[Review: Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas]

"Throne of Glass"
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Pages: 404
Genre: YA, High Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling
Date Published: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Format Read: Purchased eBook

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Summary:

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 king's 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

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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To Throne of Glass,

Why oh why haven't I read you before this? You are everything that I want from a fantasy novel and I can't believe that it's taken me this long to jump on the Throne of Glass bandwagon. I adored your world building and you characters and your plot line and your amazing cover. You make me want to put everything else on hold so that I can binge read all of your predecessors, that's how much I adore you!

-The White Unicorn

Throne of Glass is everything that a fantasy novel should be. Seriously, it hits every single mark. Maas has taken care with her story telling and it shows in a big way. She throws random elements at you, so that even when you think you have it all figured out, something new pops up and surprises you. The book seems simple at first, but don't be fooled, Maas is the master of layering, which is what makes reading this book such a fun experience. The way she weaves the fantastical in with the ordinary proves that she's a master story teller and it'll have you coming back for more.

Above everything else, I adore the characters that Maas has created. Their relationships and interactions are so real. It gives the book a really solid foundation to work off of and she uses that to her advantage in telling her story. I personally couldn't wish for a stronger protagonist than Celaena. She's got so much going on. She complex and snarky and a total badass. She carries around wounds and secrets, but also is so full of hope that you can't help but root for her. Sure she's an assassin, but she's also so much more than that. 

It's also wonderful that Maas takes the time to look at different types of relationships in the book. She concentrates on friendship as well as romantic feels and the balance is perfection. Though there are obvious feelings happening between Celaena and both, Dorian and Choal, I love that they all have each others backs as well. I also like how each guy actually offers something totally different to the table. I didn't feel like I was reading an obnoxious love triangle at all. And let's be honest Dorian doesn't have anything Choal in the end, even though he is definitely pretty great in his own way.

Celaena also has other allies in the castle made of glass and I enjoyed each of them and the large roles that they play in her life. Maas throws in some female friends which add to the story in so many ways. I wish I could say more, but I feel like it would be giving too much away.

In the end I can't enough about this book. If, for some odd reason, you haven't picked this one up yet, take my advice and do it! You need to experience this world and all the wonderful things it has waiting for you.

Rating:

5 Unicorns = Get your hands on this now!