Review: Throne of Glass

TWO MEN LOVE HER

THE WHOLE LAND FEARS HER

ONLY SHE CAN SAVE THEM ALL

"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 come 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 the land, she will be the King's Champion and be released from prision.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Capitan of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a foreign land will be 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 evil before it destroys her world.

I had been dying to read this book the moment I read the blurb and it captivated me. I was ready for a book about a kick-ass assassin and a book full of action and mysterious deaths. I did not see the huge role of magic coming for this book and was a bit disappointed that it wasn't really about all the assassin-y skills and the combat. This book was wonderful, but not what I had in my mind when I started and not what I had wanted to read at the time so I think it made me enjoy it less than I could have had I read it at a time when I wanted a book about magic and fantasy.

First off I loved the two male leads, from the moment I met them both, I knew I wouldn't be able to decide which of these boys I liked best. Chaol, the Capitan of the Guard, was the cold and responsible man, he could understand parts of Celaena and yet he had no hope of understanding all of her. Dorian, the Crown Prince, is the charmer and sexy royal who was witty, kind and smart. Throughout the whole book, I had moments where I like one more than the other and vice versa, but I can't choose who I like best, however I do hope she ends up with the prince.

Celaena is an interesting character. She's dangerous and smart, yet you can see plain as day that she lets her emotions from the past control her too much. She has weaknesses and she has strengths, it was great fun to read about her funny and smart conversations with the prince (especially when they shame the annoying lady) and just as much fun to read about her vainness.

One thing I think the author could have done better was make the reader connect more with the characters. Celaena wasn't too inspiring or kick-ass, she was the main character yet I didn't root for her as much as I thought I would. The two boys, Dorian and Chaol, definitely had potential to become characters who could make the readers fall head over heels in love with them, yet I can't say they were that intriguing or if they invoked strong emotions from me. I love a book which could make me love the characters more than anything (I've read about many characters who still have me enchanted long after I've finished the book), but sadly the author didn't try to build a connection between the reader and character very much.

Overall it was an interesting read, I didn't expect what I got, but I still had fun reading it. I'd recommend this book to those who like a mystery involving magic and monsters.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars