Throne of Glass

When people talk about this book, and Celaena they mention that she is beautiful, arrogant and girly. Not usually traits I particularly like my female protagonists to have, yet Celaena pulled it off incredibly well. I was terrified that this girl would end up like whatshername from Paranormalcy, girly and arrogant to the point of stupidity, but no. Celaena has her reasons to be arrogant; she's good at what she does and she is deadly beautiful. You really feel for this character. Orphaned at a young age, trained in sometimes dreadful ways and then betrayed and left to rot as a slave for a year in a place most people only last a month. She has been beaten and broken and yet she remains a fighter. I expected this to be a decent book about palace politics and a female assassin fighting for freedom, but it was so much more. It was a book about friendships, love, magic and not letting the world break you. I never expected so much depth, or magic. The relationships between people are perfectly built. If Celaena doesn�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??t like someone your skin crawls as well. If she befriends them you feel yourself growing attached. The relationships never feel forced, or at least they don�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??t till right at the end. And while there is a love triangle it doesn�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??t take president over the story itself it just develops naturally throughout. The magic element is never really mentioned in reviews so when it became a big part of the plot I was incredibly happy and surprised. What�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??s a good fantasy without magic? The magic here makes you feel like something bigger is going on, that Celaena has a destiny that is only hinted at throughout the book bot not revealed. This aspect will certainly make me want to read the next book. Overall though this review isn�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??t particularly good, it�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??s been a long time since I�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??ve actually done a written one, I�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??d say the book it�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??s self is good. It�??????????�?????????�????????�???????�??????�?????�????�???�??�?�¢??s not written in a way that makes you want to tattoo the whole thing over your body but the world building is superb, the characters are well fleshed out and the plot is all but simple. I think this book definitely deserves the reviews shining it has gotten. I received this book in ebook form from Netgalley for review.show more

In Sarah J. Maas debut novel, Throne of Glass, Celaena has her first chance at freedom since being imprisoned in a salt mine slave camp for her crimes. I know what your thinking, but she wasn't wrongly imprisoned - Celaene is an assassin. So when the Crown Prince offers her freedom, she can't help but look for the catch. Prince Dorian want her to be his champion in the competition to become the kings assassin. Maas's style of writing is really captivating. She uses the language well, with the scenes in the novel all flowing into one another and before I knew it, hours had pasted and I had a fair chunk of the novel finished. You know its good writing with a captivating plot when you lose track of time. I though that the characters were well developed with each having their own quirks and strengths making them each their own. I did have a bit of trouble trying to figure out how to say some of the characters' names, and it wasn't until after that I found the Throne of Glass Pronunciation Guide on Maas's website. I think not being about to say a character's name is one of the most annoying thing that could happen when reading a book - especially if it is one of the main characters. I find that I either came up with my own pronunciation or just make up an entirely different name for the character. That is probably the only problem that I had with this novel. I liked the relationships between the characters. Celaena's with Chaol had to be my favourite, probably because that neither of them could see or admit to themselves that they had feelings for one another. I found it sweet how Chaol was both terrified and memorised by Celaena and how they both fought for dominance in his mind. Now, I'm probably going to piss some people off by this next statement, but they're just going to have to such it up. I really don't like Dorian, especially with Celaena. He just seems like a total ***** to me. He doesn't like the way that his father is running the kingdom, but rather than confront him about it, he finds petty little ways to spit him - like having Celaena as his champion. And then there's the fact that he's a womaniser. Now, I'm not saying that this makes him a bad character, just the opposite. That I feel so strongly about this is a tribute to Maas's writing and her ability to make her characters get under my skin and care about them and their traits. So hats off to her! I thought that Throne of Glass was well paced and had the perfect ratio of mystery to rate at which things were discovered and understood so that no frustration was felt at the lack of knowledge or a clueless MC that didn't figure things out until they are told. I also enjoyed the cleverly planned plot twist and the awesome fight scenes. Maas's debut novel Throne of Glass is a wonderful start to her YA career, she blew me away with her clever plot line and dynamic characters. Excellent! Definitely a book that I recommend!show more

