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beckwilk 's review for:
Crown of Midnight
by Sarah J. Maas
When I read Throne of Glass a little while ago, I wasn’t exactly impressed. And while Crown of Midnight shares many flaws with its predecessor, I have to say, it’s a very strong sequels that, in my opinion, is even better than the first book.
What most stood out to me in Crown of Midnight was the depth of not just the world, but also the characters. This time, we get to learn more about Adarlan’s origins, as well the destruction of other kingdom’s in its wake. It’s clear that Maas took her time in developing the rich histories of Erilea’s people, and I’m so appreciative of that. Before, Adarlan and the surrounding nations all felt very bland to me. Also, I grew to like Celaena a good deal more this time around. When we were first introduced to her, we were constantly told (and I mean CONSTANTLY TOLD over and over again) how deadly and lethal she is, but with nothing to back up the statements. This time, instead of bludgeoning us over the head with “the assassin” this and “the assassin” that, we’re actually shown Celaena in her element. And Celanea kicking ass and being herself was awe inspiring.
The other two main characters, Chaol and Dorian, are developed further too. Especially in Dorian’s case, we get to know him better aside from his shallow relationship with Celaena, and we get to see him interact with other characters. There are elements added to both the characters, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But one thing’s for sure: I completely understand the Chaolaena shippers now.
It felt like Maas put more time and thought into this installment – the book as a whole felt more focused and coherent. I loved the complexity of the plot, as well. The predictability and forced feeling from Throne of Glass are long gone – this time there were elements and surprised I genuinely wasn’t expecting, and when the climax hit I could not read fast enough. At the same time, though, Maas utterly fails at creating suspense and mystery. I was consistently steps ahead of the characters – whether it came to Celaena’s identity, the three magical objects that needed to be found, or any other ‘mystery,’ I knew right away what the answers were. And the bad guy? Practically screaming from the pages since the moment they stepped into the story. Honestly, it felt like Maas wasn’t even trying.
One other thing that pissed me off: one simple sentence regarding Celeana’s first time having sex. The words “gave him all she had” were brought up and it made me RAGE. Never mind that Celaena came to trust this person, to divulge her darkest, most troubling secrets, allowed herself to be vulnerable, and came to him because she knew she was safe with him. Never mind all that, because, as you know, all a woman’s worth is in the state of her hymen. If this were any other book, I think I would have abandoned it on the spot.
The thing I love about Maas’s writing though, is in the lack of cliffhangers. Throne of Glass ended well, with a strong conclusion to the story, but still open for the sequel. Crown of Midnight was no different. The main plot arcs had been closed and the ending sets up the third installment perfectly. Of course, that doesn’t stop my NEED for the next book. Seriously – NEED, not want.
If you were unsure about Throne of Glass, I would recommend reading Crown of Midnight. I am in love with where this series is going. The characters are stronger, the plot more complex, and the world-building has more depth. Crown of Midnight is one of the best sequels I’ve read in a long time.
NUMBER TWO: Celaena being the queen of Terrasen is fine, and actually really exciting for me. But I wish that Maas had at least TRIED to make it mysterious and shocking. If you’ve been paying any attention, you should have known Celaena’s identity from the moment Terrasen’s story was brought up in the first book.
What most stood out to me in Crown of Midnight was the depth of not just the world, but also the characters. This time, we get to learn more about Adarlan’s origins, as well the destruction of other kingdom’s in its wake. It’s clear that Maas took her time in developing the rich histories of Erilea’s people, and I’m so appreciative of that. Before, Adarlan and the surrounding nations all felt very bland to me. Also, I grew to like Celaena a good deal more this time around. When we were first introduced to her, we were constantly told (and I mean CONSTANTLY TOLD over and over again) how deadly and lethal she is, but with nothing to back up the statements. This time, instead of bludgeoning us over the head with “the assassin” this and “the assassin” that, we’re actually shown Celaena in her element. And Celanea kicking ass and being herself was awe inspiring.
The other two main characters, Chaol and Dorian, are developed further too. Especially in Dorian’s case, we get to know him better aside from his shallow relationship with Celaena, and we get to see him interact with other characters. There are elements added to both the characters, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But one thing’s for sure: I completely understand the Chaolaena shippers now.
It felt like Maas put more time and thought into this installment – the book as a whole felt more focused and coherent. I loved the complexity of the plot, as well. The predictability and forced feeling from Throne of Glass are long gone – this time there were elements and surprised I genuinely wasn’t expecting, and when the climax hit I could not read fast enough. At the same time, though, Maas utterly fails at creating suspense and mystery. I was consistently steps ahead of the characters – whether it came to Celaena’s identity, the three magical objects that needed to be found, or any other ‘mystery,’ I knew right away what the answers were. And the bad guy? Practically screaming from the pages since the moment they stepped into the story. Honestly, it felt like Maas wasn’t even trying.
One other thing that pissed me off: one simple sentence regarding Celeana’s first time having sex. The words “gave him all she had” were brought up and it made me RAGE. Never mind that Celaena came to trust this person, to divulge her darkest, most troubling secrets, allowed herself to be vulnerable, and came to him because she knew she was safe with him. Never mind all that, because, as you know, all a woman’s worth is in the state of her hymen. If this were any other book, I think I would have abandoned it on the spot.
The thing I love about Maas’s writing though, is in the lack of cliffhangers. Throne of Glass ended well, with a strong conclusion to the story, but still open for the sequel. Crown of Midnight was no different. The main plot arcs had been closed and the ending sets up the third installment perfectly. Of course, that doesn’t stop my NEED for the next book. Seriously – NEED, not want.
If you were unsure about Throne of Glass, I would recommend reading Crown of Midnight. I am in love with where this series is going. The characters are stronger, the plot more complex, and the world-building has more depth. Crown of Midnight is one of the best sequels I’ve read in a long time.
Spoiler
Some things SERIOUSLY pissed me off, and were only good for the plot that Maas wanted. NUMBER ONE: The fact that Chaol didn’t tell Celaena that Nehemia was going to be questioned. There was no reason for this. Any other time, Chaol would have told her. The only reason he didn’t is because the author wanted Nehemia to die, and for Celaena to blame Chaol. I’m sure there were better ways to have done this, but the way it was accomplished was wrong and completely out of character.NUMBER TWO: Celaena being the queen of Terrasen is fine, and actually really exciting for me. But I wish that Maas had at least TRIED to make it mysterious and shocking. If you’ve been paying any attention, you should have known Celaena’s identity from the moment Terrasen’s story was brought up in the first book.