The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas: A Book Review
Favorite Quote:
“My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid.”
I’m late to the party but I am finally reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas! I only read her other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses (the first 3 books) and I love those books. They have become my new comfort read and SJM became my new favorite author.
I have wanted to read Throne of Glass since I first heard about it two years ago! But when I found out that the series contained 8 books? I didn’t have the time to make that commitment, haha. But when my boyfriend gifted me the first three books from the series, I immediately started reading the first book. And I finally finished it! So here is my first-ever book review!
The story follows the life of Adarlan’s most feared assassin, Celaena Sardothien. There are five novellas in The Assassin’s Blade. I will give a general synopsis of all five novellas and then rate the book as a whole towards the end.
Note: This is a no-spoiler review :)
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
We meet the 16-year-old, Celaena Sardothein. Celaena has made a name for herself, as Adarlan’s most feared assassin. Being Arobynn Hamel's (the King of Assassins) right hand, Caelana goes on a mission to Skull’s Bay. She and Sam Cortland, her partner (and the man she also can’t stand), go to Skull’s Bay on Arobynn’s behalf. There they meet the Lord of the Pirates, Captain Rolfe. They discover that the mission may be more than what they expected and question what Arobynn is doing and whether they should remain loyal to their master. Their adventure leads to Caelana and Sam forming an unexpected friendship.
I enjoyed this story so much. I had so much fun reading this! Celaena is a heroine that I read about in the fantasy novels I read back in the day (jk, back in my teen years. I’m in my early 20s lol). She knows she's the best at what she does, she is the most feared assassin, and she can do anything. And seeing her challenged in the story reveals her character in a way that I like. I really liked to see her start to question what the bigger picture was. So fun to read, this story set a high standard for the next novellas.
Rating: 5 stars
The Assassin and the Healer
We catch up with Celaena following her adventure in Skull’s Bay. She travels to the Red Desert to train with The Silent Assassins after defying Arobynn’s orders. While traveling and healing from Arobynn’s beating (I know right, omg) she meets a barmaid at the White Pig Inn in the filthy city of Innish. This novella felt like filler for the development of Celaena's story.
There wasn’t much going on in this. I think it did well providing some filler on why and how she ended up in Innish after her betrayal in Skull's Bay. I really appreciated the spotlight on women's empowerment (because I’m that girl) and getting into Celaena’s head and how she feels about all of this.
Rating: 4 stars
The Assassin and the Desert
Celaena finally makes it to the Red Desert to train with the Master of The Silent Assassins. While there she makes a friend of Ansel, her roommate and host. She trains for the next month while contemplating if she will continue to work for Arobynn. By now we can see that Celaena is quite proud of who she is but being in the Red Desert humbles her.
An unexpected betrayal happens in this… and you just have to read it and find out. Now, I don’t know about you, but I love to see different sides of main characters. It is quite compelling to read stories when there is that element of human in them. The betrayal in this one made my heart hurt and it was one I wasn’t expecting. More girl power in this one. Loved every minute of it!
Rating: 5 stars
The Assassin and the Underworld
Coming back with her letter of approval and trunks of riches from the Silent Master, Arobynn somewhat welcomes Celaena back with open arms and luxurious gifts. Arobynn apologizes to Cealana about her punishment and proposes one more mission. Celaena mulls over the thought of when she should leave the Assassin's Guild. Throughout the story, Celaena and Sam catch up and struggle to define their relationship with one another. Information is twisted and muddled and at some point, Celaena questions everything about her life in the Assassin’s Guild.
This novella was… so much happened and took a direction I wasn’t expecting. Like Celaena, we are just hit with a whirlwind of things and once again get betrayed all over again. And the lies! Arobynn shows his true character, and we see how much power he holds in the grand scheme of things and how much he is willing to do to keep it. This one was just a loss all around and ended on a sulky note. To be honest, I don’t know how I feel about Celaena and Sam being a thing. I thought they hated each other, and their romance was a bit rushed (at least I think so anyway).
Rating: 4 stars
The Assassin and the Empire
Chained in a prison carriage, Celaena reflects on the events that happened the days prior to her capture. Celaena and Sam left the Assassin’s Guild, struggling to find a way to work and provide for themselves. The pair dream of leaving Rifthold and starting a new life together. However, things have proven to be more complicated than it seems. Especially when Arobynn interferes.
This story was so sad and my heart hurt for Celaena and all she’s been through. Also, Arobynn is such an awful human being. His actions made me question whether he truly cared for Celaena or enjoyed owning her (ew). All I can say is I hope Celaena gets her revenge later in the series.
Rating: 5 stars
Favorite quote:
“My name is Celaena Sardothien, and I will not be afraid.”
Favorite character:
Celaena (obvi). Though, I’ve got a soft spot for Ansel.
Favorite novella:
The Assassin and the Desert
Overall Rating
Overall, these novellas were a fun read and I am excited and curious about where Celaena’s story leads. Onto Throne of Glass next! Have you read The Assassin’s Blade? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. Talk soon!
Overall Rating: Amazing start to a long journey ahead. 4 stars
