Okay so, this series has been so hyped up everywhere, I just had to read it myself. Although this is SJM’s first book, I read it after reading the three books of ACOTAR. – so, read this review with a grain of salt.
Even if I didn’t know this was SJM’s first book ever, I would have guessed it. The writing is, uhm, satisfactory at best. It just goes to show how much she has improved as an author in ACOTAR.
The world building isn’t too elaborate. As readers we are given scrapes of information on how the current tyrant King has been invading surrounding lands to increase his own rule. During more than half the book, the king simply vanishes and is only mentioned whenever convenient.
Celaena, the main character, the most feared assassin. I found her bearable than most of the other YA heroines. But the tone-shifts of her character felt unreal, and made her somehow lacking overall. Sure, she can be an assassin who likes to eat desserts and dress up, but as the ‘most feared assassin’ she didn’t look the part. It was also emphasized that she ‘just a 17-y.o girl’ repeatedly, which in turn made the super-dangerous-assassin part a bit over the top.
Chaol, the captain of the guard, was kept as ‘Mr. Mysterious’ for so long, that I honestly lost interest. (who am I kidding, I still want to know more about him).
Dorian, the prince, felt like the only one who stayed true to himself, and so was one of the character I enjoyed reading.
The pacing of the story was okay, if not slow. The bigger plot at play is slowly uncovered, through the connection is lost between that and the current storyline. The ending is also, you guessed it, okay-ish; with majority plot points closed, and new one opened at the very end on which the story is bound to continue. The climax is mild. All in all, it felt as if this book is the prologue of the whole series. As a standalone, it doesn’t entice me too much to continue reading the series.
Overall 3 out of 5 stars.
