Throne of Glass Series Review

 

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 her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each 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, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’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 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.

Summary:

A bad-ass heroine and a pulse pounding plot, Throne of Glass is sure to have you hooked right from the get go with a sassy and sarcastic main character, magic and mystery and eye candy a plenty!

My Thoughts:

I’m ashamed to say this book has been sat on my shelf for an exceptionally long time and once again it has come out on top as being one of my favourite books of all time.

Celaena is an exceptionally sassy, sarcastic and a bad-ass heroine. She is exactly how I imagined a rebellious teen who’s been raised to kill people would act.

We start in the middle of Celaena Sardothien’s predicament, she has been betrayed, caught and forced into slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier but that’s only the beginning. After a year, Celaena is dragged to see the Crown Prince of Adarlan who wants her to compete to be the King’s Champion – the very same king who enslaved her. If proclaimed the winner, she will work a four year contract as an assassin for the empire that she hates after which, she will earn her freedom. An interesting premise which is soon blown out the water when compared to the various sub plots and the bigger picture set for the whole series!

The beginning is slightly underwhelming, with a lot of talk, introductions and essentially moving from one place to another before any of the action starts. I can understand why most wouldn’t persist past this point but believe me, it is worth it and it’s surprisingly refreshing to have a beginning that fair enough, lacks action but is no less intriguing and gripping without it.

Once in Rifthold the pace picks up and the intrigue, mystery and action starts flying left, right and center! Though the tournament doesn’t take place until the very end of the book, it is filled with plenty to keep us occupied in the mean time – secret passageways and symbols, romance and relationships, training and enemies and not forgetting that ‘something’ which is skulking around the castle killing all the contestants…

For a book with such a simple premise, there are a hell of a lot of layers to it. Each layer keeping us bound to the pages, to the outcome and to the characters. There are plenty of clues littered throughout the book, some obvious some not, that unravel slowly and subtly keeping us constantly gripped, shocked and eager to know Celaena’s fate.

The characters are no less than incredible in this series. They are unbelievably well written, detailed with thorough back story, personal motives, likes and loves and they are just perfection!

Celaena kind of reminds me of an Anti-Hero. She’s feisty, headstrong and slightly self destructive but she is intelligent and independent – something that any young woman should aspire to be. And because of this I admired her choice when it came to Chaol and Dorian, initially I penned Dorian as the most obvious choice for Celaena but as Chaol’s personality and history slowly unraveled it seemed natural for Celaena to fall for him based on their similarities rather than their differences(opposites clearly do not always attract!). Although I didn’t like Chaol in the beginning, I do think that he grew as a character by association with Celaena and in doing so became a better man.

Dorian is adorable and handsome and although he is the prince he has grown bored of the constant labor of court. He is difficult to decipher in the beginning. He is very confident but he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve as many would prefer to think and the court rumors are what makes Celaena skeptical in the first place. He is a complex character that is conflicted between obeying his father’s order and following his heart, a similar internal conflict to Chaol but ultimately his loyalties are in the right place.

Nehemia is brilliant. As if one strong female protagonist wasn’t enough(it isn’t) we get this bad-ass swandering in. Nehemia is the Princess of Eyllwe and she gives Celaena a run for her money in the sass and sarcasm department.  So it’s natural that they become the best of friends. Nehemia is in Rifthold for intentions that I won’t reveal but she is an extremely important piece of the puzzle that is Celaena Sardothien.

There are two villains in this book. The first of which is the King of Adarlan. A sign of a brilliant character is one who comes off both cruel and menacing with minimal page time. And this guy gets it. Whether it’s his glares or his sharp words that imply he knows far more than he’s letting on, this guy is not one you want to mess with. Any scene including this brute is set to make your skin crawl.

The second and more prominent villain is Cain. It’s clear from the first meeting that Cain is one to steer clear from. With his reputation and antics in the training area its clear that he intends to win in anyway possible. I shan’t reveal the full extent to which he is willing to go to gain the upper hand but the outcome more than delivers.

The grand finale and the conclusion of the tournament is incredible. The tension sparks off the page along with the swords clashing in the scene and I was literally left on the edge of my seat squealing at every blow and every fall.

Overall, this is a fantastic start to a series and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected! There was a lot in this book that I didn’t anticipate which just goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover – or blurb!

