Monday 12 August 2013

Review: Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas

Crowned by evil.
Bound by duty.
Divided by love.

Celaena Sardothien, royal assassin, is the King of Adarlan's deadliest weapon. She must win her freedom through his enemies' blood - but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. And every death Celaena fakes, every lie she tells, puts those she loves at risk.

Torn between her two protectors - a captain and a prince - and battling a dark force far greater than the king, Celaena must decide what she will fight for: her liberty, her heart or the fate of a kingdom . . .

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Novella)
The Assassin and the Healer (Novella)
The Assassin and the Desert (Novella)
The Assassin and the Underworld (Novella)
The Assassin and the Empire (Novella)
The Assassin's Blade (Anthology containing all 5 prequel novellas)
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows

Visit Sarah J Maas' website for more information

Review:
I loved Throne of Glass and the prequel novellas when I read them last year so I couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequel Crown of Midnight. Considering I had such high expectations for this novel I can't tell you how pleased I am that not only did it Sarah J Maas meet them, she actually blew them out of the water and I loved this one even more. If you haven't started reading this series yet then you are seriously missing out, this is one of my favourite YA fantasy series and I can't wait for the next instalment. If you enjoyed Throne of Glass then you are going to absolutely love Crown of Midnight so what are you waiting for? Read it today!

This is actually going to be a really hard book to review, not because I don't have much to say about it but because I can't talk about most of the things that blew me away without giving spoilers. To be honest I don't really want to say much about the plot at all because I think it would be so much better for you to jump on that roller coaster completely unprepared for the twists and turns that are about to hit you. You are in for such a treat, an action packed story that is going to take you through every emotion you can imagine and then, just when you think you're safe, it will punch you in the gut with yet another shocking plot twist.

Celaena is one of my favourite heroines, yes she has her faults but she owns them and she has come a long way from the spoilt princess she used to act like when we first met her in the prequel novellas. She fought hard to earn her place as the king's assassin but it was never a job she would have chosen if her options weren't limited to that or hard labour (and almost certain death) in the Endovier concentration camp. Now she is faced with working for her worst enemy, being forced to kill people she knows have probably done nothing wrong. She has to decide whether it is worth risking her life by letting her targets escape but it's not just her own life she is putting in danger. Celaena is facing such an impossible choice and she knows that no matter what she does someone is likely to suffer the consequences of her actions.

I have to mention that I loved seeing her and Chaol spending so much time together, they are so cute and I really want them to find a way to become a couple. Chaol is pretty much a perfect guy, he is gorgeous, sweet, generous, protective (but not overly so) and he is obviously crazy about Celaena. I was pleased that the potential love triangle seems to have been toned down in this instalment because as much as I like Dorian I just can't see him and Celaena as a couple, unlike Chaol he isn't strong enough to take her on! I also really enjoyed seeing Celaena's friendship with princess Nehemia, they are quite an unlikely pair but I think that's what makes them get on so well. Celaena has a tendency to put herself first but Nehemia has a way of making her look at things differently and think about standing up for the people who need her help.

I love this series so much and can't recommend it highly enough, I was hooked from the very first page and if I'd had more time I could easily have devoured the book in one sitting. My only complaint about Crown of Midnight is that I don't want to have to wait a whole year for the next book in the series but I think as complaints go that is actually more of a compliment to the author! This is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2013 and I can't see anything knocking it out of the top 10 by the end of the year.

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

Other reviews of this book:
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