Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

BOOK 54 OF 2021

RATING: 4.5/5

What an amazing start to an 8 book series! I've been looking for a fantasy book/series that got me as excited as Crescent City did, and I finally found it.

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Pitted against 22 other potential assassins for the King, Celeana's potential is immediately noticed by Prince Dorian and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Chaol. Celeana even befriends a princess who is coming to stay at the castle to learn more about the locals' customs.

Things seem to be going fine for Celeana until something sinister starts to happen: some of the champions are found brutally murdered. What or who is behind these killings, and why? Not only does Celeana have to stay focussed on winning the competition, but now has to have her guard up for a deadly force that lurks in the castle around her.

There are definitely some Hunger Games/Game of Thrones vibes from this book, but I get a feeling the rest of the series will stray from those comparisons. This book is fast paced, mysterious with a heroine to root for and follow, and I can't wait to see where she ends up and learn more about her backstory.