Review – Assassin’s Gambit by Elle Beaumont

Title Assassin’s Gambit

Author Elle Beaumont

Description from Amazon

The Big Bad Wolf has a new mission–protect the princess–even if it costs him everything.

When the king of Abendrot is assassinated, Niklaus is sent on a new mission: hunt the Hawk and bring her to justice. With Princess Stasya now free from her father’s clutches, Niklaus must set aside his growing feelings for her, knowing it is what is best so he can protect her.

As Niklaus is ready to go on the hunt, a new truth comes to light, and he wonders how much he can trust Prince Ashroy of Ishkertov. Is he an ally or foe? 

Niklaus is on the hunt again, and the kingdom’s fate rests in his hands.

Initial Thoughts

There was a bit of delay between the publication of Royal’s Vow and Assassin’s Gambit. I actually read the first two books in the series in a row and had to wait several months for book 3 but was really excited for it nonetheless. Full disclosure, I thought book 4 came out this week, so I was hoping to binge them together, only to discover that book 4 is coming out next Tuesday.

Some Things I Liked

• Shorter length. It’s no secret, I set my GoodReads goal high every year. So, shorter books are my friend. However, they’re not always as satisfying as a full length novel. Not that case here at all. I find each installment of the Hunter’s Truce series to be incredibly engaging with rich characters and a complex plot. They might have fewer pages, but these books don’t fall short anywhere else.
• Nik’s POV. I really like that this book was from a male character’s POV. I read waaaaaay too many books from female POVs so I appreciated the change. Also, I commend authors who can write well from the POV of a character that is different from themselves. POVs can be hard because they can feel like someone else is putting words that don’t feel organic in the character’s mouth. Elle Beaumont has met this challenge and Nik’s POV feels organic throughout the story.
• Dark themes. I’m not entirely sure if I’d classify this book as a YA title. There are definitely some dark / mature-ish themes here but I welcomed them. I loved that the world, and characters by extension are not black and white.

Series Value

I am absolutely going to continue with this series. I have been reading it for just about a year and I am super excited and sad to see it end.

Without reading the end, I can’t say if I need spin-offs or more sequels but as of now, I need more. Assassin’s Gambit left me desperate for more story.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed this series. I can’t wait to see how it ends.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

• Queen’s Edge by Elle Beaumont – No, before anyone asks, I have not read this one yet. However, if this book is even half as good as the previous installments of this series, it’s not to be missed. Coming out on May 5th, I can’t wait to read the final book in this series.
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – ok, this series is a marathon where the Hunter’s Truce series is a sprint, but it’s totally worth it. If you liked the setting, characters, and drama in Assassin’s Gambit, definitely try this series by Sarah J. Maas.
• Ice Crown by Kay L. Moody – if you liked the shorter length and almost “episode” quality that the Hunter’s Truce series has, try The Elements of Kamdaria series by Kay L. Moody.