Throne of Glass
"Your scars are awful" he said, almost whispering. She put a hand on her hip and walked to the dressing room door. "We all bear scars, Dorian.… Mine just happened to be more visible than most."I feel very accomplished, and less like I'm missing out on a significant reading experience, to have finally read [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1335819760s/7896527.jpg|11138426], book one of the five book fantasy series, by epic storyteller, [a:Sarah J. Maas|3433047|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1269281353p2/3433047.jpg]. I was not disappointed.
In this book we are introduced to our heroine, 18-year-old, world renowned, female assassin, Celaena Sardothien. Fresh out of prison, more specifically, the salt mines of Endovier, A notorious DEF can't wear few survive more than a couple months of hard labor and brutal conditions, and no one gets out alive. But Celaena is retrieved from Endovier by Prince Dorian Havilliard personally and he propositions the young assassin with the opportunity to be his champion in a competition to determine who the best of the baddest is, the winner of which will be named the kings assassin. Furthermore, if Celaena when's this is steamed title, after four years of service to the king (who she utterly despise is for conquering her country and enslaving her people), she will be granted not only a clean slate and a fresh start but also her freedom, a liberty and luxury that the good hearted assassin has never experienced. Despite her profession, we learn that Celaena is morally sound, loyal and just, although a bit misguided, who has fallen victim to her circumstances yet managed to hold onto her integrity and spirit and has merely done what has been necessary for her survival and nothing more.
Now, Celaena finds herself an unlikely guest at the Kings Castle as more than one prestigious mail admirer tries to win her affection and attention while jealous onlookers will stop at nothing to see the assassin gone for good. However, Celaena's attention tries to remain focused on the multitude of tests she must compete in before the ultimate battle for the title of kings assassin. With so much at stake and everything to lose Celaena tries not to be distracted when her competitors keep turning up dead, brutally mutilated by someone or something that can only be defined as pure evil yet elusive and at large.
Celaena finds herself fighting for more than just her freedom while the scars from her hunting past won't allow her to forget where she came from and what she's at risk of returning to, all the while making unexpected connections and friendships, despite herself, only to learn that both allies and enemies aren't always as they appear.
I enjoyed reading this book tremendously. Celaena is a bad-ass bitch! An entertaining protagonist, likable, albeit flawed, and overall an absolute pleasure to read about. It was impossible not to become invested in her. It was obvious that this was only the beginning of Celaena's story and Maas set the stage for an intriguing, addictive saga. The romantic-triangle subplot was also nicely laid out, without overpowering the storyline but suggesting more will be revealed as the series progresses.
I'm giving [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1335819760s/7896527.jpg|11138426] 4 out of 5 stars and for readers who enjoy YA fantasy with a strong, kick-ass, female protagonist, this is a must-read series.