The world building is astounding, the characters are fantastic – living and breathing people coming to life with each proceeding chapter and the plot only looks set to get deeper, greater and even more enthralling!

Synopsis:

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Summary:

The epic story continues with Celaena uncovering the true depths to the King of Adarlan’s evil intentions with the help of  Nehemia, Chaol and Dorian. But things are not what they seem inside the castle or out…

My Thoughts:

Celaena continues to be a bad-ass despite her internal conflicting emotions. She won the competition, she is The King’s Champion, she has been killing his targets for the past few months…except she hasn’t been.

Conflicted between right and wrong, Celaena outright disobeys direct orders from the King and her hesitation only mounts as a name she recognizes all too well appears on the King’s kill list – Archer Finn. Former friend, crush and courtesan, Celaena plans to uncover the truth behind the King’s sudden interest in having him killed before going through her usual routine of faking deaths and shipping targets out the country. Archer Finn is a well known figure in Rifthold and his disappearance(or lack thereof) will not be easily dismissed so she has to be extra careful(as if her life wasn’t already on the line).

To make matters worse, Elena – the long dead Half-Fae Queen has requested that Celaena seeks out the source of the King’s power – naturally, without giving her any pointers.

With so much going on, it’s no surprise that we finally see Celaena’s deadly side(if you haven’t dabbled into the totally awesome prequel series The Assassin’s Blade) in a fantastic rescue mission which swiftly goes rogue for all the wrong reasons… When the people she loves are in danger by the Wyrd you better not get in her way. She is ruthless, unforgiving and when revenge is on the cards, lethal. It is exceptionally refreshing for us to finally see this of her as she came off somewhat tame in Throne of Glass when compared to her pre-incarceration days.

The pace was significantly higher than that of the first book which I presume is due to the world and story not having to be expanded upon much following on from Throne of Glass. This was not only a huge improvement but it also meant that plot twists could unfold all over the place, some hitting you smack between the eyes before you even saw them coming.  Because of this, Crown of Midnight turned out to be a brilliant page-turner which packed a punch and then some.

That being said, what is expanded on in the world building is so simple yet phenomenal! We get a much better idea about the rest of Erilea and the history of Ardalan as well as how much reign the King truly has both across Erilea and much farther ashore. We also delve deeper into the ins and outs of Wyrd marks and Fae Magic though the majority is still as confusing and headache-inducing as in the first book for both us and Celaena! Seeing the true reach of the King and his dark intentions gave the book a whole different atmosphere to Throne of Glass which ultimately I think made it better and more intriguing!

Chaol comes out of his shell a bit more, becoming a lot more protective and warrior like for someone so sweet, caring and ultimately a big softie. He and Celaena get on ridiculously well, right down to their insulting banter and I craved every scene with the both of them. A lot happens between the characters in this book and one particular scene will leave you reeling!

Dorian and Celaena’s relationship however becomes slightly strained and awkward but Dorian is no less passionate though the relationship dynamic has changed. He is a noble, loyal and intelligent man and he is destined to be a fantastic King – the one that Ardalan deserves.

Nehemia continues to be a fantastic contribution to the Nehemia/Celaena duo team even if she does have her own agenda which has Celaena doubting possibly her bestest friend. Nehemia being infinitely more righteous and selfless than Celaena could possibly hope to be, takes her dedication to the next level and in doing so, seals not only her own fate, but the fate of Celaena’s future which will no doubt propel her to greatness – for better or worse.

Crown of Midnight focuses a lot more on the dastardly plans of the man everyone loves to hate – The King of Ardalan. He exploits anyone and everything around him to his advantage and has the entire country hoodwinked by his lies. Lies that are slowly seeping through the woodwork with the help of Celaena’s sin seeking hands. Lies that are world destroying and the odds are quickly stacked against Celaena’s efforts.

As with every continuation, the book has its fair share of new characters and with them more plot tangents and conflict! The first and possibly the best new character is Mort. Seriously, why was this guy NOT in the first book? For a magical talking door knocker he is sassy as and hilarious, adding that much needed humor injection into an otherwise dark and strained tale.

