It’s been a while since I’ve written a book review. With my commute before the pandemic and now having a bit of extra time here and there during quarantine, I’ve been binging book series faster than ever! My last book review rounded up my Top 10 Favorite Thrillers, but since then, I’ve moved on to YA and Fantasy series! I think I was first introduced to the YA and dystopian world when I saw a preview for Hunger Games. I instinctively knew it was going to be a hit and I immediately read the entire book series before the movies came out. From there, I basically searched similar book series on the Kindle and went down the Fantasy Series rabbit hole.
There are other, compelling fantasy series that I read before Throne of Glass (ToG), but this series is one of my all-time favorites and I am embarrassed to say that I’ve read the books no less than 3 times already. The series consists of 8 books in total – 7 books and 5 novellas that add up to 1 prequel book to the full series. Though it may sound daunting, I promise that if you are a Fantasy fan, you will not be disappointed!
Throne of Glass starts in the salt mines of Endovier within the fictional world of Erilea. Celeana Sardothian, an infamous teenage assassin who was sentenced to life in prison is mysteriously brought before Prince Dorian, who has an interesting proposition for her. The offer is freedom from the salt mines if Celeana agrees to participate in, and win, a competition to find an assassin who can serve the royal family of Adarlan. Seeing the opportunity of a lifetime, Celeana agrees and is given tentative freedom as she trains and competes against other assassins, warriors and thieves.
Having been in the salt mines for a year, Celeana works with Captain Westfall, to build back her strength, knowing that if she doesn’t win this competition, she will be sent back to Endovier to likely die. Though she hates everything about Adarlan and the corrupt King, Celeana finds herself warming up to not only Captain Westfall, but also Prince Dorian. Plans to flee at the first chance start to change and as Celeana’s strength grows, so does her desire to win the competition, serve as the royal assassin for 4 years and then start a new life.
Things take a turn when other contestants in the competition start to turn up dead. Fears of going back to Endovier are quickly overshadowed by the fear of becoming the killers next victim. As Celeana investigates, she uncovers secrets of the corrupt world she once belonged to and the past, which was locked up tightly in Celeana’s mind, comes screeching to the forefront – not to be ignored any longer.
BUY THE BOOK
I love a strong female protagonist, and Celeana fits the bill. Not only is she smart and beautiful, but she is Adarlan’s most infamous and successful assassin. This book draws you in from the first page and it’s almost impossible to put down. Everybody loves a makeover montage, and Celeana gets a makeover fit for a princess – or should I say Queen. What I really love is that the first few books barely even scratch the surface of the world of Adarlan. As you get deeper into the series, the story is built out in so much detail that it truly comes to life.
I especially love that there are so many intricate and unique story lines going on. You have a mysterious assassin who has “a particular set of skills”. How in the world does an 18-year old girl come to know how to do some of the most terrible things? Celeana’s backstory, and how it is slowly revealed, is an entire story unto itself. Then there is the question of the King. How could someone so corrupt and evil create a wonderful man like Prince Dorian? Then, we have the love triangle between Celeana, Prince Dorian and Captain Westfall. What starts as innocent infatuation is just an ember of what is to come later in the series.
I will leave this review here so that I don’t give away any spoilers! I will be reviewing the rest of the book series in separate blog posts so that you can read them as you go! If you’ve read ToG and want to chat further, leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram – Let’s chat!
Thank you for stopping by! Happy reading!
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