Throne of Glass

You know what the biggest problem with THRONE OF GLASS is? False advertising.

I was desperate to get my hands on this book thanks to Netgalley marketing copy that advertised it as "the teen girl version of Game of Thrones." The protagonist, Celaena, is a talented assassin and the blurb promised all

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kinds of intrigue and scheming with a dash of romance to lighten things up. And the book opens with the kind of dilemma I relish - Celaena gets the opportunity to escape the terrible death camp where she's been imprisoned, but only if she agrees to participate in a brutal competion, knowing that victory wins her the right to...use her deadly skills on behalf of the King, a brutal bully she loathes.

To me, the blurb, the storyline, the assassin protagonist, the comparison to Game of Thrones promised certain things. A book you'd describe, overall, as grim or dark or edgy. A rock-paper-scissors world with competing factions instead of a good-vs-evil conflict. A moral landscape all in gray, where nobody's black and nobody's white.

Buyer beware: THRONE OF GLASS does not contain any of those things.

If I were going to describe THRONE OF GLASS I'd use different terms. I'd say it's more like...Kristen Cashore's GRACELING meets EVER AFTER, that Cinderella movie with Drew Barrymore, or Turner's THIEF OF ATTOLIA put into a blender with the TWILIGHT books. Maybe THE HUNGER GAMES crossed with HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. Because, yes, there's a scary medieval style fantasy world and a brutal king and political rebellion. The heroine really is an assassin and she's got all kinds of mad martial skills. There's a competition, and people die, and the final battle at the end of THRONE OF GLASS is seriously epic.

But there's also a tiresome, standard for YA at this point love triangle. There's a lot of flirting, and putting on pretty dresses, and hanging out with cute boys, and wanting to go to parties, and making friends. For every scene where Celaena creeps through a darkened corridor or examines a dead body, there are probably two where she hangs out in her room chatting with her love interests.

I didn't realize that this awesome "Game of Thrones" "assassin girl" "fight to the death" plot was going to be so heavily diluted with fluff. I'd have gone in with different expectations if I had - or just not requested the book at all. And I'd probably have liked THRONE OF GLASS anyhow if it weren't for the fact that the qualities that I most craved from it (in that list at the top) were absent.

There's also the fact that the characters didn't feel authentic to me. Take Celaena. Her backstory is gruesome. Her parents were murdered when she was very little, and she was tossed out into the streets. Then an assassin adopted her, trained her up, and sent her out to kill people. She killed and killed and killed...until she was captured and sent to a labor camp at the age of seventeen. That's a series of unfortunate events, right? That's a grim, grim, grim life. And yet Celaena is a chipper, cheery sort of girl. She's not troubled or wounded or broody or damaged. She thinks about murder in the bubbly, uncomplicated manner of a cheerleader practicing for the big game and her primary concern after leaving the labor camp is eating enough to be svelte and attractive again.

Celaena isn't the hard-edged assassin I was looking for, and THRONE OF GLASS isn't the book I was hoping to read. Hopefully my review will help steer the right sort of reader toward it, and deter the ones who are looking for the advertised teen-girl Game of Thrones.

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I had been hearing about this book for a while, mostly because it has been around in some form for quite a long time. The author originally published chapters of this book on fictonpress.com and gained a large following from that. So when news released in 2010 that the book would be published,

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there was a lot of buzz. I had never read those chapters, but I kept hearing about the story and getting more and more excited for it. Unfortunately, the novel did not live up to my hopes.

The premis of killers and robbers fighting for their lives and freedom in gruesome challenges is what had me so excited for this book. While I was reading the book, those parts shined through and were the reason I kept reading. Unfortunately, those plot points, which I was under the impression were the main focus of the novel, were demoted to a few pages each - at best. Some challenges only had a few sentences in their honor. Most of the story was taken up by an attempt at a love triangle that I didn't really appreciate. For one, the romance wasn't really there for me. It didn't seem real. Which could be attributed to the overlying issue I had with that triangle; both men seemed to think that they owned her. In some ways they could lay claim to her. That is fine, but to add romance to that situation just seemed weird to me.

Most of the issues I had with this novel stemmed from the overlying issue mentioned above. The only other major issue I had was the language. It was modern at times, then historical, and sometimes it felt so staged that I laughed. I found myself continually pulled out of the story by the language, which was disappointing.

I am not going to tear this book apart, but say simply that it wasn't for me. If you are a fan of this book, I would love to hear why.

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I have been watching the emergence, or perhaps re-emergence is more accurate, of high fantasy marketed to a YA audience with great interest, and was excited to read Throne of Glass for this reason. I want to tell you this is one of the best books I’ve read this year, but I feel that there is a

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lot of potential in the story that isn’t explored.

While Celaena Sardothien is both strong, intelligent and beautiful – everything you look for in an assassin – she has to be one of the most annoying characters I’ve read about. She is vain and entitled, with no real personality except one of extreme haughtiness. Her past isn’t explored well – we know she was trained by one of the best assassin’s in her world, and at seventeen was notorious enough for everyone to know her name – but we’re never told how she feels about being an assassin, what her first kill was like, what she plans to do if she wins and becomes the King’s Champion. Instead we are regaled with descriptions of the gowns she wears, the myriad of ways she could hurt/main/kill someone (but never actually does), and her simpering thoughts on her love life. I feel her character lacked sufficient depth for me to believe in her – she is conveniently as assassin because the author felt this would make for a kick butt heroine, and there is not enough exploration of this to create a substantial character.

The other two major characters in the book are inevitably male and vying, however subtly, for the heroine’s affections. Celaena is the world’s best assassin – she was imprisoned in a mine and left to die because of her talents – but neither of these men show any fear of her. I felt they were almost patronising to her, as if they couldn’t really believe someone small and, dare I say it, female, could actually be any threat to them. Within a few weeks of her residing in the castle, both the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Guard are pining after her! I have no problem with romance, but I feel that any person with any sense of self-preservation would stay the hell away from the best assassin in the world, but here are two otherwise intelligent men, trusting an assassin within a few days of knowing her. Even worse, when Celaena begins training with Captain Westfall, she loses to him. I understand that she is weak from her experience in the mines and isn’t doing her best, but that scene set the tone for the rest of the novel, where she was good, but not that good, and to be honest she was just an assassin in name for most of the book.

