The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz is a classic, cookie-cutter, young-adult novel that many teenagers will enjoy. Caledon Holt, the Queen’s Assassin, and Shadow, a prospective Guild member, are brought together and forced to team up as assassin and apprentice. Undercover, they make their way to an enemy kingdom in search of a conspirator, and in the process fall deeply in love. The fast-paced writing style along with the action-packed plot make it a fun and fast read. The conflict of the plot was also engaging and keeps readers on the edge of their seats throughout the entire story. Despite these positives, the book has several flaws. The character development was sub-par, especially with Caledon Holt, as there was little to no depth given about his life as an assassin. There was also a lot more focus on the romantics between the two main characters as opposed to the plot, which made the storyline a tad elementary. The common tropes found in the young-adult genre are prevalent in this book, for example, the “I’m not like other girls” trope that’s seen with Shadow. Younger teenage readers will absolutely adore the unequivocal romance between Shadow and Caledon, and older readers who like the young-adult genre will appreciate this book as a simple, quick, and entertaining read. The book may be a bit unoriginal but is enjoyable nonetheless. I would not recommend this book to readers who are looking for a complex and advanced novel, but rather to young readers who simply want to read a pleasant love story.