A review by roxxie
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Throne of Glass ♦ Sarah J. Maas | Review

Throne of Glass is the first book in a seven-part series written by Sarah J. Maas.
As I already wrote in my review of The Assassin’s Blade , I already know the German translation of the series. But I would like to experience the book series in the English original now.

Throne of Glass ♦ Sarah J. Maas

Opinion

In this first installment of the Throne of Glass series, we meet Celaena a year after what happened at the end of The Assassin’s Blade. As a slave, she works in the salt mines of Endovier, where she endured beatings and violence. Until Chaol Westphal, the Captain of the Guard, shows up and drags her before the Crown Prince of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard. He makes her an unusual offer, which could ultimately give her back her freedom.
To get out of the misery of slave labor and with a view to her freedom, Celaena agrees to the terms and becomes the crown prince’s champion. Now the most notorious female assassin returns to Rifthold, where she will compete in a tournament to become the king’s champion, his personal assassin.

Sarah J. Maas gradually introduces Celaena’s individual opponents, and it quickly becomes clear that something is off about Cain. But the author cleverly interweaves small hints, which come into their own at the end of the story.
Also, the references to the unusual behavior of the King and Duke Perrington often made me think. And why did Kaltain, another pawn in court intrigue, keeps getting headaches and hearing a strange flapping of wings around Perrington? These puzzles will probably have to wait a while for their solution.
Because Celaena made it through to the last round of the tournament with diligence, a little cheating and a fighting spirit. But in the meantime she was able to win over two friends. Nehemiah is one of them and will be of great importance to her. The clarification of strange murder cases among the participants becomes a not unimportant part of her task, even if Chaol and Dorian notice nothing of Celaena’s nocturnal forays through the catacombs of the castle.

Maas makes it exciting until the end. She also mysteriously involved the appearance of Elena, an ancestor of Celaena. That leaves plenty of scope for more. The reference to the bow of the Goddess Diana also promises to be important for the further plot of the series.

Conclusion

Throne of Glass is epic, exciting and addictive! The hidden darkness that weaves together in the subplot promises to contain some secrets that will probably only be revealed gradually over the course of the entire series plot. The author’s fluent and engaging style of writing doesn’t let you put the book down. Her characters are expressive and vividly described. The world that stretches around the main protagonist is also captivating. Even after you’ve finished, you want to dive straight into the next volume, Crown of Midnight