Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)

by Sarah J. Maas

The book that started the phenomenon. Sarah J. Maas's global #1 bestselling THRONE OF GLASS series has taken the world by storm.

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament - fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin's heart be melted?

• ISBN10: 0606318887
• ISBN13: 9780606318884
• Publish Date: 7 May 2013 (first published 2 August 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 5 May 2023
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Edition: Bound for Schools & Libraries ed.
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 406
• Language: English

Reviews

[liz089]

Reread 11/2018.

Oh wow, apparently I read this novel for the first time precisely 6 years ago ! How cool is that !?
But well, I really wanted to reread so I can finally finish this series ! It will most likely take a while before I get to the 7th book, since I do not have as much time to read as I used to... but 2019 I will have finished this series !!

One again really enjoyed the characters, how young and innocent they still are now in this first book.. I feel so sorry for them knowing already what will become of some of them :(

[wyvernfriend]

Celaena, when we first meet her, is serving a life sentence in a salt mine. She has lasted longer than most in the salt mine, partially because of her skills, and now she's offered a way out. Take part in a competition to be the Kings' champion and win. She's up against a lot of men with something to prove, and even without the competition, where death is a very real possibility, there's someone stalking the players and killing them gruesomely.

She had me when she got so excited by the library and the snark kept me happy. While she's attracted to both Captain Chaol Westfall and Prince Dorian, she is aware of the issues about possibly dating either, or loving either. Her relationship with the foreign princess is also interesting and the two of them will make a great team.

The story is nicely complicated, plots are woven around and there's nothing straighforward about any of the characters and their motivations and I love that it's that complicated without being too messy. While it's billed as Young Adult there's a lot of messy life stuff that makes it very close to adult, the characters may be teenagers but their lives have made them quite adult.

I also love the back cover where there's a shadowy impression of her back dressed in a gown but with the same weapons in hand and same stance as the front, this girl means business no matter how she's dressed.

I recommend this book.

[ladygrey]

I'm far too critical of this book and I don't know why. But from the very first pages all the little inconsistencies and gaps in logic that normally don't bother me were glaring. The whole thing was just so obvious.

And I don't mean from a plot or mystery stand point (though the mystery was completely obvious also). It felt like it lived in very small YA boxes so of course that would happen and of course she can do that. Then, when I reached that end and read [a:Sarah J Maas|3433047|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1269281353p2/3433047.jpg]'s bio it said she wrote the first draft when she was 16 it made more sense. Of course it's been edited and revised since them but it still has sense that she wrote it a certain way because that was all she knew at the time. I don't know how better to describe it than really obvious.

And it's also overwritten. Everything is all ebony and mahogany and it doesn't have the linguistic style to support those kind of descriptions. It comes across as trying too hard.

That being said, it isn't a bad book by any means. The characters are fun (even when the dialog doesn't quite line up) and the world is very imaginative. There were too many pieces in the story that all came into play but didn't quite feel developed. But the relationships evolve really nicely and realistically and were fun to read.

I don't think Maas is a bad author at all. I just think this would be a much better book with a stronger editorial hand.

"We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most."

[e_rodz_leb]

What an awesome book! Throne of Glass is an amazing debut but author Sarah J. Maas, and one you should put at the top of your TBR list.

Celaena is an incredible kick-ass heroine. She is snarky, sarcastic, realistic, loyal, smart, beautiful, and all together awesome. I really enjoyed getting to know her, although I suspect there is a lot more to learn about her and her past. Celaena is a survivor that was forced to be an assassin, and just not any assassin, but the best there is. She is surprisingly girly and well-read and educated (I’m sure we can all sympathize with a fellow book-lover), and hard to impress.

Prince Dorian and Chaol are also outstanding characters. They are both in awe with Celeana for their own reasons. Dorian because she is straightforward and doesn’t act like the simpering ladies in court, and Chaol because he is impressed with her skill, her femininity, and her resilience. This, my friends, is the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a possible love triangle. However, at this point, I’m not sure who to team up with, although I have a soft spot for Chaol.


"He saw her face each time he closed his eyes. She haunted his thoughts, made him wish to do grand and wonderful things in her name, made him want to be a man who deserved to wear a crown." - Dorian


"There was still something soft in her face. It gave him hope - hope that he had not lost his soul in the act of killing, hope that humanity could still be found, and honor could be regained... She had come out of Envovier and could still laugh" - Chaol

The characterization is altogether remarkable. I find Nehemia mysterious and delightful, Phillipa is a quiet accomplice, the king is odious, and even Fleetfoot has a strong personality. Overall, the characters are part of what makes this an amazing story.

