The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass, #0.3)

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The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass 0.3)

by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 1,696 ratings · 199 reviews

When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The misson is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer—and she doesn’t like what she finds there.

Kindle Edition, 102 pages

Published May 1st 2012 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

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Jul 26, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: could-have-been-so-much-better, i-screamed-at-it, the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, whoops-threw-it-across-the-room

Also appears on The YA Kitten!

This novella made me wish it were in print so I could throw it across the room without hurting my e-reader. That should be a fine summary of its quality, but reviews are best when detailed and I always try my best when writing reviews. I liked the first novella and cared less for the second one, but this third one offended me a little with how it treated female characters whose names weren't Celaena Sardothien.

There was a little bit of merit to the novella and I wil...more Also appears on The YA Kitten!

This novella made me wish it were in print so I could throw it across the room without hurting my e-reader. That should be a fine summary of its quality, but reviews are best when detailed and I always try my best when writing reviews. I liked the first novella and cared less for the second one, but this third one offended me a little with how it treated female characters whose names weren't Celaena Sardothien.

There was a little bit of merit to the novella and I will recognize that much. It's well-paced, smoothly written, and largely interesting. Readers can figure out the truth behind Celaena's mission if they pay attention, though. It appears Maas is not skilled at writing mysteries because this problem happened once before too. The build-up with Sam comes to a head and the attention to continuity is something I can respect. I'm sure the events of these novellas will play a part in the novel too.

Now then, what offended me. Throughout these first three novellas, four relevant female characters have been presented to the readers. Two were villains, one was a horribly characterized caricature, and one was Celaena. A large portion of Throne of Glass's hype rests on its strong female heroine, but weakly characterizing or demonizing all other female characters so Celaena will look good is not the way to go. She'll look worse, actually. I sure wouldn't recommend the series to girls if it took that route of characterization, so I'm hoping ToG won't go that way. (Post-reading ToG: It doesn't go that way, thank goodness. I am beyond happy about that.

As it was solely within this novella, the caricature girl, a courtesan named Lysandra, had no effort put into her characterization. The way Celaena looked upon her and the other courtesan girls carries a tone of implied slut shaming as she calls them all insipid. This also makes Celaena a hypocrite, since she uses her beauty to accomplish her goals exactly the way a courtesan might. I think the only courtesan looked kindly upon is Sam's mother and she's dead.

Reading more of this series right now would result in a blown gasket and considering what is going on at this point in time in my life, a blown gasket is not what I need right now. One of my friends absolutely loved Throne of Glass and she is often as sensitive to issues of female representation as I am, so I'm hoping these novellas are a fluke and the novel itself will bring me back and make me fall in love. What can I say? I give things chances even when people say I shouldn't anymore.(less)

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May 23, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: female-pov, assassin, kickbutt-heroines, romance, guys-in-love-with, stereotypical, novella

3.5 Stars

The third of the four novellas being released as a preview before Throne of Glass, The Assassin and the Underworld excelled in many categories necessary for a short story, but lacked in other categories as well. These mini-stories are nothing special that will have you applaud the author, but they will give you the hype and excitement for the August 10th release of Throne of Glass.

Honestly, The Assassin and the Underworld is nothing special in particular. The plot is well-paced, but rat...more

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May 04, 2012 Erika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers of fantasy, YA, and adventure books.

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, novella, romance, ladies-of-quality, best-of-heroes, favorites

It keeps getting better and better!

I Loved it. Celaena, Sam, the series, the author, I love everything about it. I can't wait for the last novella and finally, the novel.

And I'm dying.

Review to come, I guess.

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Nov 04, 2012 Ajia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just love Sam and Celaena so much! they are so cute together <3

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May 01, 2012 Chantal Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone! Especially lovers of YA, fantasy, kickass heroines

This is the third novella out of 4 prequel novellas leading up to the Throne of Glass release in August. As usual, it's well written, addictive, and heartbreaking. I love Celaena, and I can't wait to read more of her. The characters are what's really at the heart of Sarah's novels; they're intricate and wonderful, and the action packed, swashbuckling, emotional roller coaster of a story helps make these books epic! And these are just the novellas...wait until you read ToG!

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May 22, 2013 Franci Karou Cat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recensione completa qui: http://coffeeandbooksgirl.blogspot.it...

