Book Review / A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas (Book 4, A Court of Thorns & Roses)

To avoid spoilers, below is the description for book 1 in this series, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
 

 

 

Published:     16th February 2021
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 4, A Court of Thorns and Roses
Source:  Owned

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

Having re-read the previous books in this series, I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this book!  I can't tell you how happy I was to also find out that it was 757 pages long.  I wouldn't normally be excited by such a large book but the more the merrier when it comes to this series.

Avoiding spoilers, I adored this book.  This book centered more around Nesta and characters around her.  I found this story very interesting, watching this character grow as the story progresses.  Nesta is not a character that I particularly liked before so I was certainly intrigued how a 757 page book was going to make me like her, but it did!  

I also don't usually pick up books with a lot of erotic content but this story certainly does have its fair share of that and I loved it!

I can't wait to see what comes next in this series.  Looking at Goodreads, it tells me that there are two more books in this series so I am definitely intrigued!

 

 

 

Book Review / A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas (Book 3.1, A Court of Thorns and Roses)

To avoid spoilers, below is the description for the first book in this series, A Court of Thorns and Roses

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

 

 

Published:     1st May 2018
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 3.1, A Court of Thorns and Roses
Source:  Owned

 

MY REVIEW

 

I am not one for usually picking up novellas in series as most of the time they really don't add anything more to the series but, of course, as this is one of my favourite series of all time I leave no stone unturned and had to pick up this one again.  

This was my second time reading this and the second time I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Although I don't think this adds anything specifically relevant to the series, it was a fun read and added a bit more to each of the characters. 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas (Book 3, A Court of Thorns and Roses)

To avoid spoilers, below is the description for book 1 in this series, A Court of Thorns & Roses.

 
Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
 

 

Published:     2nd May 2017
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 3, A Court of Thorns and Roses
Source: Owned

 

MY REVIEW

 

Now this is where this world and story gets extremely interesting.  We have the first book where it more about introducing the world and the characters.  We then had the second book where it turned on its head what we thought about certain characters and changed the pace of the story.  We now have this book where it goes a step further and delves into the politics of the world and watching characters 'battle' against other characters.  This is one of my favourite books in this series - although I love this series in its entirety.

This book also takes some character relationships to another level, which I won't go into so as to avoid spoilers. We also have quite a few twists and turns that I had completely forgotten about from reading this book in the past that surprised me this time around too!  Loved that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (Book 2, A Court of Thorns and Roses)

To avoid spoilers, below is the description for book 1 in this series, A Court of Thorns & Roses.

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
 

 

 

Published:     3rd May 2016
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, A Court of Thorns and Roses
Source: Owned

 

 

MY REVIEW

 

Having read this book before, I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the first time around if not a bit more than the last time.  

Obviously as this is book 2 in as series there is a lot that I won't go into as I don't want to spoil the story for those of you who have not yet read this book or the series but what I love about this book is where it takes us deeper into the world, learn more about the various characters and learn more about the politics of the world.  

For me, this story certainly changes my opinion about certain characters.  Some good and some bad.  Some were good but now they are bad and some where bad but now they are good.  I loved that I never quite know whether what I think about a certain character will remain the same throughout the entire of this series, including those books that have not yet been written.  

With most series I read, book 2 tends to fall flat but this certainly didn't and I can't wait to dig back into the next book!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review / A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas (Book 1)

 

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
 

 

 

Published:     5th May 2015
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, A Court of Thorns and Roses
Source:  Owned

 

MY REVIEW

 

I am one of those types of readers who just can't pick up a book later in a series that has just come out (having waited a very long time for it to come out) and just delve back into that book.  Usually I rarely remember the smaller details that you would remember if you had read the previous books before picking up the new one.  With the release of A Court of Silver Flames, I knew that to give that book a fair chance I would re-read the previous books, which was no trouble because I adore this series.

What I love the most about this first book in this series is the world building and the character building.  The more times I read this book the more little details I notice and also realise that there may be some foreshadowing going on for future books.  

