Reviews with content warning for Confinement - Crown of Midnight

While “Throne of Glass” was a bit slow, this book upped the ante and the action in a satisfying way. I’m definitely curious for how the rest of the series will unfold so I’m committed to continuing the journey of Celeana as she learns about her heritage, and fights for the kingdom and freedom of the people against the tyranny of the king. I enjoyed getting a deeper look at Chaol and Dorian through their POV chapters, which Maas excels at. I generally don’t think the writing is super sophisticated, but the stories pull me in every time.

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ylimesnwot's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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booksalacarte's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

First read (6/2022)- 3⭐️

Reread (1/2024)-4.5⭐️2.75🌶️

New Adult fantasy romance

Multi POV

Magic

Magical beasts

Fae

Morally grey FMC

Found family

Secret history

Politics

Treason

Rebellion

Closed door romance

The second book started not long after the first, with the King’s Champion taking hits off a list. Only she wasn’t.

I think the incident with the carnival is one of the most vivid memories I have from the whole series. Along with the wearhouse scene. The set up is really great for such a pivotal turning point in Celaena’s journey.

Chaol having to deal with his lawful nature was just as hard to go through the second time as it was the first. His self deprecation after Neimiah died is SO much. He does absolutely nothing and basically disappears for multiple chapters. Why didn’t he fight for her?!

Dorian’s journey in this book is an interesting one. Going from infatuated playboy to someone with their own dark secret was a great arc. But the unresolved attraction Boggs his character down.

The arc with Chaol was beautiful, and devastating. I forgot how intense it was.

I was disappointed that the only diverse main character in the book was used as a tool to further the plot in the way they were. It’s almost like she was becoming too good of a character, more noble than the FMC, and had to be taken out.

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infjkiki's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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vereadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

I'M GLAD I GIVE THIS SERIES ANOTHER CHANCE.

Maas improved his writing and honed everything that didn’t work in the first book, bringing the story forward.

I really enjoyed reading about Celaena’s character in this book. She’s a total badass, and it was amazing to witness her in action. Now I understand why everyone was afraid of her - she’s deadly. This book helped me to see how vulnerable she was when Chaol and Dorian took her out of jail. She’s such a complex character, and I didn’t fully appreciate that in the first book.

The relationship between Chaol and Celaena is natural and realistic. Chaol struggles with his own desires and fears. He tries to remain loyal to the crown and resist the temptation to be with Celaena. Unfortunately, this internal conflict leads him to make poor decisions. Resulting in him losing everything. The dynamic between Chaol and Celaena is reminiscent of Valek and Yelena’s relationship in Poison Study.

Dorian is a character that I had a little affection for. But in this book, he conquered me. At first, his presence doesn’t seem relevant. But, as the story progresses, his subplot takes on a lot of weight.

In the first book, I felt his relationship with Celeana was forced. However, in this book, their relationship is fluid and natural. They forged a meaningful and powerful friendship. They understand each other perfectly.

This book’s unexpected twists and turns pleasantly surprised me. The author’s approach to revealing the major plot twist was cleverly executed. The last pages are an emotional wreck. This secret impacts the relationship of Celeana with one of the other characters, changing the dynamic between them and setting the stage for the next book. It’s brilliant.

Crown of Midnight gets dark and bloody with betrayal, revelations, heartbreaks, twists, and turns. The story is way bigger and more complex than it seems. I’m so eager to get the other book.

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britwalsh16's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It’s not my favorite, but this book has officially gotten me invested in the series!

<spoilers>
I saw her true name coming, there were a lot of hints throughout the book. But the fact that she is fae, was a bit of a surprise, looking back, there were a few hints for that too, but I just missed them cause I was waiting for the name reveal.

But also, Dorian has magic? That was a shocker!!! I can’t wait to see how all the magic plays out!
</spoilers>

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