Review – Assassin’s Gambit (Hearts and Thrones, Book 1) by Amy Raby (3.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-0451417824
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Hearts and Thrones series
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
“Vitala Salonius, champion of the warlike game of Caturanga, is as deadly as she is beautiful. She’s a trained assassin for the resistance, and her true play is for ultimate power. Using her charm and wit, she plans to seduce her way into the emperor’s bed and deal him one final, fatal blow, sparking a battle of succession that could change the face of the empire.
As the ruler of a country on the brink of war and the son of a deposed emperor, Lucien must constantly be wary of an attempt on his life. But he’s drawn to the stunning Caturanga player visiting the palace. Vitala may be able to distract him from his woes for a while—and fulfill other needs, as well.
Lucien’s quick mind and considerable skills awaken unexpected desires in Vitala, weakening her resolve to finish her mission. An assassin cannot fall for her prey, but Vitala’s gut is telling her to protect this sexy, sensitive man. Now she must decide where her heart and loyalties lie and navigate the dangerous war of politics before her gambit causes her to lose both Lucien and her heart for good.”
This is the first book in the Hearts and Thrones series. This is one of those fantasy romance series where each book focuses on a different couple. This was pretty standard fantasy romance fare. I thought it was okay and it was an easy read.
Vitala has been trained her whole life to one day assassinate the emperor. However, when she finally meets the emperor he is much different than she expected. When the emperor, Lucien, is betrayed Vitala decides assassination might not be the best path forward. Vitala and Lucien end up fleeing across the countryside and trying to regroup to rescue Lucien’s throne.
There is some decent world-building here and decent war politics if you like that sort of thing. At times all of this takes a backseat to the romance. The chemistry between the two main characters is also decent and I enjoyed them. The story does wrap up a bit too conveniently towards the end.
Overall this was a quick and easy read, but I probably won’t read more of this series because I didn’t love it and thought it was pretty forgettable. I would recommend to those who enjoy fantasy romance and don’t mind when world-building and story take a backseat to the romance.
This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge
