Throne of Glass: A Spellbinding Fantasy Series Under Review
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Step into a realm where glass shatters and thrones are forged. Where magic reigns supreme and destiny hangs in the balance. Welcome to the dazzling world of Throne of Glass. Where a spellbinding series transports you to a land of epic adventures and breathtaking intrigue. If you’ve been yearning for a fantasy saga that will leave you breathless and craving more, look no further.
Join us on an exhilarating journey as we delve into the captivating realms of Throne of Glass. Where bravery, betrayal, and the triumph of the human spirit collide in a symphony of wonder. Brace yourself, dear readers, as this review unravels the secrets, celebrates the heroes, and embraces the magic that lies within the Throne of Glass.
These dust jackets are from A Touch of Magic AU
Synopsis
In Sarah J. Maas’s thrilling novel, Throne of Glass, we are introduced to Celaena Sardothien. Celaena is a young and formidable assassin who was once feared throughout the kingdom. However, after being captured and imprisoned, Celaena is given a chance at redemption. The tyrannical king offers her a deal: if she emerges victorious in a deadly competition against other skilled fighters, she will become the king’s champion and earn her freedom.
As Celaena navigates the treacherous trials and uncovers dark secrets within the palace walls, she realizes that winning the competition is just the beginning. With rising darkness threatening the kingdom, Celaena must harness her skills and make alliances to survive. Will she overcome her adversaries and reclaim her destiny, or will the shadows consume her? Brace yourself for a captivating journey filled with twists, turns, and unexpected revelations in this enthralling tale of courage, power, and the indomitable spirit of a young assassin in Throne of Glass.
Series Reading Experience
As I progressed through the Throne of Glass series, I quickly realized that the first half of the series was not my favorite. However, they are pivotal moments in the series that are necessary for the series as a whole. While both books are excellent, I didn’t start figure out which book would be my favorite until book 3. I think this is true for most readers, as Maas wasn’t really finding the “flow” until that point. Overall, the last three novels (Empire of Storm, Tower of Dawn, and Kingdom of Ash) are my die hard favorites.
At the point of Empire of Storm and Tower of Dawn, secrets come out, fear is unlocked, history is introduced. In addition, Tower of Dawn really bridges the series. I have no doubt that you will find it extremely difficult to put down the books at the point of Empire of Storms.
Throne of Glass
There is just something about the way that Sarah J. Maas writes stories. The storyline will always captivate you, her writing style is delicious, and she writes with zero shame about what’s to come later on in each series. Despite now being switched to the adult genre, the kickoff to the Throne of Glass series, feels much more YA than the rest of the series. I attribute this to the fact that Maas was 16 when she penned the novel.
The Throne of Glass (TOG)series will take you through an epic emotional roller coaster. You will fall in love with characters, redeem characters you initially hated, and hate characters even more than before by the end.
“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”
Sarah builds these grand worlds in a way that you can see the worlds and allows you to submerge yourself in the story entirely, like the perfect bubble bath.
In the entire series, we see character growth that is powerful and moving. We see Celaena come to terms with a past that has failed her and face her future head-on. We see her find her strength while still navigating and learning to trust those around her. There are even points where we see the growth of other characters in the story as they face their traumas and come to realize who they are or want to be.
Let’s talk plot…
If the plot of Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight were a little more in line with the rest of the series, I would say the plot would be perfect. However, the first two books are obvious and a bit predictable. I would have liked to see more of what the second half of the series produced. More twists and a little more growth in those first two books as well. I do take heed to the point that it is an 8 book series, so you have to pace yourself but I still would have loved to see it.
Overall Throne of Glass series gets 4.5 stars. Even with it being a little on the slower side, and being predictable, and young in writing. The twists, the emotions, and the growth are beautiful.
Crown of Midnight
God this book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Crown of Midnight takes a huge step away from the tame drama of its jumping point opening the story to a vast world. With more action, and gore than Throne of Glass. Celaena gets to fully explore what it means to be an assassin, taking no prisoners. She develops even further, being constantly tested, and changing.
