Summary: From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
Pages: 418
Goodreads Rating: 4.52/ 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, High Fantasy
Series: #2 in Throne of Glass
Wow, okay, so you know how we leave reviews for books we've read and secretly hope that the writer will take into account our constructive criticism and concerns? Yeah, well, I feel as though Maas must have done some lurking through the comment section underneath Throne of Glass because her writing has improved immensely! A hundred times over! Ever critique that I had listed was addressed or improved upon, in some way. And, I know for a fact that I am not the only reviewer that feels this way. It's always amazing when an author's writing undergoes a vast and necessary improvement.
And, while the romance was large and somewhat in charge throughout the book, it wasn't irritating or weak. It was steady, fluid, and above all, believable. However, I could have very easily done without the relationship drama towards the end. But, I'm assuming that the messy and awkward "breakup" was Maas' way of separating Celaena and Chaol, so that the two of them could go their separate ways for a bit to find and better understand their individual journeys and purposes.
I wouldn't really go so far as to say that any of the characters have had major character growth, yet. It would seem as though Dorian will be the first character that will be undergoing a large personal change and growth, with Celaena and Chaol not too far behind with their own journeys. So perhaps Heir of Fire, will be the book that presents us with more of a developed depth for both the characters and the plot, itself.
The descriptiveness and the scenarios were easy enough to bring to life in your mind, as well as believe. CoM was beyond enjoyable, which isn't something that I say often when discussing YA books.
My only frustration with this book was the amount of avoidance.
- Ignore and avoid the potential rebel movement forming right beneath your nose.
- Ignore and avoid the dead queen, with the wise advice.
- Ignore and avoid your undeniable love for the captain of the guard.
- Ignore and avoid your past (and true name).
- Ignore and avoid your heritage and inheritance.
Celaena Sardothien is not only a master assassin, but also a master in the art of avoidance. Slightly annoying, but not enough so as to detract from the whole of the book. Overall it was great! My Goodreads Rating: 4.5/ 5 stars.
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