My Rating: 3.5⭐️

Raised by her aunts, Shadow dreams of joining the Guild, an order of spies and assassins who protect the old ways. Her mother has a different plan for her and she is torn between following her path or making her own destiny.

What I liked:
I enjoyed how the author told the story, shifting perspectives between the two main characters. It rounded out the experience.

It was fun to read! I looked forward to opening the pages and reading about the next predicament Shadow found herself in.

There was obvious chemistry and tension between them main characters. I enjoyed every second of it.

What I didn’t like
The story wasn’t unique. In places it reminded me of Sleeping Beauty, and was very predictable.

The names of places and guilds were a bit confusing and difficult to keep straight. I had to go back and remind myself which place was which.

Final thoughts
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a easy story and the characters were very likable. I appreciate the story and enjoyed the chemistry between the characters. It feels like the book ended giving space for a sequel, I look forward to reading it and continuing the story.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this review copy. My opinions and thoughts are my own.

I really should start reading the "fine print" on these titles... I read the sneak peek and loved it! Immediately went and bought the book so I could finish it.

The Queen's Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz receives a 4/5 stars from me. I read the first forty pages and I'm hooked. The book starts with a flashback to a deal made long ago and then back to present day with our main character, Shadow. Something really unique about this book is it is written in the present tense. I have not seen this tense in many books other than Renegades by Marissa Myers. All in all this book from what I've read so far was great. In the first chapter there is plenty of action, the seeds laid for a fun romance plot line, and plenty of questions left unanswered. Why I only gave it four stars is because I didn't really connect with the main character in the first chapter but I'm sure if I finished this book I would love Shadow. The Queen's Assassin is giving me big Selection vibes and I do think I will be picking it up when it comes out.

Based on the sampler I received, I was intrigued by the storyline of this book and enjoyed the prologue I was given. I would consider buying this book to read the rest of the story and see how the relationships between the characters develop.

After reading this sampler, I'm so excited to keep reading this book. I love Melissa de la Cruz's writing style and the dual POVs and action in this story are just fantastic. I can't wait to keep reading. With book 2 right around the corner, I'll definitely be picking this book up soon!

Really enjoyed the story and the concept, even though some parts were common tropes. Some parts were a little slow for me. Overall enjoyed and can’t wait to read the next book.

I am so thankful to have gotten this sample of the Queen’s Assassin! So far we get to see some world building, background history, and an introduction to the female and male leads of the story! It’s definitely intriguing and a book I will happily try in full! I’m excited for the chance to read the rest of the book pass chapter 3 and all the sequel(s) to come!

Caledon is a interesting character in this one. It seems there are not any like him also. Being there is a Queen in this there is also a vow which happens to be a difficult one. There is also the character Shadow whom hopes to be just like Caledon. Some of her actions though have to be done in secret. What a thing to want to attain too-assassin. This also happens to be the beginning of this series. This also happens to be the first time i read this author. Circumstances also bring the two together to go against a foe. Things have escalated that is for sure. This promises to be a thrilling YA

2.5

The queens assassin.

The description of this story hooked me, it teases us with love, magic, deception and what may be an impossible task.

It has all the elements of a successful story, until the story begins to unfold, shadow seams to be all over the place she changes her mind but we don’t really see why and cal, I just feel like I had no connection with him

I did love reading both of there POV I love to explore the main characters but it was jarring going between both first and third person.

I felt unfortunately like I couldn’t connect to the story I didn’t care about the outcomes for the characters

I was really pleased to have received an excerpt for this book as it was a highly anticipated read, especially for fans of Sarah J Maas. I really enjoyed the building of Shadow and Cal, enough to purchase the full copy of the book. Unfortunately, i felt the story fell a bit flat compared to what I expected and how the story had initially built itself up. It had the potential to be a really good book but for me it just didn't do it. There are a lot of books that have similar themes - queens, assassins, forbidden love, so maybe its because I've read so many fantasy books it just feels like another book with much the same and nothing.

The Queen's Assassin opens with a dramatic line and continues with a shocking first chapter. The king is dead, and everything seems to be in chaos. There is something about Caledon, the way he stands or the underlying loyalty that makes him instantly likable. I want to read more about his story.

In contrast to Caledon's quiet character, we get Shadow, who is loud and immature. She watches war and chaos unfold around her. The world-building is rich from the start, and I was momentarily transported into de la Cruz's world. I can't wait to read more about Shadow and Caledon's story!

As a longtime reader of Melissa de la Cruz, I can always count on her books to be a source of great entertainment and escape. The Queen's Assassin follows Cal (the Queen's assassin) and Shadow (an aspiring assassin) on a dangerous mission. I loved the new world that this book brought me into and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Review to come on Instagram (@2girls2manybooks)

I am very intrigued by this premise, but the writing style really turned me off. This epic fantasy has a history lesson AND a prologue before we meet the main characters, and then Shadow drags out more infodumping. It’s a good 30 pages before any real action happens.

As a reader and librarian, I am much more likely to recommend Throne or Glass or Cinda Williams Chima’s Seven Realms series for a similar premise.

The first time I read this book I read it in one sitting and couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I ended up reading it again and just like the first time I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one night.
It says a lot about a book if even on the second time reading it you couldn’t put it down!! The world building just pulls you in and you end up rooting for the main characters! This book has amazing plot twists that I did not see coming!!
The ending had me feeling like I was 10 years old again watching the ending to Monsters Inc. and holding my breath when Sully opens the door to visit Boo and then it just ends without revealing what was behind the door... that was heartbreaking to relive!! On the bright side, unlike Monsters Inc there is a second book in this series so I can get some closure!!!
Hear that Monsters Inc writers?!?! Take notes!
I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series!

oh nooo get back here.... i was only given a sampler of this book and I NEEED more!! I have soo many questions. When do i get answers what do i do in the meantime? work? ewwww... I need the book release

First of all, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a sneak peak of this book, I’m always grateful for the opportunity to give my honest opinion.

This is another novel which has me utterly gripped, one concept I really enjoyed from the excerpt I read was, the idea that magical imprints can occur of past, staple and crucial events. Whether or not this can be seen by all of the kingdoms people or just the protagonist, I don’t know but I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on this book!!

It’s so immersive and picturesque, you can see the scenes in the book so clearly in your mind, and I adore books who enable you to delve into your imagination.

I made the same mistake twice. I would love to read this book, but the version I download is simply selections from the story. As I don't like spoilers, I will look for the final book rather than reading these selections.

While I have heard great things about this series I must admit I struggled a lot with this book. While the book certainty picks up near the second half, the first half has a lot of parts that feel unnecessary and tedious. Bottom line is you have to get through a lot of filler before you get to the good stuff which was tough.

I was provided with an ARC excerpt in exchange for providing an honest review. At first I didn’t realize it was just the first portion of the novel and was so disappointed I have to wait now to read the rest of the book when it comes out! 🙈📚

I’ve had other books of Melissa De La Cruz on my TBR for a while so when I stumbled across this on my NetGalley I couldn’t pass it up. The parts of the book I had the pleasure of reading were straightforward and an easy reading level for me. It’s a YA fantasy novel geared towards a younger audience but was still a fun read. The book has a great setup with a lot of history upfront and the characters seemed interesting! Recommend for anyone looking for an early-SJM (aka Throne of Glass) feel with assassins, romance and forbidden magic.


My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 ✔️
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐌𝐞
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 / 𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭 ✔️
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✔️

This was a sample provided of the book. I enjoyed the beginning of this book and will definitely be buying to finish!