The Empress and the Assassin by Bekah Clark

The Empress and the Assassin by Bekah Clark
on May 23, 2018
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General
Pages: 306
Goodreads

What would you sacrifice for those you love? Starving on the streets, Amalia takes a chance at survival. A request for coin, spoken to the Captain of the Imperial Guard, guarantees Amalia more than she bargained for. Food. Clothing. Protection. A future. Thrown into the role of both handmaid and protector, friendship forms between Amalia and the only heir. While their destinies differ, their paths become forever entwined as that friendship transforms into a powerful sisterhood, leading to a journey where love collides with trials and dangers on the path towards fate.

I was given a copy of this book. The Empress and The Assassin is a fantasy story. Abandoned by her Elvani mother, Amalia is taken into the palace to train as a protector for Princess Staesha. Over the years, the two girls grow to be closer than sisters. Amalia proves herself a very skilled protector and guardian of the princess.

There were interesting internal conflicts that Amalia faced as her duties as protector transformed into an assassin for the Emperor. I thought Clark did a good job of rounding out the character of Amalia. She is at first a feisty but innocent girl rescued from the streets. But with the progression of the story, Amalia becomes a darker figure filled with self-loathing and doubt. There are quite a few scenes with sex and some that felt unnecessary to the plot. Overall I feel it is a well written book, but a little too long for my taste. However, if fantasy is your genre, you will enjoy this book.