Voto: 4.5

Continuano le meravigliose avventure della famosa assassina Celaena Sardothien, in questo racconto di ritorno a casa, dopo aver trascorso l'estate nel Deserto Rosso ad imparare la disciplina presso la gilda dei Sicari Silenziosi. Con sé ha una lettera di approvazione scritta dal Maestro Muto in persona, ma per averla ha dovuto superare prove durissime, una più di tutte: il tradimento. Decisa a riscattare la sua libertà con...more Recensione completa qui: http://coffeeandbooksgirl.blogspot.it...

Voto: 4.5

Continuano le meravigliose avventure della famosa assassina Celaena Sardothien, in questo racconto di ritorno a casa, dopo aver trascorso l'estate nel Deserto Rosso ad imparare la disciplina presso la gilda dei Sicari Silenziosi. Con sé ha una lettera di approvazione scritta dal Maestro Muto in persona, ma per averla ha dovuto superare prove durissime, una più di tutte: il tradimento. Decisa a riscattare la sua libertà con il denaro che il Maestro Muto le ha donato per avergli salvato la vita, Celaena è pronta ad affrontare il suo padrone, Arobynn Hamel. E' pronta a lasciarlo per sempre. Dopo la punizione, poi, che ha riservato a lei e Sam quando hanno impedito la tratta di schiavi alla Baia del Teschio, è ancora più decisa. Eppure... qualcosa la trattiene. Arobynn si mostra profondamente pentito e la ricopre di doni e scuse, così Celaena è costretta a rimandare tutto e ad accettare una nuova missione. Dovrà uccidere un uomo che intende avviare una tratta di schiavi a Rifthold e rubargli i documenti con cui viaggia. Forte degli ultimi insegnamenti ricevuti e di un'armatura nuova regalatale da Arobynn, Celaena si lancerà alla volta del nuovo incarico. E non sarà sola! Rincontrerà finalmente Sam, il compagno d'avventure che un tempo detestava e avrebbe volentieri ucciso, ma che si è dimostrato essere migliore di quanto credeva. Sam, al quale non ha smesso di pensare un attimo, durante la sua estate nel Deserto Rosso, domandandosi cosa che ne fosse stato di lui, che sorte gli fosse toccata, se peggiore della sua. A quanto pare Sam è in ottima forma ed è diventato anche la scorta personale di una famosa cortigiana...

Questo racconto l'ho trovato davvero delizioso, perchè oltre alla parte avventurosa, tipica degli altri due racconti, vi è un'approfondimento di quella romance. Finalmente Celaena farà i conti col proprio cuore e cercherà di capire che cosa prova per Sam (tra un battibecco e l'altro:P). In tutto questo avrà anche una nuova missione da portare a termine, inizialmente sottovalutata, che la porterà ad un passo dalla morte nell'affrontare un mondo sotterraneo pericoloso e fatale... Ma nessuno può sfidare Celaena Sardothien senza pagarne le conseguenze... ed, infatti, ancora una volta, la giovane dimostrerà il suo talento, che seppure non è sempre infallibile, è incontestabile.
Feste sfarzose e serate a teatro, si alterneranno a scenari più tenebrosi e lugubri, in un susseguirsi di eventi che le permetteranno di far luce su ciò che veramente accade alle sue spalle. Perché la verità è nascosta molto bene e Celaena non immagina nemmeno che tipo di missione sia quella affidatale da Arobynn...

Ho letteralmente divorato questo racconto! Celaena continua a dimostrare il suo valore, sotto una facciata di arroganza e presunzione che io trovo assolutamente tenera. E' una giovane dedita al suo difficile "mestiere", ma è pur sempre una ragazza con delle forti e prorompenti emozioni. Tenerle a freno non è sempre facile ed infatti qui vengono fuori, esplodono e danno modo al lettore di esplorare un nuovo lato della personalità complessa di Celaena. Una gradita, piacevolissima rivelazione, anche perché era nell'aria, sin dal primo racconto, una sorta di legame con Sam. Qui, finalmente, si avrà la conferma di ciò che provano e, probabilmente, come me, anche voi vi affezionerete al giovane Sam più del dovuto. Purtroppo, devo dirvelo, ma ho una paura matta a iniziare il quarto racconto (a proposito: è già scaricabile online, procuratevelo immediatamente!!!). Se questa novella si conclude nel migliore dei modi, temo proprio che non sarà lo stesso per la prossima. Avendo iniziato tempo fa a leggere Throne of Glass (prima di sapere che sarebbe stato pubblicato in Italia), ho notato che è un personaggio che non compare. E i dubbi hanno preso il sopravvento! Non so cosa ne sarà di lui, ma sicuramente apprezzo il lavoro dell'autrice nel creare, in quattro brevi novelle, una storia profonda e ricca, con una sua continuità e con un'approfondimento dei personaggi davvero notevole. Impossibile non amarli, soprattutto Celeana e Sam, che sembrano nati per stare insieme. Due ragazzi fatti della stessa pasta, cresciuti insieme, che prima si odiavano e poi scoprono di amarsi... Una meravigliosa storia d'amore, in uno scenario di combattimenti, intrighi e avventure indimenticabili.

