Scan barcode
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a YA book. It was an easy read. Not very fulfilling. Fluffy. I’m not really invested enough after finishing it to move on to the second book.
Things I respected:
- high fantasy, creating an entire new world, is very hard to do. I wasn’t distracted or confused by much.
- No sex scenes. The plot didn’t need it. Didn’t miss it.
- Maas wrote this when she was a teenager.
Things I didn’t like:
-the main character is only 18 (beautiful, vain, bookish…yawn) and supposedly the greatest assassin of all time after working/training for 10 years. But she still pouts when she isn’t invited to parties and balls.
-Competitions where there could be an opportunity to show off why she earned that title were glossed over or skipped all together. She is an assassin that made zero kills in the book. She has to cheat in order to win one of her challenges. Notorious assassin. Ha!
-she is so unaware of her surroundings. Sleeping through people coming in and out of her room. A heart as cold as ice, but then she befriends her maid and a princess within seconds of meeting them. She is completely oblivious. Her character is all over the place, even for an 18 year old assassin who did a year of hard labor.
-The captain of the guard is 22. Only 22?!… and got to such a high position as captain of the guard having never killed anyone… so has he never fought in a single battle? How did he earn his spot at such a young age?
There isn’t an ounce of urgency to read what comes next after book 1 is over. I could drop this series all together after this first book and not feel any pull to read the following 7 books or the prequel.
—————————————————————
Reread 1/2024- 4⭐️ 2🌶️
Young Adult Fantasy
Assassin/morally grey FMC
Multi POV
Trials/competition
Love triangle
Chosen one
Secret history
Murder mystery
Tw: vomit, slavery, murder, gore
There is so much for-shadowing for the whole series within the first 3 chapters. You already know that she is not just an assassin. The forest knows she is something important. That was never hinted at in Assassin’s Blade.
I completely forgot about the murder mystery aspect of this book. Actually, I had forgotten a lot of this book, leaving me with only vague ties into the overall plot of the series. I highlighted SO much.
Celaena is such a flawed character. She is vein and arrogant. Without the novellas there isn’t much to show her being a ruthless assassin, so it’s hard to put that mantle on her. But with the novellas and fully knowing about her time as assassin, you can respect her a little more. She is morally grey, but in the most honorable way!
Dorian is such a spoiled prince. And I say that with love. His chaotic good nature is something else.
Chaol is tight laced, lawful good, loyalty and honor above all else.
The two men are at such odds with themselves and their situation. It’s so good!
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Misogyny, Confinement, Violence, Vomit, Death, Drug use, Murder, Blood, Bullying, and Gore
scarlett_f's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Blood, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Bullying, Death of parent, Gore, Cursing, Death, Grief, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Stalking, and Violence
jordan_uhden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, and Confinement
aammeess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Grief, Drug use, Addiction, Colonisation, Confinement, Death of parent, Torture, and War
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Animal death, and Misogyny
ladydeathnesta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Confinement, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Death, Torture, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Sexism
All of the content warnings are really for the whole series, as I can’t remember specifics to everything in this book.cait's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Death of parent, Gore, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Murder, and Slavery
lilyyyy_b's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Stalking, Child death, Child abuse, Bullying, Death, War, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Torture, Slavery, Murder, Death of parent, Cursing, and Blood
amartin48's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Confinement, and Gore
Moderate: Racism, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Hate crime, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Racial slurs, and Vomit
Minor: War
sonatica's review against another edition
I know it's YA, but it felt more like reading a Y/N fanfiction to me.
Other female characters that got introduced felt flat and like just another tool to make MC stand out as "not like other girls". (It might be a personal issue of mine, but I can not stand the trope of the gossipy mean girl whose only personality traits are "girly bully that wants the love interests attention and is jealous of the main character", it just seems uninspired)
Maybe this series gets better in the later books, but I won't force myself to keep reading. I'm glad people do fibd enjoyment in it though!
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Bullying
chloe_silk1810's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, Violence, Genocide, Murder, and Death
Moderate: War, Torture, Drug abuse, Vomit, and Drug use