Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller (review)

Sal wants to become the new Opal, one of a handful of assassins who work closely with the queen—and Sal will kill anyone who stands in the way. Sal won't be distracted by love, though the appealing Elise (who is tutoring Sal in royal behavior) could distract anyone. Nor will the other competitors who are also trying to earn this spot, though their efforts to kill one another (and Sal) are compelling reasons to lose focus. Though the political machinations of the queen are complex and directly related to Sal's own focus on vengeance for a massacre that left Sal alone, there is also a budding recognition that murder is, occasionally, not the only path toward solving problems. Sal is intriguing in a number of ways—an amoral protagonist who nevertheless connects emotionally with others, a genderfluid persona whose gender is generally denoted by the clothing chosen on a given day (but not always), and a skilled murderer whose talents are presented in gory, affectionate detail. Sal isn't always easy to like, but this is a memorable, sharply written character. While readers who identify on the GLBTQ spectrum may be easy fans as Miller handles Sal's identity with aplomb, that's certainly not the only point of note here; the impressive, intricate world building, tense action, and fierce competitors are equally strong.