Throne of Glass

Filled with fleshed out characters and intrigue this is sure to make my top ten list for 2012.

The tale begins when we meet eighteen year old Celaena Sardothien. She is Ardarlan’s most feared Assassin. The world is at war, and Celaena has spent the past year in the deadly salt mines of Endovier. Known for being a brutal prison; most do not last more than a few months. Starved and scarred she is summoned and assumes it is for her death. Prince Dorian Havilliard of Adarlan makes her an offer. If she wins the king’s competition for a royal assassin she can gain her freedom. Despite her hatred for the king, she readily accepts the prince’s offer. At Rifthold Castle she trains, makes friends and discovers secrets about herself and the castle. The tale that unfolds kept me riveted. Filled with romance, mystery and danger, I devoured this novel in two evenings. The characters were all fascinating from the cruel and power hungry king to the mysterious Princess Nehemia. Celaena has to be one of my all time favorite protagonists. She is smart, fearless and charming. She can be snarky, quick witted and utterly delightful. Trained from the age of eight she is a deadly weapon and yet she can be completely feminine. Her conversations with the main characters had me laughing aloud. She is complex and I loved seeing all the different sides of her. The novel hints at things to come with Celaena and I cannot wait to see her growth in this series. The Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, is assigned to watch, train, and guard Celaena. He doesn’t trust her in the beginning but their relationship grows. I really connected with him and found him to be noble, sensitive and loyal. The Crown Prince, Dorian Havilliard hasn’t yet learned to stand up to his father. I felt sorry for this quite, sensitive man. Celaena draws him out and allows Maas to reveal the many facets of this would be king. The elements of a love triangle are in place, and I waivered back and forth between the two men. Other characters added to the intrigue, suspense and mystery. Some I adored like Nox and some I loathed like Cain and Lady Kaltain. I seriously wanted to scratch her eyes out more than once..LOL. The world building was fantastic, brilliant and spell-bounding. Maas breathed life into the glass castle, the characters and the world of Adarlan. In a world filled with Fae, witches and magic, the mortal king has outlawed all forms of magic. Celaena is well versed in the Fae and has a healthly fear of them. When she discovers Wyrdmarks around the castle she is intrigued and sets out to learn their meaning. I became swept up in the mystery of these marks and the discoveries she made. Something is brutally killing off the competitors and it doesn’t appear to be human. This adds a great deal of suspense to the tale. I loved the competitions the champions had to endure. I found myself on the edge of my seat as Celaena completed each phase. Maas has done an incredible job of weaving many different plots into a tale that is rich with well fleshed out characters. While this tale doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, Maas leaves us with enough unanswered questions and suspense to have this reader itching to read book two. I want to thank Bloomsbury Publishing and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

18 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Lots and lots of mixed feelings about this book! Okay, let me

Lots and lots of mixed feelings about this book!


Okay, let me start of by saying I love the story line of this book.  There was something about the building of this world that I could see so clearly, especially at the start with the opening scene being at a salt mine.  It gave the aura of oppression and of a story just ready to be told.


The whole journey and the events in the castle itself kept me riveted and the pace kept me alert and interested in what was happening around me, especially when the killings started happening.  I liked the whole mythical side to the story and how it was brought out in the plot.  


However, reading Throne of Glass was somewhat bittersweet.  I had an extreme love/hate relationship with all the characters.


Most of all with Celaena  - She was proud of who she was and there was no denying that, but at the same time she was narcissistic and totally full of herself.  Now I know that wasn’t the way she was meant to come across, but every now and then she said something or thought something that made me, well, want to slap her.  Haha, never mind that she could possibly kill me with my own fingernail.  While she was virtually fuming because she couldn’t tell the whole world who she was, I was silently thinking, ‘Don’t be too proud because you’re nothing more a glorified hitman.’  And, what’s really weird is that I didn’t feel that way at all about Ismae from 'Grave Mercy'.  


I think I questioned some of her wisdom too.  Within certain situations of the book, I could see why something was being done and I thought it was pretty smart, but not Celeana.  Because she didn't have anyone going 'ooh I scared.  I am in the presence of a great and powerful murderess...' -cough-'assassin.'  I think the reason I couldn't relate to her was because I didn't know enough of her back story.  I felt that only minimal information was given to the reader and so didn't help with my overall impression of her.


