Throne of Glass

I'd like to start this review by congratulating Bloomsbury UK on such a kick ass cover and one that in my humble opinion, far exceeds the US cover (if only they could have made it hardback!!!!) I'm now thinking there should be a special UK hardback edition, yes? I really don't know where to start other than saying that I thought Throne of Glass was EXCELLENT - the characterisation, the character arcs, the plot, even the bloody book cover is SPOT ON and this has definitely become one of my favourite YA novels of all time. In case you haven't figured it out yet, Throne of Glass is a YA fantasy novel told from the eyes of a teenage girl called Celaena but she's no ordinary teenage girl. She's one of the fiercest assassins in the land with a reputation to match but she's currently locked up as a slave in the deadly salt mines. One day, the prince makes her an offer she can't refuse - to act as his champion in a contest to find a royal assassin. If she wins, she serves the kingdom for three years and then, she's free to go. But it's not that simple, especially when other contestants start dying in mysterious circumstances. Throw in a couple of suitors by way of the Captain of the Guard and the prince himself, as well as a sprinkle of magic and you've got a hell of a story on your hands. This book was epic and I'm very proud to say that I did not need the pronunciation guide on Sarah's website. With regards to the love interests, it was very difficult to decide which team to be on. Before you get your panties in a twist, there isn't a love triangle as such but the prince and the Captain of the Guard cannot help but feel attracted to the beautiful assassin. She unwittingly captures both of their attentions and each of them has something to offer. Prince Dorian has a charm about him, a confidence in a way although he gives himself away with his occasional blushes which are ADORABLE by the way. And then we've got Chaol (the Captain of the Guard) who falls for her against his better judgement although really, I'm not sure either of them realise that. I love the fact that we can see it in the words unspoken. Prince Dorian is more unguarded with his feelings, more boyish whereas Chaol is cautious as ever as experience has taught him to be. There weren't a lot of secondary characters that really stood out for me besides Nehemia and really, I'm just glad that Celenea found an ally in her. I'm not going to say very much about the plot but trust me when I tell you that you have to discover it yourself and what you find, will surprise you. Can I just say as well that it's fantastic to have such a strong, female character and I enjoyed every second of her story. Throne of Glass was an impressive debut that far exceeded my expectations. I loved everything about the book and I can't wait to dive back into this world when the sequel Crown of Midnight is published this year.

This was a bit like reading two separate books in a way. I found it difficult to connect with the characters and the story in the first half, and it really dragged in parts. Now, I understand and fully agree that first books in a series will always be a little slower as the world is revealed and the characters are introduced and developed, and I made allowances for that, but this was just way too slow-moving in general. Given that blurb, I was expecting lots of kick-ass action which failed to materialize until the latter part of the book. However, once I hit the half-way point the action ramped up, the romance kicked in, the suspense intensified, and I became totally HOOKED. So much so that I finished the second half rather quickly! Initially, I didn't warm to either Celaena or Dorian. Honestly, she was so cocky and arrogant and he was so cocky and smarmy. Pretty much a match made in heaven. I liked Chaol from the get-go and I found his character to be the most consistent. By the end of the book I did like both Celaena and the Crown Prince, and in fact, I was most upset for Dorian in the last few chapters with how flippantly Celaena seemed to dismiss him. She seemed to resume her non-caring persona again which aggravated me on his behalf. The fantasy element of the plot has me totally entranced and it was so mysterious and magical right up till the last page. I freaking LOVED it. I also love how bad-ass Celaena is and how she trounced all the other competitors. You go girl. Part of my disappointment with the earlier part of the novel was how limited the action was and little opportunity for Celaena to showcase her skills, but the latter part more than made up for that. I'm expecting way more action in the remaining series and I can't wait to see what happens next. The secondary characters were decent with a fair share of baddies and goodies, and confusion over who could be trusted. Love that in a book! The writing, I felt, was a little amateurish in parts at the beginning but it flowed much more smoothly as the book progressed. I loved the slow-developed romance between Dorian and Celaena but the love triangle is a mess. Not sure if you could even call it that yet. Guess I'll have to wait and see how it pans out. Overall, by the end, I really enjoyed the book and I'm glad I stuck with it. I'm looking forward to continuing the series. Actual Rating: 3.75 stars. This review will be posted to my blog in due course: My YA NA Book Obsession