Continua a leggere la recensione qui: http://coffeeandbooksgirl.blogspot.it...(less)

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Feb 18, 2013 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fireworks-and-butterflies, heroines-with-fight, nice-guys, will-read-again

I went on a reading binge with the Assassin novellas, and this one was my favourite. I suppose it's for obvious reasons (the love story between Celaena and Sam). I read Throne of Glass before these stories, so I knew how things were going to end up. But I still liked seeing them fall in love. The two of them are extremely frustrating at times (mostly Celaena) because they are fighting each other and not really saying what they feel. Celaena has limited experience when it comes to love, and doesn...more

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Feb 03, 2013 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

To see my full review:

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...

This is a great novella following the growth of Celaena as she is once again back in her hometown, having completed her training in the desert. What I’m noticing is that, as each novella unfolds, we are given more insight into Celaena’s life, her thoughts and feelings coming to the forefront, and we realize, more and more, that she really is just a 17 year-old girl looking for her place in life. Yes, she is an assassin, the b...more 4.5 stars

To see my full review:

http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...

This is a great novella following the growth of Celaena as she is once again back in her hometown, having completed her training in the desert. What I’m noticing is that, as each novella unfolds, we are given more insight into Celaena’s life, her thoughts and feelings coming to the forefront, and we realize, more and more, that she really is just a 17 year-old girl looking for her place in life. Yes, she is an assassin, the best around, to be sure, but she is also completely naive and innocent in life and love. I am glad to see that the romantic aspect of Celaena’s life is finally addressed in this novella, I was wondering when it would come to light, but having read Throne of Glass, I know how this will end, and it breaks my heart. Now, I know all the key players, so it is a more heart-wrenching development than when Celaena alluded to it in the full novel, a year later, when I didn’t know the extent of her past experiences and betrayals. Or just how pure and true her loving romance was.

Aside from love, though, Celaena’s innocence in terms of life was stolen when she made her first kill under the orders of Arobynn. I haven’t liked the Assassin King since I first learned of him, and his actions in both The Assassin and the Pirate Lord and The Assassin and the Desert made me like him less and less. He is a soulless dominant male ready to exploit those around him, yet his charm and taste constantly undermine Celaena’s resolve to quit his service once and for all. It is in this novella that we finally meet the man who pulls Celaena’s strings, and I have to say, he does carry himself very well, but his motives had me on edge from the get go. I just wish they would have set Celaena on edge as well. This novella is full of betrayal, though it isn’t made plain right away. Even so, I really enjoyed this novella and the depth of personality we get to see in both Sam and Celaena. This novella, I believe, is the one that helps turn Celaena into the strong character she is in Throne of Glass, and I absolutely adored it.
(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's more suspense and danger for Celaena in The Assassin and the Underworld, the third novella prequel to Throne of Glass.

She's back at the Assassin's Keep and ready to tell Arobynn that she's free - she's brought the gold that was given to her by the Master of the Silent Assassins that will pay for her freedom. But Arobynn has a new mission for her--one that will help end slavery, a mission that Celaena feels very strongly about.

So she waits to tell Arobynn and begins planning how she will acc...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-by-kristie

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Entertaining look into an assassin on the job.

Opening Sentence: The cavernous entrance hall of the Assassin’s Keep was silent as Celaena Sardothien stalked across the marble floor, a letter clutched between her fingers.