Archer Finn, Celaena’s more curious of all her targets is noticeably handsome and suave which instantly set me on edge. People are usually over confident because they’re exceptionally shy(Dorian style) or because they’ve got lots to hide, I had Archer penned as the latter. In the beginning, his complete ease to let Celaena back into his life after knowing not only their history but her reputation and the dangers that came with that as well, conflicted with his overwhelming desire to smile constantly and perfectly timed cowering. As the story progressed, he became notoriously difficult to read as his actions didn’t correlate with what I had envisioned.

But my most favorite of all which I LOVE purely because she gave us a railroad to another bad-ass character in Heir of Fire has to be Baba Yellowlegs. Old, creepy and witchy, she had her her fair share of pulling the strings in Crown of Midnight, not only teasing the Prince about his own predicament but also to tango with our favorite assassin. She was suitably creepy, with a young girl eating back story to boot(ew.) and she was a truly great character that proved that the Tardis isn’t the only thing that’s ‘bigger on the inside’.

I cannot fault Sarah’s character development in the slightest. All her characters are fantastic right down to their bones. There is a clear arc of growth from the first book into Crown of Midnight. Celaena is no longing running from her past, though she is still struggling with the truth, Dorian is gathering himself, finally growing into a man that is willing to stand against his father rather than shrink into his shadow and Chaol is prepared to sacrifice himself for her rather than his country which he so proudly proclaimed to be loyal too in the beginning. It’s clear that they’ll only continue to grow through Heir of Fire too.

I think the main winning point for me in Crown of Midnight had to be the absolutely jaw dropping revelation in the skin tingling climax! Not only are the characters swimming in plot twists, betrayal, victories and romance, they’re also to our surprise, swimming in their own secrets which Sarah J Maas did an absolutely fantastic job of keeping off the radar!

Crown of Midnight is possibly my most favorite of the three due to the amount of action, eerie atmosphere and more plot twists than I can shake a stick at. It was thrilling and completely captivating and I’m hoping that Queen of Shadows will not only match Crown of Midnight on a lot of levels but also surpass it too.

Synopsis:

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth…a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.
Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.
The king’s assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before!

Summary:

An incredibly lengthy tome which fleshes out a lot of the nitty gritty details of Celaena’s past and follows the continuation of her journey where we left her at the end of Crown of Midnight. Introducing a plethora of brand new and no less incredible characters both good and bad, this book only drags you further into Celaena’s incredible world and the future of Erilea.

My Thoughts:

Heir of Fire is an exceptionally hefty tome that addresses a lot of questions raised in the previous two books as well as throwing a hell of a lot more questions back at us! In that sense, it is incredibly different from the past two books seeming to focus more on the more important things like the past, relationships(non-romantic), and rediscovery. And even though there was a lot more substance, and a lot less action, we still got our fair share of the good stuff and all in all I found that is was a good balance between the two.

The beginning was a bit slow which is to be expected when the entire story paradigm had shifted from one side of the world to another but make no mistake, everything that was included was there for a reason, many reasons which will no doubt surface inQueen of Shadows and punch us in he gut…repeatedly. There were a lot of connections to the previous books, most notably from The Assassin’s Blade novella collection, and characters mentioned briefly had more standing within the story. As always the writing was phenomenal, exquisitely detailed and completely entrancing. Sarah continues to be on form and the tone continues to get darker and I’m loving the fact that the dark atmosphere had an early onset because Throne of Glass didn’t hint quite as much towards this darker(and totally awesome) angle.

Heir of Fire is a work of brilliance that takes the various crumbs that Maas has been sprinkling throughout the series and binds them together in a chunky square bound book of awesomeness. Wyrd Marks. Wyrd Gates. The Rings. The Clock Tower. The rebels. The disappearances. Anything and everything that you thought may have a passing detail is ignited and starts the slow burn towards a fantastic reveal. And trust me this book is loaded with them!

That being said, the fantasy aspect of the books practically exploded. With witches, wyverns, Fae, Demi-Fae, creatures and creepy monsters all bursting from the pages! It was absolutely fantastic and certainly served as a refreshing revival of the world we’ve grown accustomed too. The world building so far has only persisted to get better and better with each book and I have high expectations for Queen of Shadows!

The characters have grown from strength to strength through the series and Heir of Fire is no different. The only difference being, the characters are separated and conflicted and it’s interesting to see how each one fairs on their own.

