This was such a fun romp! Perfect book to break the monotony of reading the same genre.

The setting of the story is some sort of fantasy/alternative history with kings, aristocracy, knights, sun cult, assassins and plenty of superstitions and fairy-tales.

Cameo is an assassin whose mission goes all wrong after a highwayman stops the carriage she is travelling in. A unique sort of circumstances brings Cameo and Black Opal (the highwayman) together on a very dangerous journey, losing and acquiring friends and enemies along the road.

What stood out for me in this story is that Cameo and Black Opal both are not your typical protagonists. Cameo is a legendary scary assassin whose name simple folks use to frighten their children. She is not beautiful at all, but dark, lonely and eery.

Opal has poor vision, is scarred by pockmarks, which he covers by heavily powdering his face and wearing ridiculously foppish clothes. He is also not young and kills easily. But the guy is devilishly charming and thinks that Cameo is beautiful.

I couldn't help laughing visualising this pair. Because they are so imperfect, they are very lively. The same can be said about secondary characters who are just as vivid.

The whole book come to life very easily, and becomes a fast read. There are also plenty of unresolved mysteries in the end which make you want to read book #2.

Very much recommended. ( )

Cameo the Assassin took me by surprise. I was expecting a run-of-the-mill vamp novel and it didn't deliver that! What I got was a steampunk-esque (though I'm not sure I'd qualify it completely as Steampunk) story about a ghoul, I mean girl, who's a hired killer-with-a-soul for the Association (dun-dun-duuuuun!). I've never read a Zombie book before, and while the novel is careful to not bandy about that term (certainly, Cameo, our daring lead character doesn't like it), it certainly fits.
Dawn McCullough-White writes Cameo incredibly well. When you are introduced to her, she is aloof and emotionless, taking swigs from her flask while she watches the rather questionable activities that surround her each day. She is paid to do her job and not question, something she does well. She is the very embodiment of someone without a soul. Or so you think. What you find beneath Cameo's surface...well, I won't spoil it for you. But it's spectacular. And not the least bit ordinary.
As you read, you're drawn into the story, bit by bit, like a lazy fishing line slowly being reeled in. She paints a dark, yet lovely picture of a Victorian-era period with fine clothing, large egos and intrigue that makes you want to keep reading. Her supporting characters, Opal, Kyrian and Bellamy, are often delightful and amusing with their verbal repartee. It was a little difficult to keep up with the character jumps, but I attribute that more to the way it was formatted on my Nook than anything else, so it's easily overlooked. I definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys Steampunk, Dark Fantasy or Paranormal Fiction. It was a great read! ( )

The first part of the book was confusing. I wasn't sure what was going on, was she made a vampire? Who is Wick and what hold does she have on Cameo. What the heck is going on? Some of my questions were answered, some of the story remained muddled, but it was interesting enough for me to keep going and begin to like some of the characters. ( )

The first part of the book was confusing. I wasn't sure what was going on, was she made a vampire? Who is Wick and what hold does she have on Cameo. What the heck is going on? Some of my questions were answered, some of the story remained muddled, but it was interesting enough for me to keep going and begin to like some of the characters. ( )

It took me longer than usual to read this book because it's a little out of my comfy zone (different from the books I usually read), but I'm very glad I read it. It's a very original and interesting Dark Fantasy novel which offered me a perfect escape from all the fantasy and paranormal books coming out lately!

Cameo, the assassin, was a fast paced, full of action read. The mystery and the suspense kept me interested and eager to know what happened next throughout the entire story and the main character is very unusual and interesting to read about.

So Cameo (what a cool name, don't you think?) is a witty, kick-butt heroine who kills people for hire. She's very mysterious and there is also something eerie about her - well, she's not quite human. And though this description may not sound out of the ordinary, believe me, there is nothing ordinary about Cameo. On the contrary, she is a very unique, complex and intriguing character. Because of her slightly unusual appearance and her reputation as an assassin, people are really afraid of her - they even have creepy stories about her:
Kyrian to Cameo: "My parents used to tell me stories about you when I was a little boy. Well, a rhyme really about how you killed children who didn't go to bed on time."
But something went wrong with her last mission and she found herself teaming up with a couple of highwaymen, because they were all considered responsible for killing the king. So they had to make a plan, flee town and stick together - which didn't make Cameo happy at all (at least not at first). She's used to being alone and minding her own business, and suddenly she felt responsible for other people too and she had to deal with far more challenges that she had ever expected. But with every new dangerous adventure, I got the chance to know more about all the gang members and to even understand Cameo better. She proved to be stronger and much more caring and selfless than people might have thought.
Kyrian was looking up at her, shocked at the warmth in her tone."You are Cameo?"
She smiled at him, the same caring smile she had gifted him with a moment earlier.
And despite the fact she wasn't much of a talkative person, everyone listened to her and respected her. I actually liked her attitude: she's mysterious and sarcastic, yet she makes her own decisions and sticks with them, no matter the consequences.
"You got your cameo brooch back I noticed, the one that was robbed from you," Wick clicked the pipe between her broken teeth.
"Yes."
"And yet that highwayman is still alive. Why is that, Cameo?"
"Shocking as it may seem, I don't kill every man, woman, and child I meet. I leave some of them alive for you to bully."
The story is very beautifully written and I found the time period and the setting really fascinating. But there was also something that kind of bothered me (does this surprise anyone? doubtful - I always find something to complain about - just ask Julia here LOL): the beginning of the story was a little slow and confusing. Also, the story was told from the third person POV and the switching from one POV to another really confused me at times, especially when it happened all of a sudden.

All in all, Cameo, the assassin is a dark, gritty yet entertaining read that offers an unusual blend of mystery, suspense, action, horror and just a touch of humor and romance. The strong, unique heroine will accompany readers in a journey set in an unusual, yet fascinating world where they will like to return. ( )