The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)

I would absolutely love to read these novellas!!

I usually don't really enjoy short stories, but reading them all together like this made it more like one complete story instead of 5 short ones, and it worked great for me. It brought all of the characters together in a new way and set up Throne of Glass, which I've already read, in a great way.

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It was horrible in the end to read about her waiting for Sam to return and already knowing what had happened. Can't wait for book 3!

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Some stories from before the series proper starts, sets Celaena up as a character and some of her background.

The first, the Assassin and the Pirate Lord is a situation where Celaena is sent on a mission by her boss to deal with a pirate but she subverts the deal, angering both.

The Assassin and the

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Healer was my favourite, Celaena helps a bar girl find her dreams.

The Assassin and the Desert has her in the Desert learning more about assassination, and about betrayal.

The Assassin and the Underworld finds her taking on a mission that makes her start to question her boss and his morals.

The Assassin and the Empire has her take on a commission that will finish with her in the Salt Mines, but the path there is twisty and the mission has layers.

I liked it, probably would have been best read after the first book and then to read the first book again before continuing with the series. Still interesting.

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Fabulous short stories that bring even more depth and understanding of Celaena. Getting to know Sam was devastating as you knew he was going to die, but it gives insight into how Calaena was at the beginning of Throne of Glass. Highly impressed! Want more now, such fabulous world building and

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character development (I know Jen will disagree but I love her obsession with clothes and chocolate)

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“She was fire, she was darkness, she was dust and blood and shadow.”

I screamed, I cried and kept repeating Sam. And then I cried even more.

Honestly, this book is the best read in this year. I can also say that to me it was even better than Crown of Midnight. Sarah J. Maas gives us a more

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complex, well developed picture of Celaena and her past.

And Sam Cortland…

My heart is broken. He is in a league of his own. Sam is just better than Dorian and Chaol and I don’t care what others will say.

If you thought that Sarah J. Maas couldn’t get more evil, read this. Because this book proves how fucking good she is and how fast she is growing as a writer.

“If you can learn to endure pain, you can survive anything. Some people learn to embrace it- to love it. Some endure it through drowning it in sorrow, or by making themselves forget. Others turn it into anger.”

“Get ready to unleash hell.”

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I didn't think this series could shatter my heart more than it already had, but boy was I wrong. By the end of these novellas, I was basically a puddle on the floor. All the emotions and the fierceness behind Celaena later on in the series makes sense once you read these short stories. I definitely

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recommend reading this, but I would read it after Heir of Fire or Crown of Midnight, just so you know the character's more. Plus you can totally freak out when characters in the future books have small appearances in the novellas. Read this book now, unless you haven't read the Throne of Glass series yet, then go start reading that first!

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Don't hate me! I think my expectations were just too high for this one. I had heard that this was the book where I would be convinced that Celaena is a badass for real and I just didn't see it. Celaena really bugs me to be honest; she talks A LOT about being the best and does very little to prove

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it. There is shockingly little assassinating in this, just one major one that I can think of, maybe two. Celaena doesn't even train for that much of the book, how can she possibly be the best when she doesn't train?? She also is getting rescued and/or tricked a lot of the time :-/. Anyway, I liked seeing more of the world, but I'm still not convinced that Celaena is anywhere near the best assassin in the country. I'll still be reading Crown of Midnight because everyone assures me that's the one where it all becomes awesome ;-). *baa baa black sheep*

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To be honest, I never intended to read this book, but after finishing Heir of Fire, and realizing I'd have to wait an eternity to read Queen Of Shadows, I thought I'd give it a shot. Plus, I just happened to see it at the library.

First off, I liked the novellas because I really got a more in depth

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look at characters that were not constantly present in the main series. Characters like Arobynn Hamel. Sam was also a very nice addition to the story. Since I read the Throne of Glass series first, I only remember vague mentions of Sam, with this book, I got to witness first hand what really happened to him...it was so sad. Besides that, I also got a taste of what Celaena Sardothien was like before The Salt Mines of Endovier, and all the adventures she had, and people she met.

What I didn't like was the ending. Not sure if this counts as a spoiler, but just in case, I'm going to put my next words in the spoiler thing:
Sam dies. How sad....I've already accepted it, and I don't mind it too much since I've already learned that there will be other people in the Throne of Glass series. But what I really didn't like was that Sam died without much of a spectacular ending. I hoped that before Celaena went to the Salt mines, Celaena would have had one last chance to speak with him. His spirit, anyways. But, no. There was no spirit. No reconciliation with him, and I was unsatisfied...humph

All in all, not a bad compilation of novellas, it read like a regular book, the way a regular book would.

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First off I want to say this cover is gorgeous. I love this cover. That said, this was my first time jumping into the world Sarah created and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. I figured out the big twist at the end early on, but actually reading it and seeing I was right made me angry,

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really, in a good way! I was angry for Celaena and what had happened to her. This is for sure worth the read and I really enjoyed this book. 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would recommend it.

