If you love this book, you might not want to read ahead. A lot of unpopular opinions are about to spew from my lips…er fingers.
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication Date: August 7th, 2012
Series: Throne of Glass, #2
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 2/5
It all starts with the cover. At first glance, you see it, and you’re blown away. It looks so bad-ass and awesome! But then you look closer, and you realize it’s actually ridiculous. How can anyone possibly fight with all that long hair flying everywhere?
And don’t even get me started on those pants. They look great…till you realize that if this was real life, her pants would be falling off her butt, they’re slung so low! I can’t even look at them.
Girl, your pants are falling off!
And this is where my eye rolling began.
Quick sypnosis: Celaena is the most notorious assassin in all the land. She’s spent the last year in a brutal prison, sentenced for life. When she is summoned to the king’s castle, she is given an offer she can’t refuse. Compete with 23 other soldiers, killers, and thieves for the chance to become the King’s Champion and win her freedom.
I didn’t like this book. I really did not like it at all.
My experience with the cover art was basically my experience with the book. I expected some gritty, hardcore, assassin action-packed novel. That’s not what I got.
Calaena isn’t an assassin. She’s a fluff ball!
This quote says it all:
“How had she gone from the most feared prisoner in Endovier to this sappy mess?”
Yeah, that’s what I’m wondering too.
Celaena doesn’t spend more than five minutes in the castle without bemoaning about her looks and wondering if the Prince and Captain of the Guard are attracted to her. Maybe this is just me, but I generally expect captive assassins to be planning and plotting, not weeping over her dirty fingernails.
My suspension of disbelief was completely shattered right away. I didn’t believe for two seconds that Celaena was this awesome assassin.
When she wasn’t flitting around in pretty dresses and thinking about the Crown Prince, the rest of the novel she usually spent cussing out people and throwing inanimate objects at them, which naturally the Prince and the Captain of the Guard were just smitten with. Okay, I’m sorry but if the guy I liked was chucking books at my head, I wouldn’t be into that.
Don’t get me wrong. I like saucy, strong, independent women, but temper tantrums in adults are not cute, or at least don’t stay cute for very long. Sorry. Sorry I’m not sorry.
Speaking of the Crown Prince, Dorian, I can’t stand him. He’s a womanizer who then bemoans about how all he wants in life is true love. Hey, here’s a thought, Dorian. Maybe if you spent less time objectifying and using women, maybe one of them would fall in love with you.
Overall, thoughts?
Sigh.
I’m probably being harder on this book than I should be. I hate it when I bash, but I just couldn’t stand most of the characters! But the real thing is that I just didn’t believe them.
This series still has another chance to impress me. It has potential. Maybe it will follow the Sarah J. Maas pattern of the first one being okay, and then the next book being awesome? It is her first book after all, so I will cut her some slack.
I’ll keep reading. I’ll read it for you, Chaol! Because you’re one of the few characters I liked. I have a feeling you’re endgame too, so we’ll see if Celaena toughens up and is worthy of you.
Fictional Fox 
I couldn’t stand this one, either. Don’t feel bad – it was for all the same reasons. She’s not a total American Ninja Warrior – she’s a whiny, entitled, spoiled brat! And how does she go from “she’s committed the worst crime EVER, she can’t be let out FOR ANYTHING!!!!” to – “oh my gosh, she’s so dreamy, every red-blooded male within 4 feet has to go to bed with her immediately!!!” HUH?!?!
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Hahaha it’s so true! This made me chuckle! That’s probably why I liked Chaol the most was because he was actually wary of her. I think Sarah J. Maas made a mistake ending that dynamic too early. I would’ve carried it out to at least the next book.
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Yeah, part of the reason I couldn’t really get into her storytelling was the way she’d build monemetum, then suddenly drop it, without necessarily explaining why, or leading up to another plot point that would make sense for the characters being all concerned about something, then all of a sudden saying, “oh, never mind.” ?!?!!!?!
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The second book it better if you decide to continue on with the series. I will admit that I have problems with this series because I feel the main character is not assassin material.. There is nothing scary about her or said that she is a cold blooded killer that I should fear.
Like I said before I played too many Assassin Creed Games to know what and how an assassin should act. I consider myself an expect (not really). Secondly, I don’t think assassin are worried about which boy the wish to date.
Great Review. Love your perspective on this book.
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That’s what people keep telling me is that the series gets better, so I bought the second book. It has a great concept! But yeah Celaena’s portrays is just not real or gritty enough for me. It’s hard to imagine for me to imagine someone flouncing around in purple dresses wanting to kiss the crown prince one minute to beating up people the next. One thing I forgot to add was that she was also a bit of a Mary Sue. Like not only is she the most notorious assassin ever at 18, but did I mention she loves to read, plays the piano like a pro, and is incredibly gorgeous despite what should be major scarring?
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Oh yes you’re absolutely right about her being a Mary Sue. Either way I don’t like her. I’m only here for Chaol lol. I want to see his happy ending in this damn series.
Also I just wish that Celaena beauty was flawed in some way. A scar on her face. Maybe and eye missing or fingers. Something to show that she is really about that life. I mean she has scars on her back but she’s still down dead gorgeous….like whatever.
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