Since most of the ‘action‘ in the book takes place inside a castle, there is admittedly little scope for world building. What did come across is that the world Maas has created is complex, with a range of cultures nations who are being slowly wiped out by the very King Celaena is competing to become a champion of. One of the most striking characters we meet is Princess Nehemia, the Eyllwe princess, who is everything Celaena isn’t – likeable, assertive in her rights without being pushy or whiny, and beautiful without demanding praise. It’s always sad when one likes a supporting character more than the main protagonist. I feel that there is a lot more to be learnt about this world, both in its social aspects and the intriguing magic that exists in it (which, disappointingly, we only got a glimpse into).

There is enough suspense in the plot to have engaged me and compel me to read the whole book, but I figured out what was going on much quicker than Celaena and then had to spend the next sixty or so watching her make stupid decisions until she figured it out too. I was also hoping for a lot more fighting and, yes, killing in this book, but found it sadly lacking. While Celaena spends a lot of time thinking about all the different ways in which she could kill or main a person, she really has two fight scenes in the book, and both failed to live up to my expectations.

I can’t really convey how disappointed I am that I didn’t enjoy this Throne of Glass more. Even in light of it being a debut novel, there are too many lacklustre qualities in the book for me to honestly tell my readers it is worth their time. Perhaps the world would have been clearer to me if I had forked out the money to read the four prequel novellas that were released prior its release, but no book should rely on novellas for world building. I would have enjoyed a stronger heroine who actually assassinates, heroes who reacted sanely to her being an assassin, more exploration of the system of magic that permeates the world and a more complicated villain. There are many, however, who have enjoyed this book, and I’ll admit that perhaps I had to high an expectation going into it.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.

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Actual rating: 4.5

(This review was originally posted at My Library in the Making.)

I'm not exaggerating when I say Throne of Glass blew me away. I expected to like it, but not this much. It'll certainly haunt me for the next few days.

So we have Celaena, an eighteen-year-old girl who is on a whole

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new level of badass. When I learned about this book last year, I already knew I'd like her. She was the heroine I'd been waiting for: strong, beautiful, intelligent, and sassy - unlike most other brooding heroines. At times I thought she was becoming too perfect, but she had one constant flaw: her temper (which wasn't too different from my own; sadly, my ass-kicking skills are pathetic compared to hers).

Another thing that made Celaena stand out was her love for dresses. At first I thought it wouldn't work with her being an assassin and all, but it really did because she had been the best and most sought-after in her profession, which meant she'd earned a lot to buy her sparkly gowns and trinkets. And then there was her inner bookworm which made her even more relatable.

But because she was an assassin, I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow every time she showed concern or sympathy over the numerous tragedies in the story. It showed her good side, yes, but to me it made her character a little inconsistent, especially because she often bragged about her killing prowess. That said, I really loved her snarky, piss-me-off-and-I'll-skin-you-alive attitude.

Celaena's two love interests, Dorian the prince and Chaol the captain, were equally interesting and entertaining as well. At first glance, their personalities seemed very different, so it was fun to see their similarities come to light as Celaena got to know them more. I was surprised when I discovered the love triangle - and nervous, too, because love triangles don't often work well, but this one was good, I tell you.

Unfortunately, Throne of Glass didn't come without faults. The world-building, which is crucial to high fantasy books, didn't satisfy. I felt like a lot of needed information about the other parts of the world aside from Adarlan were left out, and that also made it quite difficult to understand their history. I guess it'll come in the next books, though. I was also disappointed by how the competition had to take a step down to give way for the underlying parts of the plot. When I added this book to my TBR list, I was looking forward to reading about a girl who could prove herself better than men who were bigger and older than her. I got that, sure, but the action was less than I'd expected. But all that said, I'm still very eager for the sequel, Crown of Midnight!

MY FAVORITE PART was this:
My name is Celaena Sardothien, but it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.

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Hype is a strange beast, and one that is certainly no stranger to this long-anticipated fantasy novel geared towards young-adults. It can prime the pump for a well-deserved novel, or it can drag down an otherwise entertaining but not very well executed novel with unfulfilled expectations, as is the

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case here for my read of Maas's Throne of Glass. Advertised as a "Game of Thrones" for teens meets an assassin version of The Hunger Games, the similarities and comparisons to other young-adult fantasy novels (particularly Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder -be sure to check out Amanda's great comparison review!) are unavoidable and lamentable. In addition to the misplaced hype and the whole "been-there-done-that feel", Throne of Glass suffers from a wide array of issues that kept me from loving this. I've had several days to digest and work out my-not-so-happy feelings towards this (and vacillate on my rating!), and while I will inevitably pick up the sequel, I do think Maas has a lot to learn about the fantasy genre, writing a credible romance, and crafting a better method of authorial sleight-of-hand.

Celaena Sardothien is a complex character, that is without a doubt, but one that is a little too enamored of her own looks, instead of worrying about, oh I don't know, LIVING. Even Katniss, for all her faults and flaws, doesn't worry about her good-looks when confronted by the people who ruined her life, and oppressed her people. I think Celaena will be divisive among readers: some will respond to her hard-edged confidence and others will be much less enthused with her inability to look at the bigger picture. There are many sides to her personality, and I will admit that she is admirably flawed and realistic for a YA protagonist. She's a strong, smart, capable, and decisive young woman, while only slightly suffering from Special Snowflake Syndrome. She's also arrogant beyond belief (though I didn't start to dislike that aspect until her arrogance about her skills was never backed up by her actions! One sparring match does not a Master Assassin make! And, after all, how many times, exactly, can Dorian sneak up on Celaena before she loses all credibility as The Greatest Assassin Ever?), cunning, deadly, and way, way, too invested in the superficial facets of Court life. The sheer amount of time clothing, especially Celaena's and Dorian's wardrobes, are described, lusted after, and compared is simply exhausting and dry.

Another main issue I had while reading this was the clear and present focus on romance, a love triangle and angst instead of THE ASSASSIN-TASTIC DEATH MATCH. It's supremely frustrating to be told that Celaena is an amazing assassin and then see no proof of it, outside very few isolated events. What is the point of a Hunger Games death match between assassins if it's all offsides and offscreen? For almost the entirety of reading about the tournament, I was thinking "KILL SOMEONE, DAMNIT. Prove you're what you've been so enthusiastically saying about yourself." It's too much telling about Celaena's prowess, and far too little actual "showing" on Maas's part. The Tests and trials are glossed over, or focus on the least-actiontastic events (a poison ranking? Really? Harry Potterish much?) to the overall detriment of what was actually the most compelling aspect of the whole novel. Instead, the author ignores the good stuff in favor of awkward flirting, and endless descriptions of what every character is reading. It's a shame and a glaring misstep for any novel that seeks to be compared for the bloody and dark Game of Thrones.

