Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Assassin and the Empire (Throne of Glass 0.4)
by
Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)
Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . .
This fourth fantastic e-nov...more
This fourth fantastic e-nov...more
ebook, 80 pages
Published
July 20th 2012
by Bloomsbury USA
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Easily, "The Assassin and the Empire" was my favorite of the four novellas. So emotional and the ending just kills me. Yea... from the description of the "Throne of Glass" you know how it ends. But step by step, you see what caused this situation. And you can not help but feel sorry for Celaena and for what she went through. And Sam? Read and find out! You won’t be disappointed.
Jul 30, 2012
Janus Vielle (The Blair Book Project)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
owned-ebook
Celaena is now living in her own home, along with Sam, away from the Assassin’s Keep and Arobynn Hamel. However, not being able to leave in good terms with their old master, Celaena and Sam are struggling to get food on the table and their money is diminishing each day. They haven’t gotten a single contract ever since they left the Keep. Even though they have already bought their freedom, they are not free of Arobynn’s reigns unless they leave Rifthold. Anxious to be free from this man, Sam gets...more
3 likes · like · see review
I am so angry right now I dont even know if I wanna read Throne of Glass any more. But the reason I read all these shorts this week is because I ordered it from my library and it will be here soon. But I dont think I could even stomach reading it right now. I am not just sad, I am angry. Almost seething. I usually avoid gifs because I like to write proper reviews, but I am too angry to write so...
That was me, literally. I took a shower to help me feel better. It didnt help.
That was me, literally. I took a shower to help me feel better. It didnt help.
9 likes · like · see review
Also appears on The YA Kitten!
Now that's better.
While reading the first three novellas, I found myself liking each one less than the one before until I outright hated the third one. With The Assassin and the Empire, it makes improvements in leaps and bounds and creates the set-up for Maas's hyped-up debut novel.
Celaena realizing exactly how spoiled and entitled she is after she loses access to the endless supply of money she had while still under Arobynn's command was great, and I liked how the...more
Now that's better.
While reading the first three novellas, I found myself liking each one less than the one before until I outright hated the third one. With The Assassin and the Empire, it makes improvements in leaps and bounds and creates the set-up for Maas's hyped-up debut novel.
Celaena realizing exactly how spoiled and entitled she is after she loses access to the endless supply of money she had while still under Arobynn's command was great, and I liked how the...more
Jan 23, 2013
Ruby Black
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
young-adult
Simply, one of the best series of stories I've read this year. Sarah J. Maas has undeniable talent when it comes to building her characters. Her fantastical universe is worth reading just for the amazing characterizations. Her protagonist, Celaena Sardothien is the epitome of a strong heroine living in a male dominated world; she is the re-introduction to feminism for the new generation.
Never felt such a myriad of conflicting feelings at once. Maas captures your attention from the first novella...more
Never felt such a myriad of conflicting feelings at once. Maas captures your attention from the first novella...more
I knew this one was going to break my heart. That's why I put off reading these prequels for so long. We find out how Sam dies in this one. It's one thing to just read about someone who has died, but to get to know them and then have to lose them in the story is so much worse. This is truly a sad story and I could see it all unfolding even when Celaena and Sam couldn't. I was shouting at the characters in my head to not be so foolish, to realize what was going on, what was going to happen! I now...more
I was afraid to read The Assassin and the Empire because it is the last novella before Throne of Glass. And I know how Throne of Glass begins, so I knew what was going to happen in The Assassin and the Empire -- and it isn't good.
Once again Celaena cannot stay out of trouble. I don't want to give away spoilers from the previous stories, but at the beginning of The Assassin and the Empire, things are looking pretty good for Celaena and Sam. But then they have money problems and can't get any work...more
Once again Celaena cannot stay out of trouble. I don't want to give away spoilers from the previous stories, but at the beginning of The Assassin and the Empire, things are looking pretty good for Celaena and Sam. But then they have money problems and can't get any work...more
I decided to read the "Assassin" novellas because I was having a bit of a rough patch with Throne of Glass. I really must recommend reading the novellas first. For me, they shaped Celaena so much more as a person and I was able to empathize with her on a deeper level. In the novel, she may come off as harsh, abrasive and annoying, but if you read the novellas, I think you'll find there's more to her than that. It's not a popular thing to tell someone to stick with a series, it gets better as it...more
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Dark and tragic story that details the events that lead into Throne of Glass.
