Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas

(5/5 stars)

This book right here. This book right here, though. Books like this one remind me why I love to read and why I love to write. This book literally made me fist bump while reading it. Yes, I threw my fist into the air and screeched in victory. I'm not embarrassed about it. It happens. But let's talk about this book for a second:

What I liked: World building! What a beautiful creation Maas has given us. The world is so vivid and real, I almost have to remind myself that it doesn't exist. Along with the brilliant world comes multi-dimensional characters. Their complexity is the best, like I can't even explain my love for these characters. And did I mention the character development? Because that's done so well I want to sing songs of joy. Celaena is such a beast, can I be her? Yes, she's a deadly assassin and her reputation is well deserved, but yet she still is able to smile and laugh and bond with people. It's amazing. Sure, she's cocky (rightfully so), but she takes on each task with a fierce determination and preparation that you can't help but admire. I'm pretty sure that if I was stuck in a war prison for so long and then forced to compete in scary physical challenges, I'd be lying on the floor in fetal position. But what does Celaena do? She trains hard, and then when she has free time, she builds weapons and continues her training. And then there are the love interests, Chaol and Dorian. How do you pick? Here's the answer, you can't. Like, I don't even care if it's a love triangle, they're both written so well it doesn't matter. But this love triangle is a good example of the protagonist having to pick a path that goes with each love interest. I applaud that. Also, the bad guys are deliciously bad (like straight up evil), me gusta. 

What I didn't like: I thought that the tasks that Celaena was put through during the competition to become the King's Champion weren't as exciting as I wanted them to be. They were things like archery, and poison detection, and I would have liked to see more combat (though the final challenge was all that I wanted it to be and then some). I also found myself upset that Celaena thought Nehemia was involved in all the bad stuff. I wanted her to trust her friend more, but I understand why she had to be suspicious. Celaena is an assassin and comes from a world where trust isn't given freely. But I still wanted them to be besties without trust issues. 

But basically this book has become my everything. I really wish I had a physical copy of it (instead of it being on my e-reader) so that I could physically throw it at people and make them read it. A thousand thanks to everyone who recommended Throne of Glass to me, especially Rinn and Josie! And I probably have to thank my mom too, for dealing with me running downstairs every five minutes to update her on the plot, listening to my endless squeals, and for accepting my (forceful) recommendation. 

-Annie