Review: Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. Now she returns to the empire – to confront the shadows of her past . . . The fourth breathtaking instalment in the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.

Bloodthirsty for revenge on the two men responsible for destroying her life, and desperate to find out if the prince and his captain are safe, Celaena returns to Rifthold, the seat of so much evil. She has accepted her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, there are dark truths to learn and debts to be paid. Aelin must stay hidden beneath her assassin's hood and draw on her mortal strength as Celaena to prevent the King of Adarlan from tearing her world apart. Only then can she fight for her people.

Readers will be held rapt as Celaena's story builds to an agonising crescendo, packed with heart-pounding action and swoon-worthy romance.

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:
Queen of Shadows has been a really hard book to review (I've been trying to write this for a long time!) because there were things I both loved and hated about this story. I've been a fan of the series from the beginning and if you've read any of my previous reviews you'll already know who I've been shipping for Celaena/Aelin to end up with (don't look unless you've already read this book or you'll end up with potential spoilers!) so I was gutted by the complete turn around in this story. I know it's not the end of the world when your ship doesn't work out, and to be honest it's not like I don't like the new love interest, but this comes out of nowhere. Someone we've known for a very long time acts completely out of character for well over half the book and Aelin's reactions to him are also very odd. Then the new love interest is someone who I never even considered as a possibility (and there have been several possibilities in the earlier books so I wasn't only focused on one guy!) so it just didn't sit right with me.

It was pretty damn obvious from very early on where Sarah J Maas was taking things but it didn't happen organically and felt very forced, almost like she'd discovered a new favourite character and had to shoehorn him into the position she wanted him in because there wasn't really a space already waiting for him. Anyway, I'll get over my shipping disappointment and I'm glad that my well loved character was acting more like his normal self by the end of the book but I no longer trust Sarah J Maas with my poor broken heart and with another couple of books left before the series ends I'm refusing to get invested in any relationships Aelin has until the final couple of chapters of the very last book because I don't want the rug pulled out from under me again.

So now I've mentioned my very negative reaction let's talk about why I loved the rest of the book. One thing this series has always had is strong female characters, Aelin and Mannon are the most notable but there was also Nehemia and some of the other witches. In Queen of Shadows we get to meet a few more, the most surprising of which was probably Lysandra. If you've read the prequel novellas you'll probably be very surprised by her character's story arc but it was definitely a positive storyline. We also get to meet Aelin's cousin Elide who is now one of my favourite characters. When the plot had gone a little south on Aelin's side with her strange behaviour and her new googly-eyed suitor it was the witches that pulled me through. I've loved Mannon and Abraxos since they were first introduced but adding Elide to their group just made their storyline even better. There is actually a huge amount going on with the witches right now and Mannon is going to have to start making some important decisions very soon.

While the witches are off fighting their own battles Aelin is doing her best to help Chaol rescue Dorian. I have to admit Dorian's story was heartbreaking, we get a few scenes from his point of view and it was horrendous to see how much he was suffering. It honestly doesn't look like there is any hope for him and it just proves how far the king is prepared to go to keep his crown. I'm not going to say much more about the plot but there was plenty of action and some very important developments to the overall world that are going to have a huge impact on the series from this point onwards. I'm definitely pleased with the way things are going and I'll be devouring future books the minute I can get my hands on. This isn't a series for the feint hearted, Sarah J Maas doesn't shy away from toying with our emotions, she is happy to kill off well loved characters and she loves to shake things up to upset the balance. You honestly never know what she'll do next and as much as that can make these books hard to read it's also one of the reasons they're so much fun.

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Heir of Fire - Sarah J Maas

Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can't bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back . . .

The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king - for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?

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 have loved this series since the beginning but it really is amazing to see how far Celaena has come since we first met her. The end of Crown of Midnight saw her leaving everyone she's come to care about behind in Adarlan as she set sail for Wendlyn hoping to learn more about her fae heritage and hopefully find some new allies to help her fight against the king of Adarlan. The Celaena we see at the beginning of this book is a shadow of herself, she is depressed, alone and scared of what the future holds. She doesn't know how to find the fae queen who may hold the key to the upcoming battle and she is losing hope that she can win this war. After everything that happened she is grieving for Nehemia and she misses Chaol more than she can even put into words.

