Review : Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Title : Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)
Author : Sarah J Maas
Publisher : Bloomsbury Children's
Publication Date : August 7th 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince.
Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating.
But she's bored stiff by court life.
Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
Personal Thoughts
Throne of Glass was one of my most anticipated reads of August 2012. I've been pining to read this book ever since two of my favorite bloggers, Sam and Jasprit, highly praised the book. While I was a little hesitant to go into Throne of Glass, I'm happy to say that the book lived up to my expectations.
Celaena, a renowned assassin, feared throughout Endovier, is enslaved and has to work in the salt mines for all the crimes she has committed. One year later, she is brought before the Crown Prince, Dorian, who proposes a deal : If she wins a competition to become the King's assassin, she's guaranteed her freedom. She starts training with captain of the guard, Chaol. Soon after, the other contestants start dying rapidly one after the other and it's upto to Celaena to find out who's behind these crimes.
Celaena was a spunky character that I found truly refreshing. She has two very different sides to her and it was easy to just love the girl. First and foremost, she was an assassin. Secondly, she was just a girl who liked what other girls liked. I loved that about her. I was glad that she wasn't just a ruthless killer, but that she also had a fun side to her. Celaena was snarky, sarcastic and a tease. Honestly, I really adored her. I truly wished Sarah J Maas would have written the book in the first person in her point of view. It would have been an even better experience for me. I will admit though that not everyone is going to enjoy her character. She had a huge ego. She knew that she was the best assassin, and she constantly boasted about it, but I, personally, didn't mind. I just found her more realistic because I know people like her. The secondary characters were also really well-crafted. Dorian and Chaol, two potential love interests, were absolutely fascinating. Dorian was a huge player who never missed the opportunity to flirt or tease Celaena, making him utterly charming in my eyes. Chaol, on the other hand, was a lot more quiet, but he possessed a silent strength to him. Both boys could be protective and very caring. I think most of you know that I despise love triangles. In this book, I was confused about which guy I preferred because they both had redeeming qualities. I must say though, I have a slight thing for Chaol because he reminded me a lot of Dimitri from Vampire Academy and I adore Dimitri!
Plot-wise, the book was fantastic. I loved the idea of the competition and it's what really kept the book kicking. The element of mystery was an ongoing element throughout the book that made Throne of Glass even more exciting. There's nothing more I love than a good mystery and Throne of Glass provided that. My only complaint with the book is that the assassin aspect wasn't really explored until the very end. I actually wanted to see Celeana in her assassin role from the beginning, so I was a little disappointed with that. The final battle was enthralling and just epic. If you, like me, don't enjoy reading books with love triangles, then rest assured that in the romance in this book never overshadowed the plot line. Sarah J Maas knew how to keep the focus on the plot line and keep the romance blooming on the sidelines. There were a few elements in the book that I really didn't foresee, making my reading experience even more entertaining. The world building was riveting with the amazing fantasy setting. I couldn't help but be immersed in in Celeana's world. Sarah J Maas' story-telling skills just reeled me in from the very first page and didn't let me swim away until the very last page. I honestly can't wait to read more from this author.
Throne of Glass is a imaginative addition to the ever growing YA fantasy genre. The book had everything I could possibly ask for in fantasy novel ; a kick-ass heroine, a heart-racing romance and a intense plot line! For me, Throne of Glass was a definite winner.
Rating
Cover : 5/5
Plot : 5/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
Actual Rating : 4.5/5
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