I’m sure a lot of people are here after reading the INCREDIBLE ACOTAR series (I am one of them) and are wondering if the Throne of Glass book series is worth it?
Well, I’m here to tell you why it 10000% (in my opinion) is!
I don’t spoil any of the massive moments in any of these books, however to talk about a summary of each book, there will be certain things that may spoil the first one.
If you haven’t read any of the series, I would recommend reading up until my thoughts on the first Throne of Glass book!
Buy the series: https://amzn.to/48yZj74
Credit for some of the images: jewels – photo by girl with the red hat on Unsplash. Candle – photo by Paolo Nicolello
Quick overview of the whole series *no spoilers*
It was definitely a slow burner compared to ACOTAR.
I thought that after getting through ACOTAR so quick, I would be the exact same with Throne of Glass but that wasn’t the case.
However, that didn’t mean it wasn’t as good!
The storyline is a lot thicker and less romance based, which for me, means its a lot harder to get through.
But once you do get into it, you won’t be able to stop thinking about these books, during and after finishing them!
1. Throne of Glass
5⭐️
Summary:
After spending 1 year in the brutal salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, Celaena is summoned to Rifthhold glass castle.
She has been challenged to win a competition to win her freedom from the salt mines and become the kings champion.
She meets Dorian (the crown prince) and Chaol (captain of the guard) and quickly forms friendships with them.
Not only does she have to fight for her survival in the challenges, there is something evil dwelling in the castle that she must destroy.
My thoughts:
I loved this book! I did wish there was a little bit more romance (but that’s because I do love a good romance).
This book had me on the edge of my seat at all times!
I love the friendships formed in this book, and I LOVE Celaena!
2. Crown of Midnight
*Spoilers ahead from this point on*
5⭐️
Summary:
After winning the chance to become the Kings Champion, Celaena is tasked to kill whoever the king needs her to kill.
Celaena plays a dangerous game of pretending to do this for him. How long will this charade last until she is caught?
But Celaena has greater things to worry about as far more dangerous forces are gathering on the horizon.
She knows she has to make big decisions that she is hiding from, that could potentially ruin her entire world and everything she has come to care for.
My thoughts:
This one was possibly even more intense than the first in the sense that we already know from the first one that she can fight. But the problems she begins to face are far greater than surviving the kings challenges.
Things are starting to be introduced about her past, and although it’s hard to grasp, you are finding out more and more about their world and her past.
3. Heir of Fire
4.75⭐️
Summary:
She travels to a new land that opens up her past about her heritage, and why she’s been hiding it.
Facing her past and embracing it will completely change her life.
As she enters her new adventure in a new land, dangerous forces are still gathering and growing stronger, hoping to enslave their whole world. She has to make a decision and she has to make it QUICK.
Is she strong enough to survive?
My thoughts:
Now it is very controversial of me to rate this lower than the first two, because I know this book is a huge turning point in the whole series and you start to understand everything about her life.
The only reason I rated this one lower is because of the change of setting, and the introduction of new characters.
I found myself really missing Chaol and Dorian and really wanted more from them in this book. But when you read it, you will understand why they aren’t in the book as much as the first two.
4. The Assassins Blade
5⭐️
Summary:
This is set before all of the events in the previous books I have spoke about.
This book focuses on multiple stories and adventures from Celaena’s time in Rifthhold as an assassin.
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord.
Celaena has been sent to a remote island to collect debt owed by the pirates to them at the Assassins Guild. This was all Celaena was set to do, but when she finds out that the agreed payment is not in money, but slaves, she risks everything and changes the mission, unbeknown to her boss Arobynn.
The Assassin and the Healer.
Her punishment for changing their mission is to be sent to the Red Desert. During the long travel she meets a bartender, working in a dangerous bar, just trying to make money to leave.
The Assassin and the Desert.
The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert are deadly, skilled assassins, who don’t talk much, which is fine by Celaena. She is there to learn from their skills and perfect her craft as an Assassin. When she realises someone is set out to kill the silent assassins she must find a way to stop them, or die trying.
The Assassin and the Underworld.
Celaena is set with a task that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, so she jumps at the chance to do it. The mission is one of her most dangerous ones yet, taking her down to the sewers, and you won’t believe what happened down there.
The Assassin and the Empire.
Celaena has nearly everything she wants right now. The love of a boy called Sam, her own place and freedom away from the Assassins Guild. Arobynn makes her do one last assignment before she leaves him forever. Will she risk this last assignment and potentially lose all that she has?
My thoughts:
I do want to say that this book absolutely broke me. (Especially the Assassin and the Empire). I can’t think about it without feeling so emotional and numb.
