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ninaevan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
First Read:
Meh. Plot could have been interesting but I didn't buy the characters so it was hard to stay attached to. Pretty cringe at times, especially in the attempt at feminism... the main character was supposed to be this badass warrior but she was primarily concerned with her looks and if men were attracted to her- ick. Almost DNF, Not planning on continuing this series. 2/5
Second Read:
Last time I read this was in quarantine when I was looking for books to say something meaningful and help me understand and appreciate the world so of course it fell flat. This time, I was not only more prepared for Maas' writing style because I read her last series, but I was also just looking for something I could listen to in the background as I do school work. In this context, it was a great pick. Still a bit cringe-y, but that's just Maas' style and I was able to laugh it off more this time. In fact, I kind of liked seeing a portrayal of a woman being vain and powerful at the same time... made me question if my reluctance to embrace Celaena is internalized misogyny because I expect strong people to act less girly. That said, I can't give it too much credit for depth overall. It's a nice lighthearted action-mystery story with a touch romantic tension. I plan to keep reading this series.
Meh. Plot could have been interesting but I didn't buy the characters so it was hard to stay attached to. Pretty cringe at times, especially in the attempt at feminism... the main character was supposed to be this badass warrior but she was primarily concerned with her looks and if men were attracted to her- ick. Almost DNF, Not planning on continuing this series. 2/5
Second Read:
Last time I read this was in quarantine when I was looking for books to say something meaningful and help me understand and appreciate the world so of course it fell flat. This time, I was not only more prepared for Maas' writing style because I read her last series, but I was also just looking for something I could listen to in the background as I do school work. In this context, it was a great pick. Still a bit cringe-y, but that's just Maas' style and I was able to laugh it off more this time. In fact, I kind of liked seeing a portrayal of a woman being vain and powerful at the same time... made me question if my reluctance to embrace Celaena is internalized misogyny because I expect strong people to act less girly. That said, I can't give it too much credit for depth overall. It's a nice lighthearted action-mystery story with a touch romantic tension. I plan to keep reading this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Grief, and Slavery
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Vomit
midnightmermaid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and War
saturn26's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Genocide, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
gracecharlottekelly's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
alexa1804's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Diversity: Strong female main character. A black supporting female character (a princess from another country on the continent). There is very little other diversity of note, and while it has potential to expand as the world is explored further, at this point it feels a bit like the princess is a token black character. There are not any notable queer characters, or other forms of diversity. I'm hoping this is improved upon as the series continues.
The first book in the popular 'Throne of Glass' series wasted no time diving into the action. Despite this, there were multiple times in the first half of the book where the writing style annoyed me enough to consider putting it down. While it wasn't awful, it lacked sophistication and was more juvenile than I expected. After finishing the book, there was a Q & A with the author at the back discussing her inspiration behind the story and the fact that she began writing the novels online when she was only 16. She apparently then removed them from online after getting a publisher and cleaned them up for print. For me, this explained the rocky start to the book. However, the author seems to have found her feet and the result is a really fun, fast-paced, and gritty YA novel with enough plot threads and character development established so that I am legitimately looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
To expand on the character and plot development of the book, the characters start out very much in trope YA form - girl tries to choose between two very different but equally cute guys (love triangle) while cracking jokes and being super duper badass, accompanied by a sprinkle of troubled past hints. All have to unite against a common foe of unknown origin and thus follow up a bigger mystery run by a bigger badder enemy (TBC). Even as we are forced through all this from yet another author, Maas manages to get us to enjoy the ride far enough to see the spark of potential for a much longer, much darker, and much more riveting ride. Special mention to Fleetfoot, cute doggo sidekick.
This book did a good enough job to have me reaching for book two, Crown of Midnight, even accounting for the clunky start.
The first book in the popular 'Throne of Glass' series wasted no time diving into the action. Despite this, there were multiple times in the first half of the book where the writing style annoyed me enough to consider putting it down. While it wasn't awful, it lacked sophistication and was more juvenile than I expected. After finishing the book, there was a Q & A with the author at the back discussing her inspiration behind the story and the fact that she began writing the novels online when she was only 16. She apparently then removed them from online after getting a publisher and cleaned them up for print. For me, this explained the rocky start to the book. However, the author seems to have found her feet and the result is a really fun, fast-paced, and gritty YA novel with enough plot threads and character development established so that I am legitimately looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
To expand on the character and plot development of the book, the characters start out very much in trope YA form - girl tries to choose between two very different but equally cute guys (love triangle) while cracking jokes and being super duper badass, accompanied by a sprinkle of troubled past hints. All have to unite against a common foe of unknown origin and thus follow up a bigger mystery run by a bigger badder enemy (TBC). Even as we are forced through all this from yet another author, Maas manages to get us to enjoy the ride far enough to see the spark of potential for a much longer, much darker, and much more riveting ride. Special mention to Fleetfoot, cute doggo sidekick.
This book did a good enough job to have me reaching for book two, Crown of Midnight, even accounting for the clunky start.
Recommended for: People who like fun, fast-paced, epic fantasy that makes for easy reading and doesn’t take itself too seriously. Especially good for those who love strong romance elements in a fantasy series, and don’t mind that the books sit on the border between YA and adult.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Sexual content
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