But, there were moments when I could have liked her.  In certain scenes within the book, I saw her softer side and that was the side that made me warm up to her.  She wasn't being selfish or shallow in those times.  She cared about things – like her dog and the princess.    She got hurt easily especially when she felt she had been betrayed.  Maybe she was just a complex character, but I've read other complex characters and they didn't leave me feeling like this.


The guys weren't quite as bad, but they were bad enough.  I hated how they seemed to lose a sense of themselves with Celaena.  Can't we have one book, just one, where ALL characters remain true to themselves?  And why do we have to have these love triangles?!  Why can't a girl just be left alone, or have the relationship develop over time - to ONE boy?  You can build romantic tension with just one boy.  You don't need two.  I think another thing that got to me was I never even got a sense on why each boy fell for Celaena.  No legit reason!  None! 


I must seem like I'm ranting and I guess I am in a way.  But, I was just so disappointed in a story that could have been so much better than what it was.  That's not to say that I won't go on to read the sequel, because I will.  I want to see what happens in the world Sarah J. Maas created.  I want to know more about Celaena and what drives her.  I want to see what happens to the Rulers, the princess and the people, including Elena's purpose. 


Overall, I thought the book was okay.  I didn't hate the book, but I didn't like it that much either.  It was just okay.  I would recommend this to anyone who likes action, love triangles, female assassins and fantasy.  


Book review by Sandy from Magical Manuscripts.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Love!

Amazing. I luv it!!! Wish there was a sequal....

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

The middle fell flat.

2.5 stars

I enjoyed the first thirty percent and the final twenty percent of this book. The opening was fun intriguing, with a great hook. Celaena, an assassin, is removed from the death camp where she was sentenced to fight for the right to become the King's Champion—for a king she despises. A young prince is the one who gets her out of the camp, and the captain of the guard is assigned to watch her. Immediately, we see the beginning of a romance with one or both of these men.

I was enthusiastic about the story through the journey to the castle and when introduced to the other champion candidates. Sadly, the competitions between the champion candidates were not as exciting as I'd hoped. We're not talking about fights to death here; instead, the candidates have to perform physical tests and least successful candidates are eliminated from the competition. This was a bit of a disappointment for me. Some of the candidates are murdered, and I appreciated that twist.

Because the competition proved less exciting than I'd hoped, and because even the murder investigation fell flat, I skimmed a large portion of middle fifty percent of the book. Additionally, during this slow middle, other problems presented themselves: (1) The extent of Celaena's abilities was unbelievable and overemphasized. (2) Her girlishness seemed at odds with her killer instinct. (3) The writing style didn't appeal to me.

Too often, Celaena thinks about how easily she could kill people. I'm paraphrasing, but it sounded something like this: "I could smash his head into the floor, and he'd be dead in seconds." "I could wrap this chain around his neck and he'd be dead in seconds." "I wondered why he wasn't more afraid of me." Sometimes, she thinks these things about very large, very capable men. The impression I got was, instead of showing us Celaena's capabilities, the author chose to tell us over and over again. I found it unbelievable because I never saw Celaena's abilities reach the level of skill that Celaena seemed to think she had.

Despite being a hardened killer, as she'd like us to believe, Celaena was quick to swoon when the prince or the captain of the guard entered the room. I'm not saying a woman can't be both hard and soft, but Celaena was too extreme on both counts. For an assassin fighting for her life (because losing would mean she'd be sent back to the death camp), she made poor choices with respect to her priorities. She was just as interested in kissing boys and wearing pretty dresses as she was in training. I couldn't believe it.

Lastly, the writing style fell flat for me. I found it a bit unsophisticated, with not many strong, active verbs. It was difficult for me to visualize any scene. The words didn't move me, didn't excite me.

I'm sorry to say that I will not read the next book in this series.

