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The Assassin's Prayer: An Action Adventure Thriller (The Assassins Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Mark Allen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,935 ratings
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HARD-HITTING ACTION WITH A WHOLE LOT OF HEART.

Burned by the betrayal of his best friend and embittered by the tragic death of his wife, former government assassin Gabriel Asher becomes a freelance gun-for-hire, trying hard to bury the past beneath a violent sea of bullets, blood, and booze.

But some sins refuse to stay buried…

When Asher finds himself targeted by Black Talon, a brutal kill-team from his past led by the ruthless and legendary Colonel Macklin, fate deals him a shitty hand and thrusts an ex-lover back into his life–and in the middle of crossfire. As Asher unleashes a take-no-prisoners war against his enemies, the guns thunder, the bodies bite the dust, and he finds the scars on his soul being ripped wide open.

With its full-throttle pace, hard-hitting action, and heart-wrenching emotion, The Assassin's Prayer is a relentless tale of redemption for those who know that sometimes bullets speak louder than words.

Publisher’s Note: The Assassin’s Prayer has been updated with new characters, major revisions, and an exhilarating new ending in this brand-new edition.

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    The Assassins
  2. Print length
    304 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 30, 2021
  5. File size
    2.3 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Mark Allen nails another winner with 'The Assassin's Prayer.' A blast to read and so many unforgettable action scenes. There's one scene in particular that ranks in my Top 10 greatest fight scenes ever -- and I read A LOT of action stuff. Best of all, the action scenes are hemmed in by a nice plot featuring unique characters. Highly recommend." ~ Stan R. Mitchell, author of Sold Out.
"The Assassin's Prayer didn't disappoint! Inthe tradition of action-adventure stories like those describing the exploits ofMack Bolan, protagonist Travis Kain cuts a bloody swath through histargets. Allen also gives us the chance to look behind the curtain andinto the mind of his protagonist, Travis Kain, who is more than a simple triggerpuller. Allen builds and maintains an empathy for Kain that is undeniable. I can't wait for more fictionfrom Mark Allen, my favorite 'Chef du Slaughter'!" ~ Jamie Sheffield, author of The Caretaker
"The Assassin's Prayer is an action-packed, dramatic novel. The violence is bloody and unforgiving, and some of the fights are spectacularly gruesome. Lots of emotional conflict, but the maudlin moments don't slow the story down and help distinguish Kain from the legion of near-robotic Grim Hired Assassins out there." ~ Jack Badelaire, author of Killer Instincts

About the Author

Mark Allen is an author who specializes in tough, uncompromising fiction that slams like a bullet to the brain or a punch to the guts, yet never loses sight of the heart and soul. He uses words like a scalpel, carving through the surface layers to rip open the dark, bleeding secrets beneath.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B095XD2W4F
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wolfpack Publishing (June 30, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1494708310
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 2,935 ratings

About the author

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Mark Allen

Mark Allen

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Mark Allen specializes in tough, hard-hitting fiction that slams you like a bullet in the face.

His action novel "The Assassin's Prayer" was optioned by Showtime. His horror script "Gristle"--now a gritty horror novel--was a semi-finalist in the prestigious 2010 Slamdance Screenplay Competition where it was called "a perfect blend of high drama and blood-and-guts slasher horror."

Allen currently lives in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York with a wife he loves, two daughters he adores, a pair of cats he hates with every fiber of his being, and enough ammunition to ensure he is never bothered by door-to-door salesmen.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
2,935 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and suspenseful. They describe the book as an exciting, enjoyable read with good writing quality. Many readers find the content gritty and violent. However, some find the cliches and wisecracks excessive. Opinions differ on the pacing - some find it fast-paced and easy to follow, while others consider it slow and boring. There are mixed reviews regarding character development - some find them well-developed and loved the entire cast, while others feel there is little or no character growth.

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Action packed storyReadabilityWriting qualityGruesomenessPacingCharacter developmentCliches
66 customers mention "Action packed story"52 positive14 negative

Customers enjoy the fast-paced, action-packed story. They find it entertaining and well-written. The book offers suspense and excitement with plenty of gunplay and gore.

"...The bad guys die, and the good guy gets the girl !" Read more

"Good book, Fast read. Lots of action, a little outside the normal books I read but I needed something to kill an afternoon sitting on the beach...." Read more

"...to Kain as an "Emo Assassin", but since the story moves at a pretty brisk clip, the maudlin moments don't slow the story down, and I think..." Read more

"New series from Mark Allen. Entertaining story line. Correct tactical details are appreciated. Characters are well developed...." Read more

48 customers mention "Readability"38 positive10 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it exciting, enjoyable, and hard to put down. The writing is good, with an engaging concept and storyline. Readers describe the book as intense and a real page-turner, with no dull moments.