The Review:

Freshly back from her adventure to the Red Desert, Celaena is excited to move on with her life. She plans to use the treasure she brings back to pay off her debts to Arobynn Hamel, the King of the Assassins, and fre...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just amazing! The third novella by Sarah J. Maas was a great read and I have to admit that now I like even more Celaena. The author has create a world-building like no other and there were many times while reading it that I wished to be part of this world and to fight with Celaena. What I found very interesting is that some of the situations in the story are not usual in a YA book, so my personal opinion is that this story isn’t totally a YA fantasy book.

Celaena is getting better and as an assas...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Katy Rustemeyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, summer-reads-2012, i-adore-you

Totally blew my mind, and I just love this world & these characters already. Excited to finally get to read Throne of Glass now, bought it for my Kindle as soon as it came available. Celaena is just so fierce, everything I look for in a heroine. The world building is just what I like, some people do not care for it, but I just love it. I love the entire premise. I really loved Grave Mercy, and Graceling & this story is for people who like those sorts of books. I really love the writing i...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Krispy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: novella, ya, fantasy

I was disappointed with this one, and it was my least favorite of the novellas, because it left me feeling very unsatisfied. I understand that the ending is meant to be a hard lesson learned by our heroine, but it just really felt like she lost out on this one - and a lot of it was her own fault. The way things went, it turned every advantage, every offensive action, that she finally had upon returning to Rifthold into something she had to use defensively. Non-spoilery analogy: it's like if you...more I was disappointed with this one, and it was my least favorite of the novellas, because it left me feeling very unsatisfied. I understand that the ending is meant to be a hard lesson learned by our heroine, but it just really felt like she lost out on this one - and a lot of it was her own fault. The way things went, it turned every advantage, every offensive action, that she finally had upon returning to Rifthold into something she had to use defensively. Non-spoilery analogy: it's like if you lost a war, but you say "Well, I still sacked your one big city! So there!" That's how I felt things went for Celaena by the end of this novella. So that was the biggest thing.

On the character side, Celaena seemed to regress a little in her development, but this was okay. I actually appreciated that while she learned and grew from her time in the desert, she isn't instantly some brand new person. When she returns to her old haunts, her old habits come creeping back in, which is extremely realistic. On top of that, she's grappling with new feelings towards both her mentor and Sam. So I liked the push and pull of her character here. I also enjoyed the return of Sam and liked seeing them work together.

On the world-building side, I liked finally seeing Rifthold. It had the feel of a big city, and I appreciated the feeling of living in an urban sprawl that was present at times in this novella. It was a very different setting compared to the quiet, simpleness of the Red Desert.

The part that didn't work for me with Celaena's character also tied into the once again predictable plot. Celaena is supposed to be the best assassin in Adarlan, and we're constantly reminded of this, especially by Celaena. I know this is partly to do with her pesky arrogant streak, but the opinion of her world seems to agree with this assessment. Unfortunately, I keep feeling like Celaena doesn't live up to her own hype because of the situations she gets in. On the one hand, I understand that we have to see her struggle in these novellas to make it interesting, but we don't ever see her in a situation where she isn't struggling, so we're never SHOWN that she's The Best; we're just told.

And that is problematic given a plot like this one where it was obvious, even to me (and I tend to read with blinders on), that something was fishy with the entire set-up. Like I felt like given the events of the previous novellas, Celaena should have known better than to trust, should have known to question, should have thought about all of this at least a little bit critically. But she didn't.

That said, I'm still looking forward to reading Throne of Glass and finding out how she ended up in the salt mines. I do wonder what I would've thought of Celaena had I met her in the novel first and then come back to these novellas.(less)

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May 28, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD (YA novella #3)

THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD is novella #3 in the Throne of Glass novella series by Sarah J Maas. Celaena has returned from her summer training with the Mute Assassins of the Red Desert not knowing what to expect from Arobynn. The last time she saw the King of the Assassins, he had brutally beaten her for disobedience, and her and Sam’s interference in a slave trade deal. But returning to the home she has always known would be an enlightening exp...more

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May 08, 2012 Douglas Meeks rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished The Assassin and the Underworld which is the third of the 4 novellas that will lead up to the release of Throne of Glass and while it was excellent it left a few too many things unanswered including how the heroine ended up in the situation that starts the novel. I guess I would have to say the 3 novellas taken as a whole story (which is pretty close to what they are) was a 4.5 Star reading experience but I tend t...more

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May 07, 2012 Alz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-mg, fantasy