3 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Sooo Good

Couldnt put the book down. The third time reading it!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sucked me in from the begining

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

I was überexcited to get my hands on Throne of Glass and it

I was überexcited to get my hands on Throne of Glass and it was totally worth getting excited about. Firstly because I read the first novella and absolutely fell in love with the main character's fierceness. Secondly because Maas' writing is amazing. Thirdly because I was in need of immersing myself in a great adventure, and Throne of Glass certainly fits the bill. All these reasons should already have you running to pre-order it! Nevertheless keep reading to learn more about this great novel.


The Plot: If you haven't read the novellas, I strongly recommend you to read them; besides being awesome and short, they give you a great insight into the main character's life and how she ended up in prison. The story and its development was done amazingly. The story gets better and better the further you read. Maas writes a story full of action, adventure and mystery yet with all that, there is still time for a lot of romance. I do have to admit I was a bit confused about the magical aspects of the story but hopefully we will learn more about it in the sequel. Nevertheless I was expecting more of a connection to the novellas like her relationship with Arobynn and avenging Sam (you should read the novellas!).


The Characters: Celaena is badass! Probably one of my favorite heroines ever. She is an assassin, and not just any assassin, she is the best there is! Besides being a determined, strong and a bit sarcastic, what I enjoyed most about her is that she also has a sensitive side. She is the typical hard shell on the outside, soft on the inside. I enjoyed how her story was told in pieces, so we didn't get to know everything about her from the start, however I still do have some questions about her past. The prince, Dorian, was a nice character but who stole my heart was the captain, Chaol. So I should warn you that there is a love triangle but it shouldn't be a problem since it wasn't overdone. I also enjoyed another badass character: Nehemia. She doesn't look the type but she can totally take care of herself. Hopefully she will play a bigger part in the next one.

Overall, Throne of Glass was a page-turner. Even though it has 400 pages, I read the whole thing in one sitting. It was really refreshing to read something so original and different from what I've been reading in the YA genre nowadays. Maas' novel has everything someone looking for an adventure seeks: badass characters, amazing plot and world building (yes, it even has a map!) and a riveting mystery. Throne of Glass is like Game of Thrones or even Lord of the Rings for the young adult genre; so if you are a fan of these novels or fantasy in general, you should certainly check this one out.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Love!

Amazing read. Lived it from the beginning. Only bad thing is waiting for the next book to come out.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

:)

This book is just wow i never had that much interest in books like these but this one was amazing. It is action packed and has a little bit of romance too. The author makes you feel like your in the story with celaena. This is a must read.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Good start

This was a really good read. Been wanting to read this when I first read the summary. The writing was good, the pace while good was a little slow at times. The maybe, sort of, I guess you can say love triangle is there. But its a little different. Meaning that you kind of like the three. My favorite being the Captain of the Guard, Chaol. Dorian wasn't that bad either. Celaena was an interesting and fun character. At times you're kind of like, is she serious, they have good reason to help (when it came to hiding her real identity, controlling her temper, only to have her not seeing why this is a good idea and only wanting to show off, be the best, a little arrogant and what not). Face palmed most of those scenes during those. By the end, she's not as arrogant, I guess. Her backstory however was just sad. There's references to the prequels which I haven't read so I was a little confused. It was kind of obvious who was the killer and what not. Still liked reading the book, as the suspense unfolded near the end. The fight scenes I liked a little better tthan the romance and found myself while liking it, wanted to read more about her training and what not. And moments with Chaol. Don't get me wrong I like romance in books and all, and would rather not be the main focus but hinted at. A good start and curious as to what will happen to Celaena and her new found friends.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

I had no idea what I was letting myself in for with this book, b

I had no idea what I was letting myself in for with this book, but oh my goodness, I could never have guessed I would enjoy it as much as I have! Whatever I was expecting, it wasn’t this. I’ll admit it took me about seventy or so pages to get used to Celaena’s character and for the story to grip me, but once I got into it, there was no turning back or putting it down until I was done. I was hooked until the end. From page hundred onwards, I tore through this book and begged for it not to end.

