About this book:

Title: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, YA

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Publication date: August 2012

Paperback: 416 pages

Blurb:

After serving out a year of hard labour in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Čeladná figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could have imagined.

My Review:

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Throne of Glass is the first volume in the series with the same name and tells Celaena Sardothien's story after the Crown Prince releases her from the Endovier mines. She is going to enter a fierce competition to become the King's champion and if she cannot win, Celaena will have to return to the mines.

Raised as an assassin, Celaena has a notorious reputation at only eighteen years old, because of her formidable abilities. Her character is complex and in continuous evolution. She develops from all points of view, making allies, but also enemies. She falls in love, then suffers, but Celaena always gathers herself up, with a smile full of self-confidence on her lips.

The action is alert, loaded with meaningful dialogues, but also humour, sarcasm and intense fight scenes. The events in this book take place mainly in the king's castle and are wrapped in mystery, which makes the plot even more intriguing. The king is also a very mysterious character, who hides many secrets. He shows no signs of vulnerability, being much smarter than others think. He is thirsty for power and he won't let anything or anyone stand in his way. As in most young adult books, there is also a romantic interest, but I liked that in this book it was not the primary focus. A love triangle develops between Celaena, Dorian and Chaol, but most of all I enjoyed seeing them bond and build a tight friendship.

The book is very well written, and the story is captivating in every way. It's the beginning of an exciting adventure full of magic, mystery and a bit of romance, and I'm looking forward to continuing reading the saga!