The previous two novells I rated 2 stars because they were okay, ultimately marred by the fact that Celaena is annoyingly bratty and constantly prating about how she's Adarlan's Assassin and the best of the best, claims that are never really supported by what happens in the story--i.e., she seems like an okay-ish assassin, but hardly the Super Amazing Badass Assassin of Doom of her reputation. Another problem is that the plots are (even for novellas) extremely straightforward and predictable to...more The previous two novells I rated 2 stars because they were okay, ultimately marred by the fact that Celaena is annoyingly bratty and constantly prating about how she's Adarlan's Assassin and the best of the best, claims that are never really supported by what happens in the story--i.e., she seems like an okay-ish assassin, but hardly the Super Amazing Badass Assassin of Doom of her reputation. Another problem is that the plots are (even for novellas) extremely straightforward and predictable to the point that I have an even lower opinion of Celaena because she can't rub two brain cells together long enough to figure out that hey, something VERY OBVIOUSLY WRONG is going on here.

This novella, however, I liked even less--it wasn't even okay. It was even more blatantly straightforward with an even more blatantly obvious and predictable "plot twist" that doesn't even deserve the name plot twist--and any character-building or development that Celaena had in the last novella has inexplicably vanished. Adarlan's Assassin reverts back to her bratty self, gets into trouble despite her supposedly badass skills, and escapes said trouble with the help of others and no sign of those selfsame supposedly badass skills.

Her romantic relationship was the most interesting thing in the novella and that's not saying much considering how cliche it is, coupled with the fact that Celaena is one of those annoying heroines who starts lashing out at her love interest for no apparent reason even though they were just having a Moment a few pages ago. Her love interest was a more complex character, BUT although his actions and claims are narratively dramatic, they don't make sense/he's obviously on the losing end of the power-play involved but doesn't appear to realize this even though it's incredibly obvious.

Also, Celaena gets a magical technological assassin costume complete with snap-out "swords" that are practically "welded" to her arms that flick out with a twist of her wrists, but are so well-built and concealed that even a suspicious guard patting her down doesn't detect them, and magical fleece-lined boots that will keep her feet warm no matter what and also have blades built in and--yeah no. This is the stuff of D-grade movies and is way, way too gimmicky and unbelievable and unrealistic for this story, despite its "fun fantasy action/adventure" tone.

Speaking of tone, this book has a very unsatisfying ending. No spoilers, but since the plot is so straightforward and I could see exactly where it was headed, I expected there to be something unexpected or some kind of satisfying resolution in the end--but there was none. It ended without any new twist or plot detail, and the resolution itself is along the lines of "Oh no! A bad thing!"

And then...that's it. It was a bad thing, too bad, end of story. There's no fixing it or character-buidilng reflection upon it, or thematic exploration of it, or real further plot development. It's just a bad thing, boom. And then there's a token sort of hopeful and yet oddly pessimistic ending with regards to Celaena herself.

Yeah, no. Did not at all care for this novella. I still want to read the actual novel since that seems more interesting, but these novellas overall I find to be lackluster at best.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Ferdy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Spoilers

Celaena returns home from the Red Desert intent on leaving her mentor, Arobynn, the King of Assassins. Celaena is shocked when Arobynn apologises for beating her up and sending her away after she disobeyed him. As a way to show his remorse, Arobynn offers Celaena a lucrative job to assassinate a foreign businessman whose involved in the slave trade. Knowing how Celaena feels about the slave trade, Arobynn isn't suprised when she accepts his offer.

-I actually quite enjoyed this storyline...more Spoilers

Celaena returns home from the Red Desert intent on leaving her mentor, Arobynn, the King of Assassins. Celaena is shocked when Arobynn apologises for beating her up and sending her away after she disobeyed him. As a way to show his remorse, Arobynn offers Celaena a lucrative job to assassinate a foreign businessman whose involved in the slave trade. Knowing how Celaena feels about the slave trade, Arobynn isn't suprised when she accepts his offer.

-I actually quite enjoyed this storyline - there were a couple of twists of sorts that made things interesting. Some of things that transpired with certain characters felt unresolved so I'm hoping that said characters turn up in future books so that they can get their comeuppance.
I did think that Celaena should have figured things out sooner - she claimed she was smart but she was actually quite dumb and naive. I was suprised that she din't try to seek vengence at the end when she just let the people that double crossed her go.

