A Book That Swept Me Away: Throne of Glass
When magic vanishes from the globe, leaving a ruthless dictator in charge of the fantastical country of Adarlan, an assassin arrives at the castle. Celaena Sardothien is an assassin, but her intention is not to kill; she is here to compete for her freedom. That is if she can defeat the sly pseudologists, spry thieves, skillful homicides, silent poisoners, and sadistic mercenaries who compete against her. Every challenger is dead serious, and they will stop at nothing to win. Obviously, losing was not an option for the fierce and talented assassin. Celaena abhorred losing — after all, “second place was just a nice title for the first loser” (Maas, 352), and she was not about to accept that particular label. So, she’ll win and finally be able to bid farewell to the salt mines of Endovier and greet the title of King’s Champion… well, that’s her plan, anyways. Throughout the competition, Celaena meets many people who will either help, or hurt, her along the way. For one, she must face the wrath of the irritable Captain of the Guard, who trains her every day. She also strikes a secret deal with the illustrious Prince of Adarlan, a blue-eyed beauty. And lastly, Celaena receives a valuable gift from a princess of faraway lands: friendship, the only skill that Celaena had failed miserably in. But, remember, Celaena’s tale is neither effortless nor joyful, but rather difficult and gruesome. In the castle dwells a black-hearted, monstrous force, watching and waiting for a chance to rise and take control. Slowly, Celaena’s adversaries drop like flies in the middle of the night, and she suspects something deeper than just a homocide, as she knows “nothing is a coincidence.”(Maas, 247).
Throne of Glass bares Celaena’s character raw to the reader, allowing them to connect with her on a much deeper level than before. We get to know the caring and loving side of her, and her passion for playing music, since, “for once, [she’s] not destroying, [she’s] creating.”Although Celaena Sardothien may seem like a cruel and arrogant killer at first, the truth is not that simple. The book delves deep into her personality, gives insights into the complexities of her character, and explores the blurry line between “good” and “evil.” Although most of the time she’s brutal, violent, and on her guard, she knows that “there [is] always good in people [because] deep down, there was always a shred of good ” (Maas, 176). Celaena is talented in every regard that makes you unable to stop rooting for her as she cunningly outwits her opponents, cautiously plans elaborate stunts, and determinedly protects her beliefs and values.
Buckle your seatbelts, because Throne of Glass is a heart-stopping roller coaster of a book. From bone chilling gore to belly-aching laughter to perfectly timed suspense and exhilarating scenes of passion, this book will satisfy all your desires. It garners a stunning score of 9/10 stars, not perfect, but only because the romance in this novel is not as well developed as the plot and the characters. Otherwise, this is an absolutely amazing book, and would make a perfect addition to the shelves of anyone who enjoys magical, addicting, and action-packed novels.