When Celaena meets Rowan, a soldier working for the fae queen, she has lost all confidence in her abilities but the only way to get the help she needs is by convincing Rowan that she is worthy. Rowan doesn't take it easy on her but he does start teaching her how to use her fae powers. I loved the friendship that slowly develops between Celaena and Rowan, they have both been though things that should have destroyed them but they are survivors and their drive for revenge burns deeply. They may not like each other much, especially in the beginning, but they understand each other and working together brings out the best of both of them. I loved Rowan's character, he is so hard on Celaena and very closed off emotionally but he is definitely a guy of honour and I enjoyed seeing him and Celaena together. I have to say I'm still on team Chaol though so I really hope we don't see this developing into a new love triangle in the next book! At the moment I feel like it's mainly friendship between Celaena and Rowan but I could see that easily slipping into something more if she lets it so I'm really hoping that won't be the case.

While Celaena is learning about her powers and looking for allies Chaol is stuck in Adarlan working with the king. He made a bargain with his father to get Celaena to somewhere he thought she would be safe but now it's time for him to live up to his side of the deal and that's the last thing he wants. Things are hard for Chaol, he is still struggling to come to terms with everything he has discovered about Celaena and his loyalties are torn between the woman he loves, the prince who has always been his best friend and the king he swore to protect. He is determined to make sure Dorian will be safe before he leaves though and now that he has discovered just how dangerous the king really is Chaol has to decide just how much he is willing to risk for Dorian and Celaena. I'm going to admit that I missed having Celaena and Chaol together, I love them as a couple and it was hard to see them both so miserable and on opposite sides of the continent but I was so pleased to see some of the story from Chaol's point of view. He has difficult decisions to make but I enjoyed seeing him make some new allies and start putting plans into motion.

Alongside the characters we already know and love we are also introduced to the witches, in particularly Manon, heir to the Blackbeak clan, and her coven of thirteen. The witches have been supplied with wyverns (dragons!!) to give them an advantage in the upcoming battle and we get to see them choosing mounts and training them. Manon is a fantastic, complex character who has done a lot of bad things with absolutely no remorse but the more you get to know her the more you start to see that she really does have a heart it's just very well hidden. I absolutely loved her wyvern Abraxos and it was when he was introduced that I started to see just how great Manon is, the two of them as a team are pretty much unstoppable.

I don't want to say too much more about what happens in this story, there is plenty going on and it can be quite hard to tell which characters are trustworthy and which are plotting against Celaena and her friends. We are introduced to some fabulous new characters who I think will have a massive role to play as the series continues but we also see a lot of development in the characters we already know and I think things are about to get even more interesting. I love the way Sarah J Maas always manages to surprise me with the direction she takes things and I really couldn't tell you what I think will happen in the next book. Heir of Fire is a must read for fans of this series!

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J Maas

The twist of a knife, the birth of a legend . . .

Celaena Sardothien owes her reputation to Arobynn Hamel. He gave her a home at the Assassins' Guild and taught her the skills she needed to survive.

Arobynn's enemies stretch far and wide - from Adarlan's rooftops and its filthy dens, to remote islands and hostile deserts. Celaena is duty-bound to hunt them down. But behind her assignments lies a dark truth that will seal her fate - and cut her heart in two forever . . .

The prequels to the international bestseller Throne of Glass

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 have already reviewed most of the Throne of Glass prequel novellas included in this anthology separately so I'm not going to discuss them individually in this review. Instead I'm going to talk about the anthology as a whole and say how much I enjoyed re-reading these novellas for a second time. I initially read most of these stories before the release of Throne of Glass so looking back at them again now really allowed me to appreciate how much Celaena has changed since the beginning of the series.

Celaena hasn't always been the nicest character and that is especially the case in these prequels, she comes across as very selfish and self centred and I actually spent a lot of time disliking her for her snobbish attitude to anyone she considers beneath herself but underneath all that there she does have a softer side. She's just spent a lot of years having it beaten out of her thanks to her training with Arobynn. Celaena knows how to handle herself and she does slowly start to care more about the people around her and make a few unexpected sacrifices along the way. These changes continue throughout the series and I like her more and more with every book.

For anyone who hasn't read these novellas before you'll find they go a long way in explaining Celaena's background and how she ended up in the salt mines at the beginning of Throne of Glass. They also explain a lot about her actions at the beginning of the first book. I'll warn you now that these novellas absolutely broke my heart the first time I read them so you might want to have tissues to hand (for The Assassin and the Empire in particular). Even though I knew what was coming I still found it hard to read without sniffling and I found myself praying that the ending had changed this time around!  The fact that Sarah J. Maas managed to get such a reaction out of me after just a few short novellas is incredible really.

The Assassin's Blade is a great addition to the series and I'm happy that I now have all of the novellas in one beautiful paperback to sit alongside the rest of the series on my shelves. If you're new to the series then this is a great place to start but I think fans who have already read Throne of Glass will enjoy this look into Celaena's background just as much. This just whet my appetite and made me even more excited to read Heir of Fire!