Celaena reminds me a bit of Katsa from Graceling, but just on their knack for survival and all around kiss-assery. The plot is so well crafted, full of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. The story is told in the third person point of view, which allows is an insight into many 'minds' at once. A lot happens within these pages and the true triumph is that could have happy kept on reading. The setting is another splendid aspect of Throne of Glass, as it is very well developed. From the mines, to the forest, to the glass or stone castle; visiting Adarlan was a true adventure. The writing is surprisingly insightful, straightforward and easy to understand (this is a plus when reading fantasy!) Throne of Glass made me laugh-out-loud, scream ‘Get up!’ and bite my nails – it is a truly amazing book!

I cannot wait to read the sequel or the four pre-novellas that were just published (see them here). Thorne of Glass is a must read (really, pre-order it now!).

About the cover: It is a beautiful cover, we can see the glass castle on the background and Celeana with a dagger (although I think she’s showing too much skin for the setting ;)

[lizarodz]

What an awesome book! Throne of Glass is an amazing debut but author Sarah J. Maas, and one you should put at the top of your TBR list.

Celaena is an incredible kick-ass heroine. She is snarky, sarcastic, realistic, loyal, smart, beautiful, and all together awesome. I really enjoyed getting to know her, although I suspect there is a lot more to learn about her and her past. Celaena is a survivor that was forced to be an assassin, and just not any assassin, but the best there is. She is surprisingly girly and well-read and educated (I’m sure we can all sympathize with a fellow book-lover), and hard to impress.

Prince Dorian and Chaol are also outstanding characters. They are both in awe with Celeana for their own reasons. Dorian because she is straightforward and doesn’t act like the simpering ladies in court, and Chaol because he is impressed with her skill, her femininity, and her resilience. This, my friends, is the beginning of a beautiful friendship and a possible love triangle. However, at this point, I’m not sure who to team up with, although I have a soft spot for Chaol.


"He saw her face each time he closed his eyes. She haunted his thoughts, made him wish to do grand and wonderful things in her name, made him want to be a man who deserved to wear a crown." - Dorian


"There was still something soft in her face. It gave him hope - hope that he had not lost his soul in the act of killing, hope that humanity could still be found, and honor could be regained... She had come out of Envovier and could still laugh" - Chaol

The characterization is altogether remarkable. I find Nehemia mysterious and delightful, Phillipa is a quiet accomplice, the king is odious, and even Fleetfoot has a strong personality. Overall, the characters are part of what makes this an amazing story.

Celaena reminds me a bit of Katsa from Graceling, but just on their knack for survival and all around kiss-assery. The plot is so well crafted, full of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. The story is told in the third person point of view, which allows is an insight into many 'minds' at once. A lot happens within these pages and the true triumph is that could have happy kept on reading. The setting is another splendid aspect of Throne of Glass, as it is very well developed. From the mines, to the forest, to the glass or stone castle; visiting Adarlan was a true adventure. The writing is surprisingly insightful, straightforward and easy to understand (this is a plus when reading fantasy!) Throne of Glass made me laugh-out-loud, scream ‘Get up!’ and bite my nails – it is a truly amazing book!

I cannot wait to read the sequel or the four pre-novellas that were just published (see them here). Thorne of Glass is a must read (really, pre-order it now!).

About the cover: It is a beautiful cover, we can see the glass castle on the background and Celeana with a dagger (although I think she’s showing too much skin for the setting ;)

[Amber]

A really good book, it's a shame the middle was so dull. Bloody love triangles. Full review to come.

----

After reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore I was on a bit of a fantasy high, so I decided to pick this one up seeing as it was already on my TBR list for the month of July.

The beginning of the novel pulled me in straight away. I loved the introduction to the world this was set in, and I loved the idea of a king who is trying to take over and rule ALL THE COUNTRIES *insert Tumblr gif here* and the fact that magic was outlawed like in Maria V Snyder's Study trilogy (which created awesome drama and tension, by the way).

The middle of the novel was, unfortunately, a very slow read and it seemed to lose all the momentum the beginning had built. There wasn't enough action going on, as very few of the trials that made up the tournament were actually given full descriptions. A few of them merely had a sentence to describe what had happened. I think there could have been a much better way to integrate them with the plot and to make it more exciting.

The ending managed to grab me and suck me back in, though, and it gave me hope for the sequels because it was action packed and it showed what an awesome writer Sarah J Maas can be.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked Celaena given her personality. She was very arrogant and hot headed, and this is something that would usually annoy me but I think it worked well with the story and with her role.

There was a love triangle, and I don't really have any strong feelings about either side of it. I'd be happy for Celaena to end up with either of the men, or neither. I think she's badass enough on her own, so if she ended up staying single at the end of the series without the love interests dying on her, I would adore that.

Like I said, I really enjoyed the world that this was set in and I am definitely intrigued by some of the plot points, especially with the magic. I'm going to be reading the sequels, and I hope that we get to see Celaena use her assassin abilities to kill some people. That makes me sound like a complete crazy person, but I think there is a lot of opportunity there and I would really like to see where the author goes with it!

