Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)

by Sarah J. Maas

[Amber]

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

Crown of Midnight is a book that I hadn’t planned on reading at all. I read Throne of Glass when it was first released, and I liked it. And that’s it. It was an okay book, but nothing particularly stood out to me. And then Epic Recs started and Judith sent me a copy of the book, so I couldn’t not read it because that would be rude. And the British are never rude. (*snorts*)

I liked Celaena a lot more in this book. I think it’s because Maas made her a slightly more sympathetic character compared to how she was in Throne of Glass. We got to read about some more of Celaena’s background and upbringing, and the focus was more on her than it was about the plot or the other characters. Because Celaena, to an extent, was the plot. And this was great. We got see her do her badass thing, but we also saw the softer side of her and, as we learnt more about her, I grew to kind of really, really like her. Which shocked me, because I didn’t feel either way about her in Throne of Glass.


I did not, however, warm up to Chaol. I didn’t like him in Throne of Glass, and I don’t like him all that much in Crown of Midnight because he is so bloody boring. I hope he actually does something in Heir of Fire, because the poor guy needs a decent storyline. Maybe that would be enough to make me like him, but right now I am so bored of his presence.

Dorian, on the other hand, is hella interesting. He’s my favourite of the two leading guys, obviously, because he actually has a personality. I always enjoy his sarcasm and the banter between him and Celaena is fabulous. Plus, Dorian actually has stuff going on. He’s learning more about himself and uncovering secrets and mysteries, and I want to read about ALL THE DORIAN AND CELAENA. And none for Chaol, bye.

I’m looking forward to the characters developing more as the series progresses, because Maas did a great job in Crown of Midnight and I’m sure that, with four more books to come, the characters are all going to get the storyline and development that they deserve. Yes, even Chaol. *rolls eyes*

I find myself really enjoying this fantasy world as we explore it in bits and pieces. The magical elements are very much underlying throughout much of the book, since magic is a no-no, and when the fantastical elements do come into play everything gets crazy and they have a huge impact on everyone, including the reader.

I cannot wait to explore more of the world that Maas has created, and I am sure that, thanks to the ending of Crown of Midnight, we’re about to see a lot more of it. I would liken it to the characters moving out of King’s Landing and going to explore Essos and the North. (I’m still reading A Dance With Dragons, hence the comparison.)

The plot was fast paced and action packed, and it felt a lot tighter than Throne of Glass. Sarah J. Maas’ writing and storytelling has greatly improved, and I think it’s going to get even better in Heir of Fire.

I think that even if you didn’t enjoy Throne of Glass all that much (as long as you didn’t hate it), you should probably check out Crown of Midnight to see if you end up enjoying it more, like I did. Judith @ Paper Riot forced me into reading Crown of Midnight, even though I had assured her over and over again that the first book was very average and unmemorable, and I gave in and read it, and I ended up really liking it. The ending is crazy, and the thrilling story in this one is enough to get you hooked. I can’t wait to read Heir of Fire in the autumn!