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A review by raisingself
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
2.0
This book, I just don’t have the words for how disappointing it was. Let me preface this by saying: I am a Sarah J. Mass fan, I really love the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and after reading Throne of Glass it shows that the literary glow up is real.
Maybe it was the fact that I listened to the book and had to endure one of the worst narrations I have ever paid for, maybe it’s because I just finished a book before this that was so firmly 5 stars because of its eloquence, concision and content that my bar is unnaturally high, but I found this book painful.
The Good
SJM wrote a YA epic fantasy novel while she herself was a teenager still developing her literary identity and skill set. She is obviously slaying at the game of life. Throne of Glass is not some skinny book of barely there material, SJM is creative and imaginative and you can see that well even in this book. So I have to acknowledge the unique situation of me, an adult, critiquing the work of her as a child, while still developing and growing in her art. Throne of Glass shows that on a raw and basic level, SJM is incredibly skilled and talented fantasy and sci-fi writer.
The Really Bad
The narration:
The narrator made every (and I mean every) character sound like some variation of a petulant child. She made male characters described as handsome, well-read and valiant sound wholly unattractive and irritating. She struggled with male and female voice alike.
The Assassin
Celaena Sardothien is a great character in theory but not execution. Here are some of the notes I made while reading the first few chapters:
"How are you a master assassin and not realize it’s a better strategy to be underestimated by your opponents and how sad that you labeled someone brilliant for pointing out this basic and obvious fact to your vain and constant boasting self!? How!!!"
"Ugh this main character, No strategy and layers to her assassin persona, how is she not dead already?”
"This book is horrible so far. The lead is not believable as a master assassin, she seems basic and obvious. She is all talk and I’ve noted little actual skill or instinct to match her enormous ego and obnoxious swagger. She loses her first fight in the book and the whole world can read her."
Celaena going on for literally hundreds of pages about her skill and prowess as a killer. How deadly she is. How brilliant she is. But the heifer lacks basic skill sets. Like she does not know how to mask her own emotions when facing opponents. She possess little to no skills at strategy. She struggles with big picture cues and analytics. She lacks stealth. Though I get she is supposed to be an assassin not by choice while maintaining a deep sense of empathy after being forced into a life as a child soldier, some of her inner dialogue and actions are so contrary to her characterization that I am at a loss for words, often just yelling “but why” or cringing while I reading this book.
So Many Moving Parts
This book has a ton of (wonderful in theory but not execution) moving parts from magic to some variation of parallel worlds to other mythical beings and creatures that it at times did not do a good job of properly integrating and clarifying.
The Other Characters
There are a ton of interesting minor and supporting characters that weren’t so consistently and clearly developed. Many of the characters were disjointed and confusing. Like a Captain and revered combat leader, skilled at the sword, who had never killed anyone while serving a much hated leader constantly invading and murdering other people groups!? How have you never killed anyone, HOW! And why are we wasting all of this melodrama on you and your first act of death, while protecting another person.
In the end, I will try to read through to book three but I am not optimistic about the first two books in the series. I will continue to read SJM’s more recent material because I see now that her writing and characterization has truly blossomed over the years.
Maybe it was the fact that I listened to the book and had to endure one of the worst narrations I have ever paid for, maybe it’s because I just finished a book before this that was so firmly 5 stars because of its eloquence, concision and content that my bar is unnaturally high, but I found this book painful.
The Good
SJM wrote a YA epic fantasy novel while she herself was a teenager still developing her literary identity and skill set. She is obviously slaying at the game of life. Throne of Glass is not some skinny book of barely there material, SJM is creative and imaginative and you can see that well even in this book. So I have to acknowledge the unique situation of me, an adult, critiquing the work of her as a child, while still developing and growing in her art. Throne of Glass shows that on a raw and basic level, SJM is incredibly skilled and talented fantasy and sci-fi writer.
The Really Bad
The narration:
The narrator made every (and I mean every) character sound like some variation of a petulant child. She made male characters described as handsome, well-read and valiant sound wholly unattractive and irritating. She struggled with male and female voice alike.
The Assassin
Celaena Sardothien is a great character in theory but not execution. Here are some of the notes I made while reading the first few chapters:
"How are you a master assassin and not realize it’s a better strategy to be underestimated by your opponents and how sad that you labeled someone brilliant for pointing out this basic and obvious fact to your vain and constant boasting self!? How!!!"
"Ugh this main character, No strategy and layers to her assassin persona, how is she not dead already?”
"This book is horrible so far. The lead is not believable as a master assassin, she seems basic and obvious. She is all talk and I’ve noted little actual skill or instinct to match her enormous ego and obnoxious swagger. She loses her first fight in the book and the whole world can read her."
Celaena going on for literally hundreds of pages about her skill and prowess as a killer. How deadly she is. How brilliant she is. But the heifer lacks basic skill sets. Like she does not know how to mask her own emotions when facing opponents. She possess little to no skills at strategy. She struggles with big picture cues and analytics. She lacks stealth. Though I get she is supposed to be an assassin not by choice while maintaining a deep sense of empathy after being forced into a life as a child soldier, some of her inner dialogue and actions are so contrary to her characterization that I am at a loss for words, often just yelling “but why” or cringing while I reading this book.
So Many Moving Parts
This book has a ton of (wonderful in theory but not execution) moving parts from magic to some variation of parallel worlds to other mythical beings and creatures that it at times did not do a good job of properly integrating and clarifying.
The Other Characters
There are a ton of interesting minor and supporting characters that weren’t so consistently and clearly developed. Many of the characters were disjointed and confusing. Like a Captain and revered combat leader, skilled at the sword, who had never killed anyone while serving a much hated leader constantly invading and murdering other people groups!? How have you never killed anyone, HOW! And why are we wasting all of this melodrama on you and your first act of death, while protecting another person.
In the end, I will try to read through to book three but I am not optimistic about the first two books in the series. I will continue to read SJM’s more recent material because I see now that her writing and characterization has truly blossomed over the years.