Assassin's Heart

With shades of The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet, this richly imagined fantasy from debut author Sarah Ahiers is a story of love, lies, and the ultimate vengeance.
 

Seventeen-year-old Lea Saldana is a trained assassin. She was born into one of the nine clipper families who lawfully take lives for a price in the kingdom of Lovero. 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. Lea is 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 in flames. With horror, she realizes that Val and his family must be responsible. Heartbroken over his betrayal, her only goal is to make the Da Vias pay.

With inventive world building and flawlessly crafted action, Sarah Ahiers’s writing will fit perfectly alongside the likes of Kristin Cashore and Rae Carson.