Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J MAAS
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Audiobook
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Pages: 404
Date Finished: 01.08.15
Rating: 5/5
Summary: 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.

“Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”

I don't know where to start when writing this review. It's no secret that the Throne of Glass series is my absolute favourite (even above Harry Potter and Mistborn), yet I've always considered this first book the weakest in the series. As some of you may know, I'm rereading the books for the third time in the run up to Queen of Shadows being released in under a month (!!!) and I decided to listen to the audio book instead.

I'm completely and utterly enthralled.

Aside from the audio narration being amazing (the narrator is exactly how I always imagined Celaena to be), it completely swept me up into the book and I felt like I was experiencing it for the first time not the third. I can now say completely honestly that whilst I do prefer the sequels, Throne of Glass is not a weak book--it's fucking spectacular.

I mentioned it in my review of The Assassins Blade, but listening to the audio really showed off Sarah J Maas's wonderful prose. I'm in awe. I'm already running out of adjectives but her descriptions are just so beautiful. I was sucked up into Erilea from page one and I don't think I ever want to leave (even if it is kind of awful). Here's one of my favourite descriptions:

There was a darkness in his eyes that felt cold and foreign, like the gaps between the stars.

I don't want to spoil anything, but if you haven't already reread this series I would recommend it, especially because there are so many nods to events in the novellas/later books that you probably wouldn't pick up on the first time round. It's clear that Maas knew exactly what she was doing right from the beginning, leaving subtle hints to Celaena's past as well as her future.

There isn't a single character in this series that I don't love. When I say that I don't meant that I like them all per se, but that each and every one is developed, interesting and purposeful. There are some I just love to hate. Lady Kaltain is the perfect example. I didn't really feel this way the first or second time I read this, but now I absolutely love her. Granted I don't want her to succeed, but my heart may have broken for her a little at the end.

“No. I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material.”

Celaena Sardothien is so badass and incredible. She'll always be my favourite character, but right from the beginning I was reminded of why her story means so much to me. She's smart and witty but also very vulnerable and I found myself feeling proud every time she succeeded, and terrified when she was scared. If you're sceptical about this series, read it just for her. I love her to bits. Even if I'm not a badass assassin, I feel like I can relate to her. She loves books, chocolate, dresses, music, theatre, parties... the list goes on and on. Yes, she could probably kill you in less than a second, but that doesn't mean she can't have real hobbies too.

"She pictured his fingers, pushing against that line of chalk, reaching for her despite the barrier between them.”

Aside from Celaena, my favourite character is definitely Chaol. I don't know if I ship him with Celaena (I don't care who she ends up with as long as she's happy and it's not Dorian) but he is such a fantastic character. I love him. There is so much chemistry between him and Celaena, and most of my favourite scenes involved him in some way. I do like Dorian, but him and Celaena don't have the spark that she shares with Chaol.

Throne of Glass is extremely fast paced and action packed. Celaena has to fight in a competition to secure the position of Kings Champion (followed by four years of servitude and then freedom), and over the course of the book she competes in a series of tests against the other competitors. Whilst some are only mentioned in passing, they kept the excitement levels at a high and showed off our heroine's assassin skills. Lots of people say that they think this book is more pretty dresses than badassery and they do have a point, but I don't really care. Throne of Glass isn't as epic as its sequels, but the action scenes are still exhilarating and the stakes are always high.

“We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most.”

Keeping the tension throughout is the mystery regarding the sudden deaths of some of her competitors. This aspect of the book is the fantasy element, and although it isn't 'high' fantasy it sets up the magic and the mystery for the series perfectly. The Throne of Glass world is so detailed and it's clear that Maas knows exactly what she's talking about. The history and the world building is so developed even though the majority of the book takes place in one building.

This review is basically a love letter to the series. Sorry, but I'm not sorry.

One of my favourite scenes is the final duel at the end of the novel. Basically, shit goes down. The reason why I love it is that it shows Celaena's strength, as well as the depths of her relationship with the three other main characters (Chaol, Dorian and Nehemia). That scene in particular is actually quite empowering, giving a tiny glimmer of what is to come in later books.

“My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.”

The last thing that needs mentioning is that even though there are hugely emotional scenes, this book is fucking hilarious. I was listening to my audiobook in public so I had to resist the urge to laugh out loud like a crazy person on multiple occasions. The witty dialogue is great, as well as that one awkward scene when Chaol realises that Celaena is on her period.

Reading this review back, I still don't think that I can do this book justice, or express how much I love it. I understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that the first book doesn't show off the epic direction this series goes in, but if I had to recommend you one book it would be this one. I'm so, so in love with each and every page.

“You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”