The Queen's Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz

The Queen's Assassin (Queen's Secret, #1)

by Melissa de la Cruz

A New York Times and Indie Bestseller!

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

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.

Reviewed by Mary-Allyn on

3.5 of 5 stars

Share

I like this book well enough, but it would have gotten a higher rating from me if THIS MASSIVE SPOILER didn't happen.

I don't like being lied to. This book is told from two different points of view. We have Shadow in first person and then a third person that shows Caledon. I guessed pretty quickly that Shadow was the Crown Princess, but I thought it was a secret to her as well and we'd all discover it together. No. Shadow spends THE ENTIRE BOOK knowing and essentially lying to the reader the entire book. It made me not like her as much, and felt like a sloppy way to wrap up this story. It also annoys me because this could easily have been fixed by putting Shadow's chapters in third person like Caledon's. But now I don't trust Shadow, which could be a problem for the next book. It was so frustrating! 

Other than that, I did really like this book. I will definitely be reading the second one.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • 10 September, 2020: Started reading
  • 17 September, 2020: Finished reading
  • 25 September, 2020: Reviewed