howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

Volume 1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Volume 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I think I'm officially sold for life on James Tynion IV's works. First I adored the first 2 volumes of Something is Killing the Children, and now I'm obsessed with The Backstagers. This has to be one of the cutest damn things I've ever read and I am LOVING these characters! I love each and every member of the backstage team so much and I'm totally fangirling over how casually and unapologetically QUEER this is! We've got queer babies everywhere, an adorable introverted trans boy, loads of characters of color, and even a flirty plus-sized darling who's cute as hell.

Also, the whole premise of this fantastical, vaguely creepy tunnel system under the school that constantly changes and is full of mysterious (and sometimes dangerous) creatures, where only the backstage team can go? What a dream. I want to go on adventures with these kiddos, for real. I can't say enough about how much I adored this and how excited I am to continue the series.

I love Noelle Stevenson's work and enjoyed this immensely. If you have followed Stevenson's work and life, you'll probably already know a lot of the content in this memoir, but even so, I never found myself bored or skim-reading because the way she presents these memories is worth reading from her direct perspective, even if you already know about it. I really enjoyed the throwback to some of her old tumblr art being included (it was a major trip down memory lane for me), and the convenient way this book gives you a glance at how Noelle's art style has shifted and improved over the years.

My only complaint is that there are a couple of moments where she brings up a topic, briefly implies an inkling of what happened, and then moves on so fast to something else that I was not only left with questions, but also a bit of emotional whiplash. It made for a less smooth reading experience on my end, hence the 4 stars instead of 5.

If you like Noelle Stevenson and are interested in learning more about her life and the obstacles she has overcome to get to where she is, I definitely recommend this memoir!

✨ Representation: Noelle is queer; depictions/references of Noelle and her wife's relationship

✨ Content warnings for:

Spoiler

religious trauma, mentions of homophobia, Noelle's journey through questioning and realizing her sexuality, mental illness, disordered eating, depression, anxiety, self-harm

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What an incredibly weird, gruesome, horrifying, fucked up ride this was. 10/10, absolutely recommended.

Isa is a very complex and lovable main character, and I'll never get enough of seeing trans characters shine in horror stories. Isa goes through a lot of inner turmoil within these pages, but there's also quite a bit of dark humor and a lot of weirdness and gross descriptions. I love body horror like this, where shit just absolutely hits the fan and you never know what's going to happen next, and Eve Harms definitely delivered. I can't wait to read more from her!

✨ Representation: trans MC & side characters, multiple queer characters

✨ Content warnings for:

Spoiler

transphobia, dead-name usage, internalized fat-shaming, violence, torture, mutilation, body horror, medical procedures, death

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#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

I have been so hesitant and nervous to officially start this series, with how much I love the ACOTAR books, but after reading The Assassin’s Blade a few months ago, I was feeling just a touch more certain that I would enjoy the world, as well as Celaena’s character. That said, so many people warned me about the writing in this book not matching up to the level that SJM is at right now, that I half expected it to read quite poorly in 2018. Thankfully, while it certainly is my least favorite of her books, I still found it to be a solidly enjoyable read!

“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared.”

Let’s start with Celaena, who seems to be one of the most controversial aspects of the series, among fans and non-fans alike. Is she the most enjoyable female protagonist I’ve ever read? Absolutely not. She’s not even in my top 5 favorites of Maas’ female characters! She’s petty, self-centered, arrogant, indecisive, and hotheaded—but, to be fair, she reminds me of exactly what I would expect from a teen girl who has reached her level of celebrity and has worked that hard to get there. It doesn’t make her entirely likable, but at the same time, I found myself believing in her as a character and she grew on me a lot in a short period of time. I definitely think it helps that I read the novellas first, which depict her in a much better light than this book does.

“My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name’s Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I’d still beat you, no matter what you call me.”

There is one complaint in particular that I hear a lot about Celaena: that her status as a widely revered assassin is wholly undeserved. With that in mind, I was pleasantly stunned by how capable she is, whether it’s leaping along the tops of gargoyles, scaling walls bare-handed, displaying impeccable archery skills, holding her own in fights she never should have won, or most of all, keeping her strength and spirits about her despite beatings, shackles, an abusive upbringing, and emotional trauma that would be enough all on its own to break most people. I’m rambling, but my point is that, while I fully respect anyone who dislikes her as a character, I can’t agree with the common opinion that she is incompetent.

