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A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

Review: ‘The Assassin and the Empire’ by Sarah J. Maas

May 3, 2021
Review: ‘The Assassin and the Empire’ by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin and the Empire

by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #0.5
Published by Bloomsbury on July 20, 2012
SubGenres: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Pages: 94
Source: Purchased
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five-stars

Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . .
This fourth fantastic e-novella gives readers an inside look at the characters who appear in the full-length novel Throne of Glass. Don’t miss out!


The last novella to read before I dive into re-reading the full-length Throne of Glass novels. This novella broke me because it’s the moment where I found out how and why Sam died. If you read the previous novella, The Assassin and the Underworld, then you would’ve found out that Sam confessed his love for Celaena. I knew that there was not going to be a HEA for these two characters because I’ve read the first four novels of the series, but it still was hard to read this novella knowing that Celaena would lose the one person who loved her. 

This novella will also shed some light on how evil Arobynn really is when it comes to Celaena. I’m not too fond of his character. I think I’ve mentioned in my review of the previous novella how much I can’t stand him.

This novella also leads to how Celaena ended up in the Salt Mines and as a prisoner to the King of Adarlan. It’s a big shock how she was captured because she’s the best Assassin out there next to Arobynn. I felt for Celaena in this novella and know she will fight back into the full-length novels. It’s hard knowing how Sam was killed. 🙁 This novella put me through the wringer with one particular scene. Sarah J. Maas did a fantastic job with this novella, and I’m diving right into the first full-length novel now. I’m ready for my re-read of the series, so I can finally read the final book. It’s going to be hard to let go of this world.

Would I recommend this novella? Yes, most definitely. This is one novella that readers should read before diving into the series if you haven’t read it before.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.


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About Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram

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FranJessca
FranJessca
Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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