Review | Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Published by: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: August 12, 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Page Count: 404

Rating: 4/5

Source: Purchase

Goodreads | Indigo | Amazon CAN | Amazon US | Book Depository

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When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the king’s champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing she never thought she’d have again: a friend. But something evil dwells in the castle-and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

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“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

A badass female lead with a hidden past, a world where magic has disappeared, a ruthless king who has slaughtered an entire country, and an intricately weaved storyline will capture readers who are looking for their next favourite series. I’m hooked. And I need more.

The hype and the fandom surrounding this debut book have kept me from it. And I regret not being a part of this fandom. For several years now, I’ve been a fan of Sarah’s second series, but I was hesitant to make the transition to TOG. So please kick me for not reading this sooner!

The characters are what make this book excel. I’ve known of what happens with select characters, but I never witnessed the story itself so I can appreciate the level of detail Sarah puts in her writing. And I must give her credit for what she has achieved in the series.

Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan’s Assassin, has survived her slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier. But this freedom depends on her winning the King’s Tournament. Sarah entwines Calaena’s past with her present. And with each passing page, you get a glimpse of her strength and determination. How can I appreciate a character with this much complexity? I don’t know. But I love her as much as Kaz Brekker. And she deserves the respect he receives.

The secondary characters— Dorian Havilliard, Chaol Westfall, and Nehemia Ytger—do not disappoint. They have their own arc, yet they’re drawn to Celaena. And they complete this stellar novel. I loved how they interact with each other, how they depend on one another, and how they grow into better characters.

Sarah’s storytelling drags you in. You aren’t aware of the outside world until you’ve read well past midnight. The thing is that you don’t care. You want to know what happens in the next chapter, and you can’t get enough. I love her writing. And the way she builds a believable yet devastating world makes me marvel at her work. I don’t want to live in this world, but I want her characters to defend it, fight for it, and give up everything to make it better.

I was scared to commit to this series. But I stayed for everything else. I’m thrilled to be a part of the fandom. And I can’t wait to see what Sarah has in store for us.