“I can survive well enough on my own—if given the proper reading material.”

Of course, there’s a lot more to this book than just Celaena’s character! There’s a tournament element, which I’m a sucker for, and I think it’s executed pretty well—the times in between challenges can be a little bit slow and repetitive, but I appreciate the fact that I was kept interested right to the final test, whereas many “tournament” books grow stale near the end of the trials the protagonist faces. In what I consider Maas’ typical style, the fight scenes were mostly pretty glossed over, and the ones that were detailed thoroughly were less about the actions and more about the character’s thought processes. While that isn’t my favorite writing style for action scenes, I don’t really have any complaints, either.

Still, the image haunted his dreams throughout the night: a lovely girl gazing at the stars, and the stars who gazed back.

Probably one of the most interesting aspects of the book, for me, was seeing how far SJM’s romance writing has come. While I absolutely adore the way she writes romance now, and I even loved what existed in the novellas, the love triangle in this book is awkward, clumsy, and downright laughable at times—it was easily the biggest contribution to my lowering the book to a 4-star rating. I couldn’t really root much for either of the potential suitors, though I vastly preferred Chaol over Dorian from the start. There is a lot of solid banter between Celaena and both men, however, and I definitely prized the friendship she created with them both.

She was surprised that her hands had not forgotten, that somewhere in her mind, after a year of darkness and slavery, music was still alive and breathing. That somewhere, between the notes, was Sam. She forgot about time as she drifted between pieces, voicing the unspeakable, opening old wounds, playing and playing as the sound forgave and saved her.

More than anything, though—more than my bemusement with the love triangle, or the at times clunky writing, or the frustration that spawns from Celaena’s more ridiculous moments—this book continued what the novellas began, which was pulling me into a world that I desperately want to know more about. SJM just has this manner to her stories that captivates me from the start, and this was no exception. So, I’ll finish with two things:

1) If you are new to the series, I strongly recommend beginning with The Assassin’s Blade. They were the perfect introduction to the world and to Celaena’s character, the writing in them is substantially more refined than the writing in this book, and they will offer much-needed backstory to a tremendous amount of what happens in this book.

2) I am so utterly delighted that I finally picked this series up, and I positively cannot wait to see what happens next. SJM is one of my favorite authors of all time, and she definitely did not let me down with Throne of Glass!

#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

Sometimes, stories teleport us to these warm, happy other lands where we can go on adventures and rest easy knowing that the good guys will win, our beloved characters will ride happily off into the sunset, and everything will be fine. This is not one of those stories. I am a complete wreck, I have no tears left in my body, I don’t have a clue how this is all going to turn out, and I feel like curling up in a hole in the ground and hiding from the travesty Sarah J. Maas has turned my emotions into. And I loved every damn second of it.

“I’m going to call in old debts and promises. To raise an army of assassins and thieves and exiles and commoners.”

Queen of Shadows was my favorite in the series so far (and it still might be, but Empire of Storms surely gives it a run for its money) because, underneath all of the action, suspense, and world-building, there was so much warmth and happiness and love. I realize now that this was orchestrated perfectly to lull me into a false sense of security, because Empire is nothing but bloodshed, betrayal, agony, and heartbreak (with a little bit of smut thrown in).

A court that wouldn't just change the world. It would start the world over.

I have grown to love and cherish these characters so much that I can’t stand to see anything happen to them, and frankly, the last 150-200 pages of this book was a nightmare that I couldn’t look away from, because no matter how much this series has made me weep, it has become one of my favorite series of all time and my masochistic self can’t seem to get enough.

“War is sanctioned murder, no matter what side you're on.”

There’s honestly not even much I can say, because so much happens in this installment that I feel like I need to tread lightly to avoid spoilers here. What I will say is that I adored seeing everyone slowly come together (including a few old faces I’d nearly forgotten—I am such a sucker for Sarah’s “rallying” moments, where old allies reappear), and it was genuinely incredible to watch all of these little, seemingly insignificant moments of past books weave together into a tapestry I somehow never saw coming. Just… wow, Aelin. Wow. ♥

“I love you. There is no limit to what I can give to you, no time I need. Even when this world is forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will love you.”

