Review: ‘Throne of Glass’ by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. MaasSeries: Throne of Glass #1
Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books on August 7th 2012
SubGenres: Young Adult Fantasy
Format: Paperback
Pages: 404
Source: Purchased
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An alternate cover edition can be found here.
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 four 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.
I first read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas back in 2015. Thanks to my local library, I was able to read it. Now I have all the books in my home library. I’ve decided it’s time for a re-read (in 2021) since I have the last two books that I never read. I’m determined to read them finally.
Storyline: Celaena Sardothien is an 18-year-old assassin who is about to gain her freedom from the salt mines of Endovier, but there is a catch to it. Prince Dorian wants her to be his champion in a competition that her father, the King, has created. She’s forced to go through a competition with other assassins, warriors, and thieves to find the next royal assassin for the King. Unfortunately, most of the other competitors are being killed off, and Celaena is afraid she will be next. She’s a strong female character that knows how to handle herself and what is out there. She ends up becoming friends with a princess in the castle and something else entirely trying to help her, which Celaena doesn’t think she should trust at first.
My Thoughts: Throne of Glass is one Young Adult fantasy that had me continuously turning the pages to find out what will happen next. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this book, and I loved how Sarah introduced the characters in this book. It was even better reading Throne of Glass a second time after I read the novellas. The novellas help me realize why Celaena was the way she was in this book. It takes a while for her character to grow on you, but she has been through a lot.
Celaena is my favorite type of character with her kick-butt abilities and her will to help others. (She assists Nox and Nehemia in this book in different ways.) Although, her kick-butt qualities don’t come out in this book much, which is why I recommend reading the novellas first before diving into this book. You will find out how Celaena was before she went to the Salt Mines and was put into a competition.
Poor Celaena is not only having to deal with what is happening to the competitors, but she is also dealing with two guys that have an interest in her. Yes, there is a love triangle in this book. One of the guys will not admit he has feelings, but the other already made his attentions clear to Celaena.
I’m actually rooting for her to hook up with one particular character, but I already know what’s going to happen. I read the first few books already, but I’m not going to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read this book or series.
The King is one ruthless King, who definitely is not my favorite. I’m kind of cautious of what he has planned. I can’t trust a character who goes out and kills without remorse, and this King is just like that on killing without remorse. It’s like he has no soul.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. I give this book 4.5 stars and look forward to diving into the second book very soon (again for my re-read). If you are a fan of Young Adult fantasy, then I would recommend this book/series. Some readers may not like the first book, but I promise it gets better. (I do recommend reading the novellas first before diving into Throne of Glass.)
I’m so glad I was introduced to Sarah’s books because I’ve found a new author I’ve placed on my auto-buy list. 🙂 (I mean, I do own ALL of her books now.)
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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
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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