Order of Scorpions by Ivy Asher (Book Review)
Review
Book: Order of Scorpions - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Ivy Asher
Buy link?: at the end of this post ⤵️
I became a fan of Ivy Asher with “The Osseous Chronicles” series. After that, I’ve read some of her other books, and I’ve found something she seems to like, a bit of a trademark. However, every time I find this mark, the story doesn’t end and flow as you might have wanted. I’ll mention this again later on.
In the “Order of Scorpions,” Auster wakes up in a cage not knowing why and who she is. In fact, she doesn’t even remember her name. Circumstances turn her into a blade slave. She is thereafter trained to become an assassin, as the name suggests, a master’s blade. However, she discovers secrets under her skin, talents and capabilities she didn’t know she possessed and that suggest correspond to what her past self might have been. She’s determined to conquer her freedom, but her cruel master has other plans for her. Soon, all the Orders of Assassins will converge for the Bidding, the next blade slaves auction. Auster meets the revered Order of Scorpions. Scorpius, Skull, Bones and Auster will soon discover that fate has something planned for them. No matter what they do and want, they seem to be destined to be.
The first half of the book is enthralling. Auster is a strong female fae. No matter how many times she’s been brutally punished, she rises from the occasion to become even a fiercer warrior. Her character, her will, her convictions makes her an interesting character, one to follow. Then, she meets the Scorpions. There, the story starts deflating. Her monologue becomes never ending, her doubts and reflexions repetitive. The guys want to turn her to their side. They need strong arguments to show her the good fae they really are. Her reasonable lack of trust demands it. Nonetheless, suddenly, without those actions to prove them right, she seems to have found everything she needs to accept and embrace them. How come?
After that, comes the story’s downfall. You see, the same happened with Asher’s “The Lost Sentinel.” It seems she loves multi-lovers stories. This kind of orgies doesn’t work for me. In “The Osseous Chronicles” we have a monogamous love affair. There was a fantasy and a romance, two storylines equally developing. In these two other examples, though, after the characters crash in the passionate affairs, everything evolves around sex. They find themselves distracted even in the middle of a battle because an insignificant brush of skin turns them on. Every look is a promise for what’s to come sexually speaking. Their sexual need becomes so overpowering that you even wish you could skip those scenes and keep finding where the story is supposed to go, if to anywhere. And that’s the thing, after the Scorpions and Auster find their rhythm, the story gets lost. You don’t know anymore what’s its main conflict. Is the story about Auster finding where she comes from? Is the story about war among the realms? Or has the story already happened in the first half of the book and the rest is just filling?
It’s interesting how many book series could be usually cut down to less books. More often than not, the second book tends to exist just so that a third installment can come to fruition. In this case, I found myself wishing this book could have been a series. Asher could have taken advantage of many of the things happening, and exploring where they could have lead her. She could have given space for such things to breathe. But because those didn’t seem the important bits of the story, some of the conflict was quickly tied with a bow and kissed good night. The conflict among the realms could have been the underlining plot while developing the storyline of Auster’s origins. On top of that, you throw her relationship with the Scorpions and you find yourself a more interesting thing.
I’m a bit scared about her upcoming release “The Hunt.” I haven’t lost faith in Asher. However, I don’t know if ‘the Sept’ is a synonym for multiple lovers or if I’ll be rewarded with a monogamous affair. I really hope is the latter. Those runes on the protagonist skin reminds me of “The Lost Sentinel.” I hope it’s not a repeat. I really want a four-stars-or-higher story next.
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