"Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world."
~~~
About 4 years ago, I was browsing the library for new books to read in the YA section. That was when I first came across Throne of Glass. The book cover interested me, and the synopsis intrigued me. So I decided to bring it home with me and give it a try.I remember opening the book and not wanting to do anything else in my life. Because that was it, I needed to know everything there was about this beautiful magical mythical world that the author had created. I needed to know more about this intriguing young woman who was the main character and what her life had been like.
We meet Celaena Sardothien while she's being moved from a prison / slave camp called Endovier. When I picture that I camp, I picture what was done to the Jews in the death camps. Pushed and forced to work until they were weak. Little did I know that Celaena was a total and complete bad ass, who had once almost - ALMOST - escaped this prison - the term she uses is "she snapped". Little does she know that in order to gain her "freedom" she has to compete to become the Kings' Champion - the same king that had punished her and sent her to this slave camp.
This is when she meets the Captain of the Guard - Chaol Westfall & Dorian Havilliard - Prince of Adarlan. They are both beautiful you men in their own way.
Little did I know how much I would fall in love with the characters - and not just the men. They were more meh. But with Celaena - her strength, courage, rage and compassion. Because even though she endured hell in her life, she was still able to find beauty in things. Like in reading books. Or finding a true friend in Princess Nehemia Ytger - Crown Princess of Eyllwe. A young lovely woman who was sent by her parents to try and learn the customs of Adarlan - the conquering nation of their lands.
The trials that she literally had to go through in order to survive are out of this world. Having to become an assassin at such a young age, training from the time that she was a little girl just to survive.
Although Prince Dorian is portrayed as more of a Playboy, ladies man - he seems to tone it down when Celaena comes into his world. Because there is something about her that calls to him and makes him want to be a better person / man. He tries to keep his distance at first, but can't seem to be able to do so. And even though going against his father, the King would cost him his life, he seems to find small ways to rebel against him. Like choosing Celaena to become his Champion for the competition.
Then there is Chaol Westfall - the always serious always brooding Captain of the Guard. His sole purpose in life is to serve the King and the Prince - even if it costs him his life. But little by little, Celaena seems to chip away at his armor -without him realizing it. He goes from being a brute and dead set on keeping his distance to completely caring for her.
I love the fact that I can literally loose myself within this world. What SJ Maas has created is beautiful and wonderful. The book is full of adventure, life and death situations - and romance. Because what is a YA book without the romance. I love that there were moments where I was literally on the edge of my seat while reading the encounters that our Assassin was going through.
Mind you, this is probably the 4th time that I've read this book, so just imagine how much more I'm enjoying the book. Because even though I 've experienced it many time, there are still new things that I'm discovering of realizing!
And even though I've read the book as many times as I have, I still feel a little sad for the ending. Not because she won the competition and became the Champion and proved herself. But because of whose heart was broken. I know that he wasn't right for her, but there is always that sadness that he has to deal with the heartbreak and the doubt that he was only being used.