From Author through email

The beginning of what should be an interesting series. Being a novella, it's a fairly quick read, but I think it would have worked a little better if it had been expanded out in places. The following instalments will have plenty to build on though. A decent, original read. ( )

I got this book as part of the Dark and Dangerous, Six-in-One Hot Paranormal Romances Boxed Set.

5 Stars ~ Assassin’s Touch (Iron Portal #1) by Laurie London

Assassin's Touch is book one in the Iron Portal series by Laurie London. This is the first time for me reading anything Laurie London and I enjoyed everything! What a fantastic amazing read! From the first sentence I was pulled in until the very end. I loved everything about this book from two separate worlds waring with each other, to the world building, plot and characters.

A successful mix of hot steamy sex, romance and adventure set in two worlds linked by a portal, one which is modern and the other almost medieval in nature. This book follows the story of Rickert, an Iron Guild Warrior and Neyla, a beautiful woman with a Protection-Talent.

Rickert and Neyla are from two different worlds, but fate has a plan for these two that will change there life and others. These two worked well together. They are brilliantly defined. How fate tells them they are meant to be was wonderful and once they hook up the bedroom gets steamy and hot.The writing is rich, descriptive and flows effortlessly. The plot is refreshing and interesting.

Assassin’s Touch had a great balance of everything that I like to keep me interested. We get Action, Adventure, Heart-Ace, and Romance. I will be checking out more books from this author and recommend this series.

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This review was based on a copy I read provided by NetGalley. (Assassin's Touch appears to be a re-release)


The opening to this new series, Iron Portal by Laurie London is the novella, Assassin's Touch. When I started reading it, I didn't know it was a novella. That's a good thing because I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. Once I realized it was only 150 pages long, I stuck it out.

See the rest of my review here: http://www.justtalkingbooks.com/1/post/2013/10/review-assassins-touchiron-portal... ( )

What we have?

Divided world > One side is a lot like ours, with advanced technology > Pacificans . The other side hasn’t reached the industrial revolution, but has some intriguing powers of its own which make it very different > Cascadians . And the two worlds are in conflict – but both sides have very different versions of WHY they’re fighting, each presenting the other as the aggressor. The Cascadians are protecting the portals that give access to their world while the Pacificans are looking for the portals to keep "barbarians" from coming through and wreaking havoc. This world-building was all over the place and didn't really make sense to me.

Neyla never wanted to be a soldier – but when a terrorist attack brought out her latent psychic powers, she was quickly drummed into the army where they could be best used. It’s a miserable life and her fellow soldiers are no happier with her presence than she is with being there. One of Neyla's fellow soldiers tries to kill her because he doesn't like her for some unknown reason. Rickert kills the man and takes Neyla prisoner. I hate bullies, so Im glad the ones in this story died.

Rickert has come through the portal from his home in the Barrowlands. The world is very different and he’s far from at home there, but he has to stop the Pacificans finding the portal – and launching another of their devastating raids against his homeland. When he find the unconscious Nelya he takes her through the portal to Cascadia, as a war captive.

This could have been a good story of two enemies gradually seeing the humanity in each other. It could have been a story of illusions shattered, of Neyla slowly realising with burgeoning horror how she has been deceived and how she personally has been affected. It could have been a story of Neyla overcoming suspicion and integrating into her new society.

But nope, he says and she believes. It’s shocking how quickly she, a soldier, loses all loyalty for her homeland and jumps into the enemy camp all due to nothing more than the words of a hot guy, so we got a magical bonding visions and lots of monologues about how irresistibly sexy the other is. Pitty, it had a potential, as long as you get away from the mated pair.

For me Neyla didn’t work as a strong character > She spent so little energy in resisting capture, in standing up for herself in the army.....And Rickert .....is sort of cross between medieval highland warrior and modern man, wearing handmade clothes and kilts, yet also using present-day slang and curses. ( )

Follow along as Rickart and Neyla find their destiny. The two are thrown together in circumstances beyond their control as war torn countries propaganda have set them against each other.
Neyla’s paranormal talents were totally latent, until a horrible train crash forced them to surface. She’s immediately plucked from her dress shop where her creative talents prospered and forced into a war as an automatic officer with no soldiering talents.
Rickart, on the other hand, is in the border war for good reason. The enemy has crossed over numerous times and pillaged their lands, taking what they want. Rickart finds himself in a quandary when it comes to this little soldier.
Ms. London has woven a wonderful tale. I was mesmerized by the characters, and couldn’t wait to continue reading to see what happened to these two that were so connected. I hated to see the story end. I wanted to know so much more about where their lives were going to lead them. ( )

Neyla never wanted to be a soldier – but when a terrorist attack brought out her latent psychic powers, she was quickly drummed into the army where they could be best used. It’s a miserable life and her fellow soldiers are no happier with her presence than she is with being there.

They’re called to track down an assassin from the Barrowlands and the portal through which he entered - a vital mission as news reports more devastating terrorist attacks slaughter the innocent.

Rickert has come through the portal from his home in the Barrowlands. The world is very different and he’s far from at home there, but he has to stop the Pacificans finding the portal – and launching another of their devastating raids against his homeland.

When the two meet, it becomes far more complex than they imagined.

This world has a fascinating concept – it’s a clearly parallel Earth but with stark differences from our own and only hints with some similar names to suggest the links. The world was split in two in some unnamed but often hinted on event in the past, leaving only portals as a way to get between the two realms – portals which have their own sets of rules.

One side of the world is a lot like ours, with advanced technology. The other hasn’t reached the industrial revolution, but has some intriguing powers of its own that make it very different. And the two worlds are in conflict – but both sides have very different versions of WHY they’re fighting, each presenting the other as the aggressor.

The main character, Neyla, has her own conflicts. Her life has been torn apart by enemy action which has brought her latent psychic power to the fore – she’s a protector, being able to shield people. This ends up with her being practically drafted into the army. She’s a reluctant soldier (she misses the clothes shop she owned) and the soldiers don’t like her much either – but she does have a life saving power and her father is proud of her. It’s complex with duty and misery working together.

Then there’s Rickert from the other side of the conflict and his own bad memories of atrocities inflicted on his people. Bring them together and there’s going to be some conflict there. As well as culture shock.

So we have a great story concept, a great world that has parallels to our own but also a great divide, a character who is at least not too annoying with some nice woo-woo that certainly could be developed. So do I have a but?

Yes I have a but. The “but” is the romance and the speed of said romance.

Not because of the very clichéd insta-love or near insta-love which has become an eternal thing in the genre – though I do find it irritating that these 2 enemies start noticing how very hot and sexy the other is. It was very blatant that the two were going to end up in bed from the very first meeting and didn’t even try to be subtle about it – from necessary nudity to endless appraisals of his sexiness (while being held as a prisoner of war by people she regards as savages, no less!) the romance started early and moved at lightening speeds.

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I'm not into this book. The cover looks good though. ( )