Ardalan’s Assassin, Celaena Sardothein, has spent a year in the slave death mines of Endovier. Now the Crowned Prince, Dorian Hallivard, and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Choal Westfall, escort her to the glass castle to compete in a competition for her freedom. If she can defeat the 23 thieves, assassins, murders, and warriors she will serve as the Champion to the cruel and vicious King of Ardalan, then gain her freedom. Ardalan has been a dark place since the disappearance of magic ten years ago, but with the help of the Prince and the Captain, as well as her friend Nehemia, the princess of a foreign country, she will fight for her freedom. As the competition continues, her competitors start dying, not just dying but are being found brutally dismembered in the castle itself. Now Celaena must also fight for survival and find the dark evil that festers deep within the heart of Ardalan.

The first book in Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series will immediately take you into the intrigues of the glass castle, deep into the city of Rifthold, and into the dark secrets hidden within the castle. This is the perfect book for fans of fantasy but it is violent and dark as it follows a prolific assassin. The world building is beautiful and you’ll feel like you’re right there with them. Celaena is an extremely well written character; she is strong and confident, loves to read, and is very witty. Her journey to recovery from being a slave, while short, is well written. The supporting characters were also extremely strong. There are POVs from both Dorian and Chaol as well which makes it more interesting as you get to see different sides of the story. Nehemia is one of the best side characters I’ve ever read and her and Celaena’s friendship is amazing; it’s nice to see two girls being friends in this type of book instead of competitors. Although this book is really an introduction to the series, it moves quickly and also has its own plot as well as plots that will continue through the rest of the books.