The publisher kindly sent me a physical copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia’s deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he’s the Guild’s most dangerous member and the Queen’s one and only assassin. He’s also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow — to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.
Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts — to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she’ll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.
When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they’re forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they’ll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they’ll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen’s Secret series.
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.
The Queen’s Assassin Review
I really enjoy books set in kingdoms that follow royalty so I was really excited to read The Queen’s Assassin. Since hearing about it, it seemed like a perfect fit for me. Unfortunately, this book was a really disappointing read for me.
The Queen’s Assassin follows Shadow, a young girl who desperately wants to join a league of assassins called The Guild. The book also follows Caledon, the Queen’s personal assassin who is bound to her by blood because of an oath his father makes. A series of events brings Shadow and Caledon together and they work together to uncover secrets within the kingdom.
Whenever I read a book, I always try and find the positives, but I’m really struggling with this one.
I’m a fan of Melissa de la Cruz’s writing, especially after reading Alex and Eliza. But in my opinion, it’s almost like she didn’t write this book. The writing isn’t very enjoyable, especially because of the dual perspectives, which I usually love.
Shadow’s chapters are in first person while Caledon’s chapters are third person. It’s confusing and annoying to immerse yoruself in one person’s thoughts and then left to decipher the other character’s thoughts in the next chapter. In my opinion, it’s much better to stick to one.
The characters in general are just super boring. They don’t bring much to the table. While there is supposedly a romance in this book, these two characters have no chemistry. There’s also no build up to their romantic feelings. It’s just really dull and ultimately falls flat.
The plot is also underwhelming. When I read fantasy, I want it to be an epic adventure. I’m not sure if it’s because I struggled with the characters so much, but the overall plot is flat. And unfortunately, does nothing for me.
I rarely make negative reviews as I try to find the positive in books, even if they’re not a favourite. But reading this book was a total struggle. I pushed myself through 100 pages and then just decided to keep going in hopes it got better. In hindsight, this book should have been a DNF for me.
Overall, The Queen’s Assassin is a really disappointing read for me. I wanted to love this book. It’s set up to be a book I should love. But, it isn’t and it’s sad to see a book I highly anticipated be so disapppointing.
While I think everyone has different tastes, this isn’t a recommendation from me. And unfortunately, I’ll be skipping it’s sequel.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Favourite Quote
Fate always wins.
About the Author
Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat. She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
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