Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Publication Date: August 02, 2012
Pages: 404
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Source: Gift
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SYNOPSIS
"Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin."

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.

And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

MY REVIEW
I am so late to jump on the Throne of Glass bandwagon. I am seriously kicking myself for not reading this sooner! I blame my love for serial series binge reading. At any rate, I finally decided it was time to sit down and see what all the fuss is about. I was gratifyingly astonished. This is a story that grips you right from the start.

The characters in this book are so complex. They are fleshed out extremely well. There is so much involved with each character. So much backstory and so much emotion. Connecting the dots to these characters is exhilarating. Once you find out something new you are floored! And how the pieces of each character fit together is magical. I have to applaud Maas for the beautiful complexity of the layers of the characters. I am just so in love with them.

This world is grand. The world building has such exquisite detail. It is beautifully constructed and exciting to see unfold as the story goes on. As with the characters, the world housed inside this book is complex and labyrinthine. Everything builds upon something else. I am just in awe of all the details.

The writing itself was lovely. The words are woven so smoothly and beautifully. I was in awe.

I love how this fantasy went towards a darker path. While I love the latter, I enjoyed something new. The backdrop of something darker transpiring behind the scenes was a pleasant surprise.

This story is brilliant! If you are afraid to read this because of all the hype then you are truly missing out. Give this a chance. This book will surprise you in all the best ways. Prepare to have a new favorite fandom! This series is certainly now one of mine.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

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