Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa De La Cruz! Be sure to keep reading for my thoughts on the book, my favorite quotes, and a chance to enter a giveaway to win a copy of the book!

Title: The Queen’s Assassin (Queen’s Secret #1)

by Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: February 4th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis: 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 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.

The Queens Assassin follows the story of Shadow and Cal, two strangers who are thrown together by a twist of fate. Shadow has grown up outside the palace, with her two ‘Aunts’, learning the ways of the Guild and wanting nothing more than to join its ranks. Calendon Holt is known as the Assassin for the queen, but little else is known besides that. When the two are both requested to come to the palace, the story really gets going.

Ok I will start with the things I liked! I love the world building in this! I really enjoyed the two main characters and their banter with each other. Their romance was entertaining to read mixed with all the political intrigue. This was action-packed that has a few moments that will keep you on your toes. This was a fun fantasy read that I went through quite quickly.

Now the things I didnt enjoy. The POV shifts were a bit confusing between Shadow and Cal. Shadows POV is first person whereas Cals POV was third person. I thought this was quite disconcerting going back and forth between the POV changes. Another thing is the repetition. There was a lot of phrases repeated. Although it was an information dump starting out, as the story goes on it gets much easier to follow and enjoy.

Overall, this was a compelling YA fantasy romance. I am giving it a 3 out of 5 stars.

FAVORITE QUOTES

“My aunts taught me that sometimes when the world is too much, when life starts to feel overwhelming, we must strip away what’s unnecessary, seek out the quiet, and listen to the dirt and trees.”

“The problem is, while he’s come to the grudging realization that she may be useful, it’s clear that as much as she might admire him, she also finds him deeply exasperating. So he isn’t quite willing to allow her the satisfaction of being right so she could hold something over him.”

“I’m almost tempted to go back to my aunts’ farm and then on to the palace, where at least I can live out my days in comfort and warmth. But I can’t even pretend to want that. If I’m being honest, that’s still less appealing than sticking out the journey ahead with my knight in shining armor, Sir Full of Himself.”

*ARC provided in exchange for honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Many thanks to the publisher and The FFBC for including me on the tour.

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39334176-the-queen-s-assassin

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WQpCSR

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queens-assassin-melissa-de-la-cruz/1131493132

iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-queens-assassin/id1463329191

Bookdepository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Queens-Assassin-Melissa-de-La-Cruz/9780525515913?ref=grid-view&qid=1573047342544&sr=1-2

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/the-queen-s-assassin-5

Google books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Melissa_de_la_Cruz_The_Queen_s_Assassin?id=mNqXDwAAQBAJ

AUTHOR INFORMATION

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.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.