Celaena Sardothien has served a year of hard labor in the salt mines for her crimes as the best known assassin in Adarlan. The reason? To compete in a competition to become the Queen’s champion, mostly so the Crown Prince Dorian can make his father angry. As she competes against fellow assassins, she beats boredom by training with Captain Chaol Westfall. But the events that happen during the competition set something in motion that Celaena, Dorian, or Chaol could have ever imagined; events that will change Adarlan and Erilea forever.
I picked up this series mostly because I see it everywhere on Instagram, and because I wanted to know the series better in order to recommend it more accurately at work. I was not disappointed. This is a series that definitely gets better as you get further into the series, especially when magic gets reintroduced. For me, Empire of Storms was especially a page turner, with lots of twists and turns that are sure to keep readers interested (especially with the cliffhanger in Empire of Storms!)
One of the strongest aspects of this series is the characters; Maas writes a lot of strong females characters that aren’t afraid to stand their ground against the male characters in the series. In fact, many of the female characters can go toe to toe with the male characters (like Celaena and Lysandra, to name a few). The characters are supported by a backdrop of a brilliant world, with more and more detail added the further you get into the series.
It’s a bit difficult to pick a favorite, especially since the last book just came out, but I loved the character development that happened for Celaena in Heir of Fire. She learns a lot of herself and her past, working to overcome the trauma that’s there. Plus, there’s lots more magic in this one, and I love magic.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced adventure supported by well-rounded characters with a lot of magic, Throne of Glass is definitely the series for you. Here’s to hoping the final book does the rest of the series justice!
4.5/5 stars