Throne of Glass (Book One)

By Sarah J. Maas

 

Synopsis:

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.

Publication date: August 7th 2012

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 4.5 / 5

My Thoughts:

Many of my fellow bookstagrammers have recommended this series but I tried not to get sucked into the hype, always believing that sometimes books are overhyped for no reason. At the same time, I had my doubts. Surely there must be something awesome about this if practically every YA reader adores the series and the author is a New York Times bestselling author? So, I gave it a go and whoa, it was AMAZING. WHY have I not read this series before??!!! Perhaps it's a good thing because I abhor waiting for subsequent books in a series to be released so at least now I have four books to catch up on.

Firstly, let's discuss the main protagonist Celaena Sardothien. She is The most badass girl ever. Known to be the ultimate assassin, she has her ruthless outer layer, with her witty / arrogant remarks to defend the rather sensitive person she hides within. I loved her character especially because she ends up saving others rather than being the damsel in distress. Celaena's courage amazed me, even after everything she's been through, from her parent's murder to the year as a slave in the worst slave camp ever- I was shocked at how bravely she accepts each new problem.

"You deserve to be laughed at for such foolish thoughts! I spoke from my soul; you speak only from selfishness."
"You're remarkably judgmental."
"What's the point in having a mind if you don't use it to make judgments?"
"What's the point in having a heart if you don't use it to spare others from the harsh judgments of your mind?"
"Oh, well said, Your Highness!"

Onto Chaol, *sigh.* He tries so hard to be the detached and uncaring Captain but even he falls under the assassin's spell. They argue and banter so much to begin with, but it's clear that there's something there; even the Prince realises it before the do. He and Celaena make the perfect dream couple and I completely ship this pair. At first, I thought the Prince might be better suited for her, given his more easygoing temperament but Celaena and Chaol's chemistry was far more interesting. It's clear that any type of relationship will be difficult for an assassin like Celaena to maintain, especially one with the Captain of the Guard but there's always hope!

"Enjoyed that, did you?" Chaol growled.
"Immensely." Celaena patted Chaol's arm as she took it in her own. "Now you must pretend that you like me, or else everything will be ruined."
"You and the Crown Prince share the same sense of humor, it seems."
"Perhaps he and I will become dear friends, and you will be left to rot."

The Prince was a tad bit irritating in that he appeared to like her a lot but at the same time he's so used to getting what he wants all the time that he acts out when Celaena doesn't react the way he would like. He was a leeeetle bit over confident for my tastes but she soon put him in his place!

"Want to play?"
"I already old you that I don't feel well."
"You look fine to me." He skilfully shuffled the deck. "Just one game."
"Don't you pay people to entertain you?"
He glowered, breaking the deck. "You should be honored by my company."
"I'd be honored if you would leave."

I've shared some of my favourite quotes in this review. If you haven't read this series yet, I hope my review encourages you to do so! :)