deadly desires

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)

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