Assassins are notorious for being evil, cutthroat and cruel. Benevolent, compassionate and bighearted are not the typical words one would select in describing such a person. Maybe that's what made this story so memorable to me. The main character, Celaena Sardothien, is a famous assassin. She's plucked from the salt mines in Endovier, by the Prince of Adarlan, to participate in a competition put on by the King. She will be representing the King or better know as "the king's champion". The winner of the competition will be the only Champion left alive, the one who will then serve the King as his personal assassin for four years and then be free. Celaena is not your typical gal. She's definitely confident in her skills and she touted as being the best assassin around. I loved her. I think the reason I connected was even though she appeared to be so strong on the exterior, inside she was fallible. I appreciated all she'd been through and especially how it shaped her as a person. Her life had made her tough, but at the same time she exhibited feeling of kindness and fairness. This story has an exciting plot. I was engaged by numerous fantastical battle scenes and thrilling competitions as the champions competed against one another. Intertwined in the story was courtly lives of the castle staff. Plus, I loved the romance, it wasn't one which started off full throttle, it was a lovely romance which developed at a perfect slow-burner pace, building gradually throughout the story. Then, it also involved a love triangle done right. Yes, this one has a love triangle which actually worked, one which I could get behind. Dorian, the prince and Chaol, Celaena's trainer both grew more and more attached to her as the story progressed. Chaol is such a strong man, with morals and values. He's a fabulous protector and a hard cord trainer. He makes Celaena work grievously for the competition, but he's also very fair. Dorian, is the king's son but blood is the only thing the two have in common. Dorian questions his ability to ever be a good ruler because he absolutely doesn't agree with the way his father rules over the kingdom. Some other really great characters are Cain, another Competitor and Nehemia, a princess who is visiting the castle - each one harbors dark secrets. What was so enticing about this story along side the competition was also a huge mystery. The competitors were being murdered and it seems to be because of some strange evil, potentially even magical force. This side story is wonderful because it involves monsters, magic and long lost royalty. I can't recommend this story enough. It was fast past, engaging with never a dull moment. It had likable characters who were wholesome despite their trades. The writing was detailed and descriptive without being overly poetic or romantic. Tones were serious with just the perfect amount of sarcasm mixed in. I can't wait for the next book to see what will happen and where this one will go. The ending in this one felt final. It was like a chapter has been closed in one of the lives of the characters and now a whole new life lays ahead. Where will it take him/her? 
 The Players: Chaol, Dorian, Cain, Kaltain, Celaena, Princess Nehemia and Duke Perrington.