At first, I didn’t care much for Celaena’s character. She was too rude and juvenile for my liking. After a couple of chapters and further into the story, I got to know and understand Celaena better and realized that what I mistook for rudeness and immaturity, is actually Celaena being defiant; and taking her past into account, even bold. How else would an assassin behave after spending two years in a death camp? Three things I really loved about Celaena are how her character grew throughout the story, her sense of humor, and the fact that she literally kicks butt without batting an eyelash. No weepy drama queen to be found in this stunning novel. Another admirable trait about Celaena’s character is when she gets the living daylights beaten out of her, she’s more concerned about the feelings of the people she cares about, than her own injuries. In short, she’s an assassin with a heart. Enough said.

I’m glad I didn’t know in advance that there would be a love-triangle in this book, or I might not have read it. But, I’ll be honest, this love-triangle fitted perfectly into the plot and isn’t an irritatingly angsty sort of love-triangle. It actually adds a lot to the story and makes it way more interesting. You see, unlike armloads of books I’ve read where the love-triangle fuels the plot; this is a story where the two male protagonists don’t fall in love with the heroine right away. It develops gradually over time and by the end you’re still not hundred percent sure whether one of the two is really in love with Celaena, even though there are a lot of indications that he might be. Or maybe he only has a soft spot for her? I love books that don’t force the reader to instantly fall in love with one of its main characters! And because this is the first book in the series, I’m curious to know who Celaena will choose: charming, generous Prince Dorian, or the strong but aloof Captain of the King’s Guard, Chaol.

In terms of world building, there isn’t much to be seen outside of the glass castle. A detailed world map of Erilea is presented to the reader at the start of the story, but the reader is only told about certain parts of Erilea by means of its history, Celaena’s past and a few rumors of the king of Adarlan’s whereabouts. The inside of the castle, where most of the story takes place, is a vast world on its own and this backdrop is vividly described in colorful detail to make the reader feel right at home. The most exciting parts which had shivers running down my spine were the times Celaena ventured into the forgotten passageways and secret rooms beneath the castle; as well as the epic, but terrifying confrontation with the monstrous ridderak – a nightmarish beast. Endless twists abound in this fantastical story of ancient legends, forbidden magic, dark powers and unimaginable horrors.

Throne of Glass was an awesome surprise and worth every hour it took me to finish this book. Maas is no Tolkien or George R.R. Martin, but she holds her own with an exceptionally imaginative endeavor into the fantasy genre and her precise writing and to-the-point dialogue makes this a memorable read suitable for readers aged thirteen and up.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Wow

One of my favorite books that i have read this year. Cant wait for the sequel in August 27 to come out!

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Oh

Oh this is such an amazing book to read that made me hunger for more words as my eyes searched. A great read for everyone.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Never underestimate the power of a woman with a debt to settle..

Never underestimate the power of a woman with a debt to settle...and certainly, never underestimate that woman because of her age or beauty.  These are wise concepts that most dystopian novels tend to play with and Sarah J. Maas does not disappoint in Throne of Glass.

World famous (and beautiful) 18-year old assassin,  Celaena Sardothien is selected by Prince Dorian and pulled out of the prison salt mines of Endovier (where many criminals are sent to die) and sent to the beautiful Glass Castle and thrust into the world of dresses and court life to act as his selected champion in a competition to find the new royal assassin.  If she can somehow win this competition, the Prince promises her freedom after her four years of service to the crown are up.  Both Celaena and Prince Dorian have something to prove, but will they be able to overcome all of the obstacles ahead of them?  And what of this new interest in gruff Captain Westfall who seems to be the first who both appreciates and seems to understand her.  Can Celaena overcome the great challenges before her?  Can she figure out who or what is killing off the competition before she, herself falls victim to the murders?  Is all that is, as it seems?

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Wow!

This was an awesome book (so was the novellas)! It is brutal for a teen book which I loved! The main character is so perceptive and deep. Well developed! A+!

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Brooke

Well she thinks its cuz your ignoring her....idk im just telling you what shes telling me...but ive tried convincing her. Idk why but it seems to be so hard to get through you twos head that you two reallly lik each other..

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Michael

I don't have time to text..

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Loved it!

My new favorite seriese

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Great

Great book. period.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

Pretty decent

I thought the book was pretty good and I liked the main character. $10 was kinda steep for this book and the ending kind of sucked.

Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.