very strong stomach to read this book.
You know Wave it is not really my thing either, I can enjoy most things in a fantasy world with Weres etc but in the real world I am usually a complete wuss. I recently deleted an ebook- Anchored for the first ever because I couldn’t cope with it. 😯
I have been thinking about this and I have decided that in this case because the whole spooks and assassin thing is quite a literary concept and the mood of the book is rather over the top and with the strong characters it all balanced out enough for me.
Angel is just so enthusiastic about life there is no way he is a victim. 🙂
I couldn’t read Anchored: Belonging either – way too much for me, and I can read most extreme themes. Even though Anchored was set in an alternate universe I couldn’t go there – slavery and all of its implications as presented in the book grossed me out. However, both books are definitely a case of different strokes.
I’ll wait for your review of Be Brave before I decide. 🙂
The Daddy thing put me off in the first book because Angel was so child like. In this book he has matured a bit in his behaviour so it was better to cope with.
So in that way this book worked better for me then the first one.
Ingrid
I think this is the first book. The second one is called Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave
😀 OOPS, guess I got confused because the covers are the same
Hey Ingrid
I’m reviewing the second one Be Brave later this week, but yes I agree with you Angel is less of a shocking character in that one.
I’m a HUGE fan of this book and of Alexander’s writing. I love the shocking/smart risks she took here and can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve for BE BRAVE!
It’s good to hear from someone who has also enjoyed this, Damon. 🙂 Angel and Kael are certainly a an intriguing partnership. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the second one.
Oh man, I am so tempted to read this book, but I’m not sure about the Daddy Kink. Maybe once I start reading, it’ll be easier to get over because it’ll be in the context of the characterization of the characters, and not just purely a sexual thing ?
Hi Asher, that is how it worked for me, but the Daddy kink is very much an important part of the book, because it almost defines Angel at this part of his life.
The other thing is that Angel is young, needy and volatile, as well as all the other things I mentioned- if you don’t like those kind of characters you probably won’t like him.
However the book does have a very over the top action type vibe too, there is fun of the Bond type which helps balance the sex.
Please let me know what you decide- I’m intrigued now.
Raine,
this review is not only very flattering, it is probably the best analysis of Angel and the Assassin, and its two heros, that I have come across.
I confess I have been surprised at the reactions of some readers to the Daddy kink. I did not expect readers to be ‘squicked’ (love that word)by the Daddy/boy dynamic. But we all bring our history into everything we do.
I can hardly wait to read your review of Be Brave.
Thanks for this.
Fyn.
Hello Fyn,
thank you for your comments. I really liked Angel as a character and have enjoyed seeing the relationship develop. No pressure for the next review then!
I bought this and the sequel Angel and the Assassin: Be Brave this weekend. I thought both were quite good. I loved the insights into Kael through his journal entries….and his love for Angel progressed quickly but honestly.