The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas Pages: 448
Published by Bloomsbury Childrens on March 4, 2014
Series: Throne of Glass,
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Adventure
Source: Bought, Hardcover
Also in this series: Throne of GlassContains all five novellas.
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.
In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous.
But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.
Hey guys! It’s me, the girl that took forever to start the Throne of Glass Series. I wrote my super late to the party review of the first book, Throne of Glass HERE so you can check that out of if you are late to the party like I am. But I totally loved the first book, and I decided that the next book I would read would be The Assassin’s Blade, which is a bind up of all the prequel novellas. I should start off by saying I am kind of Leary of a book of novellas, but it was recommended to me to read them either first or near the start of the series, and boy am I glad that I did. I completely agree. I think The Assassin’s Blade would be best enjoyed if you read it either before or right after the first book.
I loved The Assassin’s Blade. It helped me get to know Celaena so much better! Plus, we got to see and fall in love with and mourn Sam. The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of various adventures that Celaena went on while she was employed as part of the Assassin’s guild. I really really loved going on all the adventures with Celaena. In fact, I think this is my favorite book of the series so far. (I have read books 1, 2, and 3 at this point). We get to see Celaena trick some pirates, travel to another empire and make a friend and we get to see Celaena and Sam fall in love. I didn’t think I was going to enjoy Sam, because I am all about Chaol. View Spoiler » But Sam completely won me over. Yes, it surprised even me! I loved how each of the novellas tied together seamlessly. They are each a different mission that she goes on, but they fit in a bigger timeline of her life with Ardalan and Sam.
The Assassin’s Blade ramped up my excitement for the series even more. These novellas enhance the story of who Calaena is so much more than the first book does. If you are on the fence about reading them, read them! You will not be sorry that you did. And if you are new to the series read them either right before or right after book one. It is the perfect time for them. Honestly, I loved the first book, but after reading The Assassin’s Blade, I knew that this was going to be one of my favorite series. I felt like I bonded with Calaena big time after reading her stories. And that is really no easy feat with this character, she can be super closed off and guarded. The Assassin’s Blade is probably my favorite novella collection I have ever read.
If you have read these novellas, which one was your favorite? I would love to discuss them with you! What other novella collections do you love? Please let me know!
About Sarah J. Maas
Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
I recently got these, but haven’t started them yet. Like you, I am late to the Maas party and thought this would be a great intro to her work. Glad you agree.
sherry @ fundinmental