Opening Sentence: Curled into the corner of a prison wagon, Celaena Sardothien watched the splotches of shadows and light play on the wall.
The Review:
For the first time in her life Celaena Sardothien is truly happy. She has moved out of the Assassin’s Keep. She has the love of her fellow assassin Sam Cortland. And she is no longer in debt to Arobynn Hamel, the King...more
Quick & Dirty: Dark and tragic story that details the events that lead into Throne of Glass.
Opening Sentence: Curled into the corner of a prison wagon, Celaena Sardothien watched the splotches of shadows and light play on the wall.
The Review:
For the first time in her life Celaena Sardothien is truly happy. She has moved out of the Assassin’s Keep. She has the love of her fellow assassin Sam Cortland. And she is no longer in debt to Arobynn Hamel, the King...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
OMG!! I can’t believe what happened in the fourth novella by Sarah J. Maas and the best by far (at least in my opinion!). A very powerful and emotionally affecting read, this story made me cry and think a lot.
This novella is about loss. Nothing is the same for Celaena and Sam anymore. They are trying to leave and to built something of their own. Not an easy task of course. Celaena understands that she lost a part of herself and for the first time she has to make some big decisions. But not only...more
This novella is about loss. Nothing is the same for Celaena and Sam anymore. They are trying to leave and to built something of their own. Not an easy task of course. Celaena understands that she lost a part of herself and for the first time she has to make some big decisions. But not only...more
3.5 stars - spoilers
After leaving their mentor, Arobynn, the King of the Assassins, Celeana and Sam are settling into their new life. Knowing that Arobynn will one day seek vengence, Sam is desperate to leave the Guild of Assassins and move somewhere out of Arobynn's reach. Celaena is reluctant to leave her new home and life but ultimately decides that it'll be safer to start somewhere new. However for their plans to work they need money, so Sam and Celaena agree to one last job - to assassinate...more
After leaving their mentor, Arobynn, the King of the Assassins, Celeana and Sam are settling into their new life. Knowing that Arobynn will one day seek vengence, Sam is desperate to leave the Guild of Assassins and move somewhere out of Arobynn's reach. Celaena is reluctant to leave her new home and life but ultimately decides that it'll be safer to start somewhere new. However for their plans to work they need money, so Sam and Celaena agree to one last job - to assassinate...more
Erm, there was a good part of the book. But overall the book was annoying and seemed to be there just as set-up for the novel proper (which was already written) so Maas made up contrived stupidity to make it happen. Lame. Well, I’m still reading Throne of Glass, but this novella and to a lesser extent the one before it make me think ToG could be…not great. I’m guessing people like Arobyn, Ansel, and the silent master won’t really show up until later books. Arobyn isn’t particularly well-drawn, b...more
For a girl who's so arrogant and claims to be one of the best, she sure falls short of her own declaration.
The actions of Calaena was stupid and made no sense.
All the events that occurred could have been avoided if our 'heroine' wasn't so blindingly idiotic.
This book was supposed to be tragic, but was so horribly stupid it turned moronic.
What happens to our heroine in the end is well-deserved, but I feel very sad for Sam where the violence was undeserved.
Any sensible person could have seen what...more
The actions of Calaena was stupid and made no sense.
All the events that occurred could have been avoided if our 'heroine' wasn't so blindingly idiotic.
This book was supposed to be tragic, but was so horribly stupid it turned moronic.
What happens to our heroine in the end is well-deserved, but I feel very sad for Sam where the violence was undeserved.
