Un corazón de hielo. Una voluntad de acero. Te presentamos a una asesina. Te presentamos a Celaena Sardothien. Bella. Letal. Destinada a la grandeza.
En las tenebrosas minas de sal de Endovier, una muchacha de dieciocho años cumple cadena perpetua. Es una asesina profesional, la mejor en lo suyo, pero ha cometido un error fatal. La han capturado. El joven capitán Westfall le ofrece un trato: la libertad a cambio de un enorme sacrificio. Celaena debe representar al príncipe en un torneo a muerte, en el que deberá luchar con los asesinos y ladrones más peligrosos del reino. Viva o muerta, Celaena será libre. Tanto si gana como si pierde, está a punto de descubrir su verdadero destino. Pero,¿qué pasará entretanto con su corazón de asesina?
Ich hatte das Buch hier im Discover-Stream auf Bookywrm gesehen und spontan auf die Leseliste gepackt. Ich kann ja nicht ständig nur immer dieselben paar Fantasy Autoren lesen (zumal von Tolkien, Jordan, Pratchett und Goodkind nichts Neues mehr kommen wird und Martin anscheinend nicht mehr aus dem Quark kommt). :-D
Mir war bewusst, dass es sich um ein Young Adult Buch handelt und ich damit eigentlich gar nicht die Zielgruppe darstelle. Macht aber nichts. Sehr stark aufgefallen ist es mir ehrlich gesagt nur in den "Nicht-Sex-Szenen", die sowas von jugendfrei ausgefallen sind, dass es hierzulande auch "ab 6" durchgehen würde, und somit sehr offensichtlich zurückgehalten wirkten im Vergleich zum ansonsten stattfindenden Monster, Mord und Totschlag.
Dieser erste Band hat mich auf jeden Fall überzeugt, die Reihe weiterzuverfolgen.
A good, fast-paced read, but not quite as good as Maas's later work; certainly feels the Y in YA. Can be read as a standalone but is probably better if you continue on to read the whole series (I assume).
To summarize it briefly: Celaena, a proficient assassin, has been in the salt mines for a year when she is taken out by Prince Dorian and his guard captain Chaol to be the prince's candidate in a competition to find the next King's Champion. But someone, or something, is picking off candidates even outside of the competitions designed to winnow out the unworthy. Celaena's heart is also pulled into two directions, between the overtly romantic Dorian and the steadfast Chaol.
The major drawback to the book is that it's so clearly written to be part of a series. For instance, from very early on, I started to suspect that Maas …
A good, fast-paced read, but not quite as good as Maas's later work; certainly feels the Y in YA. Can be read as a standalone but is probably better if you continue on to read the whole series (I assume).
To summarize it briefly: Celaena, a proficient assassin, has been in the salt mines for a year when she is taken out by Prince Dorian and his guard captain Chaol to be the prince's candidate in a competition to find the next King's Champion. But someone, or something, is picking off candidates even outside of the competitions designed to winnow out the unworthy. Celaena's heart is also pulled into two directions, between the overtly romantic Dorian and the steadfast Chaol.
The major drawback to the book is that it's so clearly written to be part of a series. For instance, from very early on, I started to suspect that Maas was pulling a Megan Whalen Turner and Celaena was more than she seemed. I think Maas was fairly clever about this, and if I hadn't read The Thief multiple times I might not have caught all of the clues. (And then later on there was a kind of stone maze and supernatural elements that also recall The Thief.) I had to check the description of later books in the series to confirm it, as it isn't resolved in this one, which was moderately frustrating. But on the opposite side, the love triangle appeared to be gearing up to be an even bigger part of a larger storyline - while Dorian is clearly the "winner" of the triangle through the book (I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say this) given his active romance with Celaena, Chaol's feelings for her were pretty much unresolved. But in checking Wikipedia to find out the other thing, I saw that this triangle is completely abandoned in favor of a totally different love interest who doesn't appear in the book! That was frustrating to find out, as I was getting pretty invested in the romantic tension (and I do not usually like love triangles much). I don't really understand why Maas did this and it retroactively make the book go down a lot in my estimation.
There is a strong female friendship, which I loved! Princess Nehemia is a kind of hostage at the court and she has her own secrets, but she is a genuine friend and equal of Celaena and I'm very interested in her as an individual and in her future plotline. The Strong Female Friendship thing often feels pasted in in a lot of books, but not here - it's organic and I love it.
The mystery plotline is ... I don't think it's something to pick up the book for. The person doing the killing is pretty obvious, although there is a twist at the end that was worth reading!
I can't say I'm as enthusiastic about this series as I've seen so many people be, but I enjoyed this book! I went in expecting something similar to ACOTAR and, thankfully, this series seems to have quite a different tone. There are probably more plots going on than is really necessary but given that there are 7 more books in the series, I guess I'll let that particular criticism go. This is very clearly the first book in a series, with a lot of things left unexplored. I'm looking forward to continuing with the series!
After having read the series introductory novella, I had great expectations for the Throne of Glass series. Sadly, the only exciting part of this story was the final battle. The remainder of the book was quite dull and boring. To my mind, there are simply better written, more exciting, (similiar) series. I'll be moving on to something else...
Throne of Glass was a fun read. It was not particularly thought provoking, the characters were not particularly compelling, and the plot was not particularly inventive. It was still fun though. I enjoyed every page. There was not a point where it bogged down in nonsense as there so often is in a book that is trying to set up a large series. It kept up its pace, and kept my attention and for that I have to commend it. I liked the characters by the end of it. The two primary male characters were sort of two dimensional until about 3/4 of the way through the book, but they came into their own by the end. I would recommend it as what my wife calls "popcorn reading." Fun, but not nourishing.
TL;DR: Look at the shelves I put this one on. Everything you expect from a fantasy, romance, YA with an 18 year old female assassin for a protagonist.
So what is it about. The setting is a classic fantasy kingdom/continent including the Fae. However 10 years ago, magic left the continent in one big rush after having been outlawed for decades before that. Magic users lost their abilities and ... suddenly no more magic was possible. The Fae have also left. Or have been killed. The sinister king of A. (a country of rather unrememberable spelling) has been trying to take control of the whole continent.
And now the king of A. is holding a competition for the position of court assassin. Enter Celaena. (How please is this pronounced?) She's a formerly infamous assassin with a mysterious past who just spent a year slaving away in the kingdom's salt mines, …
TL;DR: Look at the shelves I put this one on. Everything you expect from a fantasy, romance, YA with an 18 year old female assassin for a protagonist.
So what is it about. The setting is a classic fantasy kingdom/continent including the Fae. However 10 years ago, magic left the continent in one big rush after having been outlawed for decades before that. Magic users lost their abilities and ... suddenly no more magic was possible. The Fae have also left. Or have been killed. The sinister king of A. (a country of rather unrememberable spelling) has been trying to take control of the whole continent.
And now the king of A. is holding a competition for the position of court assassin. Enter Celaena. (How please is this pronounced?) She's a formerly infamous assassin with a mysterious past who just spent a year slaving away in the kingdom's salt mines, after someone betrayed her. Dorian, the somewhat recalcitrant crown prince, decides to free her and make her his champion for his father's competition (out of spite?). He sets Chaol, his best friend and captain of the guard, as her guardian and trainer. Of course she's attracted to both men (can't have a YA book without a love triangle). The last main protagonist to appear is Nehemia, a princess of another country who is rumored to support a rebel faction (rebel princess anyone?).
I found the plot pretty straight-forward. The competition is a series of tests the champions have to pass, while several side plots - including romance, friendship, murder, ghosts and mayhem - wind themselves around the central column. And while there shouldn't be any magic, weird things that can only be attributed to other-worldly powers are happening ...
I think the weakest part of the book is the unsubtle handling of emotions and relationships and sometimes character development seems to take a somewhat too-short path. But overall the characters and relationships are believable and sympathetic despite the mistakes they make.
I enjoyed readings this (currently on book #3), but the sometimes rather unsubtle emotions and descriptions, and the jolty pace of character development, made me deduct a star. It's YA and some things can and should be different and written in a more accessible way but sometimes this goes a bit too far. While at the same time the book also contains rather graphic descriptions of violence. But rest assured that the sex scene ends with "and she gave him everything she had." (Not that I could do any better I guess, and not every book needs to have hot, steamy sex) The kissing scenes are all right though and the relationships - despite the unsubtle emotions - do quite well. And: everything gets better with the second book in the series.
Nothing much revolutionary in here, no "big ideas" but it's a solid read for a few hours of easy entertainment.
This book was "recommended" by Goodreads, but honestly, it was straight up terrible. I had to stop at page 26. The reader is constantly told how beautiful and talented the main character is, as well as how handsome everyone else is. In the very first paragraph, the main character is "Adarlan's most notorious assassin." On the second page: "It was true that she had been attractive once, beautiful even, but -- well, it didn't matter now, did it?"
A little later, "She was important enough to warrant an execution from the Captain of the Royal Guard himself." (Thanks for letting me know!)
And, "She looked at her rags and stained skin, and she couldn't suppress the twinge of shame. What a miserable state for a girl of former beauty!" (Truly a tragedy!)