I enjoyed this book just as much as I did the first time around and would happily re-read this over and over again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SERIES REVIEW / Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Published:     2012 to 2018
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 1 to 8, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

With the final book in this series now out, rather than just picking that up and reading it and as this series is one of my favourite ones of all time, I thought it would be a good idea to pick this up again right from the beginning.   I know that if I was to just pick up the final book, I would just end up spending a great deal of time at the start trying to remember and figure out what had gone on before.  I am so that glad I did.

What I didn't like about this series...  Despite the fact that I loved this series and have given it a full five starts, that doesn't mean that there were no aspect of it that I would have changed given the chance.  One of those for me was with the main character Celaena herself.  Yes, she is a hard ass trained assassin but at times it felt that she did not think too much about the actions she takes or the repercussions of her actions, leaving remaining characters to pick up the rest.  

What I liked about this series...  

The Writing -  Easy to read, follow and because of the type of complexity of the story you don't want to spend too much time trying to decipher fancy wording etc.  No fancy wording but great descriptions that helped build the world and characters in my own imagination.

The Characters - What I liked the most was the character progression and the different struggles they face as the story goes along, both in terms of the story and in terms of their own internal dialogue.  My favourite character was Chaol.  You see him at the start a bit grumpy and
very regimented on his position but also very loyal.  As the story goes on, he is still all of those things but we slowly see a lot more.

The Story - With each book, we learn more and more.  Even with Tower of Dawn when we take a 'break' from the main story and follow Chaol on his journey (that, of course, was one of my favourite stories of the whole series).  There were a few story lines that I enjoyed more than most.  One of them was the story of Chaol (as mentioned above), where he meets Celeana and goes on from there.  There are a few more but don't want to spoil the story for those who have not read all the series yet!

In Summary...  I loved this series.  It was one of those stories that I picked up and just could not put down until I reached the very last page of the last book.  I am so sad that this series has come to an end but very excited to see what Sarah J Maas has in store next!

Series Review / A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever. 

Published:     2015 to 2018 so far...
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 1, 2, 3 and 3.1
Source:  Bought and Owned

MY REVIEW

I wasn't sure whether to read this series now or wait until it had finished before I picked this up but, honestly, I just could not wait any longer!  I had read A Court of Thorns and Roses when it first came out and loved it and had slowly been collecting the other books in the series but not reading any more.  I can't believe it took me this long to catch up on this series.  Just as a I felt when I read the Throne of Glass series, I was (and still am) thoroughly addicted to this series and Sarah J Maas' writing.

For me, the best part of this series is the romance and drama.  You have Feyre who I see as the main character in this series.  You then have Tamlin who, at the start, I thought was utterly delicious.  I am not going to go into too much detail as I don't want to spoil for those who have not read the series or are only halfway through the series but OMG what a twist in the story line where you have another character who comes in and completely steals the show!!!  My favourite character by a long shot is this other character who is funny, entertaining, inspiring and just the perfect person.

I am now sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next instalment in this series, which I hope will not take too long!!!!!!!

Series Review / Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas **NO SPOILERS**

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

MY REVIEW

What can I say, it has been a very long time since I read a series and can honestly say that each and every book I loved and have given 5 stars to.  I would 100% say that I could read this series over and over again, I certainly could read it over again now but I won't because my TBR is quite large so I had better start on something else lol!

What I loved the most about this series...  The characters and the plot to name only two!  I loved how the characters progressed with each story, some good and some not so good.  You have Celaena who starts out in the slave mines in Endovier and then getting picked to take part in a contest to be the King's Champion (aka Assassin).  With each story you see more and more of her story, find out some things that you didn't know before and sometimes there are things that you know but are waiting for other characters to find out which is equally as enjoyable.  You then have the plot.  Each story has its own plot line and hurdles to get over but the more and more you read of this series you discover that there definitely is a bigger picture and even though I have read all that is out at the moment in this series, I still get the feeling that there is more to come.