Any sensible person could have seen what...more
The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anyone who has been reading these excellent novellas knew this was not going to be a happy reading experience. the teaser for the novel Throne of Glass was included in the back of the last novella and those of us (like me) who stupidly read it already knew there was going to be a bad ending here, what we did NOT know was how bad it was going to be. Our plucky Assassin we have traveled through 4 novellas with now has hit bottom,...more
A little novella in which nothing happens except things that Celaena could have avoided if she hadn't been so incredibly blindly stupid. She underwent no character growth, faced no real challenges except trumped-up excuses for plot, and acted so frivolous that it's no surprise that she ends up where she does.
For another thing, aspects of this book are way, way too modern--and I mean yes, this IS fantasy and all, but when it's set in Ye Elde Generic Fantasyland, I find it a bit much for her to ha...more
For another thing, aspects of this book are way, way too modern--and I mean yes, this IS fantasy and all, but when it's set in Ye Elde Generic Fantasyland, I find it a bit much for her to ha...more
6 likes · like · see review
THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE (Throne of Glass YA e-novella #4) by Sarah J Maas
THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE is the fourth novella in Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass novella series. Released July 2012, The Assassin and The Empire follows the continuing saga of Celaena Sardothien and her quest to free herself from the tyranny and rule of her ex-friend and mentor Arobynn Hamel-The King of the Assassins.
Celaena and Sam Cortland were now roomies. Not quite lovers, their years of friendship had blossomed i...more
THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE is the fourth novella in Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass novella series. Released July 2012, The Assassin and The Empire follows the continuing saga of Celaena Sardothien and her quest to free herself from the tyranny and rule of her ex-friend and mentor Arobynn Hamel-The King of the Assassins.
Celaena and Sam Cortland were now roomies. Not quite lovers, their years of friendship had blossomed i...more
So with the long awaited release of Throne of Glass only 2 weeks away, I was dyyying to finally read the last prequel novella.
And...
This book broke me on so many levels. A novel hasn't made me cry, in a very very long time, and I know this heaviness in my heart will be with me for days. I think here more than ever I can remember why reading the original ToG all those years ago had such an affect on me. The writing style, the weave of the story, the carefully selected prose, and more than anythin...more
And...
This book broke me on so many levels. A novel hasn't made me cry, in a very very long time, and I know this heaviness in my heart will be with me for days. I think here more than ever I can remember why reading the original ToG all those years ago had such an affect on me. The writing style, the weave of the story, the carefully selected prose, and more than anythin...more
2 likes · like · see review
oh my god. OH MY GOD. OH. MY. GOD. After reading this series of novellas that take place before Throne of Glass, I don't think I'll be able to read another book for another 9 lifetimes without going through withdrawal symptoms. THIS BOOK BLEW MY MIND. You know how sometimes after you read a pretty good book you want to read more by the author to see how you like the series? That's what I did. Throne of Glass was a pretty amazing book in my opinion, and I liked Celaena despite her occasional self...more
As the synopses states, Sam and Celaena have moved out of the Assassin’s Keep and are now living on their own, but they are not getting any work and their funds are seriously depleted. They are determined to get a new beginning together and negotiate with Arobynn to be able to leave the Assassin’s Guild in peace. The problem is that Arobynn is incapable of love and compassion, he is SO BAD! I have to say that I cried in this one, and if you read Throne of Glass or the preview, you know that it d...more
Would it be extremely cold if I felt like Celaena deserved some things that happened to her? I mean, not everything, and certainly not what happened regarding Sam, but... she was so selfish, so crude to everyone, I didn't feel pity when she began to suffer. This, of course, is horrible, since Celaena is the main character, but the fact that she finally lost the game, that she finally understood that she isn't the best, ... well. She had it coming. I hated her in this novel. She was so different...more
3.5 stars
Having paid off her own and fellow assassin Sam Cortland's contracts with the King of the Assassins in Rifthold, teenage assassin Celeana Sardothien is realising that independence also means a reduced living standard, and that while love is well and good, it doesn't pay the bills.
