Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas - 432 pages

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In a land without magic, the king rules with an iron hand. An assassin is brought to the castle from the salt mines - not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from slaverey to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

I'm not usually a reader of Teen books, but this one captured my interest from the beginning. The characters have a lot of depth, especially Celaena. I really like the way you learn about her a little at a time, and I like her more and more with every revelation about her background and true character. It's very easy to hate the king and his minions and wish for their downfall to come immediately even though this is only the beginning of the series.