OMG!! this is one of the bestest books of all time!!! i kept hearing awesome things about this book so i was extremely excited when i finally got the chance to read it. It centres around Serena who was raised as an assasin but was caught. now she has two choices: she can participate in a competition to become the kings champion or she can endure her punishement. Along the way she encounters the prince dorian and the captain Chaol. 
 Serena is such an amazing protaganist; she is fierce, kickass, sassy, headstrong and everyting you would want in a cool heroine. I loved her right from the start and even more when i found out about her past. She has faced such a terrible past that was filled with violence that you cant really blame her for being so brutal and killing so many people before. She is also snarky which i always appreciate as it makes the book that much more fun to read. 
 Dorian is the much loved and swooned after prince who is kinda flirty and develops a connection with serena. He also has issues of his own with his father which added more depth to his character seeing a different side to him. Chaol is kinda stoic and serious and initially disapproves of serena but soon ends up falling for too. 
 The love triangle was cool, thanks to the awesome set of characters. Serena and Dorian sort of have a flirty relationship so you see the romance coming, but with Chaol its way more subtle and i found their banter really adorable. Its hard to pick between them but i have decided i m offically team Chaol! 
 The plot was good and keeps you hooked with a few twists and turns. the villain however was too predictable. it was almost too predictable that i didnt even consider it. The book leaves off wihth plenty of room for development and i cant wait to see what happens next. I would highly recommend this book to everyone who loves fantasy. It has action, romance, magic and everything you could want.