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Actual Rating: 1,000,000,000,000

This book is actually my favorite out of the entire Throne of Glass series - and ironically, it's a prequel and not part of the actual series.

Okay, but still. This book is beautiful. B E A U T I F U L.

Sadly, it's not a full length novel, but the novellas were

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formatted and organized very well and Sarah J. Maas was able to write something amazing, as usual.

My number one reason for loving this book has to be Sam.
I LOVE SAM. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH. AND YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY TEARS I HAVE SHEDDED OVER THAT BOY.

I know Celaena has new love interests in the other books in the series, but my OTP will always be Sam and Celaena.

I am really not okay.

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I will rate each story in a separate manner, because I feel as if each created different emotions within me... (I excuse myself for the constant Sam-fangirlism)
>The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (4/5)
Well, hello there, Sam Cortland.
This story grabbed me quickly and re-introduced Celaena Sardothien

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as the person she was before Endovier. Here we see a Celaena that's not as touched by grief as in TOG. Plus, SAM. I mean, SAM CORTLAND.
The story was interesting enough, and the action had me glued to the page.

>The Assassin and the Filler. Eh, I mean, Healer (2/5)
As much as I liked the first novella, this second one felt like an anime filler. You know, those episodes where there's a short, irrelevant story about a character you'll probably not care about? Well, yeah, that's this.
I'm guessing Yrene's going to be important at some other point of the series, 'cause if not, this was definitely not worth it.
And that's not to say I didn't like it; I just don't think it was *that* important. Yes, it shows Celaena is not a heartless person, but, really?

>The Assassin and the Dessert (4/5)
This one's probably my favorite. I liked the growth Celaena shows in just 100 pages, and the characters presented in this one are amazing. Don't know what else to say without giving away details (Gosh, reviewing short stories is HARD), but just know that you will want to know more about the Silent Assassins.

>The Assassin and the Underworld (3.5/5)
Boy, did this one made me ANGRY...
In the good sense of the word, of course. I didn't like this one as much as the first or the third one, but I enjoyed watching Celaena stand for something good (as much as an assassin can, I guess). Plusssss! SAM! COURTLAND! Amiright? I was so glad to see him alive (and so mad at seeing Lysandra the same way...). The story in this one didn't grab me as well as the others, but other than that it's great.

>The Assassin and the Empire (?/5)
I don't know how to rate this 'cause... Well, read it. I won't spoil anything.

I don't remember much of Throne of Glass (seeing as I read it about 3-4 years ago), but I do remember there being mentions of the events that happen in the novellas in this collection, and it was nice knowing what they meant, as well as the added deep of Celaena's story and personality. Overall, a nice read and a great way to start my rereading of TOG and catching up with the series

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Sometimes novellas don't really add to the overall series and then there are times when they do....this collection does. It provides the background to the first book and likely sets the stage for additional books. The characters are well developed and the story lines are well crafted. I really like

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this series!

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I loved the Throne of glass series, so it's probably not much of a surprise that I loved these prequels to the series. Taking place during Celaena's years as an elite assassin working for her master, Arobynn, this grouping of prequels sheds a lot of light on the events molding Celaena into the

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woman we met in 'Throne of Glass'. It is no wonder that she avoids relationships as her story is heartbreaking!

Celaena spends her time trying to run from a past that haunts her, while simultaneously trying to gain the love and approval she lost when her parents were brutally murdered. Yet, despite her desperate need to feel loved, she is uncompromising in her values and sense of morality. This is probably my favorite thing about Celaena. She stands up for what she believes is right.
Way to go Sarah Maas!
Jack Murphy

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Sammmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was in tears when he died :'( :'( :'( :'( Arobynn, how can you be so cruel to Celaena?? Why didn't you get her out of the wagon?? And what are you planning?? Who was responsible for Sam's death?? I have a feeling that Ansel and the Silent Assassins are going to appear in

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QoS or later in the series. 28 MORE DAYS!!!

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Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas is a series of short stories for the Throne of Glass series. They tell of Celeana's life before Throne of Glass.

You can read each individual story or get the set by reading Assassin's Blade. I read them before reading book three. I usually do not care for short

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stories and feel financially ripped off by these "in-between" stories, but these stories are nothing like this. They show who Celeana was and how she was trained. We also meet Sam and learn what happened to him.

I highly recommend reading these stories if you have read the Throne of Glass series.

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Although this was not my favorite of any of the series so far, it did fill in plenty of gaps and gave more insight to the entire story line. For me, I really dislike novellas due to their short and choppy ways. Just when you get into a story it's over. I have never been a fan. Still for what it's

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worth, I enjoyed it. 3.5 ⭐️.

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Assassin's Blade
4 Stars

Series Note: This is a collection of 5 prequel novellas. While each story is standalone, it is recommended that they be read in order for the character development.

Sarah J. Maas's world building is intriguing and reading these novellas has made me even more interested in

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learning about Erilea and its history, particularly as it pertains to the heroine's backstory.

Celaena is an amalgamation of opposites. On the one hand, she is arrogant, insolent and self-absorbed, but on the other, she is loyal (perhaps to a fault) and obviously cares about those who are weak and helpless. With regard to her skills as an assassin, if the author had not described her as such, it would be very difficult to believe due to her tendency not only toward recklessness and impulsivity, but also her inability to follow orders, which are inconsistent with this characterization.

Despite her faults, Celaena is a compelling heroine and one cannot help rooting for her even though her prickly personality leaves much to be desired.

The secondary characters are well-fleshed out (an excellent sign as this is rare in a novella), and the hints at manipulative villains and secret agendas only whet the appetite for more.

In sum, this collection of short stories is a satisfying introduction to the Throne of Glass series and I look forward to reading more of Celaena's adventures.

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I love that cover is within the same artist as the rest of the books, it's same Celena.
However, I found this book dragging, it was too slow and knowing the story in the next books added up to "not bothered" reading through, although it promised to discover the personality she has and adventure

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events that "will seal her fate". I went through half of the book and with small plot climaxes it doesn't bring it more interesting.
I used to love and this is one of my still favourite book series and I would still recommend it, BUT it has to change the writing style! No more endlessly slow story with cliff endings at each book, leaving the last pages in fast moving, completely different than the rest of the story's writing.
The Assassin's Blade was a huge disappointment.

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I have only started reading novellas recently. I was under the assumption that a short novel couldn't possibly offer solid world or character building. I wonder if that is precisely why the first five novellas in the Throne of Glass was packaged in one book, The Assassin's Blade. I imagine there

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were a lot of readers who passed on the novellas who were suddenly drawn to what amounted to the same thing, but in a prettier, chunkier package.

Originally I was planning to read Throne of Glass, the first novel in the series, but I am so glad that it was suggested to me that I read The Assassin's Blade first. Reading the series in chronological order appealed to me, so it wasn't a hard sell, but The Assassin's Blade was released later, and I was completely unaware that it even contained the earlier novellas.

There was a short time in the beginning where I was not sure that this series was going to be for me, but after settling in, I found The Assassin's Blade to be a great way to be introduced to the series and an even better way to get to know the characters. The character building was remarkably good in the first section, Throne of Glass 0.1, The Assassin and the Pirate, and it continued to build from there.
I was surprised that none of the novellas were repetitive, even though they were all written to be delivered separately. I had expected each section to have a good deal of back story, which would have driven me crazy, but each novella seems to be dependent on the reader reading the prior series to get along. All of the novellas are equally as good, which was another nice surprise. How rare that is, really.

Although I have not read any of the other books in this series, I would suggest that readers start here. This is a book that is not only an amazing introduction for those who are committed to reading the entire series, but it can easily be enjoyed alone, although it is doubtful that anyone would have no interest in continuing with the series after reading this installment. Even the biggest haters of serials may find themselves hooked.

The novellas that are included in The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Mass
0.1 - The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
0.2 - The Assassin and the Healer
0.3 - The Assassin and the Desert
0.4 - The Assassin and the Underworld
0.5 - The Assassin and the Empire

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I decided to read this collection of short stories after I finished the series itself. I really liked getting the glimpse into events that are mentioned in the main series. I definitely feel like I should've read it somewhere in the middle though. Not because I needed the bits of info to get a feel

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for the series, but because I've finished the short stories and now want to read the series over again to out them in better context! I'd even go so far as to say read them individually where they fall in to the main story!

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Well, this fills in the specifics of Celaena's story, and IT IS STILL NOT OKAY, SARAH J MAAS.

Yeah, that pile of weird red stuff splattered everywhere is MY BROKEN HEART.

This was perfect, I loved all of the stories and how they add so much more detail and feelings to Throne of Glass.

I. Loved. This. Book. Or would it be these stories? Doesn't matter, I loved it.

At first, it was just adventure, then it got to these heart-touching parts... When he died... and Celaena... I almost cried. I really did. It was just so heart-touching. The characters in this book were wonderful. The

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stories true works of art. I loved how they were all connected but so short. I would re-read this over and over again. I'm so happy that I have the entire series and can indulge myself in reading more about Celaena Sardothien, one of my new favorite female protagonists. Thank you Maas, thank you.

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These novellas are a great installment in the series. And while I did really enjoy them, I think that the only reason I enjoyed them was because I read them when I did. Having completed all but the last book in the series, the novellas ended up as a great snap shot into the past, and I loved all

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the call backs to what had happened in the series. However with as short as each novella is, there was minimal character development. If I had read these first as some suggested, I don't think i would have appreciated the nuances within them or connected to the characters at all. And I'm not sure I would have appreciated the connections to the series as much when I read through. Overall I did really enjoy these and strongly recommend them to anyone reading the Throne of Glass series. But in my opinion, it *needs* to be read after reading at least the first 4 or 5 books in the series. You really don't loose anything in the series by not reading the novellas beforehand, but I think you do *gain* something by reading the series before the novellas (i.e. attachment to characters, more world building, better insights into relationships).

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