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Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas showcases a new world called Adarlan where magic has been banned from the land that is ruled by a brutally nasty king who craves to conquer new territories solely out of greed, punishing the people of his conquests with no mercy. One of the many people who suffers from his wrath is Celaena Sardothien, the young eighteen-year-old assassin, who has been sent to the salt mines of Endovier as punishment for her crimes against the crown. As the king declares his need for a King’s Champion, his own personal assassin who will do his bidding, Celaena is summoned to the Glass Castle along with twenty-three other competitors who are thieves, killers, and warriors, all vying for this position that will ultimately lead to their freedom. She is to be the Crown Prince’s champion competing in a series of challenges that will determine the winner. Even though her name sparks fear through all who hear as she claims the title of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is forbidden from using it instead pretending to be a common jewel thief. Celaena is determined to win and gain her freedom after she has suffered for so long at the hands of the King, but as the competition commences there seems to something evil that dwells within the castle. Champions begin to die off in gruesome ways eliminating the possibility of a human murderer. Celaena is tasked with finding this evil and putting an end to it, while also winning the competition.

As Celaena befriends a foreign princess, Nehemia, she learns the true value of friendship that she has been bereft of her entire life. Even though Celaena is an assassin she cannot help but capture the attention of the Crown Prince, Dorian, and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol.  Throughout the book Celaena showcases her willingness to protect those she has befriended at any cost. She goes to great lengths to protect Dorian, Chaol, and Nehemia from the dangers that come closer and closer as the competition continues on. No cost is too high for Celaena as she attempts to save her world.

Without a doubt, I would recommend this book to anyone one hundred percent of the time. This book is the perfect introduction into the captivating life of Celaena Sardothien that only continues to grow as the series continues and becomes more complex. Maas has struck gold with this series as even the smallest details grow and develop to become important later throughout the books. I am someone who always loves action packed book where something interesting is always keeping me on the edge of my seat. If you are also like that, this book is perfect for you. Celaena’s complete fearlessness and swaggering attitude made me fall in love with her and empathize with her as she relives horrible memories from her past. The way that Maas has written this book is perfection because even though Celaena is an assassin you cannot help but see the humanity underneath her tough exterior with her love of books, candy, and dogs. There was never a dull moment in this book that utterly transported me into the life at the Glass Castle in Adarlan. This is just the beginning of a daredevil story full of heartbreak, secrets, action, and love.

Check out Throne of Glass at the Newport Beach Public Library.