A Kirkus 2018 Best Book of the Year!Shakespeare in Love meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this witty and thrilling story of star-crossed assassins in Elizabeth England, perfect for fans of My Lady Jane and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue!When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further -- kill the queen herself.Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play. It's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.
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An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason
A Kirkus 2018 Best Book of the Year!Shakespeare in Love meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this witty and thrilling story of star-crossed assassins in Elizabeth England, perfect for fans of My Lady Jane and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue!When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further -- kill the queen herself.Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play. It's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.
Popular Reviews(1)
Reviewed by Natália Oliveira<blockquote><b><i>"But that's all one, our play is done."</i></b></blockquote>Comparing to The Witch Hunter, my first contact with Virginia's writing, this was an ok book, but nothing more. I was excited because I love English History and the Elizabethan era is my favorite, so a political plot to assassinate the Queen during a Shakespeare play and two 'enemies' who fall in love in the midst of it is right up my alley. But, while I liked the overall plot and really loved Toby's character and POV, Katherine/Kit's character is very annoying and bland and things take a while to happen and for the plot to move. Still, I enjoyed how the author explored Kit's freedom as a man, something Katherine, as a girl, in that period, didn't have. The romance was really lukewarm and I wasn't engaged in it as much as I usually am in them in YA books. Toby's sexuality could've been more explored and not just mentioned at times, which made it a bit confusing to understand and when everything was 'uncovered', it made for a comfortable solution to the problem of Kit's true identity. The whole Protestants x Catholics were also poorly explored, considering the theme of the novel I expected a bit more on that front, and, again, the ending was too easy and convenient. It's an overall nice and entertaining book, it's fluid and at parts funny, but it lacked that 'something more' I was hoping for, the twists, the sweet and gripping romance and thrilling plot.