Im still a little bit gutted that I took so long to read this book. I had a list for this year that I wanted to set out and read, or at least start. With the aim of catching up on Popular YA Series such as Throne of Glass, Percy Jackson etc. So although #AvonAugust will slow down m progress I will be binge reading the rest of the series in September, ready fro Empire of Storms! Throne of Glass follows Celeana Sardothien, an 18 year old girl who is the reputable and indisputably the most well known Assassin. She's captured and destined for a life within the saltines of Endovier, slavery and beatings until Captain of The Guard Chaol Westfall collects Celeana in hopes she battles to become the Kings Assassin. I started reading this book a while ago and admit idly I only got to chapter 1 or 2, then I tried again and stalled in the same place. I'm pretty sure it was just a case of wrong boo, wrong time. because I gave it once last chance saloon and I raced through it. It literally took me a couple of days to get through, and this was only because I barely had any time to read! This book was just full of action, tense scenes and little bits of romance! I loved S J Maas' balance between keeping Celeana a strong willed, and independent Heroine but still keeping the litre bit of sizzling romance of will-they wont-they kind of storyline. It allowed it to stay a story of 'she saved herself' rather the whole 'guy swoops in and saves her' storyline. This gave me a whole new level of love for this book. I love Celeana she's so diverse, well written and entertaining to read. She'd definitely become of my favourite fictional heroines. Chaol and Dorian, ugh I toyed between shipping both of these through the entire novel. The more I was reading, and the more I DM'd Zulfa (@LovelyOwlBooks) the more I ended up shipping Caleana and Chaol! But I don't know how I feel about the whole situation yet... Chaol and Dorian. They were just beautiful characters. Dorian Crown Prince, clean cut, romantic and a true gentleman or Chaol, Captain of the Guard, slightly disheveled and rough looking but still with a sweet undertones personality. They were both very well developed, and the chemistry written between both characters and Celeana was perfect! All in all Throne of Glass was an enigmatic, action packed, full of chemistry, humour and awesome characters. A brilliant read, and I'll definitely be getting the series as soon as possible! By far a 5* read.

There seems to have been a mini-trend recently for full-blown high-fantasy (rather than the more traditional paranormal) aimed at a broadly female and teenage market. I've read several of these sorts of books recently - Seraphina, Shadow and Bone, and Smoke and Bone (yes, the last two are different books!) and really enjoyed them, but these book was by far the weakest of the four. There was nothing actively wrong with it and nothing that wowwed me. Plot, characters, prose - it was all just okay, readable but instantly forgettable. The plot revolves around Celaena, a young female assassin who's released from captivity in a hellish salt mine to compete to the death against various other murderers and thieves to become the champion of the despotic king. The main focus of the book is the months long death match, but there's also a romantic subplot (both the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Guards have a thing for her) and a plot around something evil stirring in the castle and portals to other dimensions. I quite liked Celaena. She combines toughness, vulnerability and a taste for pretty dresses. Most heroic fantasy tends to have its heroes start from scratch. I thought the cleverest part of the book was making Celaena someone who's already become famous as an assassin but has since hit rock bottom and lost most of her physical fitness and mental drive. The author didn't shy away from showing her throwing up when she ate a proper meal after months or starvation, or struggling to keep up on a run. Unlike many similar characters, I thought that most of her decisions made sense, though at times I became frustrated with her refusal to share her suspicions and worries with people. I've always said that I have a high tolerance for "Mary-Sue" type characters - I'd rather read about someone who is extraordinary than someone who is mediocre - but I've got to admit that at times Celaena tested even my patience. Fair enough, she had to be an amazing fighter for the competition and she (arguably) had to be beautiful for the love story, but did she also have to be a brilliant piano player and a great dancer? Also, she loves to read, but to me, this felt as though it had been shoehorned in to make her more sympathetic to readers and it didn't quite work. The main weakness however was the romance. I just had zero interest in either of the two options and I didn't feel any real chemistry between them and Celaena, or any real tension between the two of them over who would end up with her. The other plots were competently handled and quite fun in places, but I just felt like everything here had been done better elsewhere. Just because there's a kick-ass heroine and a love triangle, it doesn't mean that a book automatically has to feel clichéd. Shadow and Bone covered similar ground and made it feel fresh and new. But here, the plot just seems a bit old. It didn't help that I didn't really enjoy the author's writing style. I think that this is much more squarely suited to teen girls than some of the similar books I mentioned, which seem to have more cross-over appeal - not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you're an older YA fan, consider yourself warned. Despite my fairly critical review, I'd cautiously recommend this to people who like the genre and are in the target audience. It's a vaguely entertaining way to while away a few hours, just don't expect anything that amazing or new. And if you haven't read them yet, I'd recommend trying one of the other books in this genre before resorting to this. I'm probably not going to bother with the sequel.

