When Sal Leon steals a poster announcing open auditions for the Left Hand, a powerful collection of the Queen’s personal assassins named for the rings she wears — Ruby, Emerald, Amethyst, and Opal — their world changes. They know it’s a chance for a new life.

Except the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. But Sal must survive to put their real reason for auditioning into play: revenge.

Sal is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class―and the nobles who destroyed their home.

This was an interesting cast of characters. YA is not my normal genre, but the cover looked interesting. I see the reviews are all over the map on this one, with some people getting a bit snitty.

Personally I enjoyed the characters and the ingenious ways they thought up to eliminate each other from the competition. I am guessing there will be a second book out continuing on with Sal’s adventures. And I’m very interested to see where this author takes us!

Thanks Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire!