Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's, 2012
Source: NetGalley
Read for: Review

Celaena Sardothien has spent the last year in the brutal mines of Endovier, a punishment for her notorious reign as an assassin. However, the Crown Prince of Adarlan, Dorian, pulls her out one day and offers her a deal: if she can win a competition against 23 other criminals and assassins, she can work for his father, the king, for a few years as his Champion before being released into freedom. However, the competition proves to require more than just skill, as Celaena is pitted against illegal magic, demons, and her own heart.

Earlier this month I read the Throne of Glass novellas, and I am grateful that I did, as they are frequently referenced throughout Throne of Glass. If I hadn't read the novellas, I would have kept expecting more to be said about the events to which Celaena briefly alluded, and I would imagine they would not have been revealed. While Throne of Glass is a riveting, exciting read with a main character that I loved, I frequently felt somewhat out of the loop in this story. Throne of Glass is meant to be the first of six novels in a series -- it is clear that Sarah J. Maas has created an elaborate, multilayered world. However, I think occasionally Throne of Glass falls into a trap with this, as the author sometimes seems to assume that we know as much about this world as she does. It is clear that every character has a lot of history behind them, but I was frequently unsatisfied with the glimpses I received and wished that I had more information.

My other complaint about Throne of Glass is that at times, the writing and transitions seemed somewhat disjointed. This may have been partially due to the format of the book, an e-galley from NetGalley (I've noticed this problem with many books from NetGalley). However, I think part of the problem is just that occasionally the writing is jarring, shifting from one scene to the next without much warning or interlude. If these transitions had been smoothed over somewhat, I would have had a more enjoyable experience with Throne of Glass.

With that said, however, I found the plot of Throne of Glass to be every bit as exciting as the novellas that preceded it. Sarah J. Maas shows us many dimensions of the world of Erilea, including glimpses of other cultures and magic that were surprising and interesting. Magic is outlawed in the Adarlan empire, and it wasn't mentioned much in the novellas. In Throne of Glass, we begin to get an introduction to the magic of that world and how much Adarlan is missing without it. I also enjoyed the romantic aspects of the novel -- at first, I didn't see how Celaena could be enamored of either of her love interests (yes, there is a love triangle) but as the story progressed the relationships seemed to progress more naturally. I would have liked more depth and insight into the relationships, but as in this book they are both just beginning there is the promise of more depth and detail in future installments.

My favorite thing about Throne of Glass is the main character, Celaena. I love how prickly and snippy she is. I love the contrast in her character of being a seasoned assassin and yet loving pretty clothes, the piano, and books. I could especially relate to her love for the piano and books, and loved the scenes in which she disappears into music or argues with other characters about books that they read. I know some reviews I have read have not enjoyed Celaena's character due to the fact that she can be arrogant and spoiled; however, I thought this just gave her dimension. While she's not perfect all the time, I found it refreshing and realistic, and definitely loved when she put people in their place. I would continue with this series just to get to know Celaena better.

While Throne of Glass is not a perfect book, its exciting plot and main character definitely have me interested in reading more of the books in the series. Hopefully with future books, the transitions will have a bit more polish, resulting in a truly excellent installment of the series.

3.5 stars

Warnings: Some graphic violence, mild references to sexuality

Short Story Spotlight: The Throne of Glass novellas by Sarah Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas recently came out, and I will be posting about it on September 11th as part of a blog tour. However, I had heard that it was best to read the novellas in the series first, so I decided to dig into those early, and I am so glad that I did. They were entertaining and exciting, and I absolutely love Celaena. For this Short Story Spotlight, I will give you a brief synopsis of each of the four novellas, and then I will just give an overall review of the set of four.

In The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, Celaena Sardothien is assigned by her Assassin Lord, Arobynn, to visit a pirate lord and supposedly extract a payment for having killed members of the Assassin's Keep. However, the mission is not what it seemed to be initially, and soon Celaena has to decide if she will follow her gut or follow orders.

In The Assassin and the Desert, Celaena has been sent to train with the Mute Master, leader of the Silent Assassins in the hot, barren desert. Initially she is furious about this responsibility, but as she learns new tactics -- and makes new friends -- she realizes that her "punishment" is not as severe as she previously thought it. However, an unexpected betrayal and worries about a man she left behind in the Assassin's Keep keep Celaena guessing about whether or not people are what they seem.

In The Assassin and the Underworld, Celaena's master, Arobynn, seems to be redeeming himself when he gives her the opportunity to right a moral wrong. However, the task is dangerous, and further complicated by the fact that the assassin working with her is extremely distracting.

In The Assassin and the Empire, Celaena is finally free from her duties and ready to start her own life. She thinks she has found love and independence. However, Arobynn has other ideas.

I had my doubts about this series. While I'd heard mostly love for Throne of Glass, the idea of someone being an assassin was not especially appealing to me. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I've seen plenty of tough, fighting heroines in the last couple of years (Katniss, Katsa, and Tris just to name a few) and I wasn't sure how I felt about another character from the same mold. Fortunately, Celaena was completely different from what I was expecting. Yes, she is lethal and can take good care of herself. However, she also has an extremely girly, vain aspect to her personality. I think this has annoyed several people in reviews I have read, but I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed this girl that is irritated when she can't buy pretty underwear and go to her dance lessons, the girl who was kind of a brat to the man she loved because she didn't want to be too vulnerable. Yes, I think in some ways Celaena is annoying, but for some reason it was refreshing to me. She was completely herself and much more realistic than someone who would be totally self-sacrificing and heroic all the time. I also love that contrast of someone who wants to do what is right and has this powerful skill, but who is still subject to some weaknesses (especially jewelry).

I also loved the setting. While the novellas don't go into specific details or explanations about the state of Adarlan and the rest of the world, it is easy to glean information from the exchanges and the windows that we are shown. I am excited for more development in Throne of Glass and the following books (I hear there are six? Kind of excited for that many, to be honest).

And finally, the plot was awesome. I read all these novellas on the treadmill, and my workouts were finished before I had even realized I worked up a sweat (and for a pregnant woman walking four miles, that is significant). I was completely invested and completely swept up. I also loved the pacing. Each of these novellas is about ninety pages long, making the stories long enough to be complete but short enough to keep my interest.

I haven't yet read Throne of Glass, but these novellas were definitely an intriguing introduction. I'm looking forward to getting to the meat of the novel itself.

4 stars

Warnings: Talk of prostitution, violence, some language, some innuendo