[Kelsenator]

Originally posted on my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf.

Calaena, which is an awesome name, was taken in by the King of Assassin’s when she was an orphan at eight, and was trained in the ways of killing. After making a name for herself and inspiring fear, she got caught and sent to prison for a year. She managed to stay sane up until the day the Prince offered her a deal. Win a competition against other thieves, assassins etc. and become the King’s Champion. If she won, she would serve him for a certain amount of years, then be totally free, compared to rotting where she was and working in the mines. She takes this offer up of course, and then that’s when the awesomeness starts.

She is taken to the crystal palace, where she will stay during the competition under an alias, so no one finds out who she really is, her name is feared all around after all.

The King of Adarlan has outlawed any use of magic, has banished any mythical creatures including the Fey, and is also trying to take over everything while burning every forest he can down. I really liked the mention that there used to be magic, and that maybe it will come back at some point. I’m a sucker for magic and knights and swords!

The competitors start dying, being torn apart by some kind of animal before the tests. She sees symbols across the palace that are unknown, and starts weird dreams of visits from a dead Queen, but she doesn’t know how they link up together. Someone is behind this, and she is urged to find out who before evil gets the upper hand.

I loved the characters in this so much! Most of the story is told through the eyes of Calaena, but certain parts of the chapter get told through Prince Dorian, the Captain of the Guard Chaol, and one really annoying lady who wants to marry the prince. There is lots of action with swords and the training they go through, but Calaena is also really smart. I really liked that she reads in her spare time, and her attitude was just perfect for the story, proud and defiant but she can also be nice.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good fantasy story with action, some hinted at magic, and small hints of possible romance to come.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Throne of Glass is the first in a young adult fantasy by Sarah J. Maas. I became completely immersed in the world this author created. I quickly consumed this brilliant, captivating tale. Filled with fleshed out characters and intrigue this is sure to make my top ten list for 2012.

The tale begins when we meet eighteen year old Celaena Sardothien. She is Ardarlan’s most feared Assassin. The world is at war, and Celaena has spent the past year in the deadly salt mines of Endovier. Known for being a brutal prison; most do not last more than a few months. Starved and scarred she is summoned and assumes it is for her death. Prince Dorian Havilliard of Adarlan makes her an offer. If she wins the king’s competition for a royal assassin she can gain her freedom. Despite her hatred for the king, she readily accepts the prince’s offer. At Rifthold Castle she trains, makes friends and discovers secrets about herself and the castle. The tale that unfolds kept me riveted. Filled with romance, mystery and danger, I devoured this novel in two evenings.

The characters were all fascinating from the cruel and power hungry king to the mysterious Princess Nehemia. Celaena has to be one of my all time favorite protagonists. She is smart, fearless and charming. She can be snarky, quick witted and utterly delightful. Trained from the age of eight she is a deadly weapon and yet she can be completely feminine. Her conversations with the main characters had me laughing aloud. She is complex and I loved seeing all the different sides of her. The novel hints at things to come with Celaena and I cannot wait to see her growth in this series. The Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, is assigned to watch, train, and guard Celaena. He doesn’t trust her in the beginning but their relationship grows. I really connected with him and found him to be noble, sensitive and loyal. The Crown Prince, Dorian Havilliard hasn’t yet learned to stand up to his father. I felt sorry for this quite, sensitive man. Celaena draws him out and allows Maas to reveal the many facets of this would be king. The elements of a love triangle are in place, and I waivered back and forth between the two men. Other characters added to the intrigue, suspense and mystery. Some I adored like Nox and some I loathed like Cain and Lady Kaltain. I seriously wanted to scratch her eyes out more than once..LOL.

The world building was fantastic, brilliant and spell-bounding. Maas breathed life into the glass castle, the characters and the world of Adarlan. In a world filled with Fae, witches and magic, the mortal king has outlawed all forms of magic. Celaena is well versed in the Fae and has a healthly fear of them. When she discovers Wyrdmarks around the castle she is intrigued and sets out to learn their meaning. I became swept up in the mystery of these marks and the discoveries she made. Something is brutally killing off the competitors and it doesn’t appear to be human. This adds a great deal of suspense to the tale. I loved the competitions the champions had to endure. I found myself on the edge of my seat as Celaena completed each phase. Maas has done an incredible job of weaving many different plots into a tale that is rich with well fleshed out characters. While this tale doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, Maas leaves us with enough unanswered questions and suspense to have this reader itching to read book two.

I highly recommend Throne of Glass to fans of fantasy and strong female protagonist. This is a novel that will appeal to both the young and old. I have added Maas to my authors to read list.

I want to thank Bloomsbury Publishing and netGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

[reveriesociety_]

I think what saves this book is the plot, it was what made me keep reading buut as for the heroine, ....... she was really annoying