Saturday, July 7, 2018

Book Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas


The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass Series #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
Blurb:
Discover where Celaena Sardothien's thrilling saga began

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches—and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

My Review:
I've been holding off on reading The Assassin's Blade for a while now because I wanted to read all of the currently published books in this series fluidly. I admit, I've read Empire of Storms all the way through (and loved it) but it was the only one I've read completely before The Assassin's Blade. I tried reading Throne of Glass several years ago but book it down because I couldn't get into it and didn't much care for Celaena. 

After reading The Assassin's Blade and seeing what Celaena went through before she ended up in the Salt Mines of Endovier, I like her much better now. These novellas show her humanity more, show the scared girl she was under all the cockiness and bravado. We also find out about Sam in The Assassin's Blade and how they went from rivals-to-love throughout the five novellas. While I completely ship Rowan and Aelin, I loved Sam in this book. 

The Assassin's Blade also shows you how Celaena met some of the characters who will pop up later in the series - from her hatred for Lysandra to helping Yrene forge her path to her new life in the Southern Continent, and the friendship-turned-betrayal she experienced at the hands of Ansel. 

There were stories in this book that I liked more than others such as The Assassin and the Desert over The Assassin and the Healer, but I believe this book should be read as one book instead of as separate ebook novellas because in my opinion they're not really separate stories/novellas as they all flow together. You wouldn't, for instance, read The Assassin and the Empire before The Assassin and the Pirate Lord. It wouldn't make any sense. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book as a whole and I think it's required to read before you even attempt Throne of Glass because it will help you understand Celaena's backstory so much more. 

My Rating:
🌟🌟🌟🌟
4 of 5 Stars!

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