“Why are you crying?”
“Because,” she whispered, her voice shaking, “you remind me of what the world ought to be. What the world can be.”
One of the biggest pluses of this book is having no idea what the last page will entail. You might think that’s a given, but Throne of Glass introduced us to a plot predictable, as mentioned before. You don’t get this in this book. It is vastly different. So every turn the plot takes is a surprise and every surprise is thrilling.
Just like Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight is slower-paced. But, as you become more invested the more it picks up speed.
Heir of Fire
In Heir of Fire, I only cared what was happening with Manon because OMG SHE IS MY QUEEN AND SHE SLAYS!
You think you know Celaena from reading the first two books, right? But you’re so wrong. In this book we see her more than broken, relentlessly blaming herself for the fates and deaths of her beloved ones.
“Enemy. Lover. Queen.”
Celaena takes down her walls. Leaving nothing behind. This has to be considered her turning point. Crossroads on her path turns to greatness. Celaena has to accept and embrace all the pain that she has endured. Dealing with her self-loathing and emerging great.
Dorian Havilliard easily becomes one of my favorite characters. No, I CAN”T CHOOSE A FAVORITE! He is a swoon-worthy, sentimental, humble young prince. He definitely wins your heart regardless of the “team” you’re on.
Dorian is way more mature, and you can see him becoming a true king. A lot of heartbreak and despair was in store for him and I guarantee it will all leave you in a pile of overwhelming feelings.
Queen of Shadows
Queen of Shadows allowed us to meet a new kick-ass female: Lysandra, who was nothing short of amazing. Elide Lochan, was determined and brave. And Nesryn Faliq, who is awesome in every way.
“Maybe the world should burn.”
Apart from all this beautiful feeling of empowerment, there is a deep feeling of love and loyalty in this book.
About the plot, a lot is happening here. All threads are tied up by the end of this book. If it wasn’t for a couple of major bad guys remaining, it’s easier to imagine this book turning out to be the end of the series. I’m also finding the adventure elements to be quite enjoyable, adding a nice bit of variety to the usual flow with politics, scheming, and romance.
Empire of Storms/Tower of Dawn
Doing Empire of Storms in tandem with Tower of Dawn was the best possible way for me to absorb the story. Maas and her stories have grown in many ways. More richer, more clever, with lots of interlinking plots. The story although in two different books flowed as a perfect stream as you flipped between the two.
“My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius …
And I will not be afraid.”
If you’re looking for some great storytelling, gruesome action, and lots of interesting characters then Empire of Storms has it all. The plot will be pulling at your heartstrings and have you ugly crying.
Manon just got a thousand times more interesting. I longed for any chapter with her in it and I was on the edge of my seat throughout her pages. In addition, surprisingly, really came to enjoy the chapters with Lorcan and Elide. It was beautiful to see the Death Lord soften to Elide.
(Tower of Dawn) I have not liked Chaol since Crown of Midnight. But, every issue I had with Chaol was addressed in this book.
“You must enter where you fear to tread”
This is Chaol’s great story, a redemption arc. He gets full character development. He finds his place. This is a great credit to SJM’s storytelling skills. Even the side characters shine. Especially Nesryn, who deserved better. You will be angry, frustrated, and full of guilt by the end of this (right along with the characters). But you will also be full of love and tears, and warmth by the end of it.
Kingdom of Ash
Finally, there is Kingdom of Ash. Kingdom of Ash is one of the most fantastic conclusions! I cried, I screamed, I raged, and I smiled, this finale had everything I could’ve asked for. Seeing Aelin’s story finally come to a close is the highlight of the Throne of Glass series. I just loved the friendships, the loyalty, the BATTLES, and most importantly, the twists.
“Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom …”
This was a way to end a series. So many unexpected turns, so many pieces just perfectly fitting together. I know this series hasn’t been for everyone but it will always be one I hold near and dear to my heart. I’m so happy and my love for this has grown immensely.
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