Maas is a capable author, but sadly not one readers will be able to call subtle after reading first-in-a-series Throne of Glass. Celaena's mysterious past and real identity are both easy to suss out, and it's remarkable that none of the other characters manage to do so in the 400+ pages of the final edition. The super-obvious obvious plotting and writing, the easy-to-spot red herrings, and not to mention the heavy-handed approach to the love-triangle that takes up 75% of the novel, make for a very predictable novel. The "mystery" of who is behind the competitors death...isn't. It's both obvious from the start and then subsequently, hilariously frustrating how long it takes Celaena to cotton on to the real culprit. Celaena's whole "Nehemia has a secret! Therefore, she must be the killer or maybe just politically savvy. Never mind that I've been lying the entire time we've known one another!!1!" subplot is particularly dumb. Be smarter than that, Celaena. Respect your readers more than that, Maas!

Third-person omniscient makes it easy for the POV to rotate around Celaena, Dorian, the Crown Prince of Ardalan, and Chaol Westfall, the earnest and awesome Captain of the Guard and show a wider view of the world.It also caused me to feel distant from the characters and kept me from fully investing. (Exception: Chaol. MOAR PLEASE.) Were the other two perspectives really needed? No, but nor do they detract from the narration. The love triangle manage to do that allll on its own. You can see it forming from the first chapter, and Maas never makes it worth reading about. It's all overwrought glances and touching, with little real emotion to back up the overused trope. It's not used to illustrate that Celaena is torn between two men who genuinely appeal to vastly different sides of her character, but rather to show how beautiful and alluring she is. No, thank you. The writing itself can be bloated with overdescription (the clothes! the glass castle! WE GET IT!), but Maas does reign it in occasionally to let a plot emerge.

Fun, but very flawed is my final verdict. Great ideas need great execution and that is not at all what happened here with Throne of Glass. Though Throne of Glass has been grossly overhyped and is quite often amateurish in its presentation, I can't deny that there are moments of great entertainment... but, sadly, they are not enough to earn this novel more than 3/5 stars.

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God, I waited so long for this book. I honestly still remember the day, a long, long time ago, when I stumbled across the author’s website and saw a video where she was giving the happy news to the world, Throne of Glass (at the time called Queen of Glass) was going to be published, and poor

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Sarah was crying her heart out -- from happiness, of course. I immediately added the book to my wishlist and a year later ta-dah, it arrived at my doorstep.

At the time this book came to my attention because it was being sold as a Cinderella retelling (and I’m a sucker for all things fairytale) where the heroine was this kickass assassin, but at some point the story must have evolved because Throne of Glass has a lot more going on than that. To tell the truth, one can barely see traces of Cinderella in Throne of Glass, only that at some point there’s a ball and Celaena isn’t allowed to go, but she sneaks out and attends the thing anyway.

But note that I’m not complaining -- I’m not annoyed that this isn’t exactly a Cinderella retelling, because I love epic fantasy and Throne of Glass certainly went down that road. The plot involves a corrupt king, magic, murder mysteries, a dangerous tournament, and of course, the kickass heroine. All this happening at the same time, giving the reader barely time to breathe.

Of course I didn’t like everything about this book, thus the 3 stars rating, I almost, almost gave it a 4, but THE LOVE TRIANGLE. Ugh. I’m sorry but I can’t condone this crap anymore. From now on, love triangles will always subtract a star on my ratings. Always!
Authors, PLEASE. Stop this trend. I'm so tired of this sh-t. There's nothing wrong with writing stories where there's only one love interest. NOTHING. Please, I BEG YOU. P L E A S E.

It doesn’t help that I don’t like Prince Dorian, no, let me rephrase that, it doesn’t help that I load Prince Dorian, and that Celaena has the hots for him. I’m sorry, but I can’t stand the guy or the moronic relationship. HE’S AN ASS, FOR GOODNESS SAKE.

That said, fear not because I will be reading the next book in the series.

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I waited too long to review this, but some thoughts I had:
*Why should I like the main character when she was a terrible assassin?
*For a practically super-human assassin, how come so many things happened like people sneaking up on her or eating candy she had no idea where it came from...?
*The love

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triangle wasn't believable to me and was very annoying.
*The world building was confusing to me.
*I needed more of the main character's back story to want to read any more of the series. I'm sure that is probably coming in subsequent books, but I have no desire to read them

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I absolutely loved Throne of Glass! I fell in love with the characters and the story itself. It was like a mixture of The Selection, The Hunger Games, and Game of Thrones, except much better. Beautiful.

Sarah J. Maas has written an intricate world with a layered plot and a strong and witty main character that I found myself rooting for.
Since I don't read a lot of fantasy it took a bit to get accustomed to the names, places and such, but once I did, it became more enjoyable. Though I admit, I

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skimmed over some of the backstory about the land because that is not what interests me. I also had a bit of a hard time with the third person just because I am not used to reading that style, it's been awhile. But all in all I think that it works for this book because we do get glimpses into the lives of other characters besides Celaena and that provides neat insights into the story and the other characters.
The characters are what kept my attention. The book begins with a master assassin Celaena being asked to participate in a contest of champions for the king, and I immediately liked her voice and thoughts. She is sarcastic, has something to say about everything, and toes the line but manages to have the good sense not to leap over it most of the time. I love her interactions with Chaol. In fact I pretty much enjoyed his character overall, the gruffness with the soft spot for her that he manages to hide most of the time. There's a love triangle going on because she also flirts with Dorian, the prince who chose her as his champion. I pulled for Chaol overall, but I don't really know where story is taking us.
I loved the friendship between Chelaena and Nehemia. Nehemia is mysterious, powerful and from a country who the king is currently attacking, so that leaves intrigue always wondering what her motives are. But it also forms a bond between the two, that is very well written.
I loved the challenges that Chelaena faces, and watching her train. It is quite an experience for me to read about a main character going through these things, because I am pretty weak myself, so it just makes me admire her. I do wish that some of the trials were detailed instead of just being told about them, but I suppose that would have been way too much, adding to an already long book. As it is, there is plenty of action and layers that keeps the story moving.
Bottom line: action packed, page-turning fantasy with a kick butt heroine that I fell for.

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I got this book as an ARC form the American Library Association conference in June 2012. I was excited to pick this one up since fairytale retellings are my weakness. It is a retelling of Cinderella, but the author really makes it her own story with lots of original ideas and plot twists. There are

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many different plots that are mixed in with the main one and there were times I had to take a moment so I could remember who was on what side or the side I though they were on. I was completely sucked in once I started reading it. It did seem to get a bit slow near the middle and a few other places, but it wasn't all that distracting.

Celaena was a rough, spirited and determined heroine. I loved her attitude and her mindset through out the book. I will admit there were a few times I was on edge as to what was going to happen to her. She was quite a complex character that had many layers for acting and saying the things she did. She reminded me of Alanna from the Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce. There is a love triangle in this book and while that is usually something that frustrates me, I was actually intrigued by it in this book. I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationships will change in the course of this series.

If you are a fantasy fan and love a strong heroine then I highly recommend picking this book when it comes out.

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The well-known and well-feared assassin Celaena, has spent the past year in hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier. She manages to survive this death camp until the day when Prince Dorian offers her freedom in exchange for entering into a competition to be the King's champion. She is brought to

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the palace, given a fake identity and begins to compete in a variety of challenges.

I thought the premise of the book was interesting, and overall I enjoyed the author's writing style. However, I do have a few criticism. I was a bit annoyed by the fact that this is the first book in the series, yet there is an unusual amount of information that the author hasn't given us, and provides to us in e-book novellas. Although a lot of her background was mentioned, not enough detail was provided to make the issues clear. I also found myself a bit annoyed by the contradictions within Celaena's personality.

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Now, this is one amazing book. Jammed-packed with action, revenge, and a girl who is yearning for her freedom, it only took a few paged before I was done for.

The plot of the book is the best part of the book. A girl, who is taught by the best of the best, who is a threat to anybody, finds her way

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into the royal court. From the very first page, Celaena is intrigued. Raised harshly, trained vigorously, Calaena is not your average girl. She speaks her mind. She's not afraid to stand up for herself or for others. She is rare. So rare that she catches the eyes of lots of people who are just waiting for her to fall.

The characters of the books all have twisted lives in which they are playing by the rules. You know, doing what you have to do just because is it your position to do it. How can you truly be happy in what you are doing? Each character is build up carefully to come into their destiny in their own time. I like who all the characters come to the realization of who they really are and who they want to be. I can't wait to see them take that stand.

The love interest is frustrating yet so addicting. As the reader, you want it to happen so bad. But, there are too many circumstances playing against them right now. The reader will have to wait for other parts of the story to play out before they can claim their love. As of now, their foundation is set and so ready to go!!

Throne Of Glass is a thrilling read! Satisfying and engaging, each chapter is filled with more action, more anger, more love until you are ready to combust. The key elements of a fierce warrior is written fantastically. I can't begin to tell you the amount of emotions I felt within my heart. Ms. Mass painted a wonderful picture, enough to make me want more. Throne Of Glass is an epic story that will dazzle the reader!

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4.5/5 stars.

You guys, high/epic fantasy is having a hell of a year in YA. First "Shadow and Bone", then "Seraphina", then "Stormdancer" (more steampunk/alt history than epic/high fantasy, but you know what I mean), and now "Throne of Glass"! I don't think I've seen such a great string of high/epic

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YA fantasy titles in one year released like this ever! "ToG" has been floating around online (through fictionpress) until Mass took it down in 2008, but I can see why it was so popular when it was a thing of the internets. Are you tired of your heroines being passive, self-loathing, and full of indecision? "Throne of Glass" is definitely something to cure what ails the weak heroine part of the YA market. While I admit that I am very, very sick of love triangles, the rest of the book more than made up for that bit of the plot. Girls, your assassin queen is here, and her name is Celaena.

What I loved most about this book? Celaena herself. While I still haven't gotten to the four prequel novellas that prepare us for the main part of this book, I adore how cocky Celaena is. She's awesome and she knows it. She's beautiful and she's not afraid to hide it. And she will take you down if you cross her. She knows she's the best and isn't afraid to show it. But at the same time, dealing with the horrors of Endovier and the things that are stalking her in the dark makes her vulnerable, and I like the way she handled that - with anger. She was strong, and she behaved, but only out of self-preservation (at least, at first, until she learned to trust certain people). Yet she gets her own story arc, so she does undergo character transformation by the end of the book - which is always important and sets up a lot left to be used for book 2.

I don't know whether I want to date her or be her, to be honest.

The worldbuilding - I could have used more of it, but I guess I'll have to read the prequels and the sequel to get the full flavor. I wish the prequels had been included in the main book as it might have given me a fuller sense of the world, but I did get one that was adequate enough to enjoy where and when I was - both externally (Endovier, the Palace, etc) and internally (the final battle against the Big Bad at the end of the book - a rare example of internal worldbuilding). The whodunnit mystery of the murders helped build the world up with the history of magic and the fae and humans and really just helped glue everything together. While I wish during the assassin trials things had been a little more geographically varied, I'm satisfied with what I got. It worked, and I'm hoping things can only get better from here.

The magic/fae element - LOVED this bit because it was so ambivalent until about halfway in. It all worked, especially with the internal worldbuilding and people from history coming into the picture. The final battle with the Big Bad was my favorite because we finally saw how much Celaena grew as a character throughout the book - she had allies, where she might have scorned them at the beginning of the book. Parts of that big fight definitely felt Whedonesque, I won't lie about that, and it was awesome.

The love triangle: the one downside to the book. Celaena falling for the prince felt very out of character, no matter how charming he was because of her past grudges against the crown. Chaol felt much more natural, and I wish Maas had stuck with him only. If anything, it felt like the triangle just kind of impeded things. HOWEVER, I do see why it was used (in terms of Celaena's character arc and her transformation by the end of the book). So I guess I can pardon this one. Plus all of the action, murder mystery, magic, and Celaena's badassery makes up for it and makes it tolerable.

Final verdict? If you're a high/epic fantasy fan or you just want a great, strong heroine, this book is definitely for you. "Throne of Glass" is a great new series, and I look forward to reading more of Celaena's capers in the future. Its place on my best of 2012 so far list is very well deserved indeed. "Throne of Glass" drops August 7, 2012 from Bloomsbury Kids USA in North America, so be sure to check it out then! Highly recommended!

