Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis (via Goodreads): 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.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

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Okay, so I didn't love Throne of Glass, but I've also read it before! It took me a few chapters to realize this, but then everything started clicking into place. I think I read this one when it was originally published (so nearly a decade ago), and forgot to update it on Goodreads. I know I previously owned a copy of this book, but due to a lack of space, I only keep the stories that I plan on reading again and again and again! Clearly, my past self didn't plan on re-reading this one, but I was on such a Maas high after finishing A Court of Thorns and Roses (for the second time), and was looking for something that would elicit similar feelings.

I debated between three and four stars, but ultimately I was dissatisfied with the characters and the story. The romance was weird and unnecessary, although I really enjoyed their friendships. I wish they had worked together collectively, instead of pairing off throughout the story. It was always Celaena and one of the other characters (usually Dorian, Chaol, Nehemia, or Nox). Why didn't we see Chaol and Dorian making plans or discussing issues? Dorian is the Crown Prince and Chaol is Captain of the Guard, so the two of them had plenty of reasons to conspire and share suspicious.

Instead, we see the two friends fighting for Celaena's attention. They're not mean about it, but the jealousy is there whenever one stumbles across the other alone with the assassin. I feel like it put a strain on their relationship, which is ridiculous. People are being murdered, and Celaena is a convicted criminal that they know nothing about. Priorities! Chaol was understandably suspicious, but he was clearly intrigued by their new Champion. I liked both Dorian and Chaol individually, and thought they both had a lot to offer the story, but felt like they weren't fleshed out as characters.

Additionally, I didn't really get assassin-vibes from Celaena. Super spy, maybe, because she was calculating and observant. However, she seemed to lack the desire to actually kill someone for money. Maybe if Maas had shared more of her history and backstory, it would have made more sense. From what I can tell, Celaena only killed people that deserved it, and she tried to save everyone else. I just had a hard time thinking of her as someone who accepted money for murder.

I wanted to know more about all of the characters in this book, but feel like the author alluded to their histories just enough to keep us invested. Obviously, Celaena isn't who we think she is, and she's constantly locking a door in her mind to keep herself from thinking about whatever it is. I have my suspicions, but it would have been nice to have some things confirmed before the end of the book. Chaol has an equally complicated past, although we only learn about where he's from, and that he has a younger brother. How did he become the Captain of the Guard at such a young age? Also, how did he mange to do this without having to get his hands dirty? They're in the middle of a war -- have been for years -- but the King's Captain of the Guard has never fought and killed another person? It doesn't make sense. Dorian is portrayed as a promiscuous prince, but one with compassion and understanding. He doesn't want what his father wants, but he's not quite brave enough to challenge him openly. Why are his eyes so different? Why isn't he as corrupted as his father?

I really enjoyed the magical elements of this story, even if I didn't always understand what they were or how they were happening. I'm sure some of this is expanded on in the next book, but I wish we'd been given more information in this one. Back to the romance... I wish it had never been an issue. What Celaena says at the end... about wanting to be free... that should have been her belief from the beginning. She always knew that the outcome would be her freedom or her death, so it shouldn't have been a surprise when it happened. It would have prevented any unnecessary feelings from developing.

I'm sure I'll eventually read the next book in this series, but I wasn't completely blown away by Throne of Glass. I also have a feeling that the romance I do want to see develop isn't going to happen. Based on other reviews, Celaena seems to be with a different person every book.