You need to be mentally stable to read this book otherwise it will crush you for about 5 working days.
I absolutely loved this book, and I would recommend reading it in the order that I did, because the next books after this focus heavily on her time as an assassin so it’s good to have that knowledge fresh in your brain.
The romance in this book absolutely swept me away and I will never forget it.
I STILL think about it to this day.
It is also very interesting to learn more about Celaena as an assassin and it just makes you love her more.
5. Queen of Shadows
5⭐️
Summary:
Celaena is now embracing her identity as Alien Galathynius and all of the responsibilities that come with that.
She is willing to fight for her home, fight for one of the few survivors of her family (her cousin Aedion), and fight for her friend who is trapped in the most brutal kind of prison.
Her plans are to overthrow the king and and return to her people in Terrasen. Many other people feel the same way, and a rebel group forms. Are they strong enough to win this fight?
Just because Alien has now embraced her true identity, doesn’t mean Celaena Sardothien’s problems disappear. Not only is she having to fight for survival as Alien, she is having to fight for survival as Celaena too.
We meet the powerful witches Manon and her Thirteen who have been summoned by the king for something brutal and terrible.
My thoughts:
This book was amazing. I really felt like it followed on so well from reading the Assassins Blade, and I loved seeing even more from Celaena’s past in Adarlan as an assassin.
The friendships formed in this book are amazing, and you really start to see just how evil things can get.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and it sets everything up very well for the books ahead.
Just when you think there couldn’t get anymore drama… there is more.
5 & 6. Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn
Empire of Storms: 4⭐️ & Tower of Dawn: 4.25⭐️
Summary:
The first book follows Alien, and it also follows Manon. The second book follows Chaol and Nesryn.
They are all trying to figure out what they are going to do about the war that is looming on them, when they have no army, no allies and little hope.
Alien is trying to win back the trust of (what’s left of) her people, after abandoning them for so many years. Will they ever accept her as their queen?
Is her small army right now enough for them to survive?
Chaol and Nesryn travel to Antica to one, find a healer who can heal Chaol’s almost fatal injuries, and two, to hopefully gain allies that could help them in this war.
It just so happens that the best healer, Yrene Towers, strongly dislikes Adarlan men because of the horrors of her past with them. Is she the only thing standing between Chaol’s ability to heal? Or will he be damaged forever?
My thoughts:
Although these books were long because of the tandem read, I am glad I read them together.
I enjoyed Tower of Dawn better because I really liked seeing more from Chaol and Nesryn, and being introduced to a whole new place.
We meet quite a few new characters in these books which I loved. Seeing how everything is all connected is very interesting.
These were
Tandem read
I chose to read books 5 & 6 in the Throne of Glass series together (tandem read).
This was a recommendation that I am very happy I followed through with, because both of these books follow the exact same timeline, just different POV.
It helps because if you read them separately, you’d finish the first book, and then go to the next book and feel like you’re back at the start of the other books.
There are templates that you can get that tells you what chapters to read and when you should switch books.
That is also why I am giving you a summary of them together, because I felt like this was one whole big book lol.
7. Kingdom of Ash
5 ⭐️
Summary:
From the last book giving us a slight bit of hope, everything seems to be falling apart in this book.
With the awful event that happened to Alien with Maeve, the others have to try to navigate this war without her.
Will they survive without her fire?
Aedion and Lysandra are what is holding up this army and stopping their from walking away and accepting defeat.
Chaol, Manon and Dorian are facing their own challenges and trying to make the right decision to protect everyone they love.
Has this all been for nothing? Is Erawan too powerful for them to have any sort of chance in this war?
My thoughts:
This book was heartbreaking and kept me on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time.
There was so many emotions throughout this book and I genuinely didn’t know what the outcome was going to be.
The war in this book goes on for a LONG time. The majority of the book (or that’s what it felt like) there was some sort of war going on, which was not good for my cortisol levels lol.
But overall, I loved this book, and I thought she ended the Throne of Glass series very well.
I got all up in my feels for Manon, as well as Aedion, as well as for all of them to be honest.
Such an amazing series!
Thank you for reading <3
I hope this Throne of Glass book review was worth the read whether you have read the series or not.
Hopefully this has convinced you to read the Throne of Glass series, because you definitely wouldn’t regret it!
It did take me almost 1 year to finish it, which is the longest I have spent on a series EVER. But I do recommend going at your own pace and taking your time with this series, because there is A LOT of information to digest.
Because I have been reading it for so long, I genuinely feel like there is a part of me missing now that I have finished it lol.
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