Monday, June 29, 2015

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 418
Genre: YA Fantasy
Pub. Date: August 27, 2013
Source: Personal Copy
Other Books By Author: Throne of Glass
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars


Goodreads says, "From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil. Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for. 

If you read Throne of Glass, you know that Celaena has been named the King's Champion, which pretty much means she is his personal assassin.  He has assigned her a few new "jobs," but Celaena, in true Celaena fashion, is making her own rules as she appears to be playing by the corrupt king's rules.  She knows that if the king finds out what is going on behind the scenes, he will probably kill her along with her friends, but how can she just kill these people on the king's whim? The next person on her "list" is Archer Finn, Celaena's old friend.  This lends it self to some particularly sticky situations.  Meanwhile, Nehemia has some epic plans in the work and Dorian, the Prince, is also is harboring some secrets that could change the future.  Lastly, there's Chaol, Captain of the Guard, and his relationship with Celaena is even more complex in this novel as they still have a strong connection with one another.  Many characters with secrets threaten to destroy everything for Celaena even as she finds out the truth about the king and his new found power.  Crown of Midnight, the second installment in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, is a fantasy lover's dream come true. There's high fantasy aspects to the story, lots of adventure, romance, magic, and more importantly, an intrepid female heroine.  

I know I said this in my review of  Throne of Glass, but I just adore Celaena. She's a fierce warrior and heroine. I can't get enough of her. She's truly a force to be reckoned with. If you love a bad ass heroine, you must read this series. But back to Celaena....readers learn a lot more about who she really is in Crown of Midnight. We learn about her past and how that could impact the future. I loved this aspect of the novel, especially the secrets surrounding her family.

The point of view switches from Celaena, to Chaol, to Dorian and a few other characters, but it never felt choppy to me or confusing. I thought Maas did a great job executing this smoothly.  I liked getting inside Dorian's mind as well as Chaol's and hearing their feelings regarding particular events.

 Throne of Glasshas a lot of adventure in it, but Crown of Midnight felt a little more action-packed, especially involving magic. There seemed to be a bit more magic in this novel and if you are a fan of the fantasy genre, you'll enjoy this aspect.

The romance, of course, tore me up in Crown of Midnight. I was rooting for Chaol and Celaena to finally have their day in the sun and let's just say the course of true love never did run smooth.  Also, Chaol....*sigh* I am a huge fan! 

The ending of Crown of Midnight sort of opened things up in an epic way and I can't wait to get read the next book in the series.   If you love an epic fantasy, this series shouldn't be missed. I regret not reading it sooner!


12 comments:

  1. I love epic fantasy, it is one of my favorite genres. I have heard nothing but great things about this series. I, obviously, need to get these books and read them. Thanks for the spoiler free review!

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    1. If you love epic/high fantasy, you must check out this series, Karen. I think you would really like it. Thanks for visiting!

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  2. I wish I could get into this series. I think the problem is, I'm not into this genre. Glad you're loving the books!

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    1. Yeah, if you aren't into high fantasy, then it's probably not for you. Thanks for visiting, Joy!

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  3. I absolutely adore this series. One of the things I love is that the magic grows with every book. And of course Celaena. I love how well rounded she is as a character. She's kicking butt and taking names but she's also vulnerable and makes mistakes. She's my favorite. Great review!
    Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally

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    1. I am a huge fan of Celaena as well....one of my favorite kick-butt heroines. You are right about the magic....definitely getting stronger as the series continues. Thanks for visiting, Cassi!

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  4. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Christina; hope you had a great weekend!!

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    1. Thanks, Tara! I hope you had a great weekend as well. Thanks for visiting.

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  5. Chaol! Adore him so much. *swoons*

    Glad you're enjoying this series!

    Awesome review :D

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    1. I know, right?! I am a huge fan of his. Thanks, Lea! I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the next book in the series. Thanks for visiting!

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  6. I still haven't read this series! Looks like I'll have to move it up my TBR pile. I think I have an ARC of the first book somewhere on my Kindle. Glad you are enjoying the series.

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  7. I hear everyone absolutely raving about this series, but a love triangle is just not worth it to me. Great review!

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