What I wasn't fond of with this series...  Honestly, despite the fact that I loved this series there were points (more so in Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms) where Celaena was a bit more 'brattish' than I would like her to be but at least there were characters around her that counterbalanced that trait and tried to keep her in line, sometimes winning and sometimes failing.

Recommended Reading...  As there were novellas with this series I did wonder how I would fit them into the series.  I ended up reading them all in one go and after I had read Empire of Storms.  In hindsight, I think it would have been better if I had read them after Queen of Shadows, still all in one go but when re-reading this series at some time in the future I feel the novellas are best read before Empire of Storms.

Book Review / The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas ***Contains Spoilers***

***Contains Spoilers***
I will be posting a non-spoiler series review soon

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes—and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about. 


The Assassin and the Healer
Meet the Assassin: beautiful, defiant, destined for greatness. Celaena Sardothien has challenged her master. Now she must pay the price. Her journey to the Red Desert will be an arduous one, but it may change the fate of her cursed world forever...

The Assassin and the Desert
The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive.

The Assassin and the Underworld
When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The misson is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer--and she doesn't like what she finds there.

The Assassin and the Empire
Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . .

Published:    4th March 2014
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 0.1 to 0.5, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned Copy

*** Contains Spoilers***

MY REVIEW

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
Now this one was my favourite of the whole lot of novellas purely because of the interactions between Celaena and the Pirate Lord.  They are both so fiery and cunning it was interesting to see how they played the circumstances that surrounded them.   What also made this great was seeing Celaena as she met with the Pirate Lord, discover what she did and what she did about it. 

The Assassin and the Healer
Being honest this was a bit slow going for me.  I did enjoy meeting Ylena and finding out more of her story (and see how she might be connected to more books in the Throne of Glass series possibly) but felt that there was not a lot of twists and turns like I usually like to read in this series.  I did, however, like to see Celaena and how she befriended Ylena and helped her on her way.


The Assassin and the Desert
I really enjoyed this one.  You have Celaena who has been sent to the Red Desert as punishment for her betrayal to her Master from what she did in The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, probably thinking that she will fail and never come back but she rises to the occasion and goes above and beyond in this novella. Things aren't always what they seem in this one and I loved that!

The Assassin and the Underworld
This one was a bit slow for me but I did like the twists and turns of the story.  Celaena gets sent out on a job with Sam and things aren't what they seem.  Who should they trust and is their assignment all what it seems to be?  It appears not.  Someone has double crossed them.  For me, this one just seems like a 'lead in' to the next novella.

The Assassin and the Empire
As I had predicted when finishing the fourth novella above this one certainly does tell the story of how Celaena ends up in Endovier and explained how Sam died to a certain degree.  There are a lot of open-ended questions in this one but the story certainly gives more than enough hints to let you come to your own conclusion.

Book Review / Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas ***Contains Spoilers***

***Contains Spoilers***
I will be posting a non-spoiler series review soon once I have finished reading The Assassins Blade

KINGDOMS WILL COLLIDE.

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

Published:     6th September 2016
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 5, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned Copy

***Contains Spoilers***

MY REVIEW

Just when I thought the books in this series don't get any longer, this one was the longest yet at 693 pages long.  Like with Queen of Shadows, this one took a little while to get through but I just couldn't put it down!  In this book we certainly learn a lot of secrets and there are certainly a lot more treacherous people in the midst trying to stop Aelin from doing what she needs to!

As with Queen of Shadows, you get a lot more of that wonderful character interaction going on and you can certainly feel the history between certain characters between Aelin, Rowan, Manon and so on...  Although I really enjoyed this story, in this one the only part that I wasn't particularly fond of was at certain parts when Aelin was headstrong in doing something without consultation and seemingly thinking things through, almost selfishly at some points.  I found that a little annoying but with that we had a great balancing character in Rowan who does a great job most of the time reeling her in.  With this book more than the others I got a great sense of 'pairing up' with the characters also.  You have Aelin and Rowan, which we already knew about but then you have a few others one of which was very surprising indeed - Dorian and Manon!!!  That is going to be very interesting to follow in the next instalment (that I just found out about and am so excited for!!!).

