Throne of Glass (Miniature Character Collection)

THE STORY: Becca : WOW! I mean just WOW! What took us so long to read this Lisa?! I have no idea why I waited so long!! Throne of Glass is absolutely everything it is hyped to be! Action packed, with a hint of romance and fierce characters that are totally bad a$$! I loved everything about this book from the first page to the last! Caelena Sardothien is an assassin, or at least she was until she was captured and forced into captivity and slavery. When the Crown Prince finds her and offers her one shot a freedom, she has no choice but to accept his offer. She is to be placed into a competition (with all men) as Prince Dorian's champion and fight to become a royal assassin. will live in the castle and be trained by the Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall. When one of the other competitors turns up dead, Caelena discovers there is a lot more going on in the castle than she expected. Throne of Glass isn't just about the competition that Cealena is in, there is so much going on throughout the entire novel! It is so full of action and from one second to the next I never knew what was going to happen! I absolutely loved it! Lisa : Right?! I really don't know why we waited so long. Well, in all honestly, I did attempt to read this last year... but I wasn't in the mood for it, and felt that I wasn't giving it my full attention. I have that issue a lot with fantasy reads. So I ended up putting it down. Picking it back up AND buddy reading it with Becca was the perfect solution, and I loved it this time around! Some books are just even more fun with friends! THE CHARACTERS: Lisa : Celaena Sardothien was some kickass heroine! I loved her spunky and unwillingness to turn the other cheek. She was a toughy, and the fact that she was going up against all men never seemed to phase her. She was determined to do her best and never give up. She gave these guys a run for their money, and never batted an eyelash in the process. Definitely my kind of girl! "Here's a lesson for you, Weapons Master," she said, stalking past him. "Give me real men to fight. Then maybe I'll bother trying." I also completely adored Nehemia and her strength and smarts. This girl had willpower only comparable to Calaena's. That's right, you read it correctly... TWO amazingly strong heroines to take part in this story! With all the guy "team" talk I've seen, I had no idea which way I would go with this one... but I'm totally Team Choal. There's just something about him I really enjoyed. Maybe his total unwillingness to accept his feelings for Calaena, or maybe how protective and strong her came off. Either way, he was totally *SWOON* in my opinion! Becca : Caelena was so totally bad a$$ and awesome! I have definitely read some fierce and heroic heroines Katniss, Tris, Penryn and Caelena definitely tops that list of amazing and unforgettable heroines! I was so captivated by her from the very beginning with her slavery in the mines and then with the competition when all of her competitors were men and she fought so hard and was full of confidence and ability! I agree completely with Lisa that Nehemia was just as amazing! Nehemia provided Caelena with a friend and confidant and I loved their friendship. Once they learned to trust each other, they were unstoppable! “You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.” I have seen all the team talk as well regarding this series and I did my best to ignore it so that I could form my own opinion without preconceived notions. Although, from what I've seen there seems to be an even divide between Chaol and Dorian. After reading Throne of Glass I understand why, they are both pretty amazing! Without spoiling this for others... I am ALL team Chaol over here! I loved the friendship and trust that he and Caelena formed. Even the villains were perfect! Kane, Princess Kaltain and The King were so unlikable and despicable and I loved to hate them! “Sometimes, the wicked will tell us things just to confuse us–to haunt our thoughts long after we've faced them.” This cast of characters was amazing and Maas completely blew me away with how well she developed each one of them! She built a lovable (and sometimes not so lovable) and unforgettable cast of characters! OVERALL: Becca : Sarah J Maas built such an amazing Fantasy world and I was quickly swept into it! The characters, the world building and the story line were all addicting and I cannot wait to continue with this series! This was my first book by Maas and I am excited and eager to read more! “I like music," she said slowly, "because when I hear it, I . . . I lose myself within myself, if that makes any sense. I become empty and full all at once, and I can feel the whole earth roiling around me. When I play. I'm not . . . for once, I'm not destroying, I'm creating.” Lisa : I first fell in love with SJM when I read A Court of Thorns and Roses earlier this year. The way she forms her words into such perfection, taking us to another world completely is astounding. Since I don't read a lot of books in the fantasy genre, it's tough for me to find go-to authors that I'm confident I will enjoy. Sarah J. Maas is now my number one fantasy author! I will definitely be continuing on with this series. If only I could get my hands on Crown of Midnight , like, today!

Throne of Glass is exactly the kind of romantasy I love: a strong, plot-heavy story with a generous sprinkle of romance. The characters are fantastic and feel like they have so much potential for deeper backstories, which I always love discovering as a series unfolds. The world-building is solid, and the story itself is immediately intriguing. I had somehow never heard about the Team Dorian vs. Team Chaol debate (is that a thing? Like Team Edward vs. Team Jacob?), but I’m very curious to see where that goes. I already know who I’m rooting for 😏 Both men definitely have their pros and cons, but I love the gentleness they show toward Celaena, and the banter between them all is SO good. Celaena herself is a wonderful FMC. She’s funny, forgiving, witty, and kind, but also hardened, tough, and incredibly resilient. You can already feel that there’s a lot of character development ahead of her, and I’m really excited to see where her story (and her friendships) go next. I will say, the writing itself isn’t extraordinary. It definitely reads very YA, which I don’t necessarily mind, and knowing that SJM started writing it as a teenager makes that make a lot of sense. Some of the ideas aren’t brand new—magic, competitions, a dangerous heroine—but the story is told in such an entertaining way that I was completely hooked anyway. I absolutely flew through this one and am already diving straight into book two!

Overall rating : 4 stars to the first installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series! There is seven books in the series. The journey starts in the salts mines of Endorvier to where she is meant to be. You will meet a lot of characters along the way. They will pull on your emotions! The Assassin's Blade is the prequel. I do recommend reading The Assassin's Blade before starting the series. It was published on August 2, 2012 This review contains no spoilers. This book has a couple scary scenes and violence in it. There is no sexual content in it. I would not recommend this book to the younger YA and up to 13 years of age. This is a book review on Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass. She did a great job on this book. Action, mystery and a hint of romance! You did not get overwhelmed by the romance. That’s a good thing. I like it but some in aspects, I didn’t like it. You will see that in many other books. But in real life, it does happen too. When you read this book, then you will know what I am talking about when it comes to Celaena and the two men. Balance is good. She mixes a good plot, great and well rounded/develop characters and action in this book. The main female protagonist, Celaena Sardothien, has had a very messed up childhood. You can read about it in The Assassin’s Blade. She undergoes many tests in this competition. There is this one person who tries to out beat her at every test. Then she learns something something about him too. You will meet a few characters in the book and you will get to know them as well. My two favorite characters are Chaol and Nehemia along with Celaena. I did not like the Prince Dorian. Those characters, you will get see more than other characters. There are some characters that you will like and others, you will not. Nehemia-The Princess She is a supporting character along with Chaol and Dorian. She is a character that you like will like. During her visit in Adarlan, she meets and befriends Celaena. On my view with Nehemia, I felt the same way as Celaena did in the book about her until something happens to prove that wrong. It taught me again, to never go with another person’s opinion of someone else. Always learn the facts and get to know that person before judging them based on hear say. The reason she is in Adarlan, she is to learn the language and customs of the people. She became one of my favorite characters. Choal Westfall-Captain of the Guard He went to Endorvier, into the salt mines to get Celaena for the Crown Prince. Because of what she is, Chaol does not trust her one bit. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t either. She is in an assassin but she didn’t have a choice on that because of her master, Arobynn Hamel in the Assassin’s Guild in the slums in Rifthold. I can understand that too. You did not want disobey him cause you would pay for it dearly. You would find out what her master did to her in Assassin’s Blade. He doesn’t like her either but he helps her train. He can be bit rough on the edges but once you get to know him, he is a nice quit man. He is very loyal too. He became one of my favorite characters. Dorian Havilliard-Crown Prince The Crown Prince of Adarlan. His father is the king. The king is mean and cruel and wants power. Dorian is nothing like his father. He is a ladies man but Celaena got his eye. He just rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t know why. I did not like him. He was way too full of himself. The book was great all around. I love it! Sarah has put hints and clues in the books that will play out in later books. I also did a book review on the prequel, The Assassin’s Blade. You can find it on my blog!

I have to admit that this book is probably not one that I would have immediately grabbed after reading the description, but after seeing glowing review after glowing review my curiosity was ignited, so I pre-ordered this one from amazon. I'm so glad that I listened to the reviewers and grabbed this one. What a treat to read! No summary of the plot that I could write would accurately show just how awesome this story is. There is action and mystery and the supernatural. There is a love story ... sort of. It's pretty subtle at this point in the story. This is a story of survival as well as a story of a society which is potentially at the dawn of a new age. This is the story of a girl who has gotten by in this life by taking care of herself and herself alone for the most part, but who finds herself letting her guard down enough to find friendship and companionship. There are so many things to like about this story. I think I'll boil all of it down to these things: Celaena Sardothien. What an amazing heroine for this series! She is so strong. So strong. She can kick just about everyone's tail at every turn. She is smart and athletic and cunning. She has a big heart, but she is not in any hurry to let anyone really see that. She finds joy and happiness in life despite all of the hardship and trial that has been thrown her way. I love her because even though she is strong and a capable fighter, she is also emotional and vulnerable at times. She doesn't have to be stoic to show her strength. There is still so much more to learn about her. I can't wait to see what future books in this series reveal about her and her destiny to help her oppressed people. Even she doesn't exactly know how she fits into any grand plans, but I'm excited to see how she moves into her new roles as the series continues. She is fun to read about. Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Royal Guards. Oh how I loved this character! Chaol is a no nonsense guard who doesn't let his guard down around Celaena because he recognizes her potential for violence and mischief. He sees her strength and her intelligence, and he knows that she would just as quickly slit his throat as anything in order to gain freedom if she could. He trains her diligently and seems to understand her more than anyone else. In the process he seems to grow attached to her, but he never really comes out and says anything. His actions show his feelings more than any words he utters. So many times I just willed him to say what he was feeling, but I'm not sure that even he knows exactly what he is feeling. He was a fascinating guy to read about. I want to know more about him in the future books as well. Prince Dorian. Yes, there is a love triangle in this book ... sort of. It's not really one I guess because Dorian is in love with Celaena, and Celaena sort of likes Dorian, but Chaol is there too. The only difference is that Chaol and Celaena don't ever really explore their feelings for one another, either to themselves or each other. So it's kind of a weak love triangle. Nevertheless, I have to say that I love the character of Dorian. My heart breaks for him in so many ways. It has to be hard to be the son of such a horrible king. But it seems as if Dorian is beginning to form his own path by the end of this book. There is still more to discover with this character. I just know that I love him with his love of books and his kindness toward Celaena. I have the feeling that he will play a pivotal role in the future of this society if things will ever work out to help the oppressed. The ideas of this book. There are so many interesting themes that are being thrown about in this novel. I think it was interesting to see the way that the government had tried to eliminate knowledge from the people by destroying books and history. Now that knowledge is being held by the king who could potentially use it against the people. But it seems as if those who are rebelling have kept some of that knowledge, and that will prevent the government from having power over them. Knowledge is definitely power in this world as well as our own I'd say. I think that the idea of freedom in this book is interesting as well. Freedom is a powerful motivation for Celaena, but it is something that Dorian seeks as well. So many people in this society are not truly free, and eventually they will need to make some tough choices to see what they will sacrifice to gain that freedom. There is still so much more to discover as this series progresses. The pacing of this book was wonderful. Not too fast, not too slow. I felt as if I was slowly unwrapping a Christmas package, layer by layer, slowing discovering the parts of the book that would come together to create such a detailed and layered story. I almost wish that I had waited to read this book until the next book in the series had been published because I want to know so much more. I have definitely discovered a new favorite, I think. Future books will determine whether this one becomes a classic for me that I will read over and over again, but for now I'd say that Throne of Glass is a wonderful beginning to a fascinating and engaging new series. Five stars!

Throne of Glass is centered around a competition of 23 people to be the king's assassin. Forced out of slavery, Celaena has made herself a deal with the prince that if she wins the king's championship, she can be free of imprisonment in four years. Every few days, Celaena and the other champions compete against each other in a challenge, eliminating the weakest player. The final four must compete in a duel to be the king's champion. (This sort of reminded me of The Hunger Games). We see many fight scenes and action through out the book. There was even a tremendous amount of flirting, although not much romance. The world building was well described, taking place in the king's frightening palaces. As I was reading this enchanting book, the author spoke of Faeries and magic! It was an unexpected surprise that she incorporated into the story. There was also some kind of gruesome monsters that played a huge part of the book. The monsters that were killing the champions gave me the utter creeps. The mystery of the murders, plus the magic of the Wyrdmarks and faeries intertwine together suggest that they are cause of the same problem. It does not dwell too much on the faeries, though I suspect there will be more mention of them in the coming books. I also figured out early on who was controlling the monsters, but that did not disappoint me in the least. I loved Celaena as the main character! She is supposed to be the tough as nails, lean mean killing machine. She is known in her world as the deadliest assassin. Yes, she was scary and intimidating, but she had another side to her. Through that hard-shelled exterior, Celaena had a feminine and genuine personality. I appreciated that she made some special friendships with Nehemia and Nox. They helped bring out the more sentimental side in Celaena. It also gave her the ability to open up and trust others again. My heart hurt for her through all the hardships she had to endure, both during her past and her present. I'm surprised she did not break. Instead she had the will power to never give up, always fighting for her freedom. What I loved most about Celaena was her snarky, sarcastic banter. She can really talk the talk with her witty sense of humor, especially between Chaol and Dorian. The other main characters, Prince Dorian and Chaol were fantastic! I loved how Dorian came off as this arrogant, pompous prince, when deep down he is a smart, charming, and sympathetic person. I totally was not expecting that from his character. I thought he was going to be this spoiled know-it-all prince, but I am so glad he is not. He even loves to read! Talk about a swoon-worthy character! Aside from his good looks and smarts, I loved his comedic, flirting with Celaena. The chemistry between them just clicked. He grew to love her, feeling her pain that his own father put upon her. Chaol on the other hand is more closed and suspicious. He is Celaena's guard, plus her coach for the competition. He is a guarded, brooding, handsome man. Slowly, he lets his guard down, seeing the fragility that Celaena hides. This leads to Chaol developing feelings for her, yet he does not show it. There is potential for a love triangle, but for now, I do not see Chaol and Celaena as a couple. We will see in Crown of Midnight. The secondary characters, Nehemia and Nox were great as well. The friendship Celaena developed with Nox was cute. It was enjoyable to see that not every competitor hated her, thinking she was a nobody. Nox saw her as an equal champion. He even admired her being a bad ass assassin. I hope he comes back later in this series. The most beautiful, authentic friendship I ever read was between Celaena and Nehemia. They both are coming from horrible places, trying to find their own freedoms from the evil king. They had the same commonalities and they both despised all the royal people. (They would speak another language just so no one would understand their sarcastic trash talking about everyone lol). Celaena and Nehemia grew to trust one another knowing there is an evil far greater than anyone on earth. My only small gripe I may have had was that Celaena's abilities were not shown to its full potential. I wanted to see more fighting scenes between she and the other contenders. Instead, the monsters were killing all the contestants and that left Celaena only to battle with two men. She practiced with Chaol, beat up another champion, but it left me feeling a little deflated. Bottom line is, would I recommend this book? Heck yeah! There's fighting, there's flirting, there's even some magic entwined in the story. Sarah Maas is officially one of my favorite authors! Thank you for reading my review! Favorite Quote: "Names are not important. It's what lies inside of you that matters. I know what you went through in Endovier. I know what my people endure there, day after day. But you did not let the mines harden you; you did not let it shame your soul into cruelty. The princess traced a mark on her hand, her fingers pressing into Celaena's skin. You bear many names, and so I shall name you as well. Her hand rose to Celaena's forehead and she drew an invisible mark. I name you Elentiya. She kissed the assassin's brow. I give you this name to use with honor, to use when other names grow too heavy. I name you Elentiya, Spirit That Could Not Be Broken." Pg 321 Nehemia is blessing Celaena

Re-read Review: My opinion of this book didn't improve much since the first reading. But several facts remain the same. I've read this story when it was still called Queen of Glass on fictionpress, so I was familiar with the story more or less, and the characters. A lot of the big details changed, so did the plots, but the characters were fairly the same -- except for the added ones. Overall, this is a pretty weak start to a series. While the book starts and ends with a bang, the middle absolutely drags. This is a story about an assassin, and that's absolutely the last thing she does... or doesn't do at all really. She's brought from a prison to compete in a tournament and while we get to see two of the first challenges and tests, the plot for some reason diverges into mystery of solving the grisly murders of other contestants. Oh, instead of scheming and figuring out ways to escape, or thinking bloody murder--what Celaena does instead is read, bitch about the dumb bitches who are aren't her and don't look as pretty as her-- every time another woman aside from her maid and Nehemia-- come within a foot of her. I think Celeana's opinion and treatment of most other women in court is what annoyed me the most. She gets offended when someone treats her like a murder she is, because while she may have killed people for living and deservedly been sentenced to suffer. Because apparently she's a good person with a heart of gold, and yes, she may have killed people but only the corrupt officials and the cheating spouses. Give me a break. She's so righteous and arrogant about it, it's like... where the hell do you get off? The whole premise of Throne of Glass is: Imagine a serial killer who's been stalking the streets and she's so well known that people shudder at the sound of her name. The serial killer is caught after a betrayal by her cronies and sent to suffer to prison camps for her crimes. Hallelujah!? Then you read Throne of Glass and it's surprising anyone puts up Celaena at all, not to mention how both the Crown Prince and Captain of the Royal Guard somehow both fall in love with her because while she may be a murder, she has a heart of gold. Oh, and she reads. The first review still applies. First Reading Review: There is one thing you need to do before you read Throne of Glass and that is: read the prequels. If you do, you'll have met the main character and understand what she's gone through much better. I read this book with a lot of baggage. First of all, I've read it at it's conception when it was still called Queen of Glass and was all the rage on FictionPress about five or six years ago. So, for me, it was like greeting old friends and jumping back into the world that I so greatly missed. I had exceedingly high expectations for this book too, which might be the reason that I was just a little disappointed. I also feel like I have to be more honest than most, because I'm one of the few hundred that can see the journey this book took from FP version to this final publication. I recognized a few of the original scenes, which made me really happy. We meet Celaena, the main character, after she'd spent a year in the prison mines as a slave. From the reviews I'd read, most new readers don't really like her because she's vain, arrogant, bossy and entitled. I saw one reviewer call her a Barbie and more than a few call her stupid. But I'll tell you right now, I'll defend Celaena until I'm blue in the face. I find Celaena a very realistic character. This is where reading the prequels becomes very important; they help you understand Celaena a lot better. Her family murdered, she was raised by a King of Assassins to become the world's greatest assassin. Meaning she grew up in a very cruel, dangerous, ugly and violent world where you're either the best or you're no one at all, or worse, you're dead. She was also only seventeen when she went to prison, and she's eighteen in the book. Now, tell me what seventeen year old girl who's been taught to know that she is the best won't be arrogant, vain and entitled? The vanity also comes in part because Celaena is also a very feminine, girly character; if being a girly girl somehow a problem, and you think girly characters can't be strong and kick-ass, you need to reevaluate your life. There are many other characters in the book, both new and old, and while some of them were very well developed, the others not so much. This is where I have to be somewhat brutally honest. There were too many characters and it's fine when you have the time and the pages to develop them, but when you don't, most of them come out flat. In fact there are three types of characters in this book: the original FP, the changed (from FP) and the new. The new characters were the worst in terms of development. For example Cain, one of the new villains. While he did seem like a nasty brute that Celaena constantly wanted to punch in the face, that's all he was, we never got to find out much more about him or his motivations. On the other hand, we have the king (an old character), who appears in only a few pages, but his vile evil nature comes across so clearly, that it was no wonder that Celaena shook in her boots every time she met him. Then we have characters like Kaltain and Nehemia, who were in the FP version, but they are very different from the way they used to be. But while Nehemia remained and amazing, strong heroine and best friend to Celaena actually she became an even better character, with more depth and meaning. On the other hand, who was this beautifully bitchy characters and one of the main villains in FP version, has been reduced to a scheming courtier and an opium addict. I guess that actually demotes to to being a somewhat secondary, supporting character. The two romantic interest are Prince Dorian and Chaol the Captain of the Guard. Celaena wants Dorian cause he's hot and she wants Chaol cause of his personality. I really can't decide between them, because I love them both to death. I think they should have a threesome. Now wouldn't that be something? ;) Her relationship with Dorian is passionate and dies out rather quickly, she drops him rather coldly. While with Chaol she had to build up and trust and friendship. But... if it goes like FP version, I know who she ends up with, so really, I don't care who she's with now. The biggest problem with this book is the dual plot: the competition and the murders, which are interconnected, they don't really seem that way, which is a problem. The thing is, the book becomes somewhat convoluted with both the competition and the murders. I think the competition would have provided enough conflict. I also kind of find it strange that these soldiers, thieves and assassins wouldn't try to sabotage and kill each other off (themselves, without a prowling monster) when they each fight for their freedom. Calaena doesn't seem like the character who'd just be content with reading and training all the time, when freedom means so much to her... and that's exactly what she was doing. I really feel that Maas should have focused more on the competition, having more fights and stand-offs between the competitors rather than putting on so much focus on the grisly murders and developing the love triangle between Celaena and two romantic interests. The second problem I have with the plot is the fact that Celaena was the only female competitor. I refuse to believe that aside from her, Ansel and Nehemia, that there are no other baddass women around. In fact, it seems that aside from Nehemia and Kaltain, and a couple of other supporting females, most of the cast of characters are male. I demand more female characters! In fact, I don't see why Sarah had to change the competition so drastically. In the FP version, all the competitors were female, and for good reason: it's less likely that a lady would be suspected of being an assassin. So... why? So that's really the two biggest and only reasons I found the book a little disappointing and I really, really, really hope the next books will make up for it. Because I will eagerly be waiting for them.

This review can be found at The Blogger Girls. You know when you’ve just finished a great book and you sit there thinking, “How the hell am I supposed to review this?” Yeah, well, that’s exactly how I felt once I finished Throne of Glass. To say I adored the story would be a gross understatement. I devoured this book within hours (as a slow reader that’s an amazing thing) and even bought the print editions of not just the first but the second book, Crown of Midnight, and the collection of short stories, The Assassin's Blade, right after I finished it. Throne of Glass is about Celaena Sardothien, who earned the title of Adarlan’s Assassin, before she was caught and sentenced to slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier. Now a year after her sentencing, an unexpected offer comes her way in the form of Adarlan’s Crown Prince, who gives her the option of her freedom… for a price. All she has to do is defeat twenty-three other candidates for the role of King’s Champion. If she wins, three years of service is all that separates her from complete freedom. The story is centered around Celaena’s fight for that freedom, the numerous tests she has to compete in to advance to the next round but most of all, Celaena’s just been thrust into a new and unfamiliar world where evil magic is being used to kill off her competitors. On top of that, she has the Captain of the Guard who hates her and doesn’t trust her and the Crown Prince who’s getting a little too close for everybody’s comfort. Will she claim the title of King’s Champion or will all her efforts be for nothing? Honestly, there’s so much that happens I don’t want to spoiler any of it. Some people won’t like this book because of the simple fact it’s not strictly a romance. While I’m also hesitant to call it Young Adult (things get very gruesome at times), I will admit that there’s ‘hints’ of a romance brewing. Actually, there’s hints that a love triangle is already starting and while I normally don’t like love triangles, it worked very well in this story because the possible love interests are so different. One of them I believe suits Celaena better than the other but that’s just my opinion (and I’m also biased because I just adored Chaol ^_^). Also, readers should be aware that these characters are very young; Celaena is only eighteen, Dorian is nineteen and Chaol is twenty-two. One thing I loved about this book, though, was the characters. While Celaena is the main voice, POV shifts to multiple people that are significant to the story. Some of them I liked more than others (a personal preference because I hated Kaltain) but all were what made the story the way it is. As characters, Celaena, Chaol and Dorian are all very well in-depth. Celaena, while an assassin, is a little rusty in her skills but she’s also emotionally damaged in more ways than one. She’s surly and flippant but makes it her goal to get a rise out of Chaol or Dorian if she can. She has a lot of layers that still haven’t been uncovered but I loved being able to see some of them being peeled back by Chaol and Dorian. Most of all, Celaena is a fragile, vulnerable young woman who needs protecting in some ways and Chaol and Dorian unintentionally give her that. Dorian is the classic charming prince although he’s one that is disgusted with his father, the King. He’s not quite a man but Celaena makes him want to become one. Chaol is an intriguing mix between a sad, lost man and a severe, all business captain. All three characters are very young and, honestly, still have a lot of maturing to do even though they’ve been forced to live through some harsh realities. As a huge fan of fantasy, one of the things I look forward to the most is the new world I get to discover. With Throne of Glass, while we don’t get a full detailed description of this new place as a whole, I have no doubt we’ll get more of it as the series progresses and Celaena journeys to different countries. What there is of the world, is phenomenal. I loved that it was a mix of a historical setting and a fantasy one with a flair of magic but the brutality that has consumed the world since the King has been decimating countries was interesting to read about and also quite sad. In the end, this was an amazing story. I loved experiencing the growth in all the characters, as well as, seeing the tests that Celaena has to go through, not to mention the secondary characters made things more interesting. The mystery surrounding the evil inside the castle was a blast to uncover and while I have questions about some of the things that happened during the book, I think I’ll get my answers as we learn more about Celaena and why she’s so important to everything. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fantasy lover, who doesn’t mind the romance developing over several books because while there’s only a hint of it in Throne of Glass, I have a feeling it’s going to be an epic one by the time the series finishes!

Okay I need to take a deep breath. Inside a paper bag. Because this book is like.. yeah. This was my single most highly anticipated novel of 2012. I'd been looking forward to it since.. well, maybe not that long compared to some people, but at least before the cover art was released! But the strange thing is, I wasn't worried about the hype. I never worried that the book wouldn't live up to it because I just knew it couldn't be anything short of amazing. Although, that didn't stop my hands from trembling when I turned to the first page! Okay I'll start with Celaena because she is so deliciously and incredibly awesome! I want to be that woman! Imagine you're working as a slave, when all of a sudden some guards pull you out, throw a bag over your head, and start guiding you down various maze-like corridors and staircases. You'd probably be getting dizzy, feeling nauseous, wondering where the heck you're going, mentally going over all your actions to figure out what warranted this... not Celaena. She's too busy memorizing the building's layout, blindly familiarizing herself with her surroundings, and planning a million different escape/murder attempts... just in case. Yeah, she's freakin' awesome. She's so badass that she always has an escape plan. When she enters a room, the first thing she does is find all the exits, mentally calculate how long it would take to incapacitate the guards, and estimating the chance of success. Why the bloody hell can't I do that?? Celaena is a great character because she has such a broad personality. On the one hand she's a super kick-ass, deadly assassin. On the other hand, she's a hardened slave who has faced serious hardship and brutality. On yet another hand she's a sweet bubbly girl who lets a romantic thought slip through, but she never becomes one of the mindless shallow women of the court. I love how she's not just a kick-ass, but cold-hearted assassin. Celaena has depth. She has intense emotions, a past that haunts her, loves and passions... and she can kill you with her bare hands. Gentlemen, you should be swooning over her -- doesn't she sound like the perfect woman?? In Throne of Glass we get to read from several different points of view, including: Celaena's, Captain Westfall's, Prince Dorian's, and Kaltain's. It was fabulous seeing through the eyes of all these characters -- I actually didn't expect that before starting the book! By `hearing' from all of them, we get to really understand all their personalities and motives. We have the colourful, slightly arrogant, but charming Prince Dorian; the silent and more withdrawn--but still mysteriously sexy--Captain Westfall; and we have Kaltain -- the manipulative, scheming, "pretending to be your friend but actually hating your guts and plotting to humiliate/crush/expose you" woman of court. This book was often compared to A Game of Thrones, but I wouldn't say that's really true, and I mean that in a positive way. I'm probably in the minority by saying this, but I don't like A Game of Thrones all that much. I love the overall story but find the books to be too slow, drawn out, way too descriptive, and have too many characters that I frankly don't give a shit about. NONE of this was the case in Throne of Glass! Throne of Glass was constantly on the move, with characters that you either adore or love to hate, had incredible world-building that will suck you in and make you want to live in that land, and every moment of reading was pure bliss. I got completely wrapped up in this book's fascinating world-building, court intrigue, scheming, mystery, action, and romance. Throne of Glass has it all, and it combines all these elements brilliantly. I was never bored, I was never dreading reading from a certain character's point of view, and I got completely invested. I was invested in the characters, the plot, and every single event. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the book. I thought about it on my daily walks, in the shower, and before I went to bed. I mulled over the plot in my brain again and again. I made predictions, I thought about the characters, and I replayed my favourite parts of the story. I think I purposely drew out my reading because I wanted to savour and enjoy the experience. I was dreading the last few pages because I didn't want the book to end! I'm so thrilled that Throne of Glass exceeded every single one of my expectations! I LOVE looking forward to a book and I love it when you finally read it and it goes above and beyond. There is no better feeling in the entire world!

Una historia llena de misterios, amor y mucha pelea. Es una obra muy entretenida que recomiendo a todo el mundo.

All I can say is, I wish I started this sooner 😭🤣 WHY didn’t I read this book a year ago when I first got it?? I really enjoyed this book as I feel like I’m really in my ✨ fantasy era ✨ right now. For the longest time I’ve been nervous about this series due to the sheer size of it. But, so far it’s been the best decision picking it up. I did find this book to be a little slow at some points, but it always seemed to pick up the pace with something exciting when I was starting to feel really bored. So far, I really like Celaena. She really gives off baddie, boss girl vibes ✨⚔️ If you read to here, and have NOT yet read this series. Then take this as your sign to pick it up asap 🥰

続きが速く読みたくなる。寝不足になるくらいおもしろい

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.

Molto carino per gli amanti della saga!