Throne of Glass Review

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King’s Champion and be released from prison. 

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.
And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she’d have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle–and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival–and a desperate quest to root out the source of evil before it destroys her world.

I’d like to start this review by congratulating Bloomsbury UK on such a kick ass cover and one that in my humble opinion, far exceeds the US cover (if only they could have made it hardback!!!!) I’m now thinking there should be a special UK hardback edition, yes?  I really don’t know where to start other than saying that I thought Throne of Glass was EXCELLENT – the characterisation, the character arcs, the plot, even the bloody book cover is SPOT ON and this has definitely become one of my favourite YA novels of all time. 

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, Throne of Glass is a YA fantasy novel told from the eyes of a teenage girl called Celaena but she’s no ordinary teenage girl.  She’s one of the fiercest assassins in the land with a reputation to match but she’s currently locked up as a slave in the deadly salt mines. One day, the prince makes her an offer she can’t refuse – to act as his champion in a contest to find a royal assassin.  If she wins, she serves the kingdom for three years and then, she’s free to go.  But it’s not that simple, especially when other contestants start dying in mysterious circumstances.  Throw in a couple of suitors by way of the Captain of the Guard and the prince himself, as well as a sprinkle of magic and you’ve got a hell of a story on your hands.

This book was epic and I’m very proud to say that I did not need the pronunciation guide on Sarah’s website.  With regards to the love interests, it was very difficult to decide which team to be on.  Before you get your panties in a twist, there isn’t a love triangle as such but the prince and the Captain of the Guard cannot help but feel attracted to the beautiful assassin.  She unwittingly captures both of their attentions and each of them has something to offer.  Prince Dorian has a charm about him, a confidence in a way although he gives himself away with his occasional blushes which are ADORABLE by the way.  And then we’ve got Chaol (the Captain of the Guard) who falls for her against his better judgement although really, I’m not sure either of them realise that.  I love the fact that we can see it in the words unspoken.  Prince Dorian is more unguarded with his feelings, more boyish whereas Chaol is cautious as ever as experience has taught him to be.

There weren’t a lot of secondary characters that really stood out for me besides Nehemia and really, I’m just glad that Celenea found an ally in her. 

I’m not going to say very much about the plot but trust me when I tell you that you have to discover it yourself and what you find, will surprise you.  Can I just say as well that it's fantastic to have such a strong, female character and I enjoyed every second of her story.

Throne of Glass was an impressive debut that far exceeded my expectations. I loved everything about the book and I can’t wait to dive back into this world when the sequel Crown of Midnight is published this year. 

Throne of Glass was published on 2nd August, 2012 in the UK and 7th August, 2012 in the US.  To find out more about Sarah and her books, please click here to visit her website.   It’s also worth checking out the book’s facebook page as there is exclusive content and competitions on there.  And as if that wasn’t enough, there are FOUR (yes, four, count them) novella’s available exclusively as ebooks to keep you entertained either before or after reading Throne of Glass.