Book Recap: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Cover Inspection:
This is actually how I imagined how Celaena looks like.
I love the glass castle in the background.

SUMMARY (book description based on GoodReads):
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.

BOOK REPORT CARD:

Cover	4.0
Plot	4.0
Writing	3.5
Characters	4.0
Ending	4.0
Overall Rating	4.0 Excellent (97% to 100%) * highest rating possible is 4.0

LOCATION/SETTING:
The story is set in a land of pure fantasy, where magic exists. There were castles made of glass and a prince who actually wears a golden crown on top of his head!

MAIN CHARACTERS:
The main character is Calaena. She began her training as an assassin (by the King of the Assassins, no less) at the age of eight years old. She loves deadly weapons, and refers to them as her "dear old friends." Notwithstanding, however, her deadly and fearsome background, Celaena has a passion for reading, enjoys being pampered, and secretly loves beautiful clothing. Because she is the pet of the King of the Assassins, she has a tendency to be arrogant and over confident. And because she is beautiful, she uses her charm and grace to get what she wants. And in doing so, the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Gaurd can't help but fall for her.

WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT:
Celaena is an assassin who was captured and imprisoned in a salt mine. The Prince offered her freedom in exchange for being his champion at a competition. The Captain of the Guard was assigned by the Prince himself to train her. But someone or something is killing the contestants one by one, so Celaena must find out who is killing the contestants, before she's killed.

LOVE:
This book is a dream come true. There are numerous things I loved and adored about this book! I enjoyed the story immensely! But out of all the things I liked, the following are the ones that made me want to read the book again and again and again...

The story is told in the third person POVs of several characters, namely: Calaena, The Prince, and The Captain, and other secondary characters. Most of the chapters were in Celaena's view, though. It's fun reading about Celaena's thoughts and feelings because beneath her fearsome character, she is just a girl who wants pretty things and has a weakness for pretty boys! The chapters narrated by the boys (Prince Doraian and Captain Chaol) were just as lovely! The Prince is inexplicably drawn to Celaena, and the Captain is unwittingly attracted to her despite Celaena's impertinence and arrogance.

All the characters are likeable! And I absolutely loved the interactions between and among the characters. It feels as if the reader is placed in the story, as if the reader is one of the characters. The reader will hear what they hear, see what they see, and feel what they feel. In short, the characters are sort of three dimensional. They become alive in the mind as the reader reads through the story.

Another thing I loved is the DELICIOUS love triangle between the assassin, the Prince, and the Captain of the Guard. Both boys adore Celaena. Both boys have a good relationship with her despite her background. Both are handsome and charming too. It's just so sad that she can keep only one. I can't wait to read the future installments to find out who the assassin will choose. But it seems as if Celaena is leaning towards the Prince. Speaking of the Prince, I actually like the relationship between Calaena and Prince Dorian. They are so comfortable with each other. They can be friends. They can be more. They can act silly around each other. Its so adorable! This book will have girls sighing with all the not so innocent flirting with the sword-wielding, broody captain, and a crown-wearing, swoonworthy prince charming!

I also love the fact that Celaena is not depicted as an anorexic beauty. This girl can eat! One of her many talents, really. She can eat more than the palace guards!

I also loved the fact that mystery and politics are thrown in the story balancing out the action and the romance. In short, this book has absolutely everything I need in a fantasy book.

And finally, two words: masked ball. Hah!

NO LOVE:
Things I didn't like? Hmmm... let me think. Let me think.

The names. Why do the characters in good fantasy books have unreadable, unpronounceable names? Good thing the author provided us with a pronunciation guide on her website.

I hate the fact that I would have to wait for a long time to read the sequel. The book didn't actually end with a mean cliff hanger. There was resolution in the story, but a sequel is clearly apparent.

FAVORITE CHARACTER:
Celaena! This book is one of those where the main character is as kick ass as she is charming and intelligent! Celaena's character is as complex as it can be, and filled with contradictions. She is a trained assassin who is afraid of killing puppies.

FAVORITE LINE:

I wasn't going to kill him, you buffoon. 

MUSINGS:
There is a little something in this book for everyone. A little action. A little mystery. A little suspense. A little politics. Some magic. Lots of action. And lots of romance. Plus the writing! There is something about the author's writing that just captures your attention. You would want to read each word carefully to be able to internalize the story. Honestly, I devoured every word. I wasn't in a hurry to finish this book. I took my time as I didn't want the book to end. I let this story fill me with the magic and fantasy. I know for a fact that this story is something that I will remember, something that I would want to read again. And again. And again. Truly, I consider the Throne of Glass as THE perfect YA fantasy book. It's one of the best I have read - EVER. It's a dream come true.

DOODLES:




AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:
Sarah J. Maas

SIMILAR READS:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

CONTENT REVIEW:
profanity: mild
violence: moderate - heavy
sexual content: mild (kissing, innuendos)
mature themes: mild
age recommendation: 13+