Book Review : Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis

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 kings 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.

Review

 

I read this freaking book in one sitting, for a straight 8 hours, when I should be revising for my end-of-the-semester tests! I’m crazy!

Alright, over with the mindless ramble. Let’s get on to the review for Throne of Glass!

At first I didn’t really like the author’s writing style because it was somewhat strange and clipped, but I started to adapt to it after a few chapters. Initially, Celaena Sardothien did not appeal to me as the most-feared assassin, because everything was all talk and no show.

The first few chapters were a little boring because pretty much nothing happened except for the initial “ice-breaking sessions”.

However, as the story progresses, I found out that Celaena is much more than meets the eye. Her inner strength, resilience and sharp wits are among the characteristics which I found deeply inspiring, especially after what she has gone through in her life. Adarlan’s Assassin is a soubriquet most fitted for her.

Prince Dorian. I did not have good feelings for this man although he was portrayed as a handsome, debonair heir of the throne mainly because 1) he is a womanizer and 2) his reckless and devil-may-care attitude irks me. His growing relationship with Calaena slowly brings out a different side of him: a soft soul, a man who hates war and destruction and a boy wanting to change his father’s bloodlust ways of conquering foreign nations. And so, I slowly came to understand him and the motives behind his self-indulgence. I quite enjoyed his banter with Calaena, although I’m still not in love with him.

Chaol, on the other hand, is someone who always stands quietly by Celaena’s side, offering her friendship and guidance.  He obviously has some buried feelings for Calaena, but he fears that he might lose his heart to the most notorious killer in the country. Or risk his friendship with Prince Dorian, who has a growing affection towards the girl as well. I might say that he may be a little too dull for my liking, even though he has displayed his courage and loyalty towards those he cared.

Overall, Throne of Glass is an accomplished debut novel; it has action, drama, plot twisters and the unforgettable element of romance. Put it simply, this is a book that teens would immensely enjoy. Fans of Maria V. Snyder and Cassandra Clare, I would heartily recommend you to pick up a copy of Throne of Glass!

Rating:    
Sarah J. Maas lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the California coastline.