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A review by pennyfountain
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really wish I read this one first. Based on other reviews, I thought it'd be a slog but it wasn't that way at all for me. It's definitely the darkest SJM book out of the ten I've read so far based on the themes it addresses.
It gives such an important background to what Celeana has been through, some things in the first Throne of Glass books make more sense, and going back to the main series was jarring to say the least (I read "Heir of Fire" after). It has a different tone than the others, so I'd recommend reading it first or fourth, not third like all the suggestions I've seen (which is what I did). If you read it fourth then at least the events of "Assassin's Blade" are tied to "Queen of Shadows."
It gives such an important background to what Celeana has been through, some things in the first Throne of Glass books make more sense, and going back to the main series was jarring to say the least (I read "Heir of Fire" after). It has a different tone than the others, so I'd recommend reading it first or fourth, not third like all the suggestions I've seen (which is what I did). If you read it fourth then at least the events of "Assassin's Blade" are tied to "Queen of Shadows."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Emotional abuse