I'll admit that I read this first look just because the author was Melissa De la Cruz. I have read many of her books before and have not been disappointed. The Queen's Assassin begins with the back story of a country embattled over magic. I love that it begins with a history of the fantastical world, rather than left me to figure out who the various peoples and characters were on my own. Then, there is a brief prologue about what happened the days following the hero King Esban's death. His widowed queen's actions left me intrigued. The story then switches to the point of view of one of the main characters, Shadow. Immediately, Shadow finds herself in peril, which leaves the reader asking who is Shadow and why is she being attacked? Just within the first few pages I can tell that this will be another great novel by De la Cruz and I am excited to read it!