Throne of Glass

This was a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. 
I thought the characters were brilliant and I was always wondering what going to happen next and who reading havoc. I wasn't however suprised to find out who it was though, both me and my friend saw it coming. 
Definitely going to carry on reading the series and would recommend to others

This book was fast paced the dialogue was really good and witty. I like that the main character is strong physically and emotionally and she is able to make decisions for herself and not just be a lovesick puppy. (At least at this point) What I did not like about this book is that the end wrapped up super fast. I feel like a little more time could have been spent on that, also more time spent on the test she had to go through. The author only said what it was and the results of the test. I felt good while reading this book felt like the start of a new romance and the gettingess that comes with it. I also felt the tension between the two love interests. I feel like this book taught me to always be strong and to never give up. It taught me to keep fighting to the end especially for something that is important to you. Also to choose for yourself and don't make decisions just to benefit other people. My favorite character was Celaena she is a strong female character and she's smart and I can think for herself.

Ugh. I don't get the hype around this one. Barely any world-building. Lots of telling instead of showing. The characters all felt very flat and I didn't really care for any of them (except for Nehemia, give me more Nehemia). The romance/love triangle was rushed and forced and so over the top for the first book in a six book series. Let your characters get to know each other before you try to shove romance down their (and my) throats, please. Everyone being gorgeous and getting lost in each other's eyes does not equal good romance. The plot was predictable and quite slow-paced for a book that's supposed to be about an assassin and a competition of fighting skills. I think half the book took place in Celaena's bedroom.

Also, the very strange and generous use of exclamation points was annoying!

The last 20% did pick up a little and I've heard the second book is much better, so I might give it a shot. Maybe. We'll see.

I love the premise of this story. Cinderella as an assassin. The premise alone sold the story too me. I am quite late to the party for Sarah J. Maas. This is the first story of hers I have had the pleasure to read. Often I am quite dismissive of YA, but this was a YA story that grabbed me as an adult to. Genuinely an entertaining tale. Yes, it has some of the teen angst that all YA books have, but this was in the background. The story took the front stage and the story shone.

Maas has a very readable writing style. It draws you in a nice easy way. The characters are likable, but with depth and nuance. This elevates the writing to a much higher level, really allowing the story to come to the fore.

It is nice to start with a character who is already a fully trained and adept assassin. Coming of age stories are very much a trope, so this neatly does away with that.

I thoroughly enjoyed Throne of Glass. I will have to pick up the rest of the series and where this goes!

What to say? My expectations were quite high, but it worth it. The book was awesome. I was afraid, because before, Throne of Glass was compared to Hunger Games (which I haven't read yet). I saw Hunger Games as film and I have to say, that this is really something different... and I loved it! The characters were likeable, especially love triangle Celeana, Dorian and Chaol. But I can't wait for the second book, because I think that there is much more in Nehemia or The King and I think they will make some storm in Erilea soon... :)

Realmente no sé que decir, me gustó un montón pero a la vez es como que me faltó algo (el amor con chaol jaksldjaksdsa).

Mentira, realmente me gustó mucho esta primera parte del libro, amo a Celaena y a Chaol (Dorian no lo quiero tanto aun), y bueno Nehemia es una diosa. Quiero seguir leyendo antes de dar mi opinión en si.

Así que a ver que me depara el destino xd

AUGUST 2023;

Loved this book, still as good. You can see Sarah's earlier writing, but it gets better trough the book. 4,5 stars

OCTOBER 2021 REVIEW:

I really loved this book, again. It has been some time but I was ready for a re-read. Celaena was really whiney in the beginning and I hated that. Sarah's writing felt very young and she wrote with a lot of exclamation marks. I understand that she wrote it a long time ago, but it felt really young and low quality in some way. It was a lot less of She? How dare he! About a quarter into the book, so that was good.

Also, fleetfoot. Just fleetfoot. We all love fleetfoot. Fight me if you don't.


JANUARY 2018 REVIEW:

I need to admit that I forgot a big part of the book. But the things that's I had forgotten made the book so much better. God I love Sarah J Maas. All hail the Queen bows to Sarah

~Full review on The Bent Bookworm!~I have done my best to avoid spoilers and there are definitely no plot spoilers! However if you don't want to know ANYTHING about the characters you might not want to read.[b:Throne of Glass 7896527 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) Sarah J. Maas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495278054l/7896527.SY75.jpg 11138426] launches us into what promises to be an epic fantasy adventure. I love the way we're immediately thrown in with Celaena in a dangerous, scary situation because I, naturally, want to know HOW THE FUCK she ended up there. Also how she can seem to be so young and yet so skilled, so brutal...and yet so obsessed with frilly dresses.Both of these are totally Celaena. I'm still not sure how she does it or why, especially as she even notes that all the layers of skirts hamper her fighting skills. Only somehow she doesn't seem to get caught in particularly bad situations while all dolled up. Hmm.The forest was different here. The leaves dangled like jewels – tiny droplets of ruby, pearl, topaz, amethyst, emerald, and garnet; and a carpet of such riches coated the forest floor around them. Despite the ravages of conquest, this part of Oakwald Forest remained untouched. It still echoed with the remnants of the power that had once given these trees such unnatural beauty.Maas has created a beautiful world that is by turns thrilling, intriguing, and terrifying. I would like to visit, but retain the option to return to my own world with the push of a button.

This review contains spoilers for books one through six in the series! You have been warned!

Random Shit I Wrote Down In My Notes While Re-Reading Throne Of Glass Because I Have Limited Internet Access Right Now:

• This is not as well-written as I remember. Not that I thought it was well-written the first time I read this, but compared to SJM's more recent works this is very poorly-written
• I'm reminding myself that (a) this is SJM's first work and she has a better editor now and (b) what comes in the next books is so worth it so I can get through this
• Why does SJM keep using exclamation points everywhere it's driving me nuts
• I literally remember nothing about this except for Celaena being in the mines and winning the competition
• I keep asking myself ‘Where is Rowan? When is Rowan coming?' only to be reminded of the harsh reality that he does not appear until Heir Of Fire :(
• Nehemia my luv

EDIT: Re-read no.1 done

That was a difficult read with all my migraines but quite enjoyable. I would have to give it 3.5 stars or 4, not quite sure yet.

Update: I have confirmed that it is, in fact, 4 stars.

It had adventure, albeit in a castle, but I was all here for it. The pace was pretty normal which can be a bit painful, since it's over roughly 4 months I would say it drags a bit more than one would want.

Celaena Sardothien, is there anything better than her (fake) name, well.... there is and he comes with the name Dorian Havilliard.
Now, this is an unpopular opinion but I quite like Dorian. Other people may be thinking that Chaol is everything amazing but he was genuinely anything but a love interest in this book even though Maas hints heavily to their romance.

—”Celaena remained watching the door, even after Chaol had shut it behind him.”—
Even with Dorian right there, she continues looking to where Chaol left. It was blatantly obvious from then on. Other hints had been when Chaol gave her the ring after chucking Dorian out of the room, as well as often getting jealous of Dorian and Celaena spending time with each other.
One can only imagine how the next book goes.

Now, the element of mystery kept things interesting. I always knew Nehemia was good, but I always had my bets on Duke Perrington being the one summoning these monstrous demon-like spawn. Most of it was down to how he was described, his eyes shifting between light and dark, good and evil. Other parts of it involved knowing that Cain's size increased almost day by day. He seemed the most suspicious and the one with the most to lose.
However, now that I know it was Cain who used magic and wyrdmarks for evil, I can still understand and yet still come to the same conclusion. Duke Perrington is evil, I call it even now.
—”“Your manipulation of Kaltain was interesting,” said the king at last. Perrington remained kneeling. “Were you using the power on her?”
“No; I've relaxed it recently, as you suggested,” the duke replied, rotating the obsidian ring around his thick finger.”—

Now, onto the next book... Hopefully

Three stars for this book specifically, but 4-5 on average for the series as a whole.

This is a fine book one, but it's doing a lot of heavy lifting to set up the rest of the series. SJM's big three all have wildly different tones, so I would advise not going into this with the expectation that it's going to be “ACOTAR with different characters”. This is more fantasy forward. It's a strong series but I don't think it really hits its stride until you start getting into book three.

Unpopular opinion: I think it's fine to skip this series if you aren't enjoying it. It's a lot of books, and while I love them and think it's worth it, they're just not going to be for everyone. The consequences of not reading it are minimal in the grand scheme of things.

I'm reviewing this off a reread, so I tried to rate it objectively even though I know where the potential pays off.

This is a captivating fantasy novel that truly shines in its magical elements and world-building. SJM creates a rich, immersive universe filled with intrigue and wonder. The magical system is intricately designed, offering a unique take that keeps readers engaged and curious. The detailed settings, from opulent palaces to mystical landscapes, are vividly described, transporting readers directly into the story's heart. While the character development and pacing might not appeal to everyone, the strength of the magical elements and the complexity of the world more than make up for it. This book is a must-read for fans of fantasy who appreciate a well-crafted magical universe.

A lot of people may not like her writing style after reading her later works but it was nice to get through especially considering SJM was 16 when this was written.

I enjoyed the book, it was a little bit introductory but I know that it's the first book in a series so that is its function.
I enjoyed reading how Celaena thinks and how she seems to be cruel and ruthless but deep inside she is worried, scared and sweet, maybe it's a strange that personality in a murderer but I like it.
The plot is slow but at the end is fast and more interesting, it gets better at the end of the book XD
I want to know more about Celaena, Dorian and Chaol (specially Chaol -) and the king (because I hate him) and Perrington (bacuse I hate him) so I'll be readig soon the next books in the series