-I still don't like Celaena - she's too vain, judgemental, shallow and materialistic. Good god, the girl was up herself - I've always wanted to read about a heroine whose aware of her own beauty and skills but Celeana just went on and on about her looks and her unparalleled abilities - it was too much. I would like Celaena a whole lot more if she toned down her arrogance.
Naturally, Celaena hated the only other female character, Lysander. She looked down at her for being a courtesan - a life Celaena could have easily had herself if Arobynn hadn't taken her under his wing. Celaena thought she was better because she was an assassin even though she did nothing to earn her role and was just given it. She constantly looked down at Lysander because of her revealing clothes, silly personality and flirty attitude - I hated Celaena's stuck up attitude towards Lysander.

-Sam was the most likeable character, I don't know what he saw in Celaena - she treated him like utter rubbish. Nevertheless his devotion to her was very sweet. Sam and Celaena did share quite a bit of chemistry - I just would have liked it more if Celaena hadn't been such a cow.

The best thing about the book were Sam and Arobynn, their interactions with Celaena made for fairly interesting reading. The ending was pretty good and with the way things left off, the next novella should have plenty of Sam and Celaena goodness and I'll be suprised if Arobynn doesn't pop up to cause trouble for Sam/Celaena.(less)

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Sep 24, 2012 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-5-stars, fantasy, ya, sword-sorcery

4.5 stars
Celaena is back from the desert to Rifthold and is ready to take on her master and Sam and move out to take hold of her own life. Only it doesn't go the way she planned. Celaena can't seem to get the words out that to Hamel that she's leaving and gets roped into an assassination where nothing is what it seems. Nothing ever goes the way its suppose to with Sam, and drowning in the sewer what a worse way for a fashionable girl to die.

I liked this one. Celaene's world is falling apart all...more

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May 29, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own-kindle, read-in-2012

The Assassin and the Underworld is the third of four prequel novellas that are being released in the run up to the publication of Sarah J Maas' debut novel Throne of Glass in August. I've been dying to get my hands on the book for months now so I couldn't resist picking up the novellas while I was waiting.

I've been really enjoying these novellas and they are definitely achieving the goal of building my excitement for the full length book but I have to admit that Celaena can be a bit of a frustra...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Paola (A Novel Idea) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Read my review of all four novellas at A Novel Idea!

These four stories fill in the missing details of Celaena’s life before the events of the first book. We meet her at the age of sixteen, Adarlan’s most notorious assassin, and her youth definitely shows. This is Celaena in her glory days — even more vain, headstrong, and reckless than she is when we meet her in Throne of Glass, if you can believe that. But one thing I admire about this author and her heroine is that no one ever makes excuses fo...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Sarah (Head Stuck In A Book) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, fantasy, young-adult, owned-and-read

And another fantastic novella, at the moment I'm really thinking that Maas can do no wrong.
We catch up with Celaena the day she arrives home, her master Arobynn apologizes profusely for the way he treated her before she was sent away to the Red Desert to train with the Silent Assassins, and showers her with gifts, Celaena who arrived with enough money to pay off her debt to him and be free puts off giving him the money and instead agrees to do a job for him after a bit of persuading on his part....more

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Aug 09, 2012 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-betweenellas, read-2012, author-love, bought

3.5/5

The tension builds in the third prequel to 'Throne of Glass'! Celaena has returned from The Red Desert, triumphant over having gained the approval of the Master of the Silent Assassins. Arobynn, the King of the Assassins in Adarlan, atones for beating her and Sam and throwing her out to the desert by showering her with gifts.

The biggest one of all is a nicely-paying job of dispatchment. A woman, sick of her ex-husband's slovenly ways and underworldly activity, hires Celaena to deal out the...more 3.5/5

The tension builds in the third prequel to 'Throne of Glass'! Celaena has returned from The Red Desert, triumphant over having gained the approval of the Master of the Silent Assassins. Arobynn, the King of the Assassins in Adarlan, atones for beating her and Sam and throwing her out to the desert by showering her with gifts.

The biggest one of all is a nicely-paying job of dispatchment. A woman, sick of her ex-husband's slovenly ways and underworldly activity, hires Celaena to deal out the deed. It's a dangerous mission, but if someone's gotta do it, it might as well be the best assassin out there.

