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ellaxo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual violence and Death of parent
huddlestonmaeg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Slavery, Physical abuse, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
spatterson7'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: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Murder, Grief, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, and Addiction
faithsbookreads'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Body horror, Torture, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Death
knitreadkate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Absolutely tore through the last 25% of the book - what an ending!
SJM has a thing for big reveals in the second book.
It was hard to care, she realized as she started the trek back to the castle. Incredibly hard to care, when you didn’t have anyone left to care about.
📖
The first half of the book is a slow burn. You're gathering information, bits and pieces that I didn't put together until the reveal at the end.
I found it a surprise to find out within the first few chapters that Celaena, as the King's Champion, had not killed a single person. Had instead faked their deaths and presented this to the King who accepted it. This is such a huge risk considering the threat the King gave to kill Chaol and Nehemia if she stepped out of line. Maybe I'm over thinking it - but part of me thought back to Throne of Glass when she said she wanted to be a healer. Maybe deep down, Celaena doesn't want to be an assassin?
And all of this—every death she faked, every lie she told—put them at risk. Nehemia shook her head but didn’t reply. Whenever the princess or Chaol or even Dorian looked at her like that, it was almost too much to bear. But they had to believe the lies, too. For their own safety
💖 The Main Relationship:
There is a lot of tension between Chaol, Dorian and Celaena left over from Throne of Glass. Slowly through out the first 40% of the book, we get those small moment of Celaena and Chaol getting along and I was fully invested.
It was so wonderful, warm, and heartwarming for that short run.
💖 Friendship:
Nehemia and Dorian's friendship was an important part of the book. Dorian in the first half to me felt jaded and hurt from being rejected by Celaena in Throne of Glass.
Nehemia and Celaena's friendship grew close and I was feeling so strongly connected with their bond. Nehemia was still fighting the good fight, trying to have conditions in Calaculla and Endovier as the conditions int he slave labor camps had become abhorrent. Nehemia was a voice of reason, understanding and motivation to Celeana.
I still have so many questions with Nehemia. I felt like Nehemia knew who Celaena truly is. How did Nehemia actually know about the 10th anniversary of Celaena's parent's death?
I think that's why she was so blunt to Celeana, why she really called her a coward. I felt like Nehemia being the Princess Heir was a reflection of what Celeana would have been like if her parents were still alive.
While I agree with Nehemia below, it's such a deep cut that hurts my heart.
“I won’t deny that you have suffered, Elentiya, but there are thousands more who have also suffered—and suffered more. And they do not sell themselves to the king to get what they, too, deserve. With each person you kill, I am finding fewer and fewer excuses for remaining your friend.”
😱 That Big Reveal
If you're a clever one, you're probably pieced a few parts at this point. I was not, and enjoyed the ride of that last 25% of the book. It was only after going back through my annotations I could see those clues.
He’d met her once, in the days before her kingdom became a charnel house. The memory was hazy, but she’d been a precocious, wild girl—and had set her nasty, brutish older cousin on him in order to teach Dorian a lesson for spilling tea on her dress.
There were many sassy, funny moments in the book but the latter half were so emotional and action-packed. I enjoyed Crown of midnight more than Throne of Glass, it was wonderfully written.
Now, on to Heir of Fire!
I have a read along everyone is welcome to joint if they like. It's open until 31st May 2025 next year.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/readalongs/c906d102-66c5-4fbd-b2dd-0367b8ee9f3b
Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Blood, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Sexual content
bsafely's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Murder and Violence
annikenr'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
4.75
Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Torture
barbarianmissy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The truth bomb explosion at the end I had my suspicions about for the last 200 or so pages, but it was a great KABLAMO moment to end off the book with! I’m excited to go sailing across the sea for a family reunion!!!
One thing that bugs me in this series though is that no one trusts each other at all?! They’re all damned secret keepers! Like the three main characters never got told that team work makes the dream work??!! I feel like if they just talked it out or explained their plans before setting them in motion, then they could’ve solved their problems a lot faster!?!! I totally get why they don’t fully trust each other, but at the same time - as George Michael says “you gotta have faith”
Watch me say that and one of them brutally betrays the others in the future books lol - if it does, please just call me Baba Yellowlegs, clairvoyant evil witch beeyotch extraordinaire 💁♀️
Also, side note, I really thought this story was about to be a doggie snuff book and I was THIS CLOSE to throwing it across the room.
Anywho, time for the highly controversial reading timeline placement of ASSASSINS BLADE for a fun lil blast from the past of short stories and then I shall be back to find out what we’re doing with all of this crazy ass stuff going on!
WHOOP WHOOP
Minor: Death, Gore, Confinement, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder
erindarlyn's review against another edition
3.0
I have breezed through the first two books in the Throne of Glass series so far. The first book captured my interest and in this second one, the stakes for our main character, Celaena, are even higher than they were in book one. The relationship dynamics between characters have more layers in this book, and it was interesting to see Celaena work through different puzzles and threats as the story unfolded.
Crown of Midnight is a bit more gruesome in places than book one was, so I ended up liking it a little less than Throne of Glass. The twists in the plot were generally good, but there was a bit near the end that kind of jumped out of nowhere at me. As someone who didn’t have much exposure to the world of SJM or her books (or even this subgenre) before picking up these two books, that last twist didn’t really make sense to me when I first read it. It seemed to throw the series in a new direction that I wasn’t expecting, so I’m still processing how I feel about that. I’ll still continue on with the next book, though. I’ve started reading the prequel novella collection now, then will follow with the third book in the series, as I’ve seen some readers recommend that reading order.
For those who are considering this series for younger readers, there is some closed door / fade to black romance in this book.
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Murder
majagroen'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Sexual assault and Kidnapping