Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Assassin by Accident
SERIES: Carnival of Mysteries
AUTHOR: EJ Russell
NARRATOR: Greg Boudreaux
PUBLISHER: Reality Optional Press
LENGTH: 7 hours and 45 minutes
RELEASE DATE: August 16, 2023
BLURB:
If a megalomaniacal earth mage kidnaps your little sister, do you:
A) Kill him
B) Kill him
C) Kill him
D) Magically indenture yourself to him to ensure her safe return
Welsh water horse Nevan Quirke would have happily opted for A, B, or C but had no idea where his sister was hidden—so, option D it is. He’s not a fool, though. He made sure to limit his obligation to a single task.
Unfortunately, he neglected to nail down a few tiny details before the geas brand was seared into his skin, and now:
A) He can’t shift
B) He can’t swim
C) He can’t drink
D) If he fails, he’ll be bound to the mage for eternity
Oh, and that task? Assist in an assassination.
If only he weren’t so thirsty.
And if only his partner for the heinous job weren’t the most appealing man Nevan has seen in his entire thousand-year life.
Assassin by Accident takes place in E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched universe and is part of the multiauthor Carnival of Mysteries series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book features grumpy sunshiny, hurt comfort, mistaken identity, opposites attract, unexpected derring-do, and of course an HEA—no matter how little the men in question think they deserve it.
REVIEW:
As a fan of E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched world, I couldn’t wait to dive into this shared world story that combined both her already established universe as well as the common but uniquely imagined Errante’s Carnival of Mysteries. I can truly say I was not disappointed. In all of Ms. Russell’s stories, there is some new type of characters/supernatural being. In this story, we have Nevan, a Welsh water horse who has spent nearly all of his existence alone in his watery world. He’s recently “adopted” a little sister who he is responsible for. When a nasty mage kidnaps her to get Nevan to do a task for him, well what choice does he have? So he accepts. Mages are notorious for the twisted turns of the contract – and thus Nevan finds himself in a real bind. He can’t shift, he can’t drink, and he’s in a real timecrunch here.
Everything is made worse when he realizes that he has to help an assassin. The Assassin’s Guild isn’t much better than the mage. And the target of the assassin? Another child! Needless to say Nev is more than a little grumpy. Then he’s at a Starbuck’s (because where else would one make contact with an assassin?) and he’s gobsmacked at who the assassin appears to be. This man doesn’t seem like he can find his way out o of a paper bag. His backpack alone is a weapon of mass destruction. Nevan isn’t exactly friendly and Seb can’t figure out why. Or what’s going on. When they get to the Carnival and it’s clear they have two different agendas, well Nevan says some things that make Seb think that maybe Nevan’s got more problems than being grumpy. Because this stuff can’t be real, right?
But it seems that it IS real, and Nevan is desperate to fulfill his contract and get his little sister back from this evil mage. But what about the secrecy pact? And who will have to pay? Could it be that there is more to Seb, the mild-mannered nanny who started his day thinking he was going to an interview only to be caught up in a supernatural quest with plenty of danger and quirky characters? You’ll have to listen to find out 🙂
What a fun ride this book is! I was intrigued to discover how the Carnival would be part of this story as this author’s supernatural world is really well established through multiple series and books. I loved how she was able to incorporate and blend these two worlds. That being said, I’m guessing this book is a lot more fun for those of us who have read at least the Quest Investigations books because there are quite a few crossover characters. I absolutely loved seeing Jordan and Doop and the rest of the gang. The best part of the story was seeing Nevan accept the care of Seb – who of course is a natural caretaker 🙂 They start off on the wrong foot for sure – not quite enemies, but certainly not friends. There are a lot of misunderstandings – especially since Seb has no idea what he’s dealing with and Nevan has spent so little time with others that his communication skills lack quite a bit 😉 Luckily for them, they have a lot of help – especially after Jordan is on the scene. There is drama and action and sweet moments where Nevan and Seb both realize that maybe they deserve something better than they’ve had in the past. Their HEA is sweet and fitting. And of course the villain gets his due as well 😛
Greg Boudreaux does his usual stellar job with this story. His performance is always consistent and the characters we’ve come to love in this story come to life in his quite capable hands. The drama, the exasperation, the humor, the shy and sweet times are all perfection handled by this true professional. It’s a treat to listen to his interpretation of these characters. There are loads of characters but I was never in doubt as to who was speaking. It was a joyride! Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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