On a planet and in a time where business is cutthroat and the power of elite families is everything, Meli Galdes has advanced her family’s interests by honing and using her skills as an assassin.  Now she’s more than ready to retire, but before she does so, her kinsmen have asked her to fulfill one last assignment: kill Celino Carvanna.  It’s a task that should please her – Celino all but ruined her life more than a decade before.  But even as she lays a sensual trap to break Celino, Meli can’t ignore the hold he still has on her emotions.  When the opportunity for revenge arises, will Meli be able to bring herself to take it? 

Intrigue, danger, and romance mix together in this seductive game of cat and mouse.  Silent Blade is both exciting and fascinating, with two protagonists that would be the perfect match for one another, were it not for old wounds and new obstacles barring their path to happiness. 

Meli is a wonderful heroine.  She’s brilliant and deadly, but her strength is balanced evenly with her femininity.  I admired her for this and truly felt for her when I read about how Celino’s actions devastated her in the past.  As for her target, Celino is deadly both in business and with a blade.  His razor-sharp mind makes him a fitting opponent for Meli, but his ruthlessness is belied by his desire for her.  I was enthralled by their play and captivated by the world the authors created, unable move, never mind stop reading until I had finished Silent Blade.  This was the first story I have read by the husband and wife writing team that is Ilona Andrews and it absolutely won’t be the last.  Fantastic!