Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Goodreads Synopsis:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are male thieves, assassins and warriors from across the empire, each man sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years, and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Choal, challenging and exhilarating. But Celanea's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Choal Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review:

AHHHHH!!!! What can I say about this book, other than that it had everything a fantasy book should have.

It was set in a otherworldy place, with autonomous kings, faeries hidden in forests, and dashing princes and soliders. Celaena is an assassin, a very good one at that, and she has been sentenced to a life term in Endovier, a prison labor camp. When Prince Dorian summons her to participate in a competition to become Adarlan’s assassin, she immediately jumps at the chance because of the prize. If she wins, she works for the king for 3 years and then earns what Celaena has always wanted: freedom. Celaena has to fight against huge brutes who would like nothing more than to see her fail. There is also something magical and dangerous stirring within the castle grounds, and she must use her wits and assassin talent to survive this competition.

I really loved Celaena as a heroine. People often mistake her for having no feelings or hobbies just because of her profession. She also completely kicks ass when she has to deal with anyone who gives her hell. She definitely has a soft side to her beneath her hard exterior, which only few people get to see. I adored Prince Dorian! I think he is super sweet, and he definitely surprises Celaena with his attitude towards being a prince and his father’s rule. A quieter character, Choal Westfall, is equally as amiable. He is especially attuned to Celaena and how she acts. I really enjoyed Nehemia as a character, because she allows Celaena to have a friend that she has always been denied. I hated Kaltain! She is horrible and needs to grow up! She’s like that girl who never gives up a guy, no matter how uninterested he is!

I loved the plot because there was a great mix of action, mystery, and romance! The plot is full of twists and turns, and the multiple focuses on different characters allow for some insight in all the characters, which I really liked. The romance is by no means overpowering, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out in book 2. I also am interested in how Celaena’s past plays into the next book; it’s definitely been cryptic.

GO READ THIS BOOK! You won’t regret it. If you don't, Celaena will find you. Then go catch next book, out sometime in 2013.

Rating: 4.5/5 Tar Heels!