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Throne of Glass – Sarah J. Maas

Yet another amazing book by Sarah J. Maas! This book is part of the throne of glass series (obviously), and it was an intriguing novel to properly start off the series. I think that this book is a little bit overhyped, however, I did really enjoy it and it picked up a lot throughout the novel. 

Plot

After a year of serving her time in Endovier as a salt-miner, Celaena is summoned by the Crown Prince of Adarlan. Dorian Havilliard offers her a deal to possibly win back her freedom, and of course, Celaena takes the deal. She travels with the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Royal Gaurd back to Rifthold where she lives in the stone castle in which the royal family lives. She is offered the chance to be the King’s Champion. Celaena is then put through training and competition which decides who of twenty-three men and her is the best champion fit for the King of Adarlan. 

When one of the champions turns up viciously dead, Celaena must figure out who the murderer is while also fighting for her spot as Champion of the King. All of this must happen while also learning of Erilea’s past and the magic that may still lay within the palace walls despite the King’s attempts to banish it. 

I think this plotline is actually really interesting. I am always a sucker for a good old murder mystery, however, this incorporates magic and fantasy which made me love it even more! Along with that, the romance and tension in this book are insane and it made the characters grow that much more, in my eyes. 

Characters

Celaena actually grows a lot as a character in this book. I think that she learns a lot about herself while being in the palace walls. She becomes a lot less full of herself which I really liked, and she developed into a strong female character who I actually really admire. I really loved how she never forgot about Sam even though he isn’t a part of her life anymore, and even as feelings developed for somebody else, she didn’t let herself get too caught up in it. I think that if she had been too emotionally attached to the character then she would lose the aspect of her being an independent woman, which I found that I liked the fact it wasn’t taken away from her. Along with this, we also learn a little bit more about her backstory. During the competition, certain things about her real family are mentioned and it seems that Celaena has a darker past than I would have thought. Celaena had always been secretive about her past and I think that the fact that the truth is coming out slowly makes the book and her character that much more interesting. 

We also meet the Crown Prince of Adarlan. Dorian Havilliard seems like an average enough character. When I first met him I figured he would be a stuck up, spoilt prince, however, despite his fathers actions, Dorian is a kind person who wanted nothing but the best for Celaena. I really think that his feeling toward her was genuine and it was nice to see someone think of her as more than an assassin and as a friend or maybe even more than that. I think that his character could have been more developed, but I’m hoping to find out more in the next novel. Although Dorian’s intentions seemed kind, I can’t help but wonder if he turns out to be a character that I will regret liking. I can only hope that he continues to be a kind, warm character who wants nothing but the best for the people he loves. 

Chaol was a mysterious character in this book. I feel like I don’t really know anything about him, but I like him anyway. He did have his ups and downs throughout the book, but he became a friend to Celaena and I really liked how they went from basically enemies to friends who can make jokes with each other. I feel like he will have a more important aspect in Celaena’s life in the next book, especially because it seemed like a love triangle was forming at times between Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian. Overall though, I really liked his character and I really want to learn more about him. 

Nehemia was probably my favorite character in this book. From the beginning, she was hilarious with her complaining of every member of the court and I think that she is exactly the friend that Celaena needed. Not only was she mysterious in parts of the book (which I really loved), but she also became a friend that Celaena could rely on and that makes me really happy. Although the pair had their weird ups and downs, eventually they realized that they both needed each other and I think that it is really beautiful to have a friend like that. 

Setting

We began this book in Endovier, but most of the novel took place in the palace in which the Royal Family lived. I have to say, despite Celaena’s fears of the glass castle, I would love to see it one day (if it ever existed of course). The exterior sounds absolutely beautiful with the gardens and flowers, and I think that the Wyrdmarks would be so interesting to learn about. Along with that, the library in the palace sounds magnificent and as the reader I am, I would love to spend hours inside just reading random books. 

“Tell me tomorrow.”

Writing

The writing in this book is really good. I have to admit, at times I did get a little bored, but the story picked up soon after and I wasn’t left feeling unmotivated to read for long. I really liked the way the book was written. 

In Conclusion… 

This another book that is hyped up a lot and absolutely deserves it. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! I definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves a bit of fantasy and for this book, in particular, a bit of a murder mystery too!

Rating: 4.5/5⭐


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