And others are described thusly: "Yet there was something in his eyes, strikingly blue -- the color of …
This book was "recommended" by Goodreads, but honestly, it was straight up terrible. I had to stop at page 26. The reader is constantly told how beautiful and talented the main character is, as well as how handsome everyone else is. In the very first paragraph, the main character is "Adarlan's most notorious assassin." On the second page: "It was true that she had been attractive once, beautiful even, but -- well, it didn't matter now, did it?"
A little later, "She was important enough to warrant an execution from the Captain of the Royal Guard himself." (Thanks for letting me know!)
And, "She looked at her rags and stained skin, and she couldn't suppress the twinge of shame. What a miserable state for a girl of former beauty!" (Truly a tragedy!)
And others are described thusly: "Yet there was something in his eyes, strikingly blue -- the color of the waters of the southern countries -- and the way they contrasted with his raven-black hair that made her pause. He was achingly handsome, and couldn't have been older than twenty. 'Princes are not supposed to be handsome! They're sniveling, stupid, repulsive creatures. This one... this... How unfair of him to be royal and beautiful.'" (How unfair indeed!)
That's only up to page 8. Nope, Nope, Nope.
Edit: Almost forgot to add books that are actually worth reading. If you liked the idea of this book, read either [b: The Blue Sword|407813|The Blue Sword (Damar, #2)|Robin McKinley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1286927812s/407813.jpg|2321296] or [b: The Hero and the Crown|77366|The Hero and the Crown (Damar, #1)|Robin McKinley|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386642407s/77366.jpg|2321243]
This series is all the rage for a lot of the book people I follow on Twitter. When I saw the first book was available to read on Oyster I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I got about 25% through and quit because I was bored. This week another book in the series came out and people on Twitter were all excited like it was the second coming of Harry Potter. I decided to try again to see if I missed something. I forced myself to finish it this morning. Yeah, forced. That's not a good sign. Checking the % finished number every few pages wasn't a good sign either.I checked reviews on Goodreads after I finished and am relieved to see that I am not alone. This seems to be a love it or hate it book.Here's what bothered me.
Creepy Male Main Characters
Celaena …
This series is all the rage for a lot of the book people I follow on Twitter. When I saw the first book was available to read on Oyster I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I got about 25% through and quit because I was bored. This week another book in the series came out and people on Twitter were all excited like it was the second coming of Harry Potter. I decided to try again to see if I missed something. I forced myself to finish it this morning. Yeah, forced. That's not a good sign. Checking the % finished number every few pages wasn't a good sign either.I checked reviews on Goodreads after I finished and am relieved to see that I am not alone. This seems to be a love it or hate it book.Here's what bothered me.
Creepy Male Main Characters
Celaena is a seventeen year old female assassin who has been in a prison camp for a year. She is taken out by a Prince and the Captain of his guard to compete in a contest. If she doesn't win the contest she is going to be sent back to prison. Once at the palace she is kept in her rooms with guards on the doors unless escorted out.These two men who took her out of the prison have complete control of her life. They have become her jailers. What do they do? They take turns coming into her room in the middle of the night when she is in bed. WTF? That's not okay.You know what is even worse? Sometimes she doesn't wake up when they come in so they stand there and watch her sleep. No, just no. Why is this somehow considered sweet and romantic in YA books? It is not sweet. That is Get Me A Restraining Order behavior. (Why is such a supposedly fearsome killer such a heavy sleeper that they creep up on her all the time anyway?)So then one of them starts coming onto her. He's supposedly some major womanizer but of course he wants to give it all up for her. Well, except for that time she is escapes and sees him kissing on another woman while Calaena is supposed to be locked up. How does our heroine react? Does she realize that he is a creep? Don't be silly. She wonders what is wrong with her and why she feels so jealous.At the end of the book, (that's your spoiler alert) she decides to just be friends with him because she wants to be free at the end of her sentence and make decisions for herself. Good on her. But then the other guy comes along and finds out about this decision. His response? He ogles her short nightgown because he always comes in unexpectedly at night. Then this conversation happens.
He pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down. She filled a goblet with wine and handed it to him. "To four years until freedom" she said, lifting her glass.
He raised his in salute. "To you, Celaena."
Their eyes met, and (creepy dude #2) didn't hide his smile as she grinned at him. Perhaps four years with her might not be enough.
Right, she's celebrating the fact that eventually she is going to be free to make her own decisions and he is thinking that now that Creepy Dude #1 is out of the picture that she is all his for the next four years. Chilling.
Magical Puppy Raising
At one point in the story Calaena is given a puppy by Creepy Dude #1. Here is her response.
...I want her trained. I don't want her urinating on everything and chewing on the furniture and shoes and books. And I want her to sit when I tell her to and lay down and roll over and whatever it is that dogs do. And I want her to run - run with the other dogs when they're practicing. I want her to put those long legs to use."
.... "When I'm training" -- she kissed the pup's soft head, and the dog nestled her cold nose against Celaena's neck -- "I want her in the kennels, training as well. When I return in the afternoon, she may be brought to me. I'll keep her in the night." Celaena held the dog at eye level. The dog licked her legs in the air. "If you ruin any of my shoes," she said to the pup, "I'll turn you into a pair of slippers. Understood?"
Oh, Lord, help me. It is attitudes like this why I have to remind myself on a daily basis that it is illegal to beat people. It is a puppy. It is a baby. It doesn't know all the rules just because you explain them once. She can't hold her urine. A person locked up in a room can't take her outside and she isn't allowed to urinate in the room. Good plan.I have this discussion all the time. People bring me 9 week old dogs thinking there is something horribly wrong with them because they aren't housebroken yet. Or they want drugs for the 4 month old because he is chewing on things. Have they taught the dog manners? Of course not. Dogs are just supposed to know or else magical dog trainers swoop in during the night to teach. Trust me - sending a young puppy outside in the morning for a few hours and then locking her up in a room for the rest of the day and ignoring her (which she does), does not a trained dog make. This is a recipe for an abandoned dog when it doesn't live up to expectations.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
What a great start to a series! Good stuff. Can't wait to read the next one.
Celaena is my favorite kind of character. Strong, independent, a little sassy, but still can be hurt, both emotionally and physically. She's not super-human. She's like Katniss in a fantasy setting. She says the wrong things sometimes and isn't perfect, but people still like her. In fact, there are several similarities between this book and The Hunger Games. Competition for their lives, evil leaders, love triangle. It's similar, yet different enough to work. I enjoyed the supernatural/magical element, the setting, and the characters. A very solid 4 stars for me.
Celaena Sardothien is condemned to a life sentence working in the salt mines of Endovier. Ardalan’s most famous assassin is a mere eighteen year old girl. Starving and beaten, she is approached by Chaol, on behalf of the Crown Prince with an offer. Compete to be the feared King’s champion, win and she will earn her freedom after four years. Fail and she will return to the salt mines where she will die. There isn’t much choice really.
Rather than an action adventure story, it’s more of a Cinderella story with a twist, although poor Celaena never really gets invited to the balls. She must pretend in court to be a lady of breeding whilst in reality, she’s a notorious criminal, constantly under guard. She takes to her courtly life quite well however and I loved that she could be both kick ass and girlie. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. …
Celaena Sardothien is condemned to a life sentence working in the salt mines of Endovier. Ardalan’s most famous assassin is a mere eighteen year old girl. Starving and beaten, she is approached by Chaol, on behalf of the Crown Prince with an offer. Compete to be the feared King’s champion, win and she will earn her freedom after four years. Fail and she will return to the salt mines where she will die. There isn’t much choice really.
Rather than an action adventure story, it’s more of a Cinderella story with a twist, although poor Celaena never really gets invited to the balls. She must pretend in court to be a lady of breeding whilst in reality, she’s a notorious criminal, constantly under guard. She takes to her courtly life quite well however and I loved that she could be both kick ass and girlie. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
I’m not a fan of the endless descriptions that usually come with high fantasy, but this young adult version is focused on the characters. It’s set in a land where magic has been banned and for the most part of the book, there is little fantasy, it’s more like a medieval court, but this actually made me love it more. Dorian is the Crown Prince, cowed under the rule of his father and expected by his mother to marry well. Hiring Celaena is his way of rebellion but he didn’t think he’d actually grow to like her. He may be the prince charming of this rags to riches tale but quietly a connection forms between the captain of the guard, Chaol and Celaena.
And of course she attracts the attention of men; she is not a simpering idiot like the other ladies at court. Whilst her features are striking, she is not described as conventionally pretty and both the prince and her guard actually grow close to her because of the strong person she is. Perhaps a little arrogant, but she is an infamous assassin at a young age. She’s just a girl! I found Dorian to be a more typical love interest so I was routing for Chaol, the underdog…and I admit, I like relationships where the characters don’t even think they like each other. It keeps me on edge.
She’s not actually an assassin during this instalment at least (I know there are some novellas set in the same world floating around in ebook form). The competition consists of a number of tests and each week a candidate will be eliminated and many more are expected to die. Many of these tests aren’t about combat and the plot has several other threads, murder in the castle, discovering Wyrdmarks and their power, political intrigue and finding out what the agenda of the visiting Princess Nehemia is.
I really didn’t want it to end and I will be anxiously waiting the next instalment. Not that there’s a horrible cliffhanger ending, I just loved the characters and wanted to learn more about the world and what happens next…
