Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

I chose this YA fantasy novel based on Becky's recommendation, and it was a fun read.  This is the first in the series about the King's Champion (aka assassin), in the kingdom of Erilea.  We meet Celaena Sardothien when she is plucked from exile in the salt mines (yes, the salt mines) for serving as an assassin for hire.  Celaena, an orphan, had been trained by a master assassin, and though only a teen, was feared as the most skillful assassin in the realm.  The Crown Prince chooses her as his competitor in a contest set up by his father, the king, to determine the next King's Champion.  Celaena is a plucky gal, with a biting wit.  She goads her guards and at first is only interested in winning the competition to win her promised freedom.  But soon she is drawn into romantic feelings for both the Crown Prince and her chief jailor and mentor, the Captain of the Guard.  But someone or something is killing off the other contestants one by one in grotesque ways.  Celaena becomes involved in figuring out the mystery of these killings, and is visited by spirits from the ancient times of Erilea.  This story has a lot of good elements, good action, somewhat believable story of the struggle between the good and evil spirits, plus good hints of what's to come in further volumes.  I found Celaena's romantic scenes didn't ring true - she seemed to fall in love too quickly for someone so well trained to be tough.  Still, a fun read.  404 pages.