Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is the first in the series of the same name. It takes places in the kingdom of Adarlan where the king has outlawed all magic, and it systematically taking over all the surrounding lands so that he can rule all of Erilea.
Celaena Sardothien is the Adarlan's Assassin, and when she was betrayed, she was sent to the brutal work prison of Endovier. To her surprise, Crown Prince Dorian comes and offers her freedom if she will be his champion in the king's contest to find one.
When Celaena arrives at the glass castle, she finds not all is what it seems. The prince, and the Captain of the Guard, Choal, are more than what she expected. She befriends the Princess from Eyllwe, Nehemia. As she trains for the Test in the contest, someone or something is picking off the other champions one by one. Not only must Celaena win her freedom, but she must fight for her life and unravel who is behind the mysterious happenings in the castle.
I found the style and characters of this book reminded me a lot of Kristin Cashore's Graceling, which I adore. This has a lovely mix of action, intrigue, and just a touch of romance. The character of Celaena is just the right mix of a harden assassin and a vulnerable heart, plus there is the added mystery of her past. I have some theories on who she is, but I would love to hear from others on their thoughts about that.
The whole love triangle between Celaena, Dorian, and Choal does feel a little forced at times, and think that is because it really does not seem her and Dorian fit. Choal appears to understand her more than Dorian, even if he the more standoffish of the two. Just based on her actions in the book, I feel if she had been forced to chose now, it would have been Choal.
I liked the friendship between Celaena and Nehemia. I think it is important to have strong friends in books, because for me, it is friends more than lovers that see you through the rough patches. While Celaena and Nehemia have a few ups and downs, I felt they were an excellent representation of friendship.
The way Ms. Maas sets up the ending, and the hints she drops not only about Celaena's past, but what the King is planning, should make this a very interesting series to read.
Currently Reading:
Uglies
by Scott Westerfeld
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