Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Name: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 416.
Publication: 7th August 2012/Bloomsbury USA Children's
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
Pre-Order It: Amazon

"After serving out a year of hard labor 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 kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. 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 Celaena 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 possibly have imagined."

Review.

The story revolves around eighteen year old Celaena Sardothien who happens to hold the infamous title of Adarlan's most notorious assassin even if she did get caught due to a betrayal. She is serving out her dues in a salt mine to pay for her crimes. After a year a servitude, Celaena is called upon  by Prince Dorian who gives her a proposition: eventual freedom or to continue serving in the salt mines. However this eventual freedom comes with a price, she must fight against 23 other participants in a tournament held in the King's castle. With the skills Celaena has, that should not too hard, except when participants start turning up dead, Celaena discovers that is there more going on in the castle than she expected.

Celaena, for me, is the epitome of awesome. She is deadly. Yet, she eats like a horse even though she knows she probably will not hold it down after her run. She is very passionate and fierce often letting her temper get the better of her in a duel. She has a sharp wit and can tear you down with words as well as with knives. However, this being said, Celaena is also quite feminine and takes her appearance quite seriously. Celaena is relatable, it is seen when parts of her back-story come to light. She is not a cold-blooded killing machine. She cares for others, even people who she should not care for.  What I love about Celaena is how despite being captured for the past year, she still thinks like an assassin. She takes in her surroundings as well as thinking about how she could take out the people around her. I liked reading those scenes. What does that say about me, huh? :P

The other main characters, Prince Dorian and Captain Chaol Westfall were great. The handsome and flirtatious Prince Dorian, is intrigued by Celaena and believes she can win this competition for him. Then there is the ruggedly handsome Chaol, Celaena's training partner. Chaol is weary of Celaena and Dorian's blossoming friendship for he cannot forget that beneath that pretty face is girl who can probably kill you in many different ways all while making them look like an accident. Yet, will his opinion change when he starts to know the feisty assassin better? Other characters such the mysterious and beautiful Princess Nehemia as well as the bitter Katlain whose one mission is to become Prince Dorian's Princess.

Throne of Glass is up there with the quality of writing from Kirsten Cashore's Graceling and R.L. LaFevers's Grave Mercy. It is well paced and will have you tearing through the pages to find out what happens next.

Final Thought.

A must read. Completely enthralling, you will find yourself mesmerized by this story of survival, hope, myth and freedom.