Throne of Glass/Sarah J. Maas/406 pgs.

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien, Ardalan's assassin, has just served a year in the salt mines of Endovier. She doesn't know who betrayed her in order for her capture, but she is close to death when Crown Prince Dorian makes her an offer she can't refuse--her freedom if she acts as his champion in the competition to find a new royal assassin for his father. If she wins the competition, and is the "royal assassin" for four years, she will be free. However, something is not right at the castle; some of the competitors end up dead: gruesome murders take place. In addition, magic has been outlawed for ages, but has it really? This is the first in a series, and quite an entertaining read. I'm all for strong female characters, and they don't come much stronger than Celaena. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Crown of Midnight.