This is definitely my least favourite of the four (surely I'll like the fourth more!), but even so I feel that each of these should be read so as to gain an overall background on Celaena's past. I'm not even considering reading 'Throne of Glass' until I've finished these.

So, why am I declaring this my least favourite?

1) The shame of a woman's promiscuity. Particularly in regards to Lysandra, a courtesan. She's always flaunting about in her tight, revealing clothes and acting all snide and catty towards Celaena. I'm not entirely sure if we'll see more of these characters in the future - if not, then I can say Maas just created characters to freaking annoy the hell out of me. But whatever, that's cool.

2) The 'twist' could be seen from pages and pages away. I'm surprised that Celaena didn't connect all the dots before it was spelled out for her. I kind of like how the story ends though - I think there's a good build-up for the next prequel and thereafter.

3) A romance blossoms in this one. Sweet though it may be, the first romantic encounter is just too fast. The guy says 'I love you... but blah blah' and then the girl pounces and it's her first kiss and then they're all over each other, just making out like pros. But hey, this is fantasy...

4) Everyone is a jerkhead in this one! I just wanted to kill them all. :P But still, I enjoyed reading it and like I said I like where this sets up for the next prequel - the last one before 'Throne of Glass'.

* A positive: I really like Maas' writing style. And we hear of the glass castle!

** Another positive: The romance blossoms.

*** Could I be any more tired? And now, with that said, I'm off to fall asleep to FRIENDS.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Christine (Rainy Day Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, rainy-day-reads

I am surprised at how long it took me to finish this little novella. It is not a reflection on the book itself necessary, as I did like it but I just couldn't get really excited about it.

At the end of the last novella Celaena was leaving the red desert and heading back to Adarlan in order to pay off her debt and leave the services of her master, Arobynn Hamel. She had also thought through some of her feelings about Sam and was looking forward to seeing him again. So... we start this novella and...more I am surprised at how long it took me to finish this little novella. It is not a reflection on the book itself necessary, as I did like it but I just couldn't get really excited about it.

At the end of the last novella Celaena was leaving the red desert and heading back to Adarlan in order to pay off her debt and leave the services of her master, Arobynn Hamel. She had also thought through some of her feelings about Sam and was looking forward to seeing him again. So... we start this novella and what happens? She doesn't leave Arobynn Hamel (who in the last book had done enough to warrant her services as an assassin let alone not wanting to work for him any more) and then she goes back to arguing with Sam and treating him like dirt. What? Did I miss something?

Even though I felt the storyline took a bit more to get into than with the previous two novellas I still think they are important to read in order to get the full back story of Celaena. However, I do maintain that the full novel, Throne of Glass, should be read first. I am still a bit iffy about Celaena's attitude in these. She seems so humble in Throne of Glass although I'm sure that attitude is going to come from the events of the final novella and the year she spent in the prison of the salt mines. I am still unsure if I would have liked her as much as I did in Throne of Glass if I would have read these first.

There is quite a bit of character development toward the end of the novella and we see some characters for who and what they really are. I mean we did already know but it was nice for some actions to come to light so that everybody is now on the same page.

I am also missing Prince Dorian and Chaol but as she does not properly meet them until the full novel I knew they would not be a part of these novellas. Now with that said, how excited was I when Celaena is at a party and they make a surprise visit? Nothing was confirmed by names but you know while you are reading it that it is the pair of them and I couldn't stop smiling. It was quite pathetic how excited I got over the maybe half a page that they showed up. But I do really love them both so it was a lovely little surprise to see them.

I am now off to start the final novella and will be able to have that review up and posted soon. Then it will just be the wait until book 2 is out sometime next year.

Christine
Rainy Day Reads
www.rainydayreads.com (less)

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Jul 10, 2012 Beth Kemp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy-sci-fi

This is the third prequel novella to Throne of Glass, the first being The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, and the second The Assassin and the Desert. Like the earlier ones, this novella gives us an episode from Celaena Sardothien's past before the events of Throne of Glass. This novella picks up immediately at her return from the desert mission in the second novella, and focuses on her life with the assassins in the city. In a way, this novella is where we see her normal world, working for the Kin...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the third of the four prequels to Sarah Maas's "Throne of Glass" novel. Things are definitely heating up. I actually felt dread all the way through this novella because I knew things were going to hit the fan. I was shocked by the surprise twist to "The Assassin and the Desert" but I saw the twist in "The Assassin and the Underworld" from the first page. I was more than a little upset that Celaena did't see it. She was far to naive and trusting but it is good to see her mature and grow a...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the third in a series of four novellas that take place before the Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas. All of these novellas tell about Celaena and her adventures as an assassin before she ended up where she was at the Throne of Glass. I didn’t enjoy this novella quite as much as The Assassin and the Desert, but it was a still a good read that does an excellent job of developing Celaena as a character.

Celaena returns from the desert to confront her master, Arobynn, about the beating he gave he...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Anoolka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: series, female-protagonist, fantasy, prequel, romance, short-story

I'm rating the three novellas that I have read so far the same but these three stars are not really entirely earned. It's more for the potential and hoping the next one is better or at least the full novel is.

I can see that this novella is important to the developpemnt of the plot and characters so there's that, and it did draw me in more than the first two -mostly because i was hoping for some emotional resolutions. But there are some things that keep bugging me in this series - the heroine is...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Minie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Just so you're aware.. When I started reading this I didn't realize it was a prequel to the actual series/novel itself..

My impression on this... Not enough background and not enough character development for me, just starts you off in the middle (I guess that's my fault for starting at #.3) aside from the initial confusion... The plot was good, but the writing and details were horrible.. I need more of something to pull my interest in.. More intricate details or obstAcles needed...

I felt like t...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Mel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Book reviews make me nervous; I’m always worried I’ll give too much away. To avoid that, I have come up with some basic questions that I will answer as briefly as possible to give you a general idea of why I did or did not like the book.

Q: Is the plot exciting and suspenseful?
A: Yes

Q: Does it have a fast start?
A: Yes

Q: Action, danger, humour, romance, mystery?
A: Action – yes; danger – yes; romance - a little tension; humour – yes; mystery - sort of

Q: Do the characters (make you care)?
A: Mostly

Q:...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Vivienne Serendipity Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Firstly I have to admit my personal act of stupidity here. I downloaded and read this, convinced it was the second prequal novella to Throne of Glass and only realised on writing this review that it was the third. So I have missed one out and I need to go back and read it. However, on reading this I didn't feel like I was missing something as the story gives details of the previous tale.
These little novellas are pure magic! They have worked me up into a frenzy and I can't wait to read Throne of...more

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About Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas lives in Southern California, 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 coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she's not busy writing YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the California coastline.

Her debut YA epic fantasy novel, THRONE OF GLASS, will b...more

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Books by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1)

The Assassin and the Desert (Throne of Glass, #0.2)

The Assassin and the Empire (Throne of Glass, #0.4)

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Quotes from The Assassin and the U...

“Please don't go."
He let out an uneven breath. "You'll be fine without me. You always have been."
Maybe once, but not now. "How can I convince you to stay?"
"You can't."
She threw down the torch. "Do you want me to beg, is that it?"
"No-never."
"Then tell me-"
"What more can I say?" he exploded, his whisper rough and harsh "I’ve already told you everything—I’ve already told you that if I stay here, if I have to live with Arobynn, I'll snap his damned neck.”
“But why? Why can’t you let it go?”
He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “Because I love you!”
Her mouth fell open.
“I love you,” he repeated, shaking her again. “I have for years. And he hurt you and made me watch because he’s always known how I felt, too. But if I asked you to pick, you’d choose Arobynn, and I. Can’t. Take. It.”
The only sounds were their breathing, an uneven beat against the rushing of the sewer river.
“You’re a damned idiot,” she breathed, grabbing the front of his tunic. “You’re a moron and an ass and a damned idiot.” He looked like she had hit him. But she went on, and grasped both sides of his face, "Because I'd pick you."
And then she kissed him.” — 12 people liked it

“You can't go."
"Give me a reason why I shouldn't."
"Because I'll miss you, damn it!" she hissed, splaying her arms. "Because what's the point in anything if you just disappear forever?"
"The point in what, Celaena?" How could he be so calm when she was so frantic?
"The point in Skull's Bay, and the point in getting me that music, and the point in... the point in telling Arobynn that you'd forgive him if he never hurt me again."
"You said you didn't care what I thought. Or what I did. Or if I died, if I'm not mistaken."
"I lied! And you know I lied you stupid bastard!” — 10 people liked it

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The Assassin and the Underworld (Throne of Glass 0.3)

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