Throne of Glass #1
by Sara J. Maas
Review by Susan Stradiotto
An Assassin in the Hunger Games
Throne of Glass has been on my TBR list for some time, and I finally found the time to read/listen to it. I’ve read a number of reviews, although that typically doesn’t sway me toward or away from reading a book that sounds this good. Happily, I found it absolutely worth the read! The one thing I will say to all those reviewers who were expecting a GOT-type fantasy is…
Why?
This is a YA fantasy, and it hits all of those key points. A teen who is independent, a bit of romance, and a good deal of adventure.
Throne of Glass Summary (Spoiler Free)
Celaena is a teenage assassin who has been imprisoned before the beginning of the book. She is offered a chance for freedom, but there is a price. She must defend someone and something she despises–the king and empire who oppressed her home. This makes for a compelling motivation for anyone, teen or otherwise.
Along the way, there are a number of other interesting characters, all of which are well-made.
- The guard charged with tending her is also the best friend of the prince who nominates Celaena as his candidate for the Champion. Can you see the love triangle in the making?
- The prince. What YA fantasy is complete without a prince?
- The girl who desperately wants the favor of the prince.
- A princess from a neighboring land who mistrusts everyone in the castle, but befriends Celaena. I see another love triangle in the following books…
- The Fae queen.
- Celaena’s competition in the games to become the King’s champion.
People are plotting against Celaena throughout the story, and it culminates nicely. Although, I will leave that part out of my summary.
What I loved about Throne of Glass!
The characters outside of Celaena. Nehemia might be one of my favorites with her subtle cunningness from the beginning.
“It was originally a defense,” Nehemia said, … . “You’d be surprised how much people are willing to reveal when they think you can’t understand them. But with each day that I pretended to not know anything, being around became harder and harder.”
p. 378
Kaltain was an annoying character, who provided a nice aside to the story. While her conniving made her involvement somewhat predictable, the twist made her role in the story a good addition.
The “other” beings present in the world. I wanted more of this. The quotes I really wanted to include from Throne of Glass might have given away too much of the story, but I thought this bit of banter early on was fun…
“I’d watch your tongues,” Celaena snapped. “King Brannon was Fae, and Oakwald is still his. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the trees remember him.”
The soldiers laughed. “They’d have to be two thousand years old them trees!” said one.
“Fae are immortal,” she said.
“Trees ain’t.”
“Bristling, Celaena shook her head and took another small forkful of food.
p. 29
The Champion thing was an interesting concept. It brought an almost Hunger Games feeling though not as dire. After all, these Champions earned their places more than the children in the Hunger Games. Also, it played a big role in the book but was more of the setting and driver of conflict than the main point of the story.
What could have been better?
My biggest complaint in the story was the Main Character’s age versus how experienced she was. I understand that it’s YA, therefore, the main character needs to be a teenager. But…but…but…
…the Champions stood gathered around Brullo, who lectured them on different weapons and other nonsense she’d [Celaena] learned years ago.
p. 122
The above quote took me a bit off guard, and some of the other reviews have mentioned similar things about the main character. If she’s only 18, how many years could she really be talking?
All-in-all
Throne of Glass is worth the read, It has some great positives, and if the main character had been stronger, it could have drawn a 5-star. To those who haven’t read it yet and intend to, keep in mind that it is YA and go in with appropriate expectations.
Check out Sara J. Maas’s website. She’s quite prolific, and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Or grab your copy of Throne of Glass here:
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Comments (2)
Hi! TOG is one of my favorite series. I agree that Celaena seemed too mature for her age but to be honest, it’s the reason why I love her. Also, there’s a prequel novella that explains why Celaena seemed as experienced as she is. I can’t wait for you to finish the whole series! I’m excited to read more (hopefully) of your reviews for the whole series.
Btw, I love your site. I’m researching for worldbuilding and it looks like you have great resources here (I only read one article besides this, so far.)
Thanks for reviewing TOG and for the information I’ll hopefully gain from your site. Keep safe and healthy!
Regards,
Sowai
Hi Sowai!
Thanks for writing. That’s interesting about the novella. I’ll definitely check that out as well as the rest of the series. Also, thanks for the kind words on my site. It’s a true passion, so it warms my heart when people find it useful in their own creative process.
Best,
Susan