Assassin's Gambit was pretty entertaining. What got me in the end was the hype I'd heard about this book. I went in expecting the next Red Queen or something. Well it's not that exactly but still good.
Vitala -from a young age- has been trained to be an assassin. Her people are kept as slaves under the rule of the King. It is her dream to assassinate him and free her people. However, when she meets the perfectly broken King Lucien, he is not the cruel monster she was expecting. He loves a challenge and appreciates her both for her mind and beauty. When put into dire straights, Vitala must change strategies, no longer believing assassinating Lucien is the best option for her people. Lucien and Vitala grow close, with Lucien realizing Vitala's mind is not hole and her training has broken something in her that may not be fixable.
This book deals with some pretty heavy topics such as willingly and unwillingly rape as well as PTSD. If these topics make you uncomfortable, steer away from Assassin's Gambit. I was intrigued by the horrors Vitala put herself through for a country she had never known. However, the story, despite the sadness, was incredibly sweet. Two perfectly broken people trying to change the world for the better, together. Their individual weaknesses allow them to lean on the other, learning to trust someone they never thought they could. This trust slowly leads to love and attempt to work through relationship problems-all while fending off war and keeping the peace.
Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend to mature teenagers. Matters of the heart as well human motivations are brought up well and often, making both Lucien and Vitala quite believable as characters.