The book had already been released, and I was too late to read it. So, I will make sure to receive a copy and still write my review on it on my website. My standard rating is 3, and I will edit it as soon as I read it.

This novel just wasn’t for me . It was a bit hard to follow and fell short on character details and development . I just kept wishing for more and more. The story has so much potential that maybe one day it will become something delightful .

What an incredible premise for a book - an executioner that’s also a healer stumbling across a man who is secretive about his identity too… what could go wrong?
I liked the build up in learning about the characters and their backgrounds and how they became what they are, I liked the main character Joss too! The story feels super unpredictable and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this but didn't feel it held as much punch as I was hoping. I felt the characters didn't have much depth and the storyline was quite repetitive and a bit boring and the ending was predictable and a bit of a let down which is a shame as the synopsis sounded really good. This is book one of the trilogy and the storyline does have potential so I will still try and read book 2. The book wasn't terrible but felt it didn't fulfill the expectations I had after reading the synopsis.

I have tried, but just couldn’t get into this story. While having read even more than half of the book, I was still not vested in the story or characters…. Such a pity.

An Executer with a duty to kill or be killed discovers an assassin near death and nurses him back to health. This initiates a friendship and romance that will go awry when the two find themselves in each other’s professional crosshairs.

For me, the dual first person perspective did not serve the book well, and this book felt like more of a prologue than a fully fledged start to a series. The world building was extensive and detailed, so fans of a good fantasy series might want to give it a chance, since book two is now available.

I had a very difficult time getting into this book. I probably picked it up at least three different times trying to read it which I do think skewed my views of it.

Thoughts:
-The writing wasn't my preferred style, but it wasn't bad
-The world building was probably the highlight of the book
-I think I would have enjoyed it more if the pacing had been different and the characters more relatable.

I do think this book and series have promise, but I'm unsure if I'll try to read the next book.

I have been in a bit of a reading slump recently, but for me this book has it all, historical type fiction, action, fantasy and a budding romance. It certainly reignited my love for reading, with a well paced, gripping storyline, likeable characters and a strong female lead, I was hooked.

She is the town executioner and local pariah, he is an assassin for hire, hunted by masked men in the shadows, both have received orders to execute the same man, or die themselves. What could possibly go wrong?

Joss is from a long line of town executioners, handed down as an unwanted birthright, despite her gender. A job just as dangerous to her as it is the prisoners she meets. An executioner is given three attempts to complete their task, or be tortured and killed themselves. A law Joss is all too familiar with.
Using her profound knowledge of the human anatomy, Joss spends her free time as a skilled healer, tending to the sick and injured.
After failing to carry out his latest assassination, Aric is badly beaten and left for dead, knowing those masked strangers will be back, if he doesn't finish the job.
Finding him at the side of the road, Joss and her assistant Henrik, take Aric home and tend to him. As his wounds heal, a tender romance blossoms.
The day of the execution arrives as does an unexpected twist, the prisoner has been pardoned, but orders are still to be carried out. Joss' next move could prove fatal for everyone.

I honestly could not put this one down and ended up staying awake all night, just to finish. I was gripped, I have already bought book two and can't wait for book three in November, just in time for my birthday. I definitely recommend reading if you enjoy YA/Fantasy novels.

This was a fun read, but I found the start very slow and it was a little difficult to get into. I really liked the main character Joss, the female executioner angle was interesting to read about and something unique. Definitely will look out for more from this author.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This was a fast paced, short novel and I really enjoyed it. I loved the characters because they were flawed and darker. I love the idea of a female executioner and that everyone is fearful of her. And the reveal at the end was very interesting. I will definitely continue this series.

I’ll admit it was a bit slow at first.. but then I realized that’s the point.
Helps to paint a picture of the characters lives and how they came to be who they are.

The slow burning, budding romance between Joss and Aric is carefully written and the heartache is hard to read unfold, but I hope to see more from their story. They definitely come from two different backgrounds and POV on life.

FMC is amazing, I can almost picture her! She is strong and determined and cares about people, but not Adria to do what needs to be done.

Henrik is my favorite 🤩

And I really want to see Muriel happy so I hope she gets what’s she needs back.

I’m almost positive the King is suspicious of his family 🤐 wanna know why… go read the book! It’s a short read and leaves you wanting more!
.

So I had high hopes going into this story because I lived the elements and the premise of the story line but I did feel that it fell a little flat for me. The writing style was great, and the story line was good but I feel that more could be done with it in some places. It was definitely very interesting and I will continue with the series, I would like to know what happens and if the story does improve.

Really cool premise and interesting characters , but fell flat and could not get myself to finish it. There is a lot of potential though for future books.

you know there are certain books that you regret requesting and wanna kill yourself because it got approved too. yeah this was it for me. xo.

Amazing writing and loved the characters. It started a little slow for me but quickly dove into the story.

I don’t even know what to say!!! This was sooo interesting I honestly loved everything about this book!! Such a great read.

This was a very enjoyable book and I really liked where it was going, I did find the ending a little rushed but It was still a good time to read!

I received this book as an arc, thanks to @netgalley and the author @amdunnewin. I really enjoyed reading this original book!

All the Dark Souls is part of the All the Dark Souls Trilogy. The story is about Joss Brevyn, the last heir in a long line of executioners. But she’s special, because in a profession that is mostly male, Joss is a woman. But even though she’s a woman, the same rules apply: “Kill the condemned within three tries, or be tortured and killed yourself.” Joss has a perfect reputation with her mark yet to miss, and even though she spends her free time as a healer (quite the opposite of her job), the town sees her just as a deathsman.

Along the way Joss and her assistant Henrik come across a man whose been quite beaten up. They decide to take him home, but the man and Joss alike are hesitant to reveil their true identities. The man they bring home is called Aric Kayden and he has definitely seen better days. He was supposed to assasinate an important figure in this story, but failed and thus was left bleeding on the side of the road until Joss and Henrik found him there. They take care of him, heal him and make sure he got the time to get better. While healing from his wounds Aric is haunted by the memories of the target he didn’t kill, especially by those memories of the people who paid him to do so.

There’s an undeniable attraction between Joss and Aric, but even despite this attraction they can’t bring theirselves to tell the truth. For Aric that would be to tell Joss that the masked figures who hired him knows where he is and that his original target is the mysterious prisones who was recently sentenced to death. To hold up the deal he had made, he had to make sure the execution goes on as planned and he has to eliminate anyone who stand in the way of him doing so. That includes Joss, who will be the prisoners executioner. Bound by their duties, they both assume this next kill will be easy, but when one of them has a change of heart, that sparks a chain reaction that could put one, or maybe even both of them, in grave danger.

I thought this was a very original story, with Joss being a female executioner. I also like the contradiction of her being a healer too. The story was fast-paced and the characters were well written out. It often felt a bit like a setting like in the Witcher and I really enjoyed that. I am really curious how Joss and Aric will continue their journey and how this will end. This should be very exciting!
“Not everyone who leaves comes back. Sometimes the silence is the goodbye.” – Joss
“Kindness takes courage.” – Aric

#book73 # readingchallenge #femalexecutioner #historicalfiction #Joss #Aric #executioner #medievaltimes #Witchervibes #books #arc #AllTheDarkSoulsTrilogy

This story was short and mostly exposition. It wasn't easy to pick it up after getting to a certain point due to my lack of interest, as nothing exciting was really happening.