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.
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