Review: DRIVE by Stephanie Fournet
I have loved everything I’ve read from Stephanie Fournet, and DRIVE did not disa[...]
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Format: Advance Reader Copy
Source: Publisher/NetGalley
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Adventure
Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
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. (Goodreads)
Celaena Sardothien may just be my new favorite female protagonist. She’s a heroine I’ve been waiting for… she’s brave, clever, beautiful, and a fierce assassin. Yet she’s also a girly girl who loves clothes, reads long into the night, and plays pianoforte! I couldn’t help but love her as a protagonist.
In Throne of Glass, Celaena competes as the prince’s champion to become the King’s personal assassin in exchange for her freedom. There is a little bit of a love triangle between her, Prince Dorian, and her trainer/guard Captain Chaol Westfall. I really liked both men as characters, and had a hard time deciding whom to root for… Prince Dorian is handsome and charming, smart, and wants to marry for love. Chaol is very observant and loyal, and a great guy. It takes Chaol a long time to trust Celaena, and I enjoyed seeing him struggle with that while they became friends.
Throne of Glass is a captivating story that I settled into. I enjoyed visiting the world Maas created each time I picked up the book and was content to stay there a while – I didn’t want to rush through the story. I’m typically not a fan of books about Fae, so I was surprised how much I enjoyed that aspect. I appreciated that it remained subtlety in the background (mostly) and didn’t take over the story.
This story has something for everyone. There’s plenty of action, friendship, romance, and fantasy. There are three (soon to be four) prequel novellas to this series. I’ve only read the first one so far (you can read my review of The Assassin and the Pirate Lord here), but I really enjoyed it and hope to read the others soon. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Celaen, Dorian, and Chaol in the rest of the series!
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
It makes me really happy to hear that the main character might be your new favorite female. I am really looking forward to reading this one. 🙂
sarabara081 recently posted..‘Waiting On’ Wednesday (15): Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Twitter: kimbacaffeinate
says:
Wasn’t this awesome! I totally agree about Celaena! Great review ..i cannot wait for book two and i heard the prequels will rock your face off 🙂
kimbacaffeinate recently posted..Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Twitter: bookandlatte
says:
Yeah, I loved the first prequel. I want to read them all!
Jen recently posted..Blog Tour & Giveaway: Want by Stephanie Lawton
Twitter: fakesteph
says:
Yes! I loved this one. She is SUCH a kick ass heroine. I had a hard time choosing between the guys (I basically chose whoever was in the scene I was reading, so I am STILL going back and forth), but I think it’s because they are real and their relationships develop naturally. Seriously, I was so ready for this book and I didn’t even realize it.
fakesteph recently posted..St. Vladimir’s Summer School Week Four: Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
Twitter: bookandlatte
says:
Me too, I’m STILL flip flopping on the guys.
Jen recently posted..Blog Tour & Giveaway: Want by Stephanie Lawton
Yes! I so totally agree that Celaena is the perfect protagonist. Like, where has she been hiding? It’s just so disappointing because I know I’ll measure every other YA main character up against her—and will of course be disappointed.
Thanks for the fabulous review!
Renae @ Respiring Thoughts recently posted..Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake
I actually found Prince Dorian a little bland xD But other than that, DUDE I AGREE. Celaena’s girly, and she’s kick-ass, fierce, and clever.
Misa
Skyway Avenue Reads
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[…] have Sarah J. Maas here for a “How I Write” feature! She’s the debut author of Throne of Glass (click title for my review). Many thanks to Sarah for stopping by! Be sure to check out her debut, […]
I loved Dorian and Celaena together .Can’t wait for Book 2!
I’m with you. I just loved this book and all of the novellas. If you haven’t already, you have to check them out. The Assassin and the Empire in particular was heartbreaking and really allows you to read into Celaena’s behavior in Throne of Glass on another level.
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[…] loved Throne of Glass, and the novellas I’ve read, and I can’t wait for the next installment in this […]