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

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As you may have noticed, I don't read a ton of fantasy. I prefer vampires and witches to trolls and fairies any day. However, I try to keep up with big upcoming releases and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was getting so much buzz that I figured I should probably read it - best decision I've made

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in awhile. This book really blew me away. I was totally enveloped in Celaena's world and loved every minute of it. This book has everything that I love: fantastic world-building, epic battles, mystery, breathtaking romance and a kick-ass heroine! It was such a fun read while still being heartfelt. My emotions were all over the place from page one. Maas is a master storyteller! This is the first time in a long time that I've actually been craving a sequel to a fantasy novel.

LIKES:

Celaena: YA heroines often come in one of two varieties: quirky, but tough, tom boy, or beautiful, misunderstood damsel. Celaena is neither of theses. She is girly, beautiful and feminine...and she can kick your ass. I love love LOVE that Celaena doesn't have to give up her femininity to be formidable. She loves shiny weapons just as much as frilly dresses. I'm not saying that every girl has to love perfume and makeup and dolls but every girl that likes those things isn't a helpless airhead either. So 10,000 bonus points to Sarah for making Celaena a character that is believable wearing a beautiful dress with a makeshift knife hidden in the corset. Do not scuff this girls heals! I also love Celaena because she is a survivor. She does whatever is necessary to secure her freedom and won't stay down. She has had a miserable life, first being found as young child and raised by the Assasin King, she was subjected to horrifying training. Then she is caught and taken to a death camp where she works in the salt mines and is abused by her overseers until finally she is given her chance at freedom, but only after facing the toughest and deadliest men in the kingdom. She never gives up, never slows down and never, ever shows fear in the face of unbelievable adversity.

The love triangle: First of all let me say that, as a rule, I don't like love triangles. I think they are played out and over complicate the story. I always know exactly who the main character will end up with or at the very least who I want them to end up with. That is not the case with Throne of Glass . Celaena has two (very attractive) men in her life. And I love them both, completely equally. First, we have the spoiled Prince Dorian with saphire eyes and a charming wit. The relationship between the prince and Celaena changes so much through the book and is so much fun. I can't help loving him. Then there is the rugged and brave Captain of the Guard, Chaol. He is so quiet and internal. I just kept wanting to know more about him and their relationship is so intense that I couldn't get enough. There's the problem. I don't have a favorite. I love them both so much and no matter who she ends up with I'm going to be happy (and disappointed). Oh the agony!

World-building: The world that Maas creates for Throne of Glass is very well-formed. While it is similar to our world, there are marked differences (different religions, holidays and history) however it is close enough that I could still relate to it while getting wrapped up. Maas also alludes to different types of creatures (Fae, faeries etc) that have been either killed or have gone into hiding after Magic is banished from the kingdom. While these creatures do not play a huge part in this first book, the set up is great and left me yearning to find out more about the history of this world. The governmental structure was also very easy to grasp and lends sort of a dystopian vibe to the whole plot. Love it.

Depth of the story: Finally, I like that this is more than a love story. In fact, the love story is very much secondary to the main plot line. Throne of Glass mostly centers around human suffering and oppression, the lengths that some people will go to impose these on their subordinates and what others are willing to sacrifice to stop the oppressors. Maas' work takes a tried and true theme and makes it entirely believable and hard-hitting. One of the most powerful parts of the book is when Chaol is reflecting upon the fact that Celaena has spent the last year in a death camp, starving and being whipped to within an inch of her life and yet she can still smile and laugh. He marvels at her strength of character and the power of the human spirit and so does the reader.

DISLIKES:

The names are crazy: This may sound petty but the names and places in this book are sometimes next to impossible to pronounce. Sometimes I like to read out loud...to myself...in foreign accents. Don't judge me. Anyway that didn't happen with this book because I couldn't pronounce half of the names and locations.

Perspective changes: The only other thing that is a "dislike" for me with this one is that the perspective jumps from character to character very suddenly and then stays with that character only briefly before switching back to Celaena. This wasn't a huge problem though because I was happy that we got to see some different perspectives throughout the book.

Overall, I really liked this one and I can't wait to read more from Sarah. I would recommend Throne of Glass not only to fantasy lovers but also to those who don't necessarily gravitate toward that genre. It is a nice surprise and certainly worth all of the praise it has been getting.

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I was excited to pick up Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas for two reasons: 1. It's fantasy, and I love me a good fantasy, and 2. It was referred to in several places as "Game of Thrones for Teens."

I'm here to tell you right now, if you are picking up this book for the latter reason, please be

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warned that this is not the case. George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy is filled with complex writing, relationships, and world-building and, although I understand that Sarah Maas tried hard to create a solid, strong female lead, she's nothing like those in GRRM's books. Rather, this book is very, very "Fantasy-lite."

What do I mean by that term? I've used it before to refer to a few books and it's not necessarily a bad thing. It means that the world is easy to grasp, there are no strange terms, that the characters seem a lot like people we would know in real life, and that the magic concepts (if any) are very simplistic. This is fantasy for people who have never read fantasy before. Like I said, not a bad thing - but definitely not what I expected after being told it was like GRRM's books.. which are hardcore fantasy.

Now, all that aside, there were a few other issues I had with Throne of Glass. The main character, Celaena, was beyond cocky. One of the most important things I've learned in writing courses (which seems to be the basic rule of writing) is to show and not tell things. Sarah Maas did an awful lot of telling and, as a result, Celaena came off as cocky, proud, and generally unlikeable. I was confused by the love triangle, but I think a lot of that was because I was confused by Celaena herself. I wanted to like her, but she was so off-putting that I just couldn't get myself to care that much.

Was I entertained? Sure - the story is filled with action, moves at a fast pace, and had a bit of a mystery that I wanted to get to the bottom of - but the potential was there for so much more. In fact, this book reminded me a lot of a sub-par Poison Study (by Maria V. Snyder). I just wish that Celaena could have gotten her butt handed to her a few times to teach her some humility.

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Review By Alaiel Kreuz:

Celaena Sardothien is the famous Adarlan's Assassin... but nobody knows who she really is and after being betrayed and imprisoned, she has spent the last year inside Endovier, a mine where cruelty was the reality of each day. Now she is sure no one would ever remember her.
But

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the gods (or whoever was listening) gave her an opportunity to find freedom in the hands of Dorian, Crown Prince, son of the very man who sent her to Endovier, the cruel King of Adarlan... Of course, her freedom had a price: she would have to become the King's Champion and serve, as his personal assassin, during four years.
The bottom line? There was a competition to choose the Champion. And someone wasn't going to play fair...

