Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Author:  Sarah J. Maas

Pages:  416

Publisher:  Bloomsbury

Genre:  Fantasy

Release:  August 7th 2012
Source: BEA

Buy the Book at: Book Depository / Indigo Chapters

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.

A Phenomenal Fantasy Debut!

Throne of Glass is a magnificent debut novel that will certainly become one of the best fantasy releases of the year! Yes, Sarah J. Mass is THAT good! The captivating storytelling and the gorgeous fantasy world she created will engross readers in a unique, wondrous and unforgettable fantasy adventure!

For a year, Celaena's been a slave at the horrible and torturous Endovier prison. One day, the captain of the king's guard and the crowned Prince himself, takes her out of there to make her compete against 22 strong and badass men. But what would she gain from that?... Her freedom! but first (and if she wins) she'll have to become the King's champion and serve him for four years.

At a very early point of the book the story takes off and then it never stopped surprising me. It is incredible how engaging my reading experience was while reading Throne of Glass. The plot of this wondrous fantasy novel is absolutely exhilarating. The world and atmosphere is brilliantly well built, and the characters are extremely charismatic. Celaena is one heroine like no other! Besides being kick-ass, smart, and really pretty, her flirting and mischievous personality totally makes her stand out of the pages! She just rocks in every single way. Then, there is Chaol. He is the captain of the guard and Prince Dorian's best friend. Chaol is one of the best and most captivating, intelligent and intriguing male characters I have read in a while! Also, there is also Prince Dorian whose charms will captivate every reader from the very first moment he shows up. Of course, with these two stunning males there is also a love triangle. However, this love triangle is bound by loyalty and good sentiments among the three characters. In other words, nobody is fighting over someone. Loyalty isn't breached by love and I really adore this powerful aspect of the story. I think this love triangle is very unique compared to the many others we can find in YA today. Having said that, Throne of Glass is a fabulous and exquisite fantasy that will steal every reader's heart! 

Finally, I don't think I need to mention anything about the competition to become the king's champions, nor anything about the many heart-racing or breathtaking events that occurs while Celaena is at the Glass Castle. I think that readers must pick-up this book as soon as it comes out, and discover by themselves all the wonders that this exceptionally well-written fantasy has to offer!

Throne of Glass is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. The plot, the world, the characters, the mythology and the religious aspects are just some of the things that make this book so deliciously rich. The historical and cultural background will fascinate readers and hook them from the very first page until the last. And the charming and authentic characters will certainly imprint their mark in every reader's heart. Throne of Glass is a phenomenal debut novel and, of course, a must-read that nobody should miss.

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Visit the author's website at http://sarahjmaas.com