An assassin's loyalties are always in doubt. But her heart never wavers. After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown - a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes. Keeping up the deadly charade - while pretending to do the king's bidding - will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon - forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin's loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?
