08 Mar Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas knows how to craft a fantasy novel that feels both sweeping in scope and deeply personal. Throne of Glass, the first in an eight-book series, is part high fantasy, part tournament-style action story, and part slow-burn romance. If you love the idea of an assassin fighting for her freedom in a deadly competition, all while uncovering dark secrets about the kingdom she serves, this one delivers.

What’s it about?

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most notorious assassin, a name that once inspired fear across the land. But instead of reveling in her freedom, she’s been imprisoned for the past year in the salt mines of Endovier, a labor camp so brutal that few survive more than a few months. Starving, filthy, and barely clinging to life, she gets an offer she can’t refuse: compete to become the King’s Champion, and if she wins, she’ll be granted her freedom after four years of service.

Her competitor pool isn’t just skilled warriors—she’s up against thieves, mercenaries, and assassins, all handpicked by the nobility to fight in a series of deadly challenges. If she loses, it’s back to Endovier. If she wins, she’ll become the king’s personal assassin—an irony she can’t ignore, given that the king is responsible for conquering her homeland and destroying her people.

Celaena is taken to Rifthold, the glass castle of Adarlan, where she trains under the watchful eye of Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall, a no-nonsense soldier who doesn’t quite trust her. She’s also introduced to Dorian Havilliard, the crown prince, who has his own complicated reasons for wanting to defy his father. While Dorian is charming and unexpectedly kind, Chaol is harder to read, and Celaena—despite her deadly reputation—isn’t sure she can trust either of them.

But something is terribly wrong in the castle. Contestants in the competition start turning up murdered in gruesome, almost ritualistic ways, their bodies ripped apart as if by something not entirely human. The killings are brutal, and the deeper Celaena digs, the more she realizes that there’s something dark lurking beneath the castle—a force older than the king’s rule, and far deadlier than any assassin in the competition.

As she fights to survive both the tournament and the palace’s dark mysteries, Celaena finds herself caught between duty, loyalty, and the long-buried magic that still lingers in Adarlan, despite the king’s efforts to erase it.

What This Chick Thinks

Celaena is a different kind of heroine

Most fantasy assassins tend to be stoic, brooding, and emotionally closed off, but Celaena is cocky, vain, and unashamedly dramatic. She loves fancy dresses and fine music just as much as she loves knives and strategy, which makes her stand out from the usual “tough female warrior” trope.

At times, she can feel a little too perfect—she’s not just an incredible fighter, she’s also beautiful, witty, and apparently irresistible to multiple love interests. But she’s also got layers of trauma beneath her arrogance, and Maas does a great job of making her both deadly and deeply vulnerable.

The competition is thrilling, but not the entire story

A lot of the early marketing for Throne of Glass compared it to The Hunger Games, but while there is a tournament element, the book doesn’t revolve entirely around the trials. Some of the challenges are clever, but others are brushed over quickly. Instead, the novel shifts focus toward the politics of the castle, Celaena’s relationships, and the unsettling supernatural presence haunting the palace.

For some, this balance works well—it makes the book feel less predictable, and the mystery adds an extra layer of intrigue. But if you were hoping for a nonstop, arena-style bloodbath, you might be a little disappointed.

The love triangle actually works (at least in this book)

Dorian and Chaol are both interesting love interests, and while I sometimes get tired of the standard “brooding soldier vs. flirty prince” dynamic, Maas makes it compelling here. Dorian challenges Celaena in ways she doesn’t expect, while Chaol forces her to confront the realities of what she’s done as an assassin. Both relationships feel natural rather than forced, though the romance isn’t the central focus of the book.

The worldbuilding is promising, but not fully developed yet

Maas gives us glimpses of a much larger world—one filled with forbidden magic, lost kingdoms, and old gods—but she holds a lot back in this first installment. The novel mostly focuses on the palace, the competition, and Celaena’s past, so if you’re looking for intricate worldbuilding from the start, you’ll need to be patient.

That being said, the teases of ancient power and hidden magic are some of the most compelling parts of the book. The moment the story hints at something bigger than the competition, it becomes so much more than just a fantasy assassin novel.

Final Thoughts

Throne of Glass is a fast-paced, character-driven fantasy that blends action, mystery, and romance. While the assassin tournament premise is a great hook, the real strength of the book is in Celaena herself, the court intrigue, and the ominous supernatural elements lurking in the shadows.

It’s not the most original fantasy out there, but it’s so much fun to read. And given that this is the first book in an eight-book series, it’s clear that Maas is setting up something much bigger than what this installment reveals.

If you love strong heroines, a mix of romance and action, and a fantasy world filled with secrets, this is worth picking up. Just know that this book is only the beginning—things escalate massively as the series progresses.

Rating: 8/10

Try it if you like

• The Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb – Another assassin-led fantasy story with court intrigue and deep character development.
• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – If you like high-stakes competitions, palace politics, and a protagonist caught in a dangerous web of power, this is a great follow-up.
• The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon – A fast-paced fantasy with a strong female lead and a world full of forbidden magic.