What I loved the most was the last part of this book where you have all these different things happening according to plan but then you have a few unplanned things happen but unbeknown to most of the characters Aelin had organised behind their back should something bad happen.  That was very interesting to read and makes me wonder what else does she have planned.  We also find out a few more secrets in this story, but I felt just enough to keep you hooked in.  Still I believe there is so much more to learn (and certainly reading the book description for book 5 in the series (I believe coming out in September this year) there are more things to learn...

Book Review / Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas ***Contains Spoilers***

***Contains Spoilers***
I will post a non-spoiler series review once I have finished reading the series.

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Published:     1st September 2015
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 4, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned Copy

***Contains Spoilers***

 MY REVIEW

I just can't stop reading this series!  This book was certainly more of a challenge for me being all of 648 pages long, which is longer than what I usually read.  How can I possibly sum up all of the things I loved about this series, this book in particular in just a single review?  Let's see what I can do...

If it wasn't possible to love the character interaction more in this series so far this book has certainly pushed that limit further.  With each book in this series the characters get more and more used to each other and you can tell the history between them with the way they interact with each other; sometimes laughing, sometimes angry and sometimes both at the same time!  Celaena/Aelin's personality I love the most. She is so sassy and fiery but at the same time she shows such compassion and love to the characters she loves it just shows how great she will be Queen of Terrasen.

You then have the world-building.  In this book more than the others before I felt I got to see more and more of what was around, especially the different types of people in different parts of this world.  I especially loved following Manon, the Ironteeth witch who, like Celaena, has such fire I am surprised that anyone wants to try and cross her path but equally you see her have compassion for those who truly deserve it especially with the introduction of a new character called Elide.  I have a feeling that we are going to be seeing more and more of this character as the series goes on.

Lastly, there is the plot line.  Although this book was a monster of a book to read at no point was I bored or confused.  Every aspect of this story had its own place some descriptive, some adding to the suspense of what was to come with the added joy of a few twists and turns around the corner as well!

I know I must say this after ever review in this series but honestly I can't wait to get onto the next one!

Book Review / Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas ***Contains Spoilers***

***Contains Spoilers***
I will be posting a non-spoiler series review when I have finished reading the series.

Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

The bestselling series that has captured readers all over the world reaches new heights in this sequel to the New York Times best-selling Crown of Midnight. Packed with heart-pounding action, fierce new characters, and swoon-worthy romance, this third book will enthrall readers from start to finish.



Published:     2nd September 2014
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 3, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned

***Contains Spoilers***

MY REVIEW

I am really loving this series!  I can't believe it has taken me so long to get to it!    This one was far longer than the first two at over 565 pages.  It was a challenge to read!  It was also one of those that I just could not put down and I managed to read it over two days (over a lot of hours I will point out!) but it was well worth it!

This book was a bit different to the first two in this series.  You still have the three 'main characters' Celaena, the Price and the Captain of the Guard but this time they are not together.  You have Celaena who is travelling to another land on a job for the King (or so things seem to start with), the Prince and Captain of the Guard are back at the Castle but face some very hard and different choices.

What made this book great for me was the revelations that we find out all of which I really wasn't expecting.  There were a lot of twists and turns, which I loved!

We also follow the story of groups of witches battling it out to find out who will become the leader and when a certain group does they need to do a certain job for the King, but we don't find that out yet.   This part of the story intrigued me and gave me the feeling that we will be seeing a lot more of this part of the story in the next book, but that's just a feeling...

Book Review / Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas ***Contains Spoilers***

 ***Contains Spoilers*** 
I will be posting a spoiler free series review once I have finished reading the series :-)

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

Published:     27th August 2013
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 2, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned

 ***Contains Spoilers***

MY REVIEW

I just could not put this book down.  Even though it was the second time I have read this, it has been a while and a lot of the story I had long forgotten.  Of course, we are still following Celaena who is now the King's Champion and has been given her first tasks.  The King has a list of people he believes are against him.  Celaena's job is to hunt them down and kill them.  It was very interesting to see Celaena learn of these tasks and the choices she made when seeing them through.  

