A review by floofymoosereads
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• 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

Assassin’s Blade is a set of novellas from Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series. All of the novellas occur, in sequence, leading up to Celaena being sent to the salt mines prior to book one. It explores the fall of her relationship with the Master of the Assassin’s Guild and the rise of her relationship with Sam Cartland (who is referenced repeatedly in books one and two).

The Lovely: The characters and their relationships. I loved Celaena’s blooming relationship with Sam and the ending was so so so sad. I also wasn’t expecting the twist with the female character in the second novella.

The Mundane: I had to keep reminding myself that this series is YA, not adult, and thus the spice is missing. Which, was a bit of a bummer, but is what it is (and can’t really blame the author).

The Dreadful: The novellas start about six months before Celaena is sent to the salt mines so there’s not a lot of her background covered. I had expected it to cover more of her time in the Assassin’s Guild so that period of her life is still a big mystery.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Recommendation: This is a worthwhile read to better understand Celaena’s background and past relationships. I definitely don’t think it would have much of an impact if read before book one and would recommend reading it after book two or book three.