But where will her conscience, and her heart, lead her?
After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she willing to fight for?
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37 of 41 people found the following review helpful.
Obsessed Is Putting It Mildly.
By Step Into Fiction
I don't even know where to begin when trying to review this book. I am still trying to grasp everything that went on throughout it. I became so depressed at one point that I had to put the book down and walk away before the book went flying across the room.I am in love with Chaol; everyone needs to know this. After finishing Crown of Midnight he has moved up to probably my third favorite fictional character of all time. He's just so . . . perfect. He's strong, intelligent, loving, caring, passionate, loyal . . . I mean, I could keep going on but I don't want to bore you. He is everything you could ever want in a person, whether it'd be a lover, friend or someone who works for you. He is what we all want in our lives. Not to mention that I believe is the perfect fit for Celaena. I'm not being biased here, I swear but he brings out the best in her and when there are scenes of them together, it's just right. Dorian is good looking, charming and the Crown Prince but so what? He's a great guy but he has never had Celaena look at him the way she looks at Captain Westfall.Now that I got my obsession with Chaol out of the way (for now), let's move on to the rest of the characters and stories. I have a major girl crush on Celaena and I have since the first book but wow, she is fierce. I'm totally crushing on her. She is definitely one of my favorite fictional female characters; ever. She is thrown in the middle of this whole Dorian and Chaol love triangle (though it's pretty clear where her feelings stand) and she cares for both of these guys, whole heartedly but in different ways. She wants to do nothing more than protect them but sometimes it's impossible.I don't even know how to describe how much I love this book in words; sometimes I feel like there aren't enough words but then there are times when there's so many that I would bore y'all (and it would likely include spoilers). There's just so much that happens in this book, things that literally made me squeal and even at times, dance around the room with glee. (You may think I'm joking but I'm really not) But then there are times when I wanted to throw the book across the room. I say wanted because I didn't actually throw it, as good as it would've made me feel but you see, it's signed and I don't want to damage a book I know I'd love so much by the end. No matter if you're a Dorian or Chaol fan, I think you'll love this book because of the main star, Celeana. We put the whole love triangle to the side and this book is still one of the best I've read this year. The love aspect is an added bonus (which I wouldn't trade for anything).The ending...oh the ending. It's not the worlds worst cliffhanger but it's there. I saw the ending coming, to an extent but it still didn't make it any easier. All I know is the next book is going to be beyond awesome. This is going to be a favorite series of mine for I am and already have been obsessed. The characters are perfect, the world is engrossing, the writing is flawless and the wit and snark is all over this book; from beginning to end.I am rambling, I know but I told you - I cannot stop gushing about this book. I love it to bits and pieces and I love Sarah J. Maas for just being so brilliant (and not to mention so damn awesome). Read this book if you love fantasy, assassins, a good romance and a book filled with humor.Reviewed by Jessica @ Step Into Fiction
35 of 42 people found the following review helpful."It was war upon them all. Let them tremble in fear at what they had awoken."
By Christine
Wow. What a ride. I finished Crown of Midnight last night, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I went to sleep thinking about what may be ahead for these characters, and I woke up thinking about the exact same thing. When I read Throne of Glass in 2012, I was blown away by it. I had not read a lot of books in the fantasy genre and did not know what to expect. Like I said, I was blown away. Then I realized that the sequel, Crown of Midnight, would be published a year later... *sigh* But, here we are. It is out and let me tell you, it has not disappointed. The wait was most definitely worth it."Who knows what games these people play, and what ends they have in mind?"If you read Throne of Glass, and thought that it was full of suspense, action and romance... you have no idea about those things until you have read this. I was captivated from the first word to the very last, and when it was over I found myself just sat there staring at my Kindle. The ending is mind blowing. I kid you not. I was an emotional wreck.There are so many revelations that are made. Some bad, some good and some completely awesome. As each shocking twist and turn comes at you, all you can do is hold on for the ride and enjoy every single minute of it. I can't even begin to understand how this world and story are simply swimming around in Sarah J. Maas' head. In my opinion the writing is flawless. It can get confusing with fantasy novels, as there tend to be an abundance of characters, locations and words that you may not be pronouncing correctly. But I never feel that when reading this series. Everything is thought out, and presented perfectly."Perhaps the world would never be perfect, perhaps some things would never be right, but maybe she stood a chance of finding her own sort of peace of freedom."Celaena is absolutely amazing. There is no better way to describe her. If I am ever asked to name a kick a$$ heroine my answer forever more will be Celaena Sardothien. But with that fierceness there is softness. She has the biggest heart, and some of her actions will truly shock you. I thought I knew her, but she continues to shock me. Just when I thought she couldn't get more amazing..."I can't tell if I should be ashamed of wanting to hold you on this day, or grateful that, despite what happened before now, it somehow brought me to you."When I wrote my review for Throne of Glass, I mentioned the love triangle. We have Celaena, Prince Dorian and Captain Chaol. I am happy to report that I no longer see this story as a love triangle. That isn't to say that Dorian and Chaol do not both love Celaena, but it is quite evident that while Celaena cares for them both, there is only man she is actually in love with. So to me, that is no love triangle.And who do I love? I have mad feelings for Dorian, and I have to say that he has grown up so much in this book. He is learning and processing his future, and he is starting to finally make a stand against things that he knows is wrong. But, my heart is with Chaol. I have loved him since the start of book one. I have never wavered, and I can only hope that somehow Celaena and Chaol will get their happily ever after after all is said and done."It never made any difference to me when it came to you. I'd still pick you. I'll always pick you."Even though it has been a year since I've read Throne of Glass, and I have read over a hundred and fifty books since reading it, I didn't feel that a re-read was necessary. The story picks up perfectly, and the way that Maas writes, you don't feel like you have forgotten anything. You are reminded along the way of past story lines, but never once was I confused.And now I'm sure you want to know when the next book in this series will be out. Yep, you guessed it. 2014. *sigh* There are scheduled to be a total of six books in this series, one being released each year. I can only assume that the August schedule will continue, but this is only my guess. This means, that the sixth and final book is scheduled for 2017. I am of a mixed mind about this. I love that there will be six, because honestly I love this world and I love these characters, so the more the better. But when you think about the time it will take for the whole the story to be told, it seems a bit daunting.However, as I said, I didn't feel a re-read was necessary. And it's kind of exciting to think that for the next four years the story will unfold in all of it's glory. So yes, of course I would want to have them all sooner. But, this is an epic story, and the fact it will span such long period of time... that makes it even a little more epic."It was war upon them all. Let them tremble in fear at what they had awoken."ChristineRainy Day Reads
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.One of the best sequels I have ever read
By Lili's Reflections
This is one of those books that makes it nearly impossible to write a review because you adored it so much. I loved this more than book one, which is saying something. I know that book one got mixed reviews upon its release because it is such a polarizing story, but those who continue on with this series will be nothing short of utterly blown away by this sequel.Before I begin, I want to throw out the fact that reading the novellas really enhances your experience when reading book two. Several aspects of Celaena's past are mentioned in this book and their overall stories are told in the novella. It gives you more back story to the summarized endings that are mentioned throughout this book. It also gives you a ton of back story as to why Celaena is the way she is, especially in regards to her love life.If you ask me, the driving force of this magnificent series is the characters. I care about them in ways I never thought I would. I mean, our main character is a freaking assassin and I love her to death! I identify with some of her emotions! An assassin is supposed to be possibly the most despised and unlikable character out there, yet Maas made me so easily adore one. As King's Champion she is already being sent on assignments and being forced to bring back severed heads as proof of her mark's death. But it's really amazing to watch Celaena figure out what is right and wrong and find ways around the wrong to make them right. For an assassin she has a very healthy and respectable conscience, and while part of me was sitting there with bloodlust for her assassin abilities, she brought them out several times only when necessary. I mean, don't deny it, the scenes where this girl mows people down are absurdly awesome--and that's coming from someone who hates death and gore to the umpteenth power.I also adore Chaol. I mean, it's Chaol! I am 100% Team Chaol. He's so delicious and complicated and can only be described as perfect. He's got the biggest heart and he's torn between his honor to the King and his honor to the woman he loves. I also really adored Dorian in this one because some really awesome new plot points came out evolving around him that promise chaos and fun in the future novels. He also begins to stand against his father for what he thinks is right, which is very satisfying since we all know his father sucks. Nehemia is easy to love because she is Celaena's soul friend, though she's frustrating and secretive as usual. And even Fleetfoot has a special place in my heart, too. If you want a loyal dog, deem thy dog Fleetfoot. Without feeling such immense emotions for this plethora of characters this book would not have been as amazing as it was. My love for these people is indescribable.When these characters hurt, I hurt alongside them. Which, unfortunately in this one, was a lot. When they soared, I soared too. And when the romance blossomed, I was rooting for them until my fist couldn't pump anymore. The romance in this one was expertly done because it shows first love and adoration slowly blossoming on Celaena's end and it was great to hear the reciprocated thoughts from the male end as well. It was the way a romance should be, and while it satisfied my taste for love it did not deter from the overall plot for a single second. If anything, the passionate positive and negative emotions driven by this romance made the plot even more believable and powerful. These are very emotionally driven characters, after all.Speaking of the plot, I was thrown for a million loops. I met people I didn't think I'd ever meet and the plot was taken places I never thought it would go. With that being said, looking back on it I felt like some of the things I thought were so awesome could have been explained. In the moment when there was mention of a new dimension I thought it was awesome. But when I completed the book I was sitting here wondering how the hell that dimension was even brought into the story. It was just there, it didn't make that much sense. Little things like this need more detail behind it instead of unexplained character knowledge.There are also two huge plot twists in this one that will leave you reeling. One is at the very end, the other close to the end. To put it simply, I saw them both coming, especially the huge one at the end. It's very easy to get caught up in this story and sit back and be shocked. Heck, I was, but the second that shock wore off I was shaking my head and going into my twitter account, viewing old conversations where I totally predicted this would happen. While it's a bummer that the two biggest plot twists of this book were so transparent to me, most of the book wasn't, which makes me very happy.And, again, while it is a bummer that the predictability in regards to the end was somewhat high, these two plot twists promise even more chaos to ensue in the future. There will be more secrets, more lies, more heartbreak, and of course, delicious catastrophic events under the threat of war and annihilation. What would Adarlan be without chaos?I'm sitting here shaking in anticipation for book three because the plot progressed so much in book two. While I was initially hesitant about this series being six books long, I'm totally welcoming of the awesomness that will undoubtedly ensue after so many promising twists in this book with more to come in the future. I have to say it...I truly think Maas has mastered the high fantasy genre.