We see a completely different Celaena in Heir of Fire albeit she brings in the very much familiar self loathing state of mind she fell into at the end of Crown of Midnight. We see her vulnerable and defeated in surroundings that she is no longer familiar with, with her life being very much on the line, whether that be from her own kind or the King of Ardalan, who still seems to be able to reach her no matter where she goes. Though her hardships almost result in  a very different outcome, the Celaena that comes out the other side even fiercer and more determined than before with her magic, her heritage and her people at the very forefront of her mind. A revenge wielding queen who is finally ready to accept her responsibilities and take back what is rightfully hers.

Chaol however struggles with himself. Torn between Celaena – the queen he unintentionally saved and the King of Ardalan, he knows what side he must choose but is scared of the consequences. He is still unsure of his feelings about Celaena after the discovery he made in the previous book but seems to base his moral decisions on what she would do. For example, persisting to serve a tyrant in order to save a much closer to home friend who is a slip of the hand away from having a giant red X planted on his back – Dorian. Dorian is clearly struggling to conceal his magic but he makes strides in this book by teaming up with Aedion in order to stand up to his father which unfortunately for him puts him more in the limelight. After an exceptionally heart wrenching climax, our favorite gentlemen are forced to make tough decisions and end up sacrificing a lot more than they hoped for.

In such a huge book, its hard not to see a plethora of fresh characters! Rowan is first up and is heavily involved throughout as he serves as both guardian and baby-sitter to Celaena as she learns to master and control her magic. He is not only a warrior but also a Fae Prince who serves Maeve, one of the Fae Queens. There is a lot that I’m going to leave unsaid in that regard as the revelations are just too juicy!

I’ve already mentioned in previous paragraphs – Aedion, general, servant of the King of Ardalan and also Celaena’s cousin. Aedion is mentioned in the previous books and its brilliant to finally be able to put a face to the name,  a face that certainly doesn’t fit the title! Aedion and Chaol end up having a very strained relationship which involves a lot of sneaking around and constantly treading on eggshells but they both have their hearts in the right places, and thats the important part!

And then we get another bad-ass – Manon. Manon is the ruthless heir to the Blackbeak Witch Coven. A coven that has a group of highly skilled and ferocious band of witches known only as The Thirteen. Add wyverns and an unhealthy amount of Coven rivalry and you’re left with How to Train Your Dragon on Crystal Meth(Sarah’s words not mine!). Manon is by far my favorite new character, along with Abraxos of course, and I’m itching to know how her story is going to pan out in Queen of Shadows.

With so many new characters, compounded with a lot of distance in between others, it’s only natural that the viewpoint skips around a lot. We see a varied mix, with POV’s from Celaena and Rowan, Dorian and Asha, Chaol and Aedion and Manon and Abraxos. I think this was a fantastic idea as it broached to us more clearly the scale of things across the world. It was definitely interesting to gain an insight into the plans that the King has been hiding directly from someone who is involved in the fray – and who isn’t a complete psycho.

The secondary characters are just as descriptive as the main characters too and they add so much to the story, including atmosphere and culture(I particularly enjoyed story time each night) which is a significant improvement on the side characters of Throne of Glass.

Surprisingly, romance took a back seat for Heir of Fire which I sort of welcomed.  It did have its moments but they didn’t overtake the more important things currently taking hold of Erilea and Wendlyn, like defeating a psychotic king, banishing black magic, freeing those enslaved, stopping the King’s forces – I could go on. Ultimately, the story seems to have moved on from petty romances and got down to the nitty gritty bits which I congratulate Sarah J Maas for, as not many authors would make such a brave decision!

Heir of Fire is a laborious tome of incredibly rich and enthralling fantasy filled with the characters, relationships and plot twists that no other book seems to match. Though the ending was horrific(trust me, its horrific), and strangely amazing at the same time(sorry Dorian), it has certainly left me more eager than ever to continue with the series, especially now that the rebellion seems set to erupt into full swing! Roll on Queen of Shadows!

Final Thoughts:

A fantastic series that has a lot more yet to come! Brimming with potential, Sarah J Maas is an icon not to be reckoned with when it comes to building incredibly beautiful, poetic and dangerous worlds!

I would highly recommend the series for all fans of the fantasy genre – think of this as a mix of Garth Nix’s Sabriel and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones! Full of magic, alternate worlds, faeries and other fanciful beasts, this series is well and truly for everyone – not just teens! And with an incredibly strong and true female main character, this series will no doubt continue to be a fantastic success!