Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass Series #1)

by Sarah J. Maas

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

An assassin that must prove herself in order to gain her freedom, Celaena Sardothien has become one of the most iconic heroines in a fantasy series. The worldbuilding that Maas does in this novel is phenomenal, and you’ll find yourself eager to return to the fictional land of Erilea.

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619630345
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Series:	Throne of Glass Series
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. She lives in California with her family.

Editorial Reviews

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is a tale full of surprises and shadows, where deadly seeds are sown with the promise of more danger to come. A fascinating glimpse into the dark side of Cinderella.

the NYT Bestselling author of the Tiger's Curse s Colleen Houck

"Readers seeking the political intrigue of Kristen Cashore's Graceling and its sequels or the deadly competition at the heart of The Hunger Games will find both in Maas's strong debut novel. . . . The verve and freshness of the narration make for a thrilling read." — Publishers Weekly, starred review  

"A teenage assassin, a rebel princess, menacing gargoyles, supernatural portals and a glass castle prove to be as thrilling as they sound. . . . Celaena is still just a teenager trying to forge her way, giving the story timelessness. This commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its brightest star." — Kirkus Reviews 

"Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is a tale full of surprises and shadows, where deadly seeds are sown with the promise of more danger to come. A fascinating glimpse into the dark side of Cinderella." — Colleen Houck, the NYT Bestselling author of the Tiger’s Curse series

From the Publisher

Readers seeking the political intrigue of Kristen Cashore’s Graceling and its sequels or the deadly competition at the heart of The Hunger Games will find both in Maas’s strong debut novel. Celaena Sardothien is considered the best assassin in Adarlan, and she has been condemned to the salt mines for her work. As the story opens, she is plucked from slow execution by the calculating crown prince, Dorian, to be his candidate for champion, competing against “hieves and assassins and warriors” to become an enforcer for the king. The stakes are freedom or death: win or return to the mines. Youthful captain Chaol is charged with preventing Celaena’s escape, and though she fantasizes about killing him on occasion, he becomes a far different target of her attention. This is not cuddly romance, but neither is it grim. Celaena is trained to murder, yet she hasn’t lost her taste for pretty dresses or good books, and a gleam of optimism tinges her outlook. Maas tends toward overdescription, but the verve and freshness of the narration make for a thrilling read. Ages 12–up. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literary Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Although the main character of this novel is an assassin, narrator Elizabeth Evans portrays her as such a sassy, smart cookie that listeners will be be won over. Celaena is released from prison to participate in a cruel tournament: 23 killers will fight to the death, and the last one standing will become the king’s champion. Besides facing down 22 brutal men, Celaena must fight an unknowable magical force, as well as her attraction to both the crown prince and the captain of the guard. Although Evans’s male voices fall a little flat, she charms as a disdainful foreign princess, and her portrayal of Celaena is delightful. She nails the voice of a weary-beyond-her-years young killer who is also a girly girl who likes fancy dresses as well as sharp knives. G.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2014 - AudioFile

A teenage assassin, a rebel princess, menacing gargoyles, supernatural portals and a glass castle prove to be as thrilling as they sound. Being the most feared assassin in Adarlan is a notoriety 17-year-old Celaena considers an honor, even though it has landed her in a slave-labor prison no one has ever survived. A year into her sentence, the Crown Prince offers to sponsor Celaena in a competition with 23 other criminals and murderers that, should she win, will result in her freedom. The only catch? She'll become the king's personal assassin for four years, the same dark-hearted king who sentenced her to imprisonment. Woven in the vein of a Tolkien fantasy, Celaena's world is one where magic is outlawed and power is snatched through greed and genocide. The third-person narrative allows frequent insight into multiple characters (heroes and villains alike) but never fully shifts its focus from the confident yet conflicted Celaena. And though violent combat and whispers of the occult surround her, Celaena is still just a teenager trying to forge her way, giving the story timelessness. She might be in the throes of a bloodthirsty competition, but that doesn't mean she's not in turmoil over which tall, dark and handsomely titled man of the royal court should be her boyfriend--and which fancy gown she should wear to a costume party. This commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its brightest star. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

Kirkus Reviews