Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: August 2nd, 2012
Number of pages: 404
Format: Paperback
Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
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Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Let me first say --- how badass is the over, right? I mean, I like the US cover, but this one... shows who she really is, and I love it.
For months I had heard about this book and how amazing it was. From the glance off, it didn't seem to be something I'd like, but after pondering --- I caved. And I was so glad I did.
This book was great, more than I could have ever imagined it be. The characters were charming, strong-willed and interesting, the plot was captivating throughout the book, especially when the story really got moving, and of course we slowly have a small triangle that begins to form.
Triangles seem to be everywhere these days. Some books they work, and are done well, but others are horrible and everyone gets hurt one way or another.

Celaena had spent more time than she wished to remember in the mines of Endovier, but when she gets given the opportunity to get away from there, from that life. A chance at freedom --- she takes it. There is just one catch: She has to battle in a competition to win against many others. She has to be the champion. If she succeeds though, it could be the best reward she'd ever receive.
She is a character everyone should be able to admire. Coming from a horrible past, she'll do whatever she needs to survive. Most people would have given up, but not her. This one is a survivor.

We are also introduced  to two lovely love interests. It didn't cross my mind until I started to see moments, and that was where I thought.... "Could this turn into a love triangle?" and I hadn't read any reviews, so I had no idea this was a possibility. I should have known though, most YA books have triangles. I'm not sure why --- is it to create drama, entertainment for the readers? Or is it a way to create an obstacle for the main couple, so they don't get together too soon? Hmm.. I know I have my preference, and I think it could be learning the way I want.  I didn't mind the other love interest guy though. He was sweet, maybe a little..superficious, but kind nonetheless. Both guys have different things going for them, and we can only wait and see who Celaena chooses to be the one for her. 

Lets talk about the guys for a moment before I move on...
First we have the prince. He is the one who brought Celaena to be his champion for the competition. His relationship with her does change throughout the book. While he is expected to marry, he does find himself interested in Celaena more than one would like. He is more flirty and isn't afraid to show his feelings.
And then we have Chaol.. He is Captain of the Guard. He is meant to make sure Celaena does what she is told, and keep her in line. He is steel headed and very cold and very rarely will let any emotion show on his face. But as he begins to get to know his charge, you can see the cracks in his facade begins to peel away.

The plot of the story was very compelling and about half way through the book, I could not put this down. It was engaging to the very last page, especially as the action picked up quite swiftly. It is definitely a page turner. I yearned to see what was coming next for our beloved characters.
Sarah crafted a very in depth and addicting world, with characters to love and a journey to be discovered. I look forward to see what is next for Celaena, Dorian and Chaol.
I need also to check out the available novellas, so I can understand more about this world than I already know. 

Verdict: 4.5/5