The numerous positive reviews about this novel was what promoted me to read it.
I've always been a huge fan of fantasy novels, but it is so difficult to find an author who can craft an astounding plot for a fantasy novel.
However, it is quite the opposite for Sarah J. Maas, because not only did this book receive stunning reviews, readers and critics alike all had something positive to say about either the complexity of the fantasy world in the book, which I must add provided the much needed flair and suspense to readers or the strong female lead, which is always my Achilles heel for totally falling in love with any author or her works.
Don't worry I won't keep you in suspense. ’Throne of Glass' is a young adult fantasy series with main character, Celaena Sardothien, one of the most feared assassins in the kingdom of Adarlan.
However, being feared doesn't guarantee her freedom, because since magic disappeared, her homeland, Terrasen, fell to the king of Adarlan, who resides in an impermeable glass castle.
This book is part of a series, and the first book in the series shows Celaena getting hauled out of a prison in the salt mines by crown Prince Dorian, and the captain of guard, Westfall, who offers her an impossible chance at freedom if she wins a cruel competition by the King and serves him for four years.
What starts as a quest for her freedom, becomes something bigger as she realizes that beyond the king's cruel ambitions, there are darker forces at play.
Things start to get interesting when the crown Prince starts to show interest in her, but we might be facing a potential love triangle, as Celaena believes the gruff Captain Westfall is who understands her best.
Calaena must begin to figure out how not to get killed, when the bodies of her competitors start being found around the castle with their organs missing and strange marks written in blood on the walls, and also navigate her feelings for the two men.
It is rare to see a fantasy novel, where the female lead carries on strongly. Most fantasy authors have a bias towards making male lead appear as the stronger ones, but I was deeply impressed by how strong the author portrayed Celaena to be.
However, strength might also mean being immune to the weakness that love offers, because while Celaena is trained to be a strong warrior, she is not taught how to court and navigate the interaction with the flirtatious Prince Dorian, and her gruff but endearing interaction with the scowling and never smiling Westfall.
There were things that stood out in this book for me.
One of them, was that the plot never got boring.
I've always been of the school of thought that fantasies both in books and in mind are best enjoyed when they are short.
However, I found myself loving the plot, and the characters alike.
It didn't matter that this book is part of a long line of series that complement each other, it is quite easy to just flow in without reading it's prequel.
I'll like to believe that if this book was enjoyable, the other books in the series would be too.
Do I recommend this book? I absolutely do. It is one of those books for a fun and quick read, and if you're a love of fantasy romance, then you've found your home.