Synopsis
Young Adult Fantasy, Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass is the second in a series of 7. (Not including the pre-qual, The Assasins Blade.) As always, I want to give you a quick warning that there could be spoilers below if you haven’t read the first book yet.
Becoming the King’s Champion was never a title Assassin Celaena Sardothien desired. Now she must kill any name given to her by the king. But to survive, she had no option but to take on the role. However, Celaena has secrets of her own that are far more deadly than she could have ever imagined.
Caught between self-preservation and doing what’s right, she must choose where her loyalties lay. Does she side with the foreign princess who has become her closest friend? Or does her love for the Captain of the Guard keep her obedient and in the palace?
However, her decision is made for her when something terrible happens and her world is thrown upside down. She can no longer control who she has become and who she must take down for revenge.
They knew very well who she was-and what she did for the king. As the King’s Champion, she outranked them. Actually, there were few in the castle she didn’t outrank now. And fewer still who didn’t fear her.’
I have a special place in my heart for Celaena Sardothien. Throne of Glass was my first Sarah J. Maas novel, and it was because of this beautifully written, complex female lead, I fell in love with her in the first place. It takes a lot of skill to turn the would-be villain of a story into the hero instead.
Celaena is fierce and loyal to a fault. And even though her job is to be the King’s Assassin and NEVER ask questions…well, we all know that’s just not in her nature! 😂
What a far cry from Chaol, Mr. Captain of the Guard, who blindly follows the King’s lead. I was team Chaol all the way, and now he just frustrates the hell out of me! And Dorian..things have changed quite a bit for him. I have a feeling his new reality is going to play a much larger part in future books.
But I can’t forget one of my new favorites! Mort! Oh, how I love and detest him at the same time! Be prepared for a fast-paced, action-packed story full of deceit, magic, and a big reveal! I loved it, and I think you will too!
This brings me to the first location of importance: Masquerade Party.
‘It was fortunate it was a masquerade and not a normal party since she certainly recognized a few faces in the crowd. While she had come as a swan, Archer had dressed as a wolf.’
Trusting people is not something Celaena takes lightly. Given her background and the horrors that she’s been through in her life, I can’t say that I blame her. So why put any faith in someone like Archer?
From the beginning, I thought the guy was kind of a creep, but maybe old feelings can hide what’s standing right in front of you. Archer does play a pivotal role later on in the book, although I can’t say he does Celaena any favors!
What character in the Throne of Glass series makes your skin crawl? (Keep in mind I’m only in book two!)
This brings me to the Second location of importance: The Library
“How is this possible?
Ancient spells and nonsense,” Celaena said, cutting off Mort as he began to recite the story of how King Brannon created him. “Someone used a spell with the Wyrdmarks.”
Honestly, it took me a while to wrap my head around the back story in Crown of Midnight. Unfortunately, I let too much time pass between this book and Throne of Glass, and I paid for it with my sanity! 🤣🤣🤣 But once I re-read a few chapters, everything fell back into place!
Calaena’s friendship with Nehemia is more important than I first anticipated. Both have trust issues towards one another (for a good reason), but they learn to rely on each other’s strengths and gifts to get them through the horrors surrounding them. This friendship forces Calaena to face the reality of what’s in front of her and is ultimately what ends up breaking her as well.
RECOMMENDED LINKS
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If you liked this post, please follow the link to my other YA Fantasy book reviews.
