*Spoilers for first book in the series: Throne of Glass

“If they want Ardalan’s Assassin, they’d get her. And Wyrd help them when she arrived.”

Celaena Sardothien serves as Champion to the heartless King of Ardalan after defeating the twenty-three other competitors in a brutal contest for freedom. Though she serves as his Champion, Celaena is far from loyal to the King or to the Crown; she maintains a charade to hide her treasonous actions. But she is not the only one who wants justice for the countless atrocities committed by the Kingdom of Ardalan; rumours of a growing rebellion are whispered through the castle and her job as the Champion brings her closer to them.

No one is above questioning her allegiances, even her friends. Everyone is keeping secrets, even those she trusts the most: the Captain of the Guard, Choal Westfall, the Prince Dorain Hallivard, and her closest friend Nehemia, a foreign princess seeking justice for her people.

Celaena continues to search for the source of the dark magic that plagued the castle and nearly killed her during the competition, and discovers everything may be more connected than it appears. This cannot last and one fatal night all the secrets will lead to an inconceivable tragedy that will shatter Celaena's life. She can no longer dance between the role of assassin, champion, and vigilante. She must choose where her loyalties lie and what she is willing to fight for.

Crown of Midnight is the stunning sequel to Maas’ Throne of Glass novel. Even if the first book wasn't your favourite, the second one is unbelievably fantastic. It turns away from just drama and love triangles into the more brutal and dark fight for justice and exploring where Celaena’s loyalties lie. Although the first book had its own distinct plot there were many underlying elements that will continue to unravel throughout this book and the rest of the series. The characters continue to develop throughout this book and you’ll love them even more.

Maas explores their strengths and weaknesses while allowing them to experience setbacks and make mistakes. Dorian and Chaol really have their own stories as well which I thought was amazing as it made them more realistic to show their own challenges and show they were not just there to further the plot of Celaena's book. This book really leads into what the rest of the series will be like, showcasing Celaena’s brutal abilities as an assassin and revealing more secrets from her past as well as continuing with the romance and magic from the first book.