Book CW: Violence, Blood/Gore, Attempted Murder

I honestly think I would have enjoyed this book more if I were younger. The dialogue between the characters is pretty funny, and the information about different ciphers/apothecary practices is really interesting. However, the lack of character development and overall pacing of the book didn't do it for me. The Assassin's Curse is just so long, and some parts were really slow. I will say that I felt the climax and resolution were pretty good, but some of the scenes may have been a bit too brutal considering that this is more of a middle-grade read.

Overall, though, I would still recommend this book to a middle-grade audience (with a warning on some bloody/violent images), but I don't think I'll be continuing the series anymore.