Favourite Quote: "We each survive in our own way." Going to start with the things I liked about this book. First of was the characters, I actually liked most of them which is very unusual. Celaena was a very strong heroine, which is sometimes hard to find in YA novels. She was strong, skilled, smart, funny and everything else that is needed to make a great main character. Then there was Chaol, who I loved he was a strong, loyal, caring warrior whom I was rooting for. And finally the other character I really liked was Prince Dorian who was very sweet, kind, good-looking and flirty, who wouldn't like him?! The rest of the character were okay I didn't care much for them but that may change in future novels. I had mixed feelings on the plot. The first half of it I really loved, though the Champion tournament did remind of the Hunger Games a little, but it was unique in its own way. Then magic was introduced. I am not the biggest fan of fantasy and I never knew this was a fantasy novel. The whole magic element turned me off a little which is half the reason I rated it a 4 star instead of 5. Some of the plot it was predictable such as who was behind the mystery killings, seriously I knew straight away it was that obvious. But overall I thought the plot was very well developed and I enjoyed it. Onto the things I didn't like, starting with the over-use of exclamation marks. This is only a minor thing but it irritated the hell out of me, seriously there was at least two in each paragraph. Another minor things were all the names that I found hard to pronounce. The only major thing I didn't like was the love triangle. I'm not a lover of those and definitely not a lover of this one. Although I liked Celaena, Dorian and Chaol individually, I didn't like Celaena and Dorian's romantic relationship it was just clich�?????�????�???�??�?�© and I think they make better friends then lovers, for me there wasn't real romantic chemistry. I much prefer Chaol and Celaena. Overall I give this book a 4/5 stars, the magic and the love triangle brought it down a star. I would recommend this to people who like historical fiction, fantasy and action novels.show more

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishers and Netgalley.) 18-year-old assassin Celaena has been imprisoned in the salt mines of Endovier for a year when the Crown Prince Dorian of Adarlan comes to her with a proposition - become his champion, fight against other champions to become the king's champion, and after 4 years of service - win back her freedom. Celaena accepts; people don't last long in Endovia, and she has already outlived many by surviving a year. Thus begins Calaena's journey, only there is more to fear in Adarlan than she ever imagined. I loved this book! I sometimes find fantasy books a bit slow and sticky, and feel like I'm having to drag myself through them - not this one though! This one is a real keeper! Celaena is a great character - she's strong, she's independent, not afraid to stick up for herself or go for what she wants, whilst at the same time knowing her own limits, and knowing how far to push things. She's intelligent, but knows when to ask for help, and has a keen eye for detail, she's also happy to put the work in to her training, but at the same time appreciates a pretty dress as much as a fine weapon. Celaena isn't the only character to love though, with two equally gorgeous guys falling over themselves to get at her. Dorian, the crown prince, who is drawn to her even though he knows their relationship couldn't go anywhere, and Chaol - captain of the royal guard. Both find themselves wanting to spend more and more time with Celaena, and both of them are so lovely, I really can't decide who I think Celaena should end up with! There's more than just boys in this storyline though; we have champions, tests and duels, a foreign princess, outlawed magic, spirits of the dead, and nightmare creatures. This book is action packed, and there's not a dull moment. If I had to be picky, I would suggest that there's not much said about Celaena's past as an assassin; we know how it happened, we know who trained her, but we don't know anything else then until she ends up at Endovia, or even how she ends up at Endovia - I wonder if this will be covered in later books or maybe in the prequels? Anyway, that aside, this is a fantastic book, and a must-read this summer. If you have any interest in the fantasy genre at all - pick this up! You won't be disappointed! 9 out of 10.show more

I loved this book so much. From the first page, I really like Celaena and it wasn't long before I was a big fan of Chaol and Dorian too. The Crown Prince of Ardalan, Dorian, takes Celaena from the mines in Endovier where she's imprisoned for being the infamous "Ardalan Assassin." He wants her to compete in a competition that his father is having to find a personal assassin for the king. Dorian wants her to be his champion, and if she wins, after four years of service to the king, she will be granted her freedom. Celaena really has no choice but to agree as she knows she won't survive much longer in the mines. The Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, takes charge of her. He helps her with her training to get back in shape and prepare for the competition, shows her around the castle and sometimes dines with her in her rooms, but always ensures that she is guarded. I really enjoyed the banter between Chaol and Celaena, you could gradually see their opinions of each other change. Celaena had kind of a smart, funny attitude when she wanted to and Chaol was a more serious character but I loved the way they bounced off each other. Some of my favourite parts of this book were probably when they were together. Celaena's character was a surprising one. I would have thought an infamous assassin would be rough and tough but she's completely girly and loves getting dressed up in fancy dresses. She's a beautiful, mostly pleasant, caring girl who just happens to also be a trained killer. It's not long before she's attracting the attentions of Dorian and he is flirting with her and hanging out in her rooms, much to the chagrin of Chaol. I felt there was also some attraction between Chaol and Celaena but we have to wait until the next book to see if anything progresses there. I was totally in love with Chaol and while I would have preferred for there not to be a love triangle, it didn't take from my enjoyment of the book at all. Most of the action in this book surrounds the final test in the competition when there is only four competitors left. This was just a fantastic part that I really enjoyed. This book is an absolute page turner and it kept me entranced from start to finish. This wasn't a book I thought I would enjoy from reading the blurb, and it was the good reviews I read that pushed me to read it. I am so glad I did. Sometimes, I love a book so much that I feel I can't write a review that will justify what an awesome book it really is. This is one of those times. So I just urge anyone who hasn't already, to pick up a copy and see for yourself how great this is.show more

To be honest, I hadn't really heard of this book until I was asked if I'd like to review it. After a quick search around the internet, it was crystal clear that this was one of the books to get excited about, so I jumped at the chance! As you'll all know by now, I'm intimidated by high fantasy, but I've been stepping out of my reading comfort zone a lot this year and so I gave this a go. As expected, I did find the book a little difficult at first. The book is quite different to what I've read before in terms of both ideas and setting, so it did take me some time to adjust. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to get into it and despite still remaining a little confused, it wasn't overwhelming. This isn't a simple story where everything is given to you on a plate - there are lots of little clues scattered throughout the story, so it's important to try and concentrate on everything. The only thing I can really compare it to is the way that J.K. Rowling has a meaning and story behind everything - there were actually a few things that reminded me of the Harry Potter series throughout, and I can't complain about that! Maas has crafted her story with great intelligence and thought. Mass has immense potential to make this into an even more complex story as she continues the series. Throne of Glass focuses on Celeana Sardothien's attempt to become the King's Champion, by fighting in a tournament in order to be named as the one who protects the King and carries out various 'tasks' for him for four years, after which, she will be granted freedom. There is a lot of mystery throughout and also quite a bit of action, but the real action occurs near the end, where we see Celeana actually battle the other contestants. It does sound a similar idea to The Hunger Games and it did remind me of it very slightly, but no complaints there as the story in general is very different. The fight scenes were slightly more gruesome than I thought they'd be, but in the best possible way - it felt as though nothing was being held back. Celeana also has some important dreams and hallucinations which are written very well. The characters were interesting. I liked Celeana, our main kick-ass character, who was witty and had a confident attitude. We don't really know much about her at the beginning apart from that she was the assassin of Adarlan, sent to the country's salt mines to work as a slave. I wasn't completely blown away by her, but she wasn't a bad character in the slightest - I just wanted something a little more unique. I did like that her femininity did show in the story, whilst she was still a fierce character. I absolutely loved the UK cover for this book, but after reading it, I feel as though the US cover is slightly more fitting - it reminds me that Celeana is in fact just meant to be a young girl. I think that 'romance' in the book was the one thing that made me a bit hesitant about the characters. The obvious love-triangle is sort of introduced, but I was grateful that it certainly wasn't the focus of the book. There was an underlying and quite subtle romantic theme which did work as it was, but it will be interesting to see how it progresses in the next books. I really liked Captain Chaol Westfall and despite his somewhat promiscuous reputation, I thought Prince Dorian wasn't bad either - I did grow to like him, especially once I learnt about his vast collection of books. I do find myself rooting for a certain character, Chaol, and I think it is going to be very interesting to learn more about him, especially after his actions in this book. Of course, there are a multitude of other characters that we are introduced to - including the charming Princess Nehemia and the wicked Lady Kaltain. There is a whole load of people and just things in general that I could mention - I could keep on typing for days! This book just feels so 'full' and the length is certainly justified. Maas has obviously done her best at creating the world inside the palace and she has done it brilliantly - I would just like to discover more about what's happening/has happened outside too. I never thought I'd get through a 400+ page high fantasy book, but I have been impressed. The writing and depth in Throne of Glass was superb, and I'll be looking forward to reading more of this series.show more