What better way to get out of a Sarah J. Maas reading slump than to read more of her books and worry about suffering from an even worse reading slump later in the future? I know there are better ways, but this is the way I'm choosing, so just go with it. I've figured if a fantasy book series written between 2012 and 2018 is still being talked about and highly recommended in 2023, it's worth my time. And you should know I'm rather picky about my fantasy series. If you're offering me seven books to consume, I better really like the first one if I'm expected to actually follow through with reading the entire series. I am happy to say that this first book has me thoroughly intrigued. I like its badass female heroine, Celaena Sardothien, who is a literal assassin. Like, what's more badass than an assassin? An assassin with a love for pretty dresses and flirty banter caught in a love triangle, that's what. I like the other points of this triangle, Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard and Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall. All of their names are so fun to say, including the mysterious, spunky, conniving Princess Nehemia of Ellywe. The setting of a castle of glass and stone, ruled by a selfish, imposing king, makes for a great fantasy landscape that is refreshingly fleshed out in a simple, sustained way. In other words, there isn't a ton of overwhelming worldbuilding right at the beginning of the novel that usually turns me off. Rather, the stakes of this world unfold as you acquaint yourself with Celaena's situation. Called to be Dorian's personal champion in a competition set to appoint one individual as the king's personal assassin, Celaena finally finds a semblance of freedom as she trains, fighting toward the promise of eventual freedom if she wins the whole competition. And among her training and the brutal, unexplainable deaths of several champions around the castle, the foibles of flirtation and love show themselves. One of my quiet complaints is I think I'd prefer the point of view to have been first person rather than third person, alternating between Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol. I wanted to be in all of their heads, closer to their emotions. I can definitely pick up on how this was Maas' first series -- there's less explicit romance and some more of what I would describe as cliché bits of dialogue (but I did my best not to compare it to ACOTAR since, really, both series are quite different). The entrance of Elena, an ancient but powerful warrior queen, via a ghostly presence that shows itself to Celaena in secret passageways of the castle really added to the complexity of the narrative and hinted at how all sorts of prophecies will come into play down the road. I'm curious to see how the absence of magic in the world of Adarlan will potentially lead to a return of magic, and how Celaena's love life will develop. 


Some of my favorite quotes from Throne of Glass:

"No. I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material."

"We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most."

"Names are not important. It's what lies inside of you that matters."

"'She moaned into her pillow. 'Go away. I feel like dying.'
'No fair maiden should die alone,' he said, putting a hand on hers. 'Shall I read to you in your final moments? What story would you like?'"

"With each day he felt the barriers melting. He let them melt. Because of her genuine laugh, because he caught her one afternoon sleeping with her face in the middle of a book, because he knew that she would win." (#teamchaol)

So, part of enrolling in an American rock n' roll as literature class is, as one would expect, listening to and studying a wide range of artists and albums. Another equally exciting part is reading books centered on the culture of the rock n' roll phenomenon. This Reid novel has been on my to be read list for ages, and when my professor proposed I read it for a book report, I couldn't seem to order a copy fast enough. I started reading as soon as I had it out of the packaging, and was immediately hooked. I was expecting this, since everyone and their mom seems to sing this book's praises. I can see why. From its raw, flawed, and funny characters to fixation on the music scene of the early and mid 70s, this novel is fun all the way through. It doesn't always deal with fun themes, though. There's cheating, drug addictions, alcoholism, loneliness, and the soul sucking emptiness a life of fame can bring. But there's also the spirit of music's power to move and help people, specifically young women, find their voices and creative expression. There's also love: deep, passionate, twin soul kind of love. And that is what kept me turning the pages. Yes, the descriptions of this fictional band slowly climbing the ladder to ultimate rock stardom were glittering and glamorous in all the right ways. But it's Reid's ability to make me hope that Billy Dunne, lead singer of The Six and husband of Camila Dunne, will decide to be with the volatile, "I-could-care-less-about-what-you-think-of-me," it girl Daisy Jones. I think signs that a story has been told well all have to do with readers being so invested in characters' lives that they don't care if bad decisions are made in the process -- they just want to see those characters living their dreams. That's how I felt about Daisy and Billy as they discovered that making music together lit up their souls. I kept going back and forth: I don't condone unfaithfulness of any the kind, but the artistic connection those two musicians have is real soulmate material... geez. I cared deeply about the other characters of this novel as well, especially Graham Dunne. Ugh, he is just the definition of a go with the flow, pure ray of sunshine kind of guy. I won't spoil anything about his romantic pursuits, but wow... I felt a lot of emotions there. I also consistently felt for Eddie Loving, The Six's rhythm guitarist, concerning his frustrations with Billy's tendency to take control of the band in nearly every aspect. I went back and forth between siding with Billy and Eddie -- another sign of great writing on Reid's part. Needless to say, I scribbled all sorts of notes all over this book, and its interview format makes it a quick and interesting read. I haven't read many books completely devoted to a more removed narrative style, but I think this novel successfully makes its characters feel immediate and real. After all, the entire thing is basically dialogue, allowing each character to be in indirect conversations with one another. I loved how the interviewer (who's awesomely revealed near the end) places specific quotes in carefully chosen places to reveal contradictory perspectives and ironic observations. I definitely recommend this book all around. And the new TV show has so far lived up to my expectations of a page to screen adaptation!


Some of my favorite quotes from Daisy Jones & The Six:

"Music can dig, you know? It can take a shovel to your chest and just start digging until you hit something."

"I had absolutely no interest in being somebody else's muse.
I am not a muse.
I am the somebody.
End of fucking story."

"Men often think they deserve a sticker for treating women like people."

"I wish someone had told me that love isn’t torture."

"Passion is...it's fire. And fire is great, man. But we're made of water. Water is how we keep living. Water is what we need to survive."

"She had written something that felt like I could have written it, except I knew I couldn't have. I wouldn't have come up with something like that. Which is what we all want from art, isn’t it? When someone pins down something that feels like it lives inside us? Takes a piece of your heart out and shows it to you? It’s like they are introducing you to a part of yourself."

"If she knew how often I was thinking about her, she wouldn't feel lonely."

"When you think of me, I hope it ruins rock 'n' roll."

"You can't control another person. It doesn't matter how much you love them. You can't love someone back to health and you can't hate someone back to health and no matter how right you are about something, it doesn't mean they will change their mind."

"It hurts to care about someone more than they care about themselves."