Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

# of Pages: 404 (paperback)

Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

My Thoughts:

While Celaena Sardothien may be arrogant, she is also clever, strong, and confident. I was disappointed that we didn't get to see her in assassin mode. But, I did enjoy the competition and the mystery surrounding the deaths of her fellow competitors.

Prince Dorian got on my nerves. He's pushy, nosy, and whiny. And from the bits of the story that were told from his perspective, it seemed like he only liked Celaena because of her looks. 

Captain of the Guard, Chaol, is extremely likable. He helps Celaena train for the competition. And he is a good friend to Dorian. I enjoyed the scenes written from his perspective, unfortunately he didn't have as many as Dorian.

With great writing, intriguing mystery, and an awesome protagonist, this was a very enjoyable book. I can't wait to read the sequel.

Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Crown of Midnight

 by Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire 
by Sarah J. Maas

Uglies

by Scott Westerfeld

The Blood of Olympus

by Rick Riordan

The Hunger Games Series

by Suzanne Collins

(reread)

The Bane Chronicles

by Cassandra Clare

Illusions of Fate

by Kiersten White

The Selection

by Kiera Cass

All That Glows

by Ryan Graudin

A Little Something Different

by Sandy Hall

What books are on your Fall TBR list?

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Book: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.5)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
# of Pages: 362 (ebook)
Challenge: 2014 Ebook Challenge
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin’s Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

My Thoughts:

This has to be the best prequel I've ever read!

The Assassin's Blade introduces us to Celaena, her life as an assassin, and the world in which she lives.

Filled with action, suspense, betrayal, a little romance, and great writing, I had a hard time putting this down. It was awesome and I loved every moment of it.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Book: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3)
Author: Stephanie Perkins
# of Pages: 339 (hardcover)
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Étienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love—set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona—is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins’s beloved series.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book. It is my favorite in the series.

I liked getting to know Isla. And I just loved seeing Josh again. I was so happy when I found out he was going to be a main character in this book. His and Isla's relationship was adorable. They did have their ups and downs, but overall they were perfect for each other. There are brief yet enjoyable appearances by Anna, St. Clair, Lola, Cricket, and Meredith.

Isla and the Happily Ever After made me smile, cry, laugh, curse, and desperately want to visit Barcelona. A great ending to this series.

C'etait incroyable!

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book: Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
# of Pages: 408 (hardcover)
Challenge: 2014 Dystopia Reading Challenge, 2014 Series Enders Challenge
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

The Shatter Me series is perfect for fans who crave action-packed young adult novels with tantalizing romance like Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Legend by Marie Lu. Tahereh Mafi has created a captivating and original story that combines the best of dystopian and paranormal, and was praised by Publishers Weekly as “a gripping read from an author who’s not afraid to take risks.” Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and satisfying end.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this book! It was a fantastic ending to to such an incredible series.

I liked watching Juliette grow stronger and more confident with each book. Kenji was the ultimate best friend to Juliette, and I enjoyed reading the scenes they shared together. I never suspected it at the beginning of the series, but they make an excellent team. I really hope Tahereh Mafi writes a novella from his perspective one day. As for Warner, wow, I loved him even more in this book than Unravel Me.

Suspenseful, steamy, and action-packed, this book was one of the best I've read all year. And though the series is over, I will definitely be reading it again! And I am really looking forward to reading what Tahereh Mafi comes out with next.