As it's also becoming clear that their former master is persuading people against hiring them, Celeana decides to use the remains of her savings to buy them out of the Guild, so they can leave and start a new...more
Having paid off her own and fellow assassin Sam Cortland's contracts with the King of the Assassins in Rifthold, teenage assassin Celeana Sardothien is realising that independence also means a reduced living standard, and that while love is well and good, it doesn't pay the bills.
As it's also becoming clear that their former master is persuading people against hiring them, Celeana decides to use the remains of her savings to buy them out of the Guild, so they can leave and start a new...more
The Assassin and the Empire starts out with Celaena having everything that she wants and loves, and then things go tumbling, crushing her, drowning her in some of her deepest, most excruciating fears. For those who have read the blurb about Throne of Glass, we know at the beginning of the full-length novel that Celaena is being punished for her crimes and she is serving out hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier. So, imagine how things must have gone really really wrong in this novella in orde...more
2 likes · like · see review
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
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
2.5 stars. I originally rounded this up because I quite enjoyed certain aspects of the novella and I thought it was a fitting lead-in to the novel, but I ended up rounding it down again because there were a few things that nagged me while I was reading that nagged me even more as I thought about the story in hindsight.
But let's talk good things first because I like starting and ending on a positive note when possible.
Celaena's arrogance was toned down in this novella, and I liked seeing her face...more
But let's talk good things first because I like starting and ending on a positive note when possible.
Celaena's arrogance was toned down in this novella, and I liked seeing her face...more
4 likes · like · see review
My emotions you guys, my emotions! I knew that this novella was going to end badly because of the synopsis for Throne of Glass but it made me cry anyway. Not many books can boast making me cry, but this one did. It was just so good. This is by far the best Assassin novella.
The Assassin and the Empire has most of the same characters as Underworld, but I believe that this novella takes place about a year later. Celaena has a lot more raw emotion in this one. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! Her...more
The Assassin and the Empire has most of the same characters as Underworld, but I believe that this novella takes place about a year later. Celaena has a lot more raw emotion in this one. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! Her...more
And so we have it, we finally know how Celaena ended up Endovier and how Sam died. First point, I have to say that Maas's thinly veiled WAIT UNTIL YOU"RE READY FOR SEX message permeates this book like a bad smell. I also think that given Celeana's personality and how much she loves Sam (and vice versa) and the fact that they're living together does make this seem a bit silly. And I think it's really sad that she doesn't get to share that with Sam before he dies. I did like the descriptions of Fa...more
Oh, God. I knew where this was going to go, but it was still hard to read it. Having read Throne of Glass first, I knew what was going to happen. I almost wished that there would be a twist. But alas, I still cried.
I thought it was beautifully written. One part left me feeling a bit numb (like I felt there should be more expression of emotion on Celaena's part), but I think that's the way it was intended. That she was in denial.
And the ending. I almost didn't want to believe it.
The only thing...more
I thought it was beautifully written. One part left me feeling a bit numb (like I felt there should be more expression of emotion on Celaena's part), but I think that's the way it was intended. That she was in denial.
And the ending. I almost didn't want to believe it.
The only thing...more
This is Celaena's story right before she is captured and sentenced to Endovier. It's the story of Celaena and Sam and you find out who he is and the depth of their relationship. I cried. I know this is just a novella, but Sarah Maas managed to make me care about the two of them enough to really be invested in their story. Of course, I've already read Throne of Glass so I knew what was coming and I was already invested in what happened to Celaena, but this backstory is great. We are privy to info...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
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
More about Sarah J. Maas...
Her debut YA epic fantasy novel, THRONE OF GLASS, will b...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“You look more of less the same."
She strode right past him. "And you still look like a jackass," she said sweetly.”
—
19 people liked it
She strode right past him. "And you still look like a jackass," she said sweetly.”
“When we die," she said, "I don't think the gods will even know what to do with us.”
—
19 people liked it
More quotes…
05 ago. 18:49