A review by readwithmekt
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

Celaena has been the protege for Arobynn, the master of the Assassin’s Guild, since she was a little girl. Everything was set for her to take over for Arobynn until he sent her on a mission, with Sam, under false pretenses. Celaena must learn who she can trust and what she wants her future to look like. Through a series of missions and punishments she will learn what it means to have friends, and who is important to her moving forward. 

I have read short stories in the past and to be honest they have not been for me. That has changed with this book! I don’t know if it is because I have a new found love for Sarah J Maas or if it is because all of the short stories manage to fit into one another but I loved this book. 

Celaena is an incredible main character. I love that she is not fully good or fully evil but rather a combination of both. She is still learning and figuring out who she is and more importantly who she wants to be. I really enjoyed going through all of these adventures and experiences with her. 

I have started adding notes when I update my reading log and it was funny going back and looking at what stood out to me while I was reading. Sam was a character that from the beginning I wanted around and when he was not in certain short stories I found that I missed his character. I felt that Sam and Celaena balanced one another very well.

This is the first book of Sarah J Maas’s that I have read in the physical form. It was a slightly different experience then listening to them. I found that there were certain times when I wished I was listening to the audio version but overall I really enjoyed reading this book. I found that while reading  I was able to get a feeling that told me if something was going to happen that I may not be the biggest fan of, I put off finishing the book because I felt that something was going to happen that I was not going to like . 

Not having read Throne of Glass yet, I am predicting that it is important to have read this book first. I feel that important information from the past was provided through the 5 short stories that are included in it. I am excited to see what awaits me in Throne of Glass. 

Have you read The Assassin’s Blade? Did you like it?