The Queen's Assassin

I was quite disappointed by this book. I gotta say I had very high expectations but now I regret it because this book is one of my least rated books, ever, and I don't enjoy rating books badly.The story is not at all bad in any way, everyone has their own opinion and I support them. It's just the way the book was written was fine, and the story plot is normal, and feels recycled to me. It is a very basic story. I usually finish books this length in 2-3 days, but this book took me time because I became less intrigued and un-interested as you move to the middle. The ending to me was a surprise I did not expect, so it kind of fixed the story for me.The characters:The characters are quite fine. You don't feel a great love connection which I gotta say, made me mad. I really love a book were you feel swooned, and I heard that this book is a romance, but the romance was quite dull and boring therefore, if you love romance and YA fantasy.... this book is not for you at all. I am sorry but this book is written in a way that I would think is for middle grade and not YA.

my copy came with bent pages and a bent cover

Gift for someone but arrived undamaged and in mint condition

I loved this book. Some scenes felt slow paced and the romance felt too quick to me. But I still enjoyed it and will be picking up the sequel

All quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change.Quick Stats:Overall: 2.5/5 StarsCharacters: 2/5Setting: 2/5Writing: 3/5Plot and Themes: 2.5/5Awesomeness Factor: 2/5”Just because it’s a story doesn’t mean it’s not true.”// Content Warning: Violence, Death, War Themes, Murder, Imprisonment //”He is the Queen’s Assassin. And no one is safe from his blade.”Release Date: 2/4/2020Publisher: G. P. Putnam's SonsPage Count: 384Premise:The Queen’s Assassin is the first book in a new fantasy duology by Melissa de la Cruz. It follows two protagonists, one being Caledon Holt, the Queen’s personal assassin, who inherited a blood vow from his father to find a lost magic scroll. The other protagonist is Shadow, a girl who dreams of being an assassin herself, and a member of the Guild like her family. When the two team up on a mission in a neighboring country to root out a plot against the Queen, they find themselves fighting a growing attraction.- Writing & Setting -I love Melissa de la Cruz’s contemporary romances. They’re always cute and entertaining. I also enjoyed Alex & Eliza. When I heard she was writing a high fantasy romance, I was so excited! And I think my excitement is what set me up for failure here. Her writing in this book is okay. It isn’t much different from her other books, but it definitely lacks that fantasy feel. One thing I wasn't a fan of, however, is the changes in points of view. In Shadow’s chapters, it’s first person, but in Caledon, it’s third. It was a little jarring at first (although eventually I did get used to it).What could have brought that unique fantasy feeling was the setting- but even that didn’t feel like a fantasy novel. Instead, it felt like a DM’s first Dungeons and Dragons campaign, where they use all the tropes and don’t care to actually flesh out a world. Melissa de la Cruz relied heavily on exposition dumps masquerading as several-page-long historical texts that were dropped randomly throughout the book. Now, those can be done well if used in moderation and the text itself is interesting, but that wasn’t the case here. Also, if having those info dumps wasn’t enough, the characters would do it themselves. There were a couple of times where the dialogue was so exposition-heavy that I was taken out of the book. The setting itself was a fairly run-of-the-mill European fantasy world, with nothing too special. It didn’t require so much heavy exposition.“All the answers you seek are there, but only if you are willing to hear them.”- Plot -The pacing in this book was… interesting. It was slow in some parts, and rushed in others, giving me a bit of whiplash when reading. The beginning was especially slow-feeling. Honestly, it wasn’t until the 200-page mark that I found myself even remotely interested in what was going on. Maybe it’s fantasy fatigue, since I’ve read so much of it, but I doubt it. I can usually find myself interested in most plots, but I just couldn’t with this one. There were a lot of tropes that I usually love but in this book, they felt unnecessary and lazy. Even the romance plot line didn’t hook me, which says a lot.Also, there is one big thing that bugged me- the twist. Yes, there’s a twist, and that's not a spoiler because you can tell what the twist is just from the prologue. By the end of the first chapter, I knew what the major twist would be, and how the book would end (and I was right). But at the same time- I actually didn’t think the twist was supposed to be a twist?? I thought maybe it was going to be a minor reveal a couple of chapters in, at most, because it felt too obvious. I’m okay with things being a little predictable, but what I really didn’t like was how certain things make little to no sense if you know the truth, from plot points, to how certain characters even think. It really frustrated me as I was reading and constantly would take me out of the book.“The lesson, my son, is that we alone, no matter how skilled or how smart or how rich, are but spokes, and cannot move the wheel alone; only together can we do that.”- Characters -Speaking of characters- we have two main protagonists: Shadow and Caledon. Neither of them have too much of a personality. Shadow is determined and decently smart. Caledon is determined… and decently smart… BUT he’s also a little more violent so look! They’re not the same person! Honestly, both of them felt a little one dimensional and lacked character growth over the course of the book. And the side characters weren’t much better. I really can’t remember that much about them, and I only finished the book yesterday. One character shows up in the first act, and randomly pops up in the climax for some reason? With no explanation for why or how he got there? I did find the Queen interesting. She was probably the most unique character in the book, who actually had some depth.- Conclusion -Pros- Interesting premiseCons- Weak characters, exposition heavy, predictable, odd pacingOverall- 2.5/5 stars.It may seem like I hate this book, but I really don’t. It just wasn’t for me. The Queen’s Assassin had a lot of promise, and I think I’m just really bitter that it didn’t live up to my hopes. That said, if you go into this not looking for something perfect, you might find yourself enjoying it.

That ending was so much more than I expected!After the king dies in battle, his best friend makes a bonding vow with the queen to protect her and the royal heir, as well as search for the magical documents and sacred scrolls that have been missing. He has pledged his life and his heir’s life to the queen until the scrolls are found and returned. Eighteen years later, we meet Shadow and Caledon Holt (he’s the best friend’s son, the kingdom’s deadliest weapon and the Queen’s assassin). Shadow is exploring around the Abbey when Caledon saves her life by killing her would-be assassin. The bad thing is that the man Caledon kills is the queen’s brother-in-law, Prince Alast. Alast proves himself a traitor, which is shocking to Caledon. The Queen sends Caledon to Deersia Prison to appease the public and keep the traitorous evidence secret. She wants Caledon to spy and find out where the traitors stem from. Shadow catches a ride to Deersia prison as a stowaway and finds Cal and helps him escape. They move onto Montrice to discover if there’s a spy conspiring against their kingdom and Queen. Shadow and Cal are fun, dynamic characters that work together well but drive each other crazy too. I enjoyed the humor in this book as well as the intrigue and magic. The ending left me ready to read the sequel! 5 stars!

The last time I read a Melissa de la Cruz book was back in high school (so it's been awhile), but her new book did not disappoint. Melissa de la Cruz delivers a fantastical story with unforgettable characters and a plot that keeps thickening.I enjoyed the characters' backstories and seeing how each character came to be who they were in the present time of the story. When Shadow and Caledon interacted, it was like the story was coming to life; their interactions (and romance) brought a fun and enjoyable aspect to this story, and I'm excited to see what happens in the sequel.If you're a fan of world building, then you will love the world created here! Melissa takes her time describing the world and the magic system. It was unique, and everything came together well with the plot.I will admit, the first few chapters were slightly confusing, so it did take me a bit to get a grasp on the story and the characters (and for the story to really take off). But, overall, I was very pleased with Melissa's new book. If you're looking for a new YA fantasy book with two strong-minded characters and a beautiful storyline, then definitely check out this book!