5 glistening stars for the ‘Throne of Glass’ by Sarah J Maas who in my opinion reigns supreme as the Queen of Fantasy. From the opening chapters we are treated with excellent world building, fascinating characters, and vivid descriptive prose that transports the reader into the world of dark fairy tales. A place I can quite easily stay when the story delivers this much. This is total escapism at its best. Easy to read, captivating, adventurous, and with the requisite adrenaline rush you come to expect with these Fantasy stories but with some humour and a bit of romance thrown in to add more appeal. The Storyline Notorious assassin, eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien, has been locked up in Endovia’s death camp for the last year. A salt mine where few get out alive. So, when Dorian the Prince of Adarlan nominates Celaena as his champion, Celaena seizes the opportunity to win her freedom. Her challenge to become the Kings Champion is to beat the other 24 competitors in a series of trials, not all of them in physical battle, but survival of the fittest in mind, body, and spirit. If she wins, she only has to remain with the king for 4 years and then her freedom is guaranteed. One by one the bodies of contestants are discovered brutally murdered which creates suspicion, blame and mistrust among the group. However, with one eye on each other they should not lose sight of the mystery that lies within the castle and a king who is every bit as corrupt as he is dangerous. For he seems to have a game plan of his own. “Sometimes, the wicked will tell us things just to confuse us–to haunt our thoughts long after we've faced them.” Review and Comments Mama Mai this was good - 'Gimme gimme gimme a Chaol after midnight and a Prince like Dorian to take my troubles away' - and music please !!!! The characterisation is excellent particularly that of Celaean, a strong female fantasy character I actually like. Intelligent, brave, determined, and street wise – well most of the time until someone pushes her buttons. However, behind the battle-hardened façade is a beautiful woman, who is caring, passionate and witty and because of this draws the attention of two suitors. Chaol and the Prince himself, Dorian, who both have some redeeming qualities but great characters. We had an intriguing cast of characters that brought so much drama to the story. Some had more prominent roles - for now!! but we will see again in the series. The seeds have been sown. The Plot was clever and well thought out not just in this book, but you can see all the subplots opening up to be continued through the series. The plot felt stripped back from other SJM books which was a welcome change, because sometimes it can feel there was too much going on, and not all of it relevant. Whereas this was. Another explosion of imagination and another story that gripped me from the start. I loved that the trials were not designed for some backass bitch or bloke to triumph in where physical prowess was the only skill worth measuring. The contestants were tested for their observational and mental skills too, which was well done and another welcome change. Things to be aware of There is a trend being created by SJM in that she uses the first book in each series to introduce the characters and creates the various realms and kingdoms for the story to unfold through the series. The reason for mentioning is because some reviews have criticised the loose ends, plot holes, and needing to read the series to fully understand the story. So be warned this is a series, so you will not get closure on the full story in book 1. Whilst it might feel some questions are left unanswered, you know the seeds have been sown for these threads to be picked up again and woven into later books. That said there is no shortage of action, suspense, intrigue and scheming in this novel and it ends at the right time. If like me you have read the later series first, like A Court of Thorns and Roses, then you can tell how SJM herself has developed as an author. This does not change my scoring because I would have given ACOTR a six if I could. The first 3 books were outstanding, a little more complex and multi-layered. A joy to read, a story to captivate, characters to fascinate and set in a world that is magical, enchanting, but dangerously exciting. And am I looking forward to this series. Too darn right I am.

I really enjoyed this from the first couple of chapters. Maas does a great job of building a comprehensive world but at the same time making sure it's understandable and not overwhelming. The conflicts where interesting and had a deep history that I'm looking forward to reading more about in the sequels. (In particular, Elena and the other elves) I'll be honest when I realised we were dealing with a lovely triangle I was apprehensive, but this was an error on my part. The relationships felt believable and I found myself constantly flipping between who I wanted Celaena to end up with. In My opinion that's the sign of a great story. Being able to manipulate my feelings on each character so consistently, meant I was ALWAYS engaged. I'm very excited to read more of this world, and I'm hoping for some Easter eggs from Acotar and Crescent City. The magic system was fairly standard for a Maas book but I still enjoyed it and I can see that it has potential to be built on in the sequels. Overall this was a fun book. 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What an amazing collection of books. This series had me gripped the whole way through - with twists and turns. Highs & lows, adventure, romance, life & death, it has it all. It’s the kind of books I’ve been searching for and am sad to have finished them! An amazing read for any fantasy book fan from teen to adult. Thank you so much x

So I have been waiting so long to read this series, I finally got the special Throne Of Glass box set for my birthday . OMG Throne of Glass was absolutely awesome. Now this series is up right up my valley, I'd heard so many good things about it. I love fantasy and magic, adventure, romance and most importantly a brilliant well written plot and story. Celaena Sardothien is a slave that has been released by The crown Prince Dorian, with a deal that if she defeats 23 killers, thieves and warriors in a competition, she will become the king's champion. As soon as I was introduced to Celana, I loved this character. She is badass and sassy. I love her sarcasm and snark. You can tell she has been through alot and her life and upbringing has been so much more different then anyone else's. She is a kickass and strong young woman, but hides a lot of her life. She finds it very hard to trust anyone, and that is near the end of 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙚 which explains a lot of things about why Celaena is the way she is. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙚𝙣𝙖 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙣, 𝘼𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙣'𝙨 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣. 𝙄𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙚𝙣𝙖 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙣. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙣. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙙. Now we are introduced to a lot of new characters. I particularly fell in love with Chaol who is the captain of the Guards. He might be quiet and grumpy a lot of the time but, his protectiveness to the prince Dorian and the loyalty he has just had me loving him. I love how Celaena and him become a lot closer through the book and he helps train and protects her, his and celaena baiter and sarcasm between is brilliant. I can't wait for their close friendship to take them in the next book. Prince Dorian has a kind heart, but found half the time he didn't have a clue what was going on haha, His friendship and relationship between celaena get a lot closer through the book, but i found myself rooting for her and chaol lol. I loved how all the characters in the book were written so well and I feel I've gotten so close to some of them already. "𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙡," 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙, 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨, "𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡. 𝙄𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡," 𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙. This book captured me from page one all the way through to the last. Sarah J. Mass has written this so well. You got magic and action, romance, and when something evil is lurking in the castle and champions start mysteriously getting killed off one by one. It's full of twists and turns and takes you on a breathtaking rollercoaster of a ride and just leaves you wanting more. I was blown away already by this series and I'm on book one. I'm so excited for what's to come in this epic series. I'm now going to read 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙚 which is a novella, which of course can be read before or after Throne of Glass. I'd probably recommend reading it first as it shows celaena’s life before this and clears up a few questions and characters mentioned in this book.