Perfect for fans of The Grisha Trilogy and Grave Mercy, Sarah J Maas’ New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass is a thrilling, adventurous, and action-packed story that will keep you on your toes the entire way through. USA Today claims that Throne of Glass is “A must-read for lovers of epic fantasy and fairy tales.” and, as a lover of both, I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. With twists and turns around every corner and characters you will grow to adore this story is sure to be one that you can’t put down.

Throne of Glass takes place in the world of Erilea where magic has been outlawed and the merciless king rules from the glass castle in the kingdom of Adarlan. The story kicks off with eighteen year old notorious assassin Celaena Sardothien being escorted out of the Salt Mines of Endovier after 1 year of enslavement. Celaena is brought to the palace to meet with the King, who then tells her that she can compete in a challenge against 23 other thieves and criminals. If she wins, she will become the “King’s Champion” who is, essentially, the King’s personal assassin. She is reluctant but agrees and in her time at the castle Celaena finds challenges, friends, and maybe even love. The castle holds its secrets though. Competitors are being found dead, ripped apart by a creature that may destroy her world. The challenge quickly becomes a fight for survival as Celaena tries to uncover who, or what, is behind the attacks. As this story goes on you meet a wonderful cast of characters that you either love, hate, or love to hate.

The first character you meet is the sarcastic, intelligent, and occasionally vain, Celaena Sardothien, who holds secrets that could save or destroy both her life and the kingdom of Adarlan. Next you meet Chaol Westfall, the loyal, stoic, and stern Captain of the Royal Guard, who trains Celaena to get her back into shape for the competition. Another character you meet is the Crown Prince, Dorian Havilliard, a flirtatious, compassionate, and intelligent man that quickly becomes a friend and ally to Celaena. Lastly, you meet the manipulative, tyrannical, and sadistic King of Ardalan who will do whatever it takes to gain any power he can. The characters are only part of the reason why I love this story so much, and there are plenty more.

One of the many reasons I love this book is the wonderful world Sarah J. Maas builds. I have read some other stories about assassins before this, but getting to see her take on how the assassins run things and how the kingdom deals with them was very interesting to me. The way Maas builds the world and its government makes me want to know all that I can about this series; luckily, she will be releasing a compendium that will tell you everything about the world, including places and characters we know, and some we don’t. Another reason why I love Throne of Glass is because it has the perfect blend of action, humor, and heartbreak that makes this an overall well-rounded, evenly paced book. Something else I loved was trying to figure out who/what the killer was and theorising with Celaena. It really made me feel like I was in the story.

Maas sets the pace for a thrilling, yet to be completed, 6 book series (there is only one left now!) that I am highly enjoying. Throne of Glass is Maas’s debut novel, a fact that surprised me to no end because of how strong of a writer she is already in this first book. You can see how her writing grows throughout the Throne of Glass books and in her other series A Court of Thorns and Roses (which I also love and recommend you read). This thrilling, adventurous, and action-packed story had me on the edge of my seat and it’s no wonder why this book is so highly acclaimed as it is perfect for teens and adults alike.  I have already read books 0-5 (book zero being the prequel novellas) and I am very excited to see how this story will conclude.