Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is one of the best book series I’ve ever read (and I’ve read A LOT). These books were written by Maas at the age of 16. The novels take place in a kingdom called Adarlan. They follow a famous, 18 year old assassin named Celaena Sardothien. She was locked in a labor camp, the salt mines of Endovier, and forced to do hard labor as a punishment for her crimes. She is let out of the mines by the Crown Prince of Adarlan, Dorian Havilliard, who presents her with an opportunity to become the King’s royal assassin.
There is only one condition… Celaena would have to compete in a competition against the most elite assassins in the kingdom of Adarlan. Little do they know she is the infamous ‘Adarlan’s Assassin’ who has been trained to kill since the age of nine, since her parents were killed. There are magical aspects in this coming of age fantasy series. For all the found family lovers: this one’s for you. There are eight books in this series that are all important to the story.
These eight books are…
- The Assassin’s Blade: A prequel to Throne of Glass that consists of 5 novellas that give you an insight on Celaena’s life before she was imprisoned. It is very important that you read this book because it will clarify things that are presented later in the series.
- Throne of Glass: The protagonist is taken out of imprisonment to compete in a competition to become the King’s assassin.
- Crown of Midnight: This book really shows the reader more about how Sardothien assassinates people and why. You also solve an important mystery that has been ongoing in the King’s glass castle.
- Heir of Fire: Sardothien’s real identity is found out and she is shipped off to a different land to discover herself and her powers more under the guise of a different name.
- Queen of Shadows: She is proud of who she is and fights to save her friends constantly throughout this story. You are also introduced to a new character.
- Empire of Storms: Sardothien and her crew look for allies to help fight and aid in the war.
- Tower of Dawn: This book is all about Chaol Westfall. The King’s Captain of the Guard and his adventures in a different continent. You revisit a character that is met in The Assassin’s Blade.
- Kingdom of Ash: A very war heavy book. The final battle takes place and you are kept at the edge of your seat to see who survives.
BONUS: There is quite the controversy about the reading order of these books. The release order and the various reading orders are slightly different.
If you choose to read it in release order here it is:
Throne of Glass (2012)
Crown of Midnight (2013)
The Assassin’s Blade (2014)
Heir of Fire (2014)
Queen of Shadows (2015)
Empire of Storms (2016)
Tower of Dawn (2017)
Kingdom of Ash (2018)
Better understanding order:
The Assassins Blade
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows
Empire of Storms
Tower of Dawn
Kingdom of Ash
Bri’s order (The most drama and plot twists):
Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire
The Assassins Blade
Queen of Shadows
Empire of Storms*
Tower of Dawn*
Kingdom of Ash
*Tandem read Queen of Shadows and Tower of Dawn. Here’s the link for how to do that: https://pangobooks.com/blog/throne-of-glass-tandem-read?srsltid=AfmBOopjFr-zJ_sL__qnwh-rrYOWlydEIO-JALuWgpRNFfFv3VgLwoXe
The reason that you should tandem read these two books is because they follow two groups of characters coexisting in the same timeline. One group is gaining allies in Empire of Storms and the other group is discovering important information to help strengthen these alliances in Tower of Dawn. DO NOT SKIP Tower of Dawn if you choose not to tandem read. Tower of Dawn is one of, if not, the MOST important book in this series. You are filled in on major plot holes in the story.
This is my all time favorite books series ever. The world building is beautifully written. The character arcs are amazing, and the plot keeps you wanting to read forever. Throne of Glass definitely deserves my number one spot!
