Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Yes! 

I have finally finished reading this awesome book!

Why did it take me so long? Well, life got in the way (which has been happening too often lately). 

Though it took me nearly two months to read this book, it did not lessen my views on it. 

Keep reading to see my thoughts on Throne of Glass. :)

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.

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My Thoughts: Oh man! This book turned out to be completely different than what I envisioned it. When Throne of Glass first came out, I had the impression that this was a silly young adult book because of the old cover. However, I decided to give it a chance after hearing Sarah J. Maas' discussion panel at the Festival of Books in 2014. I was intrigued at the world that Ms. Maas described. I am so glad that I finally read this book. I was captivated by the story, the heroine, and surprisingly...the love triangle. 


I was completely hooked by the plot. Celaena was offered the chance to earn her freedom by becoming the king's champion. Unfortunately, the king does not like her, he wishes her to be dead, and Celaena must compete with other ruthless men to become the champion. I wanted to learn more about Celaena for she was so young yet was famous for being an assassin. How could someone so young be a dangerous killer? I also wanted to know more why the king despised her so much. He was a despicable character. Finally, I was engrossed at the fantasy aspect of the book when it came to the Fae and the strange markings that kept appearing. It was interesting to read how Ms. Maas combined the magical world of the faeries with that of the humans. And when the Wyrdmarks kept appearing, especially after the slayings of  the candidates, I got the sense that this book was darker than what it seemed.

Next, I enjoyed Celaena's character tremendously. Not only was she the typical bad-ass girl that we see in these action typed books, but she was also very girly.  I laughed how obsessed Celaena became when it came to clothes. She loved fashion and did not hide it. She liked to look good and was even embarrassed when she was seen in "outdated" garbs. Though she was tough and lethal, she was also very superstitious and was a scaredy cat. It was fascinating to read how her bravery would diminish when it came to the supernatural. Celaena reminded me of a small child who tried to hide under the blankets from any monsters. Because of these things that she did, I came to adore her for she appeared to be more real to me.

What surprised me the most about this book was how much I enjoyed the blooming love triangle. Usually I do not care for these, especially in young adult books, but for some reason it worked in this one. Prince Dorian and Captain Chaol become enthralled with Celaena immediately. Dorian quickly accepted his attraction towards her and did not hesitate to act upon it, while Chaol would not accept his feelings for Celaena and had a hard time trusting her. Prince Dorian was described to be the perfect guy with a good heart, but I could not help root for Chaol. Chaol was the underdog who just needed some love. Sadly with the way things are developing, I do not think that Celaena would end up with Chaol. 

Overall, this turned out to be a wonderful book. I liked the story, I loved Celaena's character, and I enjoyed the love triangle. The only reason that I do not give it a full five star rating is because at the end, I did not feel as emotionally invested to the book. It was an entertaining story though that I highly recommend. I rate it: