Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Assassins and Politics Abound in The Queen’s Assassin

The Queens’ Assassin is the first in a new series (Queen’s Secret) by Melissa de la Cruz. If you’re asking yourself if you recognize that name, the odds are fairly good. She’s written several popular series, including Blue Bloods.

Set in a fantasy world, this series is full of magic, politics, and romance. It’s a YA fantasy in the truest sense and has been compared to Red Queen during the marketing run. That’s enough to get most fans’ attention right there.

Threats for decades have plagued the kingdom of Renovia. When the king died, the queen knew she had to do something drastic to keep herself and her young daughter alive. Enter Caledon Holt. He’s the Queens’ Assassin and the second in his line to dedicate his life to the cause.

It’s up to him to keep the princess safe, thwart any uprisings or revolutions, and track down the magical scrolls that the kingdom has lost. But that’s not all he will have to deal with, as Shadow, a young woman, has decided that she wants to follow in his path. And by follow, we, of course, mean trick him into training her.

Writing

The Queen’s Assassin was a dramatic read, full of magic and politics as promised. Melissa de la Cruz’s writing style shined bright here, with an intricate kingdom full of rivals and lords. The plot is very romance-heavy – more than what was marketed, probably saying something.

The magical system was interesting, though I would not have complained about learning more about it. The characters who wielded said magic treated it as something almost casual and thus never delved too far into the process (or the history). That’s a bit of a shame if you ask me.

Shadow and Cal were very different characters, but that made their journey all the more interesting. They grew up having lived very different lives and even had different reasons for wanting/needing to follow this path of theirs.

If I’m being brutally honest, there was so much potential in this plot, the characters, and their kingdom. You can see it all within the first few chapters. So, you can imagine my disappointment when it ended up being slightly less than I hoped (see below).

Development

The Queens’ Assassin ended up reading two completely different novels at a certain point. It started as a novel full of politics, intrigue, and almost a coming-of-age story (for Shadow, at any rate). But by the end, it felt more like an excuse for a romantic plot. That’s not bad, but it wasn’t what was advertised or what I was hoping for.

The big plot twist in this novel was telegraphed from the very first chapter, making the dramatic revelation…well, not dramatic. That’s not horrible, given that this isn’t a thriller. But it did lose a lot of impact and raised some questions about what we had been told up until that point (mainly along the lines of what one character had previously thought/revealed to us).

For me, at least, what was interesting was how this novel felt like it completed its story. Yes, a few plot points are left open; I’ll grant you that. Maybe it’s how I feel about the ending making me feel this way, for it felt rather lackluster, given all of the buildup.

Conclusion

The Queen’s Assassin is a novel so full of potential that it’s quite painful. While I ultimately was not as happy with this book as I had hoped, I have to admit that some really interesting elements would be found along the way. I’ll be curious to hear about the rest of the series.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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