In July I decided to reread the Throne of Glass series!
I read the first book back in 2013, so it was an interesting to experience how much the series changed throughout the years and all the little bits and pieces of foreshadowing. 👀
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The Assassin’s Blade (2020)
The Assassin’s BladeThe Assassin’s Blade is the book that prompted by reread of the series. I’d never read it before despite owning the book for… quite some time 😛 It was such an interesting experience, though, because it gave so much insight into certain aspects of Celaena as a character and what happened in her past. If you’re new to ToG, I definitely recommend you read this collection of 5 short stories before you pick up the first novel:Throne of Glass.
Throne of Glass (2013, 2016, 2020)
Throne of Glass is a very interesting reread in the sense that it becomes obvious that Maas still had no idea about what she truly wanted to do with the series when she wrote this. It’s a very basic novel with little to no world-building, but engrossing all the same. Celaena and Dorian feel a bit like caricatures of themselves as well, especially when you consider who they are as people in Crown of Midnight and later installments. It honestly feels a little bit like a prequel.
Crown of Midnight (2013, 2020)
2013 Julia gave this book 3 stars–don’t ask me why. Crown of Midnight is when the series truly starts to take shape: the world-building is considerably more developed, the characters and their emotions are more complex, and the plot sets up situations and reveals that will stretch through the rest of the series. I’d say that this feels like the real First Book of the series in a way the Throne of Glass doesn’t because it’s so introductory. The ending also has the one reveal that impacts all future novels, to the very end.
Heir of Fire (2015, 2020)
Heir of Fire is my second favorite book in the series and where I truly fell in love with this world. This is like a breather novel? that works to develop the characters and world-building extremely well before Big Plot Things happen in the next installments. Celaena embraces her past and her future, there is the introduction of two major characters that become extremely important to the story, and each chapter sets up and establishes the building blocks and reveals for what’s to come.
Queen of Shadows (2015, 2020)
Hands down my favorite book in the series.Queen of Shadowsis everything I could have asked for in terms of character and plot and relationship development. It’s such a good reading experience too see Celaena saying goodbye to her past and embracing her new name and title. This is the book where she makes the decisions she needs to make so as to be able to face what’s to come. Chaol’s character is assassinated here, though, which I was not a big fan of. Everything else? Perfect.
Empire of Storms (2016, 2020)
Empire of Storms is a sloooow reread. It feels a tiny bit like not much is happening, but at the same time the tension is so high that becomes impossible to put the book down. This is what I liked to call the book of Pain & Suffering because most of the big reveals are painful and make me–and the characters–suffer. It does set things up rather nicely for the final battle and it has amazing relationship developments for Aelin and my most favorite character. It also has the single most heartbreaking cliffhanger ending I’ve ever read in my entire life.
Tower of Dawn (2017, 2020)
I didn’t expect to loveTower of Dawn as much as I did, even during my reread. The beginning is a bit rough, but Chaol and Yrene’s story is so engrossing and impacts so much of what happens in the next novel. The character assassination of Chaol in QoS is redeeming in this one as Maas takes her time to develop his character further and have him face his past and the choices he made. This novel also has one of the biggest and most important plot reveals in, I’d dare say, the entire series. Reviewed here.
Kingdom of Ash (2018, 2020)
And we’re at the end! I cried through most of Kingdom of Ash and definitely all through the final chapters. This novel is tense and intense and heartbreaking at times. It’s the culmination of everything that’s happened and the time when all characters have to face the consequences of their choices. It’s such a powerful novel that… does leave some questions unanswered, but overall wraps up a series that’s become very dear to me. Reviewed here.