Of course you still have the love aspect of this story, which I was very much looking forward to seeing more of but the most interesting aspect of this story is when Celaena finds out more about the castle and we see a little more about the history of the world and those who have come before.  For me, that was the best part of this story.  To find out more about that means that I could greater understand what was happening in the present, although I do get the feeling there is so much more to learn...  There are definitely a few twists and turns in this story, a lot of them I have to be honest and say that I was not expecting at all!  

I just can't wait to move onto the next book, which I have not read at all yet... :-)

Book Review / Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

"Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin."

When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.

And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.

But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

Published:     7th May 2013
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, Throne of Glass
Source:  Owned Copy

MY REVIEW

Now that a lot more of the series is out and I now own all of those I thought it would be a good time to catch up with this series.  This series has been one of my most anticipated series for a very long time, in fact probably since the first book came out in 2013!  The last time I through this series I got as far as Crown of Midnight, but only because that was the latest one out at the time!

I loved this the first time I read it and if it is possible I loved this even more the second time around!  What I loved the most was the love triangle type situation going on between Celaena, the Prince and the Captain of the Guard.  I liked how there was a lot of will they won't they with all characters, it was very hard to guess who Celaena would end up with.  I have to say that I believe she made the right choice! 

I really can't wait to read more of this series and see what comes next!  I have a feeling that there are a lot of secrets and a lot more aspects to this world and characters to discover and that makes me really excited to continue... :-)

Book Review / A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Published:     5th May 2015
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Author Website:  Click here
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 1, A Court of Thorns and Roses
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher

I knew when I went into this book that I would enjoy it, I just wasn't sure how much.  Having read both Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight (which I loved and will continue to read it when I collect the rest of the books) I wanted to try her new series having heard mixed things about it.  What I love the most about this book and about all of Sarah's books (ones that I have read so far, of course!) is the complexity of the world and the characters.  I have to remind myself that this is a young adult fiction novel.  The way the world is described, the way the characters interact and the plot really do make me forget what type of reading audience it is aimed at.  To me, this story is universal and can be enjoyed by anyone at any age.  Feyre as the beauty in this story is so well written and comedic in places.  I liked the fact that she is very 'kick ass' in the way that she deals with her enemies but very compassionate when dealing with others.  There are also so many secrets to uncover and secrets left to uncover I can't wait to be able to get my hands on the next in this series and find out what happens next!

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.




 

♥♥ Book Review / Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas ♥♥

Below is the blurb for book 1 in this series, Throne of Glass.  For the blurb for the above, please click on the Goodreads link below (so as not to spoil the story).

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have 
imagined.

Published:     4th July 2013
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series:  Book 1, Throne of Glass
Source:  Review Copy from Publisher
Review:   10 out of 10

FOR OTHER VIDEO REVIEWS - http://www.youtube.com/user/DebrasBookCafe

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Goodreads Link here.
Published:  2nd August 2012
Amazon:  UK  /  US  

10 out of 10
(video review at the bottom of post)

OMG this book was amazing... At over 400 pages long, I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down until the final page.  The two main characters in this story are Celaena and the Crown Prince and there is great interactions and banter between them right from the beginning.  There is also a magical element to the story, which I loved and won't mention here as I don't want to spoil the story for you. 

As well as being an infamous assassin, she has a love of books and learning and the Royal Family has a library that holds thousands of books (which I am totally jealous about!).  


As well as striking up an unexpected friendship with a member of the Royal Family, Caleana also strikes up a friendship with her guard, Chaol so there is definately a very interesting love triangle here.  


As well as the competition to find out who will become the King's Champion, there is also something strange happening in the Royal Castle.  People are getting murdered and strange symbols left on and aside their bodies.  Celaena sets out to try and find out what is happening...


What a great book and I would recommend for all of you YA paranormal book lovers out there...

Best wishes


Debs :-)