The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
chelslynn5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Torture and Death
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Vomit
ashleynp24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Vomit, Gaslighting, Torture, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, Slavery, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Violence, and Murder
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"The Assassin's Blade" is a collection of five novellas that take place before "Throne of Glass" begins. This collection allows the reader to get a better understanding of Celaena's character and see where she came from and why she is fighting so hard to make the world better.
Upon finishing this book, I wish I could go back and read this one before I started the entire series. I knew this was a collection of novellas from the Throne of Glass world, but I was not expecting this book to have such important backstories for several of the plotlines in the "Throne of Glass" series. Though this is not essential to read, I do think this was one of my favorite books in the series.
My favorite short story was the last one: "The Assassin and the Empire". This story was so devastatingly beautiful and heartbreaking, I did not want it to ever end. Celaena is such a fierce main character, and I loved seeing how she ended up in the mines as a slave.
I HIGHLY recommend this book, and I HIGHLY recommend you read this before you start the entire series.Ā
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Torture, Murder, Slavery, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
lisavandonselaar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Slavery, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Torture
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
esme2020's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Vomit
readwithria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have read the other books in the series before, so I knew going in that there would be stories about specific people, and I had a general idea of how they would end. What I wasnāt expecting was to be so annoyed by Celaena.
She is such a bad friend and romantic partner, and I realize that part of the issue is that sheās 17 years old but part of the issue is that she hates so strongly that itās hard to see another side to her. Sheās mean, and heartless, and I really didnāt believe her relationship with Sam was as deep as she makes it out to be in Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. I donāt believe that he could love her so strongly when sheās so terrible to him.
Beside that, this book makes Celaenaās lack of female friendships really obvious. Itās one of the things I donāt love about SJMās writing - where are the friends??Ā
Anyway, now onto the things I did enjoy. I really liked who Celaena was in the second and third stories. I think they offered growth for her that the other stories didnāt. I also liked seeing more of Rifthold and the training process. Even with knowing how the book had to end, the tension was built quite well and kept me reading the last 20-30 pages when I had previously been tempted to skim.
Is this book necessary? No. Would I recommend it? If you really enjoy TOG and COM then this is very similar in content and writing style. But if you didnāt enjoy those books, I would personally skip this one. 3 stars.
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content and Sexism
brittaneenash's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
- A small piece of my heart will forever belong to Sam Cortland. I adored reading about him, about his relationship with Celaena, as heartbreaking as it was to have things end how they did.Ā
- Because of this sequence of novellas, I can understand why Celaena was so attracted to Chaol in the first two books. Even though I felt much the same about him, it becomes obvious that she only adores him so dearly because he and Sam harbour a lot of similar personality traits, and she was really clinging to those.Ā
I am praying,Ā prayingĀ that Aelin will get to serve justice to Arobynn some time throughout the next couple of books. That man deserves a heinously disgusting, fiery, painful death. I despise him with my entire being. - I found the relationship between Celaena and Arobynn to be heartbreakingly realistic. Reading about it made my heart ache for her. What he did to her is entirely unforgiveable, in my eyes.Ā
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Murder and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
17eoakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Torture and Death
Moderate: Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Murder
Minor: Vomit and Sexual content
halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ā
I honestly thought this was going to be a smol Novella...like the average novella. This was a freaking tomeš¤£š¤£š¤£š over 12 hours long. I immediately switched over from the ebook and requested my library to buy the audio (thankfully they approvedšš¼šš¼). Without further ado, my ratings for novellas:
- the assassin and the pirate lord 5/10ā
- The assassin and the healer 8.5/10ā
- The assassin and the desert 10/10ā
- The assassin and the underworld/underword (I've seen it spelled both ways but either way my rating does not change)...bump up in star b/c her and Sam kissedš 4/10ā
- the assassin and the empire 10/10ā.... Samš„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Violence, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Slavery, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and War
spazk27's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexual content