Jenny's Book Bag

I had mixed feelings about this book. I couldn’t wait to read it due to all of the buzz, but it didn’t live up to my expectations.

My biggest complaints are about the character development and the pacing. One of the characters was unconvincing and one was stereotypical. I wasn’t convinced that Celaena Sardonthien was the best assassin. Her behavior (and sometimes her personality) didn’t match her reputation. She’s arrogant like the best assassin should be, but she didn’t always sound like she had enough skill to back it up. She had a smart mouth, but she seemed to alternate between talking tough and reminding herself not to be afraid. Sometimes she acted like she was a vacationer who could sit around and read books at her leisure instead of being a captured assassin who was trying to fight to win her freedom.

The Crown Prince of Adarlan sounds like a typical Prince — a lady’s man who gets around and does whatever the heck he wants as long as his daddy, the King, isn’t watching.

The pacing was a little slow moving in some sections. There were times when I had a hard time not skipping parts or rushing through it to get to the good stuff. During the parts that dragged, I kept thinking about how much I wanted to start the next novel I had lined up. When I got to a got to a suspenseful part of the book, I was excited to see what happened next. I just wish that I had felt that level of excitement throughout the entire novel.

Sarah J. Maas did a nice with the world-building, but I’m not in love with it. It’s not a world that makes me want to obsessively follow it. I’m sure there are plenty of people who will disagree with me.

Throne of Glass did have some good qualities that made it worth reading. Sarah J. Maas has an easy flowing writing style, so there’s nothing complicated or confusing about it. Even with the characters’ flaws, I found them likeable as they each had their own charming qualities.

I’m torn about whether I want to continue the series. I probably will, but I don’t feel the need to run out and start the next book tomorrow. If you love YA fantasy, I’d still recommend giving it a try.