The Queen’s Assassin Synopsis
Note: This review is spoiler-free!
Caledon Holt is the kingdom’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in speed, strength, or brains, which is why he’s the Hearthstone Guild’s most dangerous member. Cal is also the Queen’s Assassin, bound to her by magic and unable to leave her service until the task she’s set for him is fulfilled.
Shadow of the Honey Glade has been training all her life to join the Guild, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Cal. But Shadow’s mother and aunts expect her to serve the crown as a lady of the Renovian Court.
When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice. Even though Shadow’s life belongs to the court and Cal’s belongs to the queen, they cannot deny their attraction to each other. But now, with war on the horizon and true love at risk, Shadow and Cal will uncover a shocking web of lies that will change their paths forever.
Why did I pick it?
This book wasn’t even on my radar. I’ve found myself “reading” lots of audiobooks recently and this one popped up in my library. I’ve been in a bit of a YA reading slump so I went in with low expectations and was HOOKED by the first few chapters.
What I loved about it
oooo I love a bit of intrigue! For me, this was just the right mix of “fairytale” and more gritty badass-ness.
It very much sticks to YA fantasy themes. The twists you saw coming a mile off. The heroine who is flawed but also apparently amazing at everything and a princess to boot. Yes they have been done before and I could completely trash this novel for giving me nothing original BUT, I ENJOYED it.
I loved it for the same reasons I love trashy romance novels, I know what I’m getting.
What I loathed about it
Nothing I can really say I disliked…. so why not 5 stars? I think for me if you are going to have a book with “queen” or “throne” in the title you really have to do something different, otherwise, it feels a bit recycled. And that’s kind of how I felt with this one, it was enjoyable and as I said, I loved it for what it was, but ask me in a few years to pick this out of the genre and remember the plot and it’s unlikely.
Thoughts
I read this back to back with Throne of Swans and they were similar in that they both gave me that warm fuzzy feeling and a renewed love for YA fantasy again. It ends with a nice (predictable) cliffhanger so I’m looking forward to the next instalment!
When and where can you can get it
You can purchase The Queens’s Assassin on Amazon today
