Assassin's Heart

by Sarah Ahiers

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062363800
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	02/02/2016
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	447,197
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
File size:	842 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sarah Ahiers spent her childhood running around outside with her siblings, drawing pictures, and writing stories. Now, as a grown-up, she has an MFA in writing for children and young adults, and while she does less running around outside, the writing has held fast. Her books include Assassin’s Heart and Thief ’s Cunning. Sarah lives in Minnesota with three dogs and a houseful of critters. She has a collection of steampunk hats, and when she’s not writing she fills her time with good games, good food, good friends, and good family. To learn more about her, visit www.sarahahiers.com.

Editorial Reviews

11/23/2015
A young assassin seeks vengeance for the slaughter of her family in Ahiers’s menacing, magic-laced debut. In Lovero, murder is legal if committed by a “clipper” of one of the controlling families, who kill in the name of the goddess Safraella. Seventeen-year-old Oleander “Lea” Saldana is an assassin for her powerful family, and she’s in a forbidden relationship with Valentino “Val” Da Via, an assassin for a rival family. One night, Lea’s family is killed by the Da Vias in a bid for power, and Lea must reevaluate everything she knows about Val. Grief-stricken at the betrayal and set on revenge, she pleads for help from the king; at his refusal she sets off across the dead plains, hoping to find her exiled Uncle Marcello. She soon meets an aspiring clipper named Les, who turns her plans, and her heart, upside down. Ahiers’s Romeo and Juliet–inspired world of gods, angry ghosts, and assassins is darkly lush, and Lea’s voice is strong and pragmatic, making for a stylish and rich read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Mollie Glick, Foundry Literary + Media. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

An electrifying debut that captivated me from the first nail-biting chapter. Spellbinding!

Gennifer Albin

Love, death, family—and vengeance. This gripping fantasy thriller will keep you turning the pages all night long.

Laura Ruby

Equal parts adventure, romance, and politics, Ahiers’ first novel is astonishingly good. This is a unique twist on a love story, and the exciting Godfather-esque plotline adds layers of intrigue. Fans of Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassins series will snatch this one up in a heartbeat.

Booklist (starred review)

Equal parts adventure, romance, and politics, Ahiers’ first novel is astonishingly good. This is a unique twist on a love story, and the exciting Godfather-esque plotline adds layers of intrigue. Fans of Robin LaFevers’ His Fair Assassins series will snatch this one up in a heartbeat. %COMM_CONTRIB%Booklist (starred review)

12/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—In the kingdom of Lovero, Lea Saldana belongs to the First Family of assassins. The nine Families of "clippers" are hired throughout the kingdom to kill in the name of the goddess Safraella. Lea keeps her relationship with Val, a member of the Da Vias Family, a secret. She knows her Family would not approve, but she can't seem to help herself. One night, she is betrayed and her Family is murdered. Lea must flee the only home she's ever known before the Da Vias realize they missed a Saldana. She discovers her estranged uncle is still alive and sets off to find him in order to avenge her Family and destroy the Da Vias. Along the way, she discovers a place and a mission all her own. The action and adventure packed into this first-person narrative will keep the pages turning, although the pace slows as Lea gets her bearings in a new city. The secondary characters are developed enough to be distinctive, and Lea's convictions and determination will keep fans of strong female leads rooting for her. The familiar elements of fantasy are all evident here. VERDICT Recommend to those who enjoy fantasy, adventure, and love stories; a first purchase.—Natalie Struecker, Atlantic Public Library, IA

School Library Journal

2015-11-03
A betrayed teenage assassin seeks revenge against her family's murderers. In a lavishly constructed fantasy world with an intricate society of religious assassins, murder's legal—provided it's committed by a clipper, a member of an elite assassin Family, as worship of the goddess of death and resurrection. Oleander "Lea" Saldana, of the Saldana Family, is secretly seeing Val, a member of the Saldanas' nemesis Family, the Da Vias. When a surprise attack on her home leaves Lea the last member of her Family standing, she knows whom to blame: the Da Vias, Val, and herself. On the run from the Da Vias—who know a Saldana escaped—Lea must brave rival clippers and the equally deadly angry ghosts outside the city wall in order to find the other remaining Saldana: her uncle Marcello. He's been long exiled for some mysterious incident that involved the murder of his uncle (the Family head), and that is also the source of the Da Vias' rage. The worldbuilding—especially the story's internal rules governing ghosts and the way the worship of different gods shapes each country—is smarter than the story's protagonist, whose baffling decisions are plot-driven. Too, the exposition seems not to trust readers' memories. The pace limps along through repetitive prose and frequent reminders as Lea slowly makes progress, especially romantically (predictable but sweet). The final act's twists show more life than the rest of the book. It's a nifty premise, but the execution doesn't live up to it. (Fantasy. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews