The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5) in 2-3-4 Challenge

Nov 18, 2017 Jonetta rated it really liked it

Shelves: 12800-in-2018, group-read, young-adult, nc-br-digital-library, 5000-books, fantasy

I’m reviewing each book in the omnibus separately.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
We’re introduced to Celaena Sardothien, the most feared of Adarlan’s Assassins. She’s only 16-years old and she behaves like an obnoxious teenager. There are signs, though, that she’s got the ability to grow and gain wisdom through experience. Celaena has the goods, however, and there’s a reason she’s considered formidable. This is a short story but has lots of excitement and intrigue. I struggled with the world b I’m reviewing each book in the omnibus separately.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
We’re introduced to Celaena Sardothien, the most feared of Adarlan’s Assassins. She’s only 16-years old and she behaves like an obnoxious teenager. There are signs, though, that she’s got the ability to grow and gain wisdom through experience. Celaena has the goods, however, and there’s a reason she’s considered formidable. This is a short story but has lots of excitement and intrigue. I struggled with the world building as there’s not much here for context but it was enough for me to enjoy the story. 3 stars

The Assassin and the Healer
I liked this story, a lot. First, it’s interesting and exciting. Yrene is an intriguing character with a tragic but inspiring past and present. Next, Celaena shows us her skills and chilling side, literally taking no prisoners. Her empathy towards Yrene gives us insight into her own humanity and possible origins. Just enough to whet my appetite but leave me hungering for more. Lastly, Celaena has more texture, lots of blanks filled in and a better understanding of who she is besides a skilled but arrogant assassin. Her complexity is beginning to filter through. 4 stars

The Assassin and the Desert
I loved this one, my favorite so far. As part of her punishment for her betrayal of Arobynn, Celaena is dispatched for training by the Mute Master, head of the Silent Assassins in the Red Desert, a miserable outpost that was a beast to reach. Here we're given the opportunity to contrast leader styles and see Celaena continue to grow, develop and mature. The world building was interesting and I felt like I was finally able to grasp how the regions were impacted by past conflicts. This is mainly done through her eyes as she’s starting to question and synthesize her history differently. There are so many interesting themes here and Celaena actually creates some meaningful relationships. The ending is exciting and thought provoking. 5 stars

The Assassin and the Underworld
Celaena returns to Rifthold, back under Arobynn’s leadership and she’s got mixed feelings now that she’s “recovered” from her beating and served her “exile.” He gives her a new assignment that’s not only challenging but may be the last for awhile. However, things take a turn. This was another really good story as Celaena grapples with her feelings about Arobynn and her next directions. Sam’s in the picture, too, further complicating matters as she experiences feelings that are foreign. She makes mistakes but one thing I’m appreciating is her ability to get life learnings quickly. She’s having to grow up fast and is making adjustments rapidly. But, I fear what may be next coming at her. 4.5 stars

The Assassin and the Empire
Celaena and Sam make plans towards their independence, including one last assignment to fund their departure from Arobynn’s umbrella and control. I sensed impending doom at the end of the last book and my intuition was on the mark. I think only Celaena was caught off guard as we readers were onto the King of the Assassins some time ago. She’s matured ten fold now and I’m really looking forward to what happens next. This was a tough story. 4 stars ...more

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Mar 29, 2014 These Violent Delights (Robin) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, hardcovers-i-own, 2014-releases, march-2014

This was a freaking fantastic addition to the Throne of Glass series!

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Jun 09, 2018 Christina T rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars, ya, novella, ebook, fantasy, 2018-book-challenge

First off this is a collection of novellas designed to fill in gaps within the first book. I am usually not a fan of Novellas or short stories but Maas did such a great job with these.

The Good: Sarah J. Maas' writing is engaging. She gave just enough world building to ensure I wasn't lost in the world she created and gave an equal amount of character building if you look at the 5 novellas as a whole. It is the background of Celaena that is completely compelling and makes me want to continue with ...more

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Sep 17, 2016 Susan rated it it was amazing

I had a bit of a reading slump but this book was just what I needed to get me out of my slump. I LOVED this book and the background on Celaena and Sam. What great book of novellas into how they all came about. I am really excited to continue on with the rest of the series.

I finished this on on March 9th 2022. It was a reread for me and it wasn't really excited about rereading it for my readalong. I'm so glad I did. I had forgotten how much I liked each story. I forgot how much Sam meant to Celae ...more

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Apr 19, 2018 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The book includes the 5 novellas written to introduce you to the Throne of Glass series. I highly recommend reading this first. It introduces you to many characters including the main ones: Celaena Sardothien and Arobynn Hamel. You also get to meet Celaena's rival/friend Sam Cortland. The world building isn't great, but many different places are mentioned that I'm sure we'll see in the series. There are so many characters as well, which you would expect from novellas. I'm pretty sure we'll meet ...more

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Apr 07, 2018 Lauren rated it really liked it

Shelves: love-hate-relationship, dystopia, human-trafficking, kick-ass-heroines, young-adult, mistaken-secret-identity, assassins, fantasy, pirates

Assassin's Blade
4 Stars

Series Note: This is a collection of 5 prequel novellas. While each story is standalone, it is recommended that they be read in order for the character development.

Sarah J. Maas's world building is intriguing and reading these novellas has made me even more interested in learning about Erilea and its history, particularly as it pertains to the heroine's backstory.

Celaena is an amalgamation of opposites. On the one hand, she is arrogant, insolent and self-absorbed, but on ...more

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