4.5 stars. Highly recommended. 
 If you've been living under a rock since this book's release, then you might not know that this book hinges on some identity reveals. That is, the princess runs away from her wedding and the prince she's supposed to marry goes to find her, but so does an assassin--and you don't know which boy is which. 
 While most of the chapters are narrated from Lia's POV, the boys each get their turns as well. Sometimes titled with the names they've given and other times with just "The Prince" or "The Assassin". AND BOY HOWDY LET ME TELL YOU it is a mind game and a half here. Pearson does some absolutely incredible teasing with this, giving you just the right amount of details to keep you guessing while artfully leaving you to still fumble around in the dark. 
 Every other page I was intensely analysis the text for clues. He's the assassin! NO he's the prince. NO I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANY MORE. I kept second- and third-guessing myself ALL THE DAMN TIME and it was incredible. 
 Because superb writing aside, I am 1000% here for identity reveals. Like, that is so my jam you guys I can't even tell you. 
 The plot is... interesting? I guess? It's not like super original or anything, but I mean I have read a lot of YA fantasy so. But listen, that's not really the hook here. I mean, I'm definitely interested to see how it shakes out, but I mostly read this at a breakneck pace to get to the identity reveals. 
 Part of me was worried that once things were revealed that I wouldn't care any more. But thankfully, that's when the plot swoops back in for real and also I liked the characters enough by then to want to keep going to root for them. 
 I am a little.... concerned maybe about how well that all holds up for the rest of this trilogy. I mean, you can't play the identity reveals game again, I don't think.....? So we'll see if it all holds up without that amazing hook. I'm planning on getting book 2 from the library just to make sure, but if I like it as much as this one I can see myself buying the trilogy.