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

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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

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Review: The Assassin and the Empire - Sarah J Maas

Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . .

This fourth fantastic e-novella gives readers an inside look at the characters who appear in the full-length novel Throne of Glass. Don’t miss out!

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (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:
The Assassin and the Empire is the fourth prequel novella released in the run up to Sarah J Maas' debut novel Throne of Glass. You don't need to read these stories in order to understand the novel but they do give more of an insight into main character Celaena and the events that happen in the year leading up to the beginning of the book so I would definitely recommend them. I would suggest reading the novellas in order though and it would be better to read them before Throne of Glass.

In this novella Celaena and Sam have paid back their debt to Arobynn but if they ever want to be free of his influence over their lives they must risk it all in order to make enough money to leave him and Rifthold far behind. But how much will this latest job really cost them and is it a price they are prepared to pay?

As I have already read an advanced copy of Throne of Glass I had actually given myself a major spoiler for this final prequel novella. Even though I knew one of the major things that would happen I still found myself holding my breath as I was reading just hoping that I would be proved wrong. I think if I hadn't already known what was going to happen I would have been shocked to the core as events played out, I know when I was reading the book I was horrified but it did mean that the novella didn't have quite as much impact as it should have done. Anyone reading this having only read the first 3 novellas should be prepared for an emotional ride though and possibly keep the tissues on hand just in case!

I have thoroughly enjoyed each of the novellas and I loved Throne of Glass so would definitely recommend the series to any fantasy fan. I can't wait to see what Sarah J Maas comes up with next!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Throne of Glass - Sarah J Maas

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, a seventeen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the Prince in a to-the-death tournament - fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she's about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin's heart be melted?

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (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:
Celaena Sardothien has only made one mistake in her career as one of the most infamous assassins and that was getting caught. She may only be seventeen but her sentence was life working in the Endovier salt mines, a place so bad that most people don't survive more than a couple of months there. A year into her hellish imprisonment Celaena knows there is no chance of escape and is resigned to dying there. However, a surprise visit from Captain Chaol Westfall gives her a glimmer of hope. If she agrees to be Prince Dorian's representative in a tournament to become the king's assassin she can earn her freedom. But first she must survive a fight to the death against the country's strongest competitors and even if she manages to win she must serve the king for 5 years before she will be allowed to leave.

I have been desperate to get my hands on Sarah J Maas' debut novel for months now so I jumped at a chance of reviewing it early for Bloomsbury. I'm not one of the people who read the book in it's original online format but I've heard so many good things about the series and I absolutely loved the prequel novellas introducing Celaena and her world. Celaena is a fantastically flawed heroine - she is strong, smart, beautiful, brave, kick ass and snarky but she is also vain, proud, over confident and arrogant. I think it is her flaws that make her so easy to like, she isn't perfect but she is always true to herself. You realise as you get to know her that underneath her arrogance there is a vulnerability that she tries hard to hide from the world. She has been raised from a young age to be an assassin and was always taught that it was a weakness to rely on anyone else so you can see how she ended up the way she did. I love the fact that she knows her own beauty and uses it to her advantage and I also love the way she loves shopping and wearing pretty clothes - it just goes to prove that you can be feminine and kick ass at the same time.

I did find myself a little frustrated at the way she was drawn to both of the men in her life but if I'm honest they are both rather attractive in their own ways so I think most girls would be tempted. Personally I'm a bigger fan of Chaol - it was so funny watching him try to deny his attraction to her and the way he looks out for her and tries to help her was really sweet. I loved the fact that he doesn't underestimate her abilities - he is the only one who always remembers what she is capable of but who cares for her and comes to trust her in spite of this. I wasn't as keen on Dorian at first, he comes across as a spoilt and selfish prince who spends his time womanising and doing anything he wants as long as it will bring him pleasure. However, as you get to know him you start to see how trapped he is by his family - his father is a conqueror who wants his son to follow in his footsteps and even his mother is determined to push him into marriage so he can produce an heir to the throne. You'd think that a prince would be free to make his own choices but that is far from the case and I ended up feeling quite sorry for him as I got to know him better. I still think I want Celaena to end up with Chaol because I feel they are more like equals in terms of abilities but I won't be too disappointed if Dorian wins her heart.

Sarah J Maar has a beautifully descriptive writing style that pulls you into the world she has created and makes you want to stay there. I found it very hard to put the book down but I also found myself trying to read as slowly as possible so I could savour the journey. I was disappointed to reach the end of the last page because I wanted to spend more time with the characters. The majority of the story is told from Celaena's point of view but I really liked the way we got occasional chapters from different perspectives as it allowed us to get inside the heads of some of the secondary characters.