"Good book, Fast read. Lots of action, a little outside the normal books I read but I needed something to kill an afternoon sitting on the beach...." Read more

"A book you wait for that is exciting to read and difficult to put down. The second book is just as good." Read more

"The book was okay,lots of killing and a bit of romance,but the ending was awful.left a bad taste in my mouth.would not like to experience anymore of..." Read more

"...There is no lag time and no wasted pages. This book is a great read with an amazing liaison to the next one!" Read more

25 customers mention "Writing quality"20 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, with no wasted words and an engaging storyline. The book is described as a quick, easy read with interesting details.

"...The second book is just as good." Read more

"...There is no lag time and no wasted pages. This book is a great read with an amazing liaison to the next one!" Read more

"Well done it took me 3 days but it is a page turner.very entertaining.don’t stop writing.your very good at it." Read more

"Dumb and unbelievable. No plot and a not well written. Too much time spent on the violence and no character development" Read more

4 customers mention "Gruesomeness"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the gritty story with blood, guns, and guts. They find it quick and worth reading.

"Very gritty with a couple of twists and turns. Pretty violent but believable. The main character is very good at what he does..." Read more

"It's a story of blood, guns, and guts, with an underlying romance story. The way Mark weaves the two together seamlessly is amazing!" Read more

"Quick. Gruesome. Worth it." Read more

"Guts, gore, and plenty of action..." Read more

15 customers mention "Pacing"9 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the book's pacing. Some find it fast-paced and easy to read, while others describe it as slow and boring.

"...you have to read it too understand my opinion. But it is a fast read and no worse than anything else out there...maybe a little thin in character..." Read more

"Nice but too fast and gory. A better ending would have been good. However good read nonetheless. More tactical field craft would have helped." Read more

"...There is no lag time and no wasted pages. This book is a great read with an amazing liaison to the next one!" Read more

"Sad on every level (but one); Every element, from character developement to dialogue to plot to firearms technical elements is lacking...." Read more

11 customers mention "Character development"7 positive4 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the characters well-developed and love the whole cast. Others feel the book is too violent and lacks character development.

"...Correct tactical details are appreciated. Characters are well developed. Looking forward to book #2" Read more

"...and no worse than anything else out there...maybe a little thin in character development..." Read more

"...Keeps you entertained and has a good storyline. Interesting characters but I would have liked to see her get her sight back." Read more

"Outstanding fast paced book. This author walks a perfect line through character development in a way that always adds to the story rather than..." Read more

3 customers mention "Cliches"0 positive3 negative

Customers dislike the cliches and wisecracks in the book. They say it's a weak imitation of Mickey Spillane with too many lucky breaks and gratuitous wisecracks.

"...For me, I'm afraid the book hit too many cliches...." Read more

"...but too much coincidence, too many lucky breaks and a few too many gratuitous “wisecracks” for my taste" Read more

"Filled with cliches, weak imitation of Mickey Spillane. I won't be buying any more of Allen's work. Very disappointing! Money was wasted." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jim S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Action
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    If you want an action packed. Hold your hat read, grab this one. Asher seems to carry trouble in his back pocket. The bad guys die, and the good guy gets the girl !
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good book, Fast read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Good book, Fast read. Lots of action, a little outside the normal books I read but I needed something to kill an afternoon sitting on the beach. Perfect for that, as it's not too long. Normally the type of book I read is where the main character takes out the guys bad guys and in this book the bad guys aren't much worse than him. So it's a little hard to root for this guy. you have to read it too understand my opinion. But it is a fast read and no worse than anything else out there...maybe a little thin in character development...
    Helpful
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  • bob b
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
    Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A book you wait for that is exciting to read and difficult to put down. The second book is just as good.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fast action steady kills
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The book was okay,lots of killing and a bit of romance,but the ending was awful.left a bad taste in my mouth.would not like to experience anymore of this Mark Allen's works.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Jack Badelaire
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Cool Hired-Killer Thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    THE ASSASSIN'S PRAYER is the story of Travis Kain, a killer-for-hire who once worked for the CIA, but now most often sells his services to organized crime. He lives in a state of almost constant melancholy after the death of his wife several years ago, using violence to dull the pain of his loss.

    When we meet him, Kain is contracted to kill off another organized crime "made man" of some considerable status, and while the job goes mostly as planned, there are complications involving some innocent witnesses. Kain has vowed to never harm innocents (part of the "prayer" which gives the book its title), and so walks away from tying off these loose ends, an act that has serious consequences for him later on.

    Kain also runs into an old flame from years gone by, and this kindles some old passions he thought were long-dead. There's a lot of conflicting emotions going on, as Kain tries to sort out his feelings for this old flame while still hurting from the loss of his wife.

    To further complicate matters, the CIA - who never drop a grudge - sends one of their top "operators" after Kain, because apparently his departure from the Agency was less than mutually accepted. The operator who goes after Kain is a real sumbitch, and he's got a whole cadre of other sumbitches along with him.

    All of this comes together to create a pretty action-packed, dramatic novel. Allen is a big fan of the action genre, and heaps it on with gusto. The violence is bloody and unforgiving, and some of the fights are spectacularly gruesome. If you're not into vivid depictions of violence and gore, this may not be the book for you.

    Taken as a whole, TAP is a solid debut novel. There are a couple of major coincidences that form plot points in the story, and they'll either make or break a reader's enjoyment of the novel; either you'll accept them and move on, or you'll lose your suspension of disbelief and fall out of the story. I was willing to carry on and swallow the coincidences, but I'm sure it'll be a deal-breaker for some readers.

    There is also a lot of emotional conflict, most of it tied to both the death of Kain's wife and the rediscovery of his long-lost flame, but there's also some deep-seated angst regarding his former best friend, whom Kain now despises. There were several times I just wanted Kain to cowboy up and quit weeping into his whiskey. If I wanted to be cheeky, I'd refer to Kain as an "Emo Assassin", but since the story moves at a pretty brisk clip, the maudlin moments don't slow the story down, and I think it helps distinguish Kain from the legion of near-robotic Grim Hired Assassins out there. Some other reviewers clearly liked a more complicated, emotional protagonist, while others found it annoying. As usual, your mileage may vary.

    So if you're interested in a cool Hired-Killer Thriller, consider picking up THE ASSASSIN'S PRAYER. And if you're such a cheapskate that you don't want to invest $2.99 on the book, check out some of his other works, such as "The Killing Question" and "Resurrection Bullets". Allen has quite the collection of varied short stories, and I'm sure there's something for everyone.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • E. Michaelson
    5.0 out of 5 stars has the makings of a good series
    Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    New series from Mark Allen. Entertaining story line. Correct tactical details are appreciated. Characters are well developed. Looking forward to book #2
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding non-stop action!!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I read this all within a few hours and it was worth every second! There is no lag time and no wasted pages. This book is a great read with an amazing liaison to the next one!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Monica Campos
    4.0 out of 5 stars enjoyed this book
    Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Nicely paced, good excitement. Good summer book to read while on the beach. Will start the second book in this series shortly.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Christopher di Armani
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Amazing.
    Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first book I've read by Mark Allen, but it won't be the last. This is one seriously talented author. Thank you, sir, for an amazing story with one heck of an ending.
    Report
  • Kindle Customer Judith
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent storyline, compulsive reading.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Well written, great storyline
    Report
  • R.Ethiraj,India
    4.0 out of 5 stars Prayed but no salvation
    Reviewed in India on May 7, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Incredible action on every pages mostly.
    The plot you might have read earlier , but the language and the speed the action sequences aŕe exposed, you will not disappoint. A straight and one sitting read. Kain the assassin with a heart . You will love him but the climax is a blow to your heart. I have really enjoyed as if watched an action movie
    Report
  • John Lemke
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great story
    Reviewed in Australia on April 28, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A really interesting and troubled story that keeps the reader enthralled. Lots of action and interesting twists. A lot of fun to read.
    Report
  • healthysean
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great New Name to the Action Scene
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    HARD-HITTING ACTION WITH A WHOLE LOT OF HEART.

    Great to find a new action thriller, and yes action packed, strong story, gripping, great ending.

    Burned by the betrayal of his best friend and embittered by the tragic death of his wife, former government assassin Gabriel Asher becomes a freelance gun-for-hire, trying hard to bury the past beneath a violent sea of bullets, blood, and booze.

    But some sins refuse to stay buried…

    Asher soon finds himself targeted by Black Talon, a brutal kill-team from his past led by the ruthless and legendary Colonel Macklin. Asher just wants to be left alone but when fate thrusts an ex-lover back into his life and she is caught up in the crossfire, Asher unleashes a take-no-prisoners war against his enemies. As the guns thunder and the bodies bite the dust, he finds the scars on his soul being ripped wide open.

    Also there is an old friend, now a furious hate for his old friend. Painful memories, taking all his soul away, can he find something worth fighting for and enjoy life.

    With its full-throttle pace, hard-hitting action, and heart-wrenching emotion, The Assassin's Prayer is a relentless tale of redemption for those who know that sometimes bullets speak louder than words.

    Great book, straight away on Book 2, with a different character. Four stars.
    Report

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