A review by vereadsbooks
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5

I'M GLAD I GIVE THIS SERIES ANOTHER CHANCE.

Maas improved his writing and honed everything that didn’t work in the first book, bringing the story forward.

I really enjoyed reading about Celaena’s character in this book. She’s a total badass, and it was amazing to witness her in action. Now I understand why everyone was afraid of her - she’s deadly. This book helped me to see how vulnerable she was when Chaol and Dorian took her out of jail. She’s such a complex character, and I didn’t fully appreciate that in the first book.

The relationship between Chaol and Celaena is natural and realistic. Chaol struggles with his own desires and fears. He tries to remain loyal to the crown and resist the temptation to be with Celaena. Unfortunately, this internal conflict leads him to make poor decisions. Resulting in him losing everything. The dynamic between Chaol and Celaena is reminiscent of Valek and Yelena’s relationship in Poison Study.

Dorian is a character that I had a little affection for. But in this book, he conquered me. At first, his presence doesn’t seem relevant. But, as the story progresses, his subplot takes on a lot of weight.

In the first book, I felt his relationship with Celeana was forced. However, in this book, their relationship is fluid and natural. They forged a meaningful and powerful friendship. They understand each other perfectly.

This book’s unexpected twists and turns pleasantly surprised me. The author’s approach to revealing the major plot twist was cleverly executed. The last pages are an emotional wreck. This secret impacts the relationship of Celeana with one of the other characters, changing the dynamic between them and setting the stage for the next book. It’s brilliant.

Crown of Midnight gets dark and bloody with betrayal, revelations, heartbreaks, twists, and turns. The story is way bigger and more complex than it seems. I’m so eager to get the other book.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings