Assassin's Heart

With shades of Game of Thrones and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a tale of love, lies, and vengeance. Fans of Kristin Cashore and Rae Carson will devour the flawlessly crafted action and inventive world building.

Seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana is a trained assassin. She was born into one of the nine clipper Families in the kingdom of Lovero who lawfully take lives for a price. As a member of the highest-ranking clan, loyalty to Family is valued above all, but that doesn't stop Lea from getting into a secret relationship with Val Da Via, a boy from a rival clan. Despite her better judgment, Lea has fallen in love with him; but she's confident she can anticipate any threat a mile away.

Then she awakens one night to a house full of smoke. Although she narrowly escapes, she isn't able to save her Family as their home is consumed by flames. With horror, she realizes that Val and his Family are the only ones who could be responsible. Devastated over his betrayal and the loss of her clan, there's just one thing on her mind: making the Da Vias pay. The heart of this assassin craves revenge.

With her entire clan gone and her heart broken, can one assassin bring down the most powerful family in the kingdom?

• A Romeo and Juliet Retelling: She’s a Saldana. He’s a Da Via. In the kingdom of Lovero, their love is a death sentence.
• Deadly Assassins: Lea was born a ‘clipper,’ trained to take lives for a price with blades and poisons. But she never expected to turn those skills on the boy she once loved.
• A Shocking Betrayal: One night, her world goes up in flames. Her entire family is gone, and the evidence points to the one person she thought she could trust: Val.
• A Quest for Vengeance: Heartbroken and alone, Lea has only one mission left: make the Da Via family pay for their treachery, no matter the cost.