Woah... this book. 
 I was recently saying that i haven't read a book in a while that had a really really great romance. Ahhhh... well, my hunger has been satiated. 
 Oh and also my hunger for epic plot twists have been put to rest. 
 But GOD DAMN! IM STILL HUNGRY!!!!! 
 For the sequel. 
 And more of Rafe and Kaden. 
 And more Love. 
 And Tragedy. 
 AND PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS BOOK!!!!!! 
 The writing was fantastic... and I will talk about the EPIC PLOT TWIST! again in the *spoiler* section... but i have more non-spoiler information for all those out there looking for a great read. 
 Don't give up on this book. I have read a lot of reviews on Goodreads that say the first half of the book was too slow. I didn't think so. I thought that the first half really built up the characters and the setting, and you fell in love with Lia, Kaden and Rafe. Truly. And besides, I read this so fast (because I could not for the life of me put it down) that it was gone before I knew it, which was equallly depressing and exciting, because the second half... wow... that is when the action comes in, and the assassin shows his true colours!!!! Yikes! 
 There was equally beautiful and tragic scenes crafted so magically (and i say magically because... well... there is a hint of "not magic" magic in this book which I can't WAIT to be developed in the second book) by the author that I really did instantly fall in love with this book. 
 I just have one more thing to say before the spoiler section.... 
 DON'T JUDGE THE BOYS BY THEIR PROFESSIONS!!!!! 
 (But you can judge them by their "covers".... hot damn!) 
 WARNING!!!! THE NEXT SECTION OF THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!! DO NOT CLICK THE "READ MORE" BUTTON UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS FABULOUS BOOK! YOU WON'T REGRET IT ;) 
 (view spoiler)[ 
 Okay, so when i started this book... actually i shouldn't say that, it was BEFORE I started the book, after I read the blurb... I really really really REALLY wanted the assassin to win Lia's heart. 
 I didn't know who the assassin was, what he was like.... but what can I say? I have a thing for assassins... 
 But, at the same time I did appreciate that it would be really really cute if she met the prince and fell in love with him... because, irony. 
 And man oh man, I GOT BOTH!!!!!! Because even though she didn't actually choose the assassin... I thought she had for the first half of the book because I THOUGHT RAFE WAS THE ASSASSIN!!!!!!! 
 Please tell me other people thought this too!? 
 I would say I was 100% sure... and i was... but it was more than that. I had totally forgotten that it hadn't ACTUALLY been confirmed yet, so i wasn't even questioning it. Rafe WAS the assassin. He was. 
 And so when she said that it was KADEN... I was like... wait on.... has the author made a mistake!? But then I realised.... OMFG SHE ACTUALLY DIDN'T CONFIRM AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE BEST PLOT TWIST EVER EVER EVER!!!!!! 
 So... i went back and re read some of the chapters... and of course, this time through (because I wasn't totally convinced that Rafe was the assassin and Kaden was the Prince), I noticed all of the clues... let me just list a couple: 
 - Every time either 'the assassin' or 'the prince' had a chapter where they met someone who would give away their identity, it wasn't title 'Kaden' or 'Rafe' as previous chapters had been... that's an obvious one. 
 - Lia said that Rafe seemed familiar - because she was betrothed to him - and had met his father. 
 - Kaden looked at her like a piece of meat. 
 - Kaden beat Rafe in the log wrestling contest. Assassin over Prince... kinda makes sense. 
 - And lots of other small clues throughout the first half. 
 And ay I just say, something I couldn't say above because of spoilers... I DON'T GET YOU PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THAT THE FIRST HALF WAS BORING!!! That time was spent EXTREMELY productively setting up this awesome identity confused, mumble jumble nonsense that was freakishly wicked, blew my mind and had me running around the house like a banshee and relating the story to every member of my family.... who couldn't care less. 
 So now hopefully I am getting this out in a more sophisticated man - 
 kjsdbfakvw,fghuawglr/halrghS.KFJGH.ASKDFJGHBZXBksdjgfas - er. Sorry... just freaked out again for a second there. 
 Okay, let's move off the topic of the plot twist... yikes, this is going to be hard for me... 
 The burial :'( 
 It was so so beautiful... and damn... if I was one of those Vendans, i would be pretty damned stunned too. No shame, you beautiful assassins... I mean... evil barbarians ;) 
 The magic :D 
 Not too much development there so far... but I have a feeling there is going to be lots more in the second book and i can't wait to get my hands on a copy of that ASAP! 
 The love triangle :\ 
 I don't like it. So there wasn't REALLY much of a love triangle in this book. From the first moment, Rafe was more attractive than Kaden. And I wasn't worried about a love triangle at all (even when Lia and Kaden kissed - which might have broken my heart a little) until I read the synopsis of the second book. 
 "Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life" 
 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not bring Kaden into this... I simply do not like him. Sorry. 
 And she can't be too mad at Rafe can she? The last line of the first book didn't suggest that she was THAT mad... I mean i understand a little fight... but if she goes to Kaden over Rafe because of that... 
 I WILL KILL HER!!!!! 
 But... even so... I will probably still read the rest of the books because I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS STUFF!!!! Mrs Pearson, what have you done to me?!!?! 
 (hide spoiler)] 
 On that note... 
 I'm going to go and re read my favourite scenes... five or six times... (shhh)