5 Stars
Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can’t bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back… The immortal Queen will help her destroy the King – for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfill the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her? A clash of Kingdoms. Rather, war between worlds where Kings and Queens rule. Some seeking the ultimate power to rule the living, dead and beyond. Whereas she only wishes to be free…to free her people…all people from slavery and the wicked, cruel clutches from a grip squeezing and ruining their lives. Allies form, yet who will fight and defend, and whom will cower and succumb to the dark? Loyalties run root deep and you’re hesitant to which side will be chosen. Sides are chosen. Friendships in the most unlikely places are shaped. Bonds that serve for eternity are formed. Wicked, dark, nasty, ruthless, heartless and downright evil monsters, demons and witches roam the forests and caves. You dare not whisper their name. They smell your fear-stricken breath. I’m totally creeped out…we’re introduced to a new character…Manon. At first, I wasn’t that much interested in Manon’s story, getting to know her vile tribe with their utterly gruesome and scary iron teeth, nails and hair. However, as soon as Abraxos entered ‘the room’, I sensed an unbreakable bond forming between witch and beast… a twitch of a heartbeat where there are no hearts. It was a very interesting take, getting to know the Ironteeth Clans. You do not want to stay awake for this one! Creepy! Getting to know Maeve and of course, the prince that’s blood bound to Maeve as her servant, Rowan Whitethorn. Let’s just say it out loud… We loathe Maeve. We cringed when it came to Rowan’s ‘methods’, but we love him anyway. 😊 Back at the Glass Castle, a new character also has been introduced, Aedion Ashryver. I just love me some twists and turns! I can’t let out any more than that at this time. Rather read the book. Dorian and Chaol…I feel so bad for them! Especially for Chaol. He is really turning around as a character we’re starting to understand more deeply than before and the more you get to know him, why he is doing what he does…reasons behind his reasoning and actions…it really sucks being him! He is seriously suffering…okay – too much said already. The King, you just wait and see, you...you..evil..evil..man. Celaena – kick his butt to hell and burn the locks girl! This is going to be sooo interesting. So freakin much happens in this book. You think you’ve just hit rock bottom and then reached the plot’s climax – OH NO! This book is filled with so much laughter, sadness, horror, action and much more. I really am trying to refrain from giving out any spoilers. I think I’ve enjoyed this book the most thus far. However, all the books are pretty amazing, lures you in and you’re stuck like a magnet, not wanting to anywhere other than nose in the book. You hold your breath when characters encounter danger. You laugh out loud at their goofy and smirky comments. You cry and hurt with them, feeling their pain. And when you think Celaena has had her ass kicked around enough, you want to throttle Rowan and make him squirm a bit. We get to really delve deep into Celaena’s past ten years ago. It really solidifies so much unexplained behaviors she portrays. I can really go on and on about this book. You know what, get yourself the series. I’m hooked for sure!
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5 STARS
Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King's contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her. Good Lord…where do I even begin? I’m still catching my breath from all the assassination going on. Can we give a hand of applause and rate this book 6 STARS please? Yes, that’s how much I enjoyed this story. The plot thickens thoroughly. More mystery and misery. More complicated relationships. More heartache and sorrow. And do I even dare touch the political stickiness going on. My word! I’m very much intrigued to find out what master evil awaits us. Just as I thought…okay…I predict this and that, this twist happens gutting out your insides and you’re not quite sure if you love or hate it. However, so far, The Throne of Glass series has had me on my toes, guessing and guessing and trying to predict the outcome…NONE! Twists galore. I now, more than before, understand our female lead, Celaena. She cares so deeply. Loves so deeply. But man...do not stand in this girl’s way. Just as you think…okay...cut her some slack, give the woman a rest will you…Nope! Someone she loves will be ripped apart and that viciousness that completely consumes her…it’s scary stuff. At times I kind of cringed with Celaena’s methods of ‘getting rid of a particular enemy’. The passion runs root deep within her and even if she doesn’t completely realize it yet…that is what drives her forward. Her survival instinct kicking in full throttle. I wasn’t completely taken with Dorian’s charm. I will admit, I was relieved when Celaena ended things between them. But I will confess, with Dorian’s newly found discovery…this is going to be quite a journey as we discover who/what he is and ultimately the why’s of his purpose in all of this. Nehemia…can I just please finish wiping my nose and the tears thereof? Whyyyyyyy? ☹ I was devastated for Celaena’s part. And the graphic description…now I’ll have nightmares for quite some time. Do you really get such monstrosities out there? To be honest…I think so. I’m refraining from giving out any spoilers. Read the book and cry with me. Chaol…Chaol…Chaol. A devoted and loyal Captain of the guard. At times his loyalties and properness or eagerness towards his…twisted King really caused me wanting to punch him in the face. Can we open a portal here please, let me just get my fist into these pages! But I absolutely LOVED how his and Celaena’s chemistry thickened. They truly had a friendship and the slow build-up of their relationship blossoming and ultimately…I…I…I just can’t say it. Am I team Chaol and Celaena? I don’t know yet. Let’s see. My heart does ache for them both though. And you know what, Chaol still has this mystery surrounding him of which you’re not quite sure what he’ll do next or react. Where does his loyalties lie? Guess we’re gonna find out. There are a couple of things I for sure didn’t expect in this book. I love the unpredictability. You think the story can’t get any better, I think we are in for a huge surprise! 4 Stars
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world. I really staggered between 4 and 5 stars with this book. Ultimately, I opted for 4 stars due to a few things I’ll discuss later. However, don’t fret…we are talking about ‘The’ Sarah J Maas. She simply does not fail in delivering. A very strong female lead…Celaena Sardothien. The protagonist who is the deadliest assassin…but hey…she actually has a heart. An added bonus, she loves pretty clothes and jewels and parties! Some would dismay this as a bad character move. I really beg to differ. This in fact makes her story so much more worth reading. We really get to delve deep into Celeana’s history a bit; her fears, thoughts, likes and dislikes. An undertone of childish behavior, yet that sassy, witty and lethal assassin lurks around the corner with no intention of backing out! She’s smart, brave and courageous. Simultaneously, barely a child…wanting, needing a hint of normalcy in her life. Sarah J Maas takes us on an adventurous fantasy ride filled with clever political intrigue, rich in history and landscapes filled with mystery we only dare to put our toes upon. There is a hint of a love triangle, but tends to navigate more towards a trio of becoming friends, rather than being intimate. Dorian in my opinion was a bit daft and took advantage…thinking he is royalty and can get what he sets his eyes upon. However, I really started enjoying their witty playfulness with one another. Won’t go into details, I don’t want to spoil anything. I just do hope Dorian will rise way above his father’s shadow…silencing that…King…forever!! Chaol. He knows his place and sticks to it. Yet, he is in serious denial and refrains from ever thinking of Celaena in ‘that’ way, after all, she IS an assassin. But I really loved how their story played out. I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of Chaol…I hope. After reading the explosive Assassin’s Blade first and then diving into Throne of Glass, it felt a bit slow. Draggy at times. I will admit, I stumbled a bit on the fact that I got use to this bad-ass heroine, her then finally leaving with Sam…ultimately being betrayed in the worst possible way and then rotting in Endovier. Suddenly she gets swept off to become the King’s Champion. But as the story progresses…it’s all swooning and pretty dresses, candy and flirting. Only now and then will we catch a whiff of Celaena and realize…okay…phew…it’s still the same gal peeps. So that did throw me off a bit, however I was very much tempted rating this book 5 stars. Ultimately decided upon 4 stars. I’m really looking forward to Crown of Midnight. I’m sweating here as I have NO idea how Celaena will pull off doing the King’s dirty work for him. After all, how far would you go to get back your freedom? Thus far, it’s a gripping fantasy tale filled with betrayal at its core and an underlying story-line I can’t wait to unravel. 5 Stars
Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam. When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes-and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches-and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . . A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling-and deadly-world. Included in this volume: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord The Assassin and the Healer The Assassin and the Desert The Assassin and the Underworld The Assassin and the Empire **This review may contain spoilers… Except for some classics I really adore, never have I again come across a book I enjoyed this much. You would wonder…Why? How come? Much hype has been made over Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series. I usually don’t fall for such hype, due to the fact that things overall have become much perverted and bad novel writing these days are best sellers. It’s the second time I reread The Assassin’s Blade book and I’ll tell ya…it’s really worth it reading certain books twice. You tend to miss detail and emotions you didn’t pick up on before. Let me first make a fuss about a few things that truly drew me into the world of Celaena Sardothien… World Building – Holy Moly…I absolutely LOVE Sarah J Maas’s world building. Eloquent and sophisticated and just simply freaking bad-ass if you ask me!! No getting past that. This book consists out of five novellas. ALL of them are extremely addictive and so finger-lickin good…it hurts my eyes man! Which novella is the best? ALL of them! They fit perfectly into this giant Assassin puzzle which leaves you drooling for more. You can’t help yourself…You have to turn each page and devour each word extremely slowly. The action…suspense…thrilling adventure and of course build up of romance that breaks your heart into a million pieces. No…not in a good way. Sorry. The plot thickens and is explosive. Reaching climax over and over just as you think you have a second to exhale…no…you keep inhaling and need to hold your breath as Celaena crouches into position awaiting her prey. Celaena Sardothien…what an incredible bad-ass, smart, witty, bitchy, epic horrific assassin! To top it off, she has the looks and elegance. We have a sixteen-year-old girl, severely toughened up or rather roughened up… She has a past we don’t yet get to explore. She is a loyal, devoted puppy when it comes to Arobynn. A love and hate relationship. However, the inexcusable and unforgiving act this guy pulled off…just because he has controlling issues due to his own sick past… At this stage…Arobynn needs to watch his back…not from enemies or even Celaena’s much deserved revenge…not that revenge EVER takes away the pain or brings closure…but he needs to watch his back, because I’m gonna hunt him down and…and…sit on him…and…uhm…give Celaena the go-ahead to end his wonderful glamorous life…? Celaena’s character just keeps growing and she encompasses so much power she is yet to discover. On the other hand, she had to kill and doing so in unthinkable ways. She had to endure years and years beyond her own years, worth of pain. She had to really grow up in such a short time period since she is only seventeen years old. It’s hard to even fathom what she had to do and endure…the pain, guilt, regret and above all of this, she still shows us that she does have a heart. She is only human. Within your own reality to keep your head above water, she had to do what she felt she needed to do. To achieve a certain amount of respect and status, she needed to be the best at what she does. Now please…we are talking about a fictional fantasy novel here. In no way am I encouraging any real human being to become the next best assassin in real life. Please people…we are talking about fictional characters. They aren’t real. No matter how real we wish they could be…put away those fancy tailored assassin suits, boots and blades and daggers! Phew…that out of the way…let’s continue… Sam Cortland. I actually didn’t expect this one. As fierce as his opponent, Celaena. I had my suspicions here and there, but author, Sarah J Maas carefully interwove every bit of detail without spilling any beans. No predictions here folks, too many twists and turns! Sam is as tough as nails. Yet, I sensed his softer side quite early in the beginning. He didn’t encompass so much hate and anger as Celaena did. I take my hat off for this guy…to withstand and withdraw his emotions he felt towards Arobynn…this guy has nerves of steel. All because he wanted to…needed to…protect Celaena. And then he met his fate…horribly horrifying sadness. That is truly what I can tell ya. This poor poor bloke did not deserve such a fate. Man…if he were real, my heart would’ve been shattered only to never be mended ever again. Sara J Maas did a superb job at filling every single void we readers might have felt. So much detail. Action, plot and climaxes never-ending…if that makes any sense. I’m really looking forward to Throne of Glass. The soft cover is beautiful; however, this series deserves a hardcover spot on my bookshelf. I can sense this is a series I’ll reread even when I’m 80-years-old and lookin for an “Oomph’ at such a young age. |
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