Throne of Glass is a captivating debut that will appeal to any high fantasy fan but I would highly recommend giving it a try even if you don't usually read that genre. If you like your heroines realistic and a story full of intense action, political intrigue and beautiful world building then you'll love this book. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review

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Quick Review: The Assassin and the Underworld - Sarah J Maas

When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practise. The mission is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer–and she doesn’t like what she finds there.

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (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:
The Assassin and the Underworld is the third of four prequel novellas that are being released in the run up to the publication of Sarah J Maas' debut novel Throne of Glass in August. I've been dying to get my hands on the book for months now so I couldn't resist picking up the novellas while I was waiting.

I've been really enjoying these novellas and they are definitely achieving the goal of building my excitement for the full length book but I have to admit that Celaena can be a bit of a frustrating heroine at times. After the things that her boss and mentor Arobynn (the King of the Assassins) has done to her in the past I found it hard to believe that she would so willingly stay with him after returning from the red desert - especially when she now has the means to make her escape. I was also surprised that she was able to trust him so quickly and I have to say I'd guessed the major plot twist fairly early on.

However, I still liked the story and I loved the fact that Sam was back in this novella - I'd really missed him in the 2nd one! He is such a great guy and I love the way he looks out for her. I do get frustrated with her for the way she treats him though and sometimes wonder if she really deserves him. She is quite young though and can sometimes be ridiculously naive so I'm hoping we'll get to see a lot of growth in her character as the story continues in Throne of Glass. I will definitely be picking up a copy of The Assassin and the Empire when it is released in July and I can't wait to get started on Throne of Glass!

Source: Purchased

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Kindle

Quick Review: The Assassin and the Desert - Sarah J Maas

The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive.

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (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:
The Assassin and the Desert is the second of four prequel novellas that are being released in the run up to the publication of Sarah J Maas' debut novel Throne of Glass in August. I've been dying to get my hands on the book for months now so I couldn't resist picking up the novellas while I was waiting.

This novella picks up the story about 2 months after the ending of The Assassin and the Pirate Lord. Celaena has been sent to the red desert to train with the sessiz suikast (the silent assassins) as a punishment for her actions in the first novella. She isn't happy about it but has accepted her fate and will do whatever it takes to get the Mute Master to give her the letter of recommendation that she needs to take back to Arobynn. When the silent assassins come under attack Celaena must try to uncover who is behind the plot and figure out a way to stop them.

I don't want to go into any more detail about the plot as it would be too easy to give spoilers but this was another great prequel to the Throne of Glass and one I'd definitely recommend. It was great to see another side to Celaena, one that is a little less sure of herself and a bit more vulnerable because she is outside her comfort zone. She is still a strong heroine though and I enjoyed watching her settle into her training and start to make friends. What I really enjoyed was discovering more of the world that Sarah J Maas has created. This is such a detailed world full of strange magical creatures and distant lands and I can't wait to explore it further. I did miss having Sam around in this novella but I'm hopeful we'll get to see more of him in the future. I'm looking forward to picking up the next two novellas but I really can't wait to get started on the full length book!

Source: Purchased

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Kindle

Quick Review: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord - Sarah J Maas

Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. Sent by the Assassin’s Guild to a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena is supposed to be to collecting on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when she learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes–and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about.

Throne of Glass Series:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (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:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord is the first of four prequel novellas that are being released in the run up to the publication of Sarah J Maas' debut novel Throne of Glass in August. I've been dying to get my hands on the book for months now so I couldn't resist picking up the novellas while I was waiting.

I have to admit that I found the novella a little confusing at first, it jumps straight into the story so as I wasn't familiar with the characters or the world it took a few minutes to figure out what was going on. Having said that this was a great introduction to our main character Celaena and some of the other assassins. She is sent with rival assassin Sam on an assignment to collect a debt owed to them by the Pirate Lord. However, when they arrive they discover that they are actually supposed to bring home slaves rather than money.

Now Celaena may be an assassin but she has a conscience and she doesn't agree with hurting innocents. She is horrified at the treatment of the slaves and is determined to come up with a plan to save them. You have to admire her for the way she is so willing to put herself in danger to save strangers. It was really interesting watching the relationship between Celaena and Sam change throughout the story and I'm hoping we get to see more of them in the novel. I have a feeling they would make quite a fearsome couple if they got together.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord is a fast paced, action packed, quick read full of drunk pirates and sword fights. This was a fun story and has just increased my excitement for the book, in the meantime I'm looking forward to the next three novellas!

Source: Purchased

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