Of course Celaena wasn't afraid of anything and took the chance. Now, under a false name, she is going to have to train again alongside Chaol, Captain of the Royal Guard, to become again the assassin she once was.

The only problem was: could she really forget what the horrible King had done to every country he conquered? The screams, the suffering and pain she had witnessed in Endovier of all the slaves he kept?

Through sticks and stones she would realize that someone was watching over her. That the magic the cruel King had tried to vanish was hidden waiting for the right time to come out and that she had an important part to play in Adarlan's destiny.

Personal Opinion:
I'm 100% sure that Throne of Glass has become, in less than a day, my favorite book of 2012... And I don't think there will be a book as good as this one until next year. At least for me.

Have you ever found yourself gawking, gasping, closing a book only to remember how to breathe and then opening it again while wondering what could happen next? Or even afraid of reaching the end because you knew that, after reading the last line, you would be completely devastated knowing the wait - that excruciating wait- could kill you? Well, there's where I am right now. I can't believe I have to wait, who knows how long, for the next book to come out.

I loved every second, every page, every quote of this book. Beginning with characters like Celaena, who besides being beautiful is also strong, fearless and deadly. Four ingredients that together create the perfect assassin for a world where war, suffering and death are a constant reminder of the tyrant ruling it: the king of Adarlan.
But what made Celaena special was her human side. After being in Endorvien during a year - a place I fear completely- her soul is not broken but wounded. There are things she has seen, things that could make anybody break until nothing remain... except Celaena. Despite being scared at times she overcame those fears and controlled her live as best as she could.
Two of her best qualities are her quick movements and witty retorts. And why do I like her so much? She likes being a girl, using pretty dresses, reading (OMG she reads so much!) and plays the pianoforte like nobody else.

Then we have Dorian, the Crown Prince of Adarlan. Known as a womanizer he only wishes to find a way out of his world full of conspiracies and lies. He is clever, funny and sweet but at the same time a stranger during most of the book. To see him develop his personality was amazing and I honestly can't wait to read more about him.

Chaol, the Captain of the Royal Guard, is the opposite: quiet, distant and very private. As Captain he doesn't trust Celaena during most of the book but, little by little, he starts to acknowledge her intelligence and respect her perseverance.

I'm not lying if I say that right now I can't possibly choose between Dorian and Chaol... They both have won a place in my heart and I know that, whatever happens, I will cry for the one that stays alone. If that happens, of course.

The book is also full of other characters that will make you smile like Princess Nehemia or Philippa. And you will cringe and shout with Cain, Kaltain or the King.

As for the plot all I can say is that Sarah will rock your world. From the very first line you will see the book flow to your mind recreating every corner of this amazing story so you can share every adventure with the main characters. The sudden change of POV will help you understand all the conspiracies and feelings besides increasing your adrenaline.

There is something different about this book, something that will charm you until the very end. Maybe its promise of magic, maybe it's the desire to know Celaena's complete history or the writing itself but I know you'll be thinking about the book several days after finishing it.

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Throne of Glass is an entertaining novel, although it didn’t have as much action, fighting, or assassin-y things as the blurb led me to expect. Instead, the story focuses heavily on the characters and their relationships. (And, yes, there is a love triangle, which features prominently in the

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storyline, so I wouldn’t recommend this book if that kind of shtick annoys you.)

Despite my disappointment that she rarely gets to show off her assassin skills, I loved that Celaena is a strong, multifaceted heroine with contradictions and faults that make her believable and sympathetic. The other main characters - Dorian, Chaol, and Nehemia - are equally well fleshed out, each with their own histories, desires, and struggles. I have to applaud Ms. Maas for not only creating fascinating characters, but also for writing badass females who aren’t treated like damsels in distress by the men around them. For example, Elena and Nehemia are two of the most courageous and intelligent figures in the book, and Chaol openly acknowledges that Celaena can fight her own battles and doesn’t belong to anyone except herself. It’s so refreshing to read about men who don’t feel the need to be overprotective and alpha-male with the women they care about! Perhaps this is one reason why the romance was one of my favorite parts of the book. In addition, the story’s antagonists are surprisingly interesting characters, and I can’t wait to find out more about their mysterious, shady dealings in book two.

Speaking of sequels, Throne of Glass is clearly just the beginning of a multi book series. Much is left unexplained about the magic system, the characters’ histories, and the villains’ long-term plans, but this book does a nice job of setting up these mysteries to be explored in subsequent installments. In addition to delving deeper into unanswered questions, I hope that future books spend more time on worldbuilding; I feel as if this story barely scratches the surface of a diverse and complex universe with a ton of unmined potential.

My only real criticism is that the plot is somewhat predictable, and I couldn’t help noticing several small discrepancies in the storyline and quality of writing, as if certain scenes, plot elements, and descriptions aren’t quite as well thought out as the rest of the novel. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I would have liked to have seen more action, combat, and perhaps even an assassination or two. But, for the most part, this book kept me glued to the page with intriguing characters, mysteries, and relationships.

Overall, Throne of Glass is a darkly fun, suspenseful young adult fantasy with room to grow into an awesome series. I’m already looking forward to the next installment, coming out in 2013.

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I was fortunate enough to receive an e-galley ARC of “Throne of Glass” from NetGalley. I am very grateful to both NetGalley, and the Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book. As always, my opinions are my own and aren’t swayed by receiving galleys.

I haven’t actually read

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“Game of Thrones,” the book “Throne of Glass” is compared to. Although I have heard a lot of hype for “Game of Thrones,” I just didn’t get around to reading it yet. Therefore, I don’t really know if “Throne of Glass” is similar to “Game of Thrones,” but I can say without a doubt “Throne of Glass” was a very enjoyable book I am glad I didn’t miss.

When “Throne of Glass” began, I was so instantly reminded of “Poison Study” by Maria V. Snyder. The opening similarities were uncanny. Celaena’s predicament is not unlike Yelena’s (the heroine from Poison Study) in that she is bound to either die, or take up a seemingly lose- lose offer. A switch though is Yelena is presented with this offer by the kingdoms most infamous assassin, Valek. Celaena on the other hand, is the most legendary assassin in her world, and is presented with this offer by the Crown Prince and his head of the guard. Another similarity that kept drawing my mind to “Poison Study” was the undertone that magic used to be a part of this world, is strictly forbidden now, but just might be making a comeback. It was slightly difficult for me to immediately get sucked into this book because of the opening similarities to “Poison Study.” After continuing the story though, I was equally sucked into Celaena’s world.

Speaking of Celaena, I did not like her at all at first. She seemed selfish, conceited, overly proud, somewhat obnoxious, and all around vain. I didn’t think she was a heroine I would come to respect. As the story goes on, and her story unravels, I found out there was a pretty good reason for her to put out this unflinching exterior, especially considering on the inside she was kind, loyal, brave and vulnerable.

As the plot unfolded, I found myself wondering what would happen to the characters almost constantly. After the somewhat rocky start, the plot spread-out smoothly, submersing me into a world of beautiful dresses, drafty corridors, and even a castle made of glass. I enjoyed the varying points of view and found Chaol and Dorian to be worthy cast members. They (Chaol and Dorian) are so opposite of each other, and yet complement each other perfectly. It is easy to imagine them as a set of real life friends. I liked that the love story was merely only set up in this book, and wasn’t a focus of the plot. The characters are all developed strongly on their own and if love blossoms, it will compliment the characters instead of forcing them into a personality.

One part that really stuck in my mind was the Yulemas ball. Sarah Maas exhibited such a high level of talent in crafting this scene. I was whisked away amidst a flurry of spinning skirts, vibrant masks, and an all around feeling of exuberance. I am pretty sure when I finished reading that scene, my feet hurt from dancing so much, and my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. It was nothing less than magical, and that was the turning point of the book for me. The rest of the story was carried out with the same precision, imagination, and creative ability as that particular scene. It made this book go from one that was enjoyable to one that was extraordinary.

I highly recommend this book. This book creates magic with only the subtlest hint of it, forms friendships that seem real, and gave me an adventure that kept my heart pounding. I am definitely a fan, and will be waiting to continue on Celaena’s journey.

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Celaena is a wonderful character. Despite being an assassin, her heart hasn't died. She helps out her fellow laborers in Endovier, and she loves life. She is also snarky, witty, and extremely talented in her craft. The book is told from various perspectives as needed to build the plot, so we get to

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see through the prince's and Captain Westfall's minds in addition to others (for lesser amounts of time). As such, I knew almost immediately that I would love Westfall, an honorable and kind man, while I didn't approve of the prince, a player and a selfish man who takes interest in Celaena mostly because she is different and without regard to his position and duties to the land.

Still, there were elements that I found hard to believe. Celaena was trained as an assassin from a young age, and she spent a year in Endovier, a notorious hard labor camp where workers typically die out quickly. So then why is it so easy for Celaena to relax in the castle of the king she hates? And how does she fall for a poison trap so easily (happens towards the end)? The synopsis suggests that there is a love triangle, but Celaena shows little interest in Captain Westfall other than her initial note that he's pretty goodlooking. Mostly, she take interest in the prince, which was a bit odd to me. Celaena has something against his house, and she also seems to understand how court life works. She knows that a romance with a prince will lead nowhere, yet she continues to get involved with him to the last chapter of this book.

There are series of prequels available online that tell how Celaena came to work in the salt mines. I don't plan on buying these as I didn't like Throne of Glass that much, though I have this nagging feeling these prequels may be necessary to understand Throne of Glass itself. The story doesn't reveal much about Celaena's past, and it doesn't fully build her world and how much of the lands came under the king's tyrannic rule. So while I have an idea of Celaena's vendetta against the king, I don't know specifically what she has against him and his house. And I have no idea who exactly is this Sam she misses so much and what happened to him.

For all the flaws, I did enjoy this book, though it isn't one that I would buy or reread. I am intrigued by Celaena's roots and what the evil king has in store for her. There is so much potential to this world. The Throne of Glass has a shaky foundation, and I'm hoping to see the story fleshed out. Consequently, I'll probably be reading book two.

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I loved this book! I loved the world though I'm hoping to understand it more in the next novel. I loved the sheer ballsyness of Prince Dorian getting the Assassin of Adarlan, an 18 yr old girl, to be his champion and show up his dad, if it worked. I loved the intelligence behind Celaena's mind even

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in the very beginning of the book. She's being led up and down and round and round in shackles through two connecting towers by a man in a hood with six guards and she realizes it's all to keep her from figuring out an escape route. But she's already figured out they are going up and down the same sets of stairs and around the same tower and she's plotting how fast she can take the six guards out or should she take the hooded man out first. But then she's before the prince and she's a little flumoxed.

Throughout the book, though I'm certain in all her training as an assassin so that she can fit in she knows how to act, Celaena shows a complete lack of decorum. She hates the corsets and would rather wear trousers. She eats with her mouth open and even shows her food to Captain Westfall once when he's going on about something. She was like a child in many ways. And she was delighted by the things a child would delight in, a puppy, a bag of candy. It gives you a hint into what she missed out on as a child and what has shaped her into who she is. Why she craves freedom so desperately she'll do anything, even this crazy championship to get it.

If she wins the championship, she'll be the King's assassin for four years. The King she despises for sending her to the salt mines, for enslaving so many of the people of their lands, for conquering so many nations and killing innocents, for banishing magic. If she wins, she'll have to stand beside him and follow his orders to kill anyone he tells her to. But after four years, she'll have no master. She thinks it's worth it.

The love interests are the Captain of the Guard, her main guard and trainer, Captain Westfall, first name Chaol and best friend to the prince, Dorian, the other love interest. It's really hard to pick a winner in the love triangle. They are both good men, but if you look at Celaena, and what she needs, Chaol is probably the best choice. At least he can fight her. I don't think Dorian is a match for her and she is not one to play princess.

So, there is a lot of court intrigue and politics. Mom is trying to get Dorian to marry. HA! If she only knew. The champions are being murdered. The King is away most of the book but news of his heinous deeds reaches the castle. Some kind of magic is being worked in the castle. Celaena has two handsome men falling for her and someone is out to get her. And there are secrets in her past that we only get to see hints at in this novel. What's not to love? Oh and she hates the Glass Castle. Yes, the King built a Glass Castle. I can't see anything but bad things happening there.

I was completely in love with this story. That Celaena was a bit childish was unexpected but made perfect sense. Her ability to fight men twice her size was believable because of her wit, not brawn. It was no wonder no one believed she was the Assassain of Adarlan. I cannot wait for the next book!!

Thanks to Bloomsbury Children's Books and NetGalley for the E-ARC. I will be buying a copy of this for the special shelf so I can read it again until the next book comes out! The opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

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In short: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was an absolutely absorbing read with numerous elements that will keep the reader riveted to the story.

It seems as though there has been a great influx of books in the historical high fantasy genre these days - presumably due to the popularity of Game of

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Thrones - and I'm loving it. I love the historical setting with the political intrigue combined with the incongruously fanciful elements of a fantasy. Last year, my obsession was with dystopian novels - I devoured every one that came my way. Now I have a new obsession: historical fantasies with expertly combat-trained female protagonists and enthralling romances. Yes, I'm thinking of course of Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers, and now Throne of Glass can join that group too.

Thankfully though, Throne of Glass wasn't exactly like Grave Mercy, despite having a few significant similarities. It was distinguishable enough in plot and characters that I didn't dwell on any likenesses. It certainly helps that books with trained assassins are super fun to read. Celaena and Ismae were both tough, life-hardened girls, but Celaena was more girlish. At times, I found her to be annoyingly cocky and lacking in common sense, but for the most part, I liked her and admired her spirit and mettle.

There is a love triangle in Throne of Glass and I was prepared to be annoyed by it, as I usually am with love triangles, but surprisingly I found that not to be the case. I feel like the romance was well done and definitely a compelling part of the story. Though I am solidly Team Chaol in the choice between the handsome and arrogant Prince Dorian and the serious and level-headed captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, I can appreciate that the love triangle was definitely one that will leave the reader with conflicting feelings in support of either love interest. The chemistry between both pairings felt tangible, truly enticing and effective.

Overall, I think the thing that stood out the most to me about Throne of Glass was just how darn compelling it was. It was a definite page-turner and I was never bored. There are so many elements that make Throne of Glass a truly alluring read. Besides the likeable protagonist and the powerful chemistry between love interests that I already mentioned, an entertaining competition, riveting action scenes, interesting court intrigue, an enchanting masked ball, and a curious mystery, all kept me absolutely absorbed in the story. I cannot wait to read more from the Throne of Glass universe, including the four prequels already available as ebooks.

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Eighteen-year-old Celaena is a trained assassin, who’s serving a life sentence in the salt mines of Endovier. She’s offered a deal - to represent the prince in a tournament to become the King’s Champion. If she succeeds, she will eventually earn her freedom, if she refuses she’s likely to

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die in the mines, like many before her.

Accepting the offer, Celaena starts her training for the contest, keeping her true identity secret. We soon learn that she has been brought up as an assassin from a young age, and she’s a rather determined character.

For me, the first half of the book was the slowest, but this did comprise of some really good world building, which pays off later in the book – by the time the story really kicks off, the world and the characters feel real, and it really comes alive.

Calaena is an interesting developing character, but it was Chaol and Princess Nehemia who really caught my attention. Chaol is the Captain of the Guards sent to watch and train Calaena – he’s a rather guarded person himself, who doesn’t give much away. He appears to be very loyal, and caring when he allows himself to be.

Nehemia is a princess who befriends Calaena, and there is certainly more to her than first meets the eye. If there’s to be a follow up (which I hope there will be) I want to hear more from her.

As for the storyline, I don’t like giving much away, but it focuses not only on her competition and her own journey, but there’s also a supernatural turn of events which I thought was handled really well. The second half of the book doesn’t let go for a moment, as it comes to a satisfying conclusion.

This book is complete in itself, but it’s left open to continue, and with a world so well built up, I really hope it does. For those who want more, there are also four novellas available as ebooks.

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To call Celaena Sardothien dangerous would be an understatement. Quick, agile and deadly, Celaena landed herself a life-sentence in the salt mines of Endovier for her countless crimes. The day a group of guards show up to escort her out of the mines, she’s certain they’ve come to send her to

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her death. Instead she winds up in front of Prince Dorian and he offers her freedom if she agrees to partake in a game to become the new royal assassin. If she wins the title, she will serve for three years and then be set free.

The possibility of finding freedom is too much for Celaena to resist, so she agrees and soon finds herself pitted against a group of wily men from across the land. Celaena must defeat every last one of them in order to win the assassin seat. As she trains for the competition, Celaena begins to fall for her trainer, but she can’t help but notice the Prince has also started to show an interest in her. Torn between the two men, Celaena soon finds herself unraveling royal secrets rife with mystery and murder. Not only must she win the battle, but she must also put a stop to the poisonous goings on of the royal family before she ends up dead.

This is one of those books that is so complex, it’s difficult for me to offer an adequate synopsis. This book took a lot of things I usually dislike (for example: faerie magic and especially the dreaded love triangle) and made them seem fresh and new. I’m actually behind this triangle 100%. I really liked both of the prospects and can see where she would be attracted to each of the men (though I do like Chaol best).

The story is also very complex and original. I was expecting something similar to Grave Mercy what with the whole female assassin plot line, but the stories were very different. I loved Celaena’s strength and her scenes always crackled with energy. I was expecting Prince Dorian to be either a complete bore, or an evil, spoiled brat and I was happy to find that he was neither. I really liked Chaol, her trainer. He was strong, complex and seemed a perfect match for Celaena. I also loved the supernatural bent with the visions of the late queen, not to mention the “assassin games” Celaena had to fight through in order to win the assassin role.

I really liked the story and the writing is tight, though I did feel the pace faltered in a few areas. I still very much enjoyed Ms. Maas’s writing style and the world she’s created. I’ll patiently await the next installment.

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Cinderella meets assassins? I’m in!

Throne of Glass is such an amazingly beautiful novel. I loved every single second of it. Even though the story is character driven and has somewhat of a slow plot, I wasn’t bored for one instant. The characters are so well done that you instantly fall in love

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with them and want to know more about their story.

Celaena is possibly the best YA heroine that I have ever read about. She is gorgeous, witty, literally kicks ass, and is super into fashion. I just loved her and she really reminded me of the strong, fearless characters that we see in Melanie Rawn’s novels.

Sarah J. Maas tops off her flawless character development and adventure with an incredible dose of romance. Yes, there is a love triangle in Throne of Glass and it is fantastic. It’s not forced, it’s very natural and I don’t know who I like better. Both Captain Westfall and Prince Dorian have some great qualities about them and I love reading about both men.

Throne of Glass will capture the hearts and minds of readers everywhere. This is one of the stories that you just want to immerse yourself in. I am truly looking forward to the rest of the series, and following Celaena on her journey. Sarah J. Maas has one of the most outstanding debuts I have ever read.

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