Throughout this entire book, I kept thinking that I was heartbroken that the next installment, Tower of Dawn, won’t focus on my faves, but after that ending, honestly, I could probably use a breather. I can’t believe how I have flown through this series or the fact that it’s all coming to an end soon, but I can’t wait to see what Sarah comes up with to tie it all together.

#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

I’m struggling to even start this review, because I’ve just read over 500 pages of this 648-page book in one day, and I am positively reeling from the nonstop action, betrayal, suspense, and development I’ve just been put through. Before starting this series, I was so worried that it wouldn’t live up to the love I have for the ACOTAR series, but at some point during this installment, I realized that I am honestly just unapologetic trash for Sarah’s writing and probably always will be.

She was a whirling cloud of death, a queen of shadows, and these men were already carrion.

In each installment, I’ve watched Sarah’s writing prowess improve bit by bit, and this was no exception—the world-building and magic system have reached such an enjoyable level by this point, being just complex enough to keep things interesting, without ever feeling over-the-top. I adored the introduction of new forms of magic in this one (i.e. shape-shifting, shadowfire, etc.), as well as the time that was spent on further explaining the history and politics of the region.

Behind them, across the hall, the dancers shattered their roses on the floor, and Aedion grinned at his queen as the entire world went to hell.

That said, there’s not a ton of time to spend on back story, because Queen of Shadows is easily the most action-packed book in the series so far. If Aelin and her allies aren’t actively engaging in battle, they’re sneaking around spying on people, or laying elaborate traps to further their scheming against the King of Adarlan. We see so many old characters brought back into the spotlight in new and interesting ways, and I loved seeing how far some of them had come.

She looked at them, at the three males who meant everything—more than everything. Then she smiled with every last shred of courage, of desperation, of hope for the glimmer of that glorious future. “Let’s go rattle the stars.”

Speaking of characters, I just need to take a moment and gush over how fantastic I find Sarah to be when it comes to creating these individuals that I can’t help but absolutely adore. While I’m fond of most of the primary players in one way or another, my favorites are easily:

→ Rowan: again, I’m a sucker for a grouchy warrior—and I adored the perspectives of his we got to see in this one
→ Asterin: what a noble, fierce, badass witch she is—and a certain aspect of her character development positively broke me in this
→ Lysandra: I am a relentless lover of the “woman who retains her fighting spirit despite being forced into sex work” character archetype, and literally applauded this terrifying, incredible lady—twice!

“I kept thinking about how you might never know that I missed you with only an ocean between us. But if it was death separating us… I would find you. I don’t care how many rules it would break. Even if I had to get all three keys myself and open a gate, I would find you again. Always.”

Beyond the action, the fight scenes, the world-building, the magic, and the lovable characters… there’s the ridiculously slow-burning romance forming, that I cannot get enough of. I didn’t have a problem with the original romance in this series, but it felt a little bland at times—this relationship does not suffer from that in the slightest and I adore every single interaction between these two.

That gods-damned nightgown. Shit. He was in such deep, unending shit.

Whether they’re sassing each other, trading flirty banter, or uttering quiet confessions in the dark, I just cannot get enough of every sweet scene they share. This book reminded me of how I felt the first time I read A Court of Mist and Fury, and the feeling when I first realized that Sarah is easily my favorite author to go to for an OTP I can root for; she’s done it again here, and I can’t wait to see the progression in Empire of Storms.

“Tell me that we’ll get through tomorrow. Tell me that we’ll survive the war. Tell me—” She swallowed hard. “Tell me that even if I lead us all to ruin, we’ll burn in hell together.”

There’s more I could gush about, really, but there are so many shocking turns of events in Queen of Shadows that I want to take care to avoid spoiling anything. That said, trust me when I say that this has become one of my favorite series of all time, and I will be starting the next installment, Empire of Storms, as soon as I possibly can. ♥

#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

Every time I think this series can’t get any better, I read the next installment and it blows me away all over again. This was easily my favorite book in the series thus far, and I feel like it was so much more well-written and intricate than the first two—comparing Throne of Glass in particular to this is like comparing night and day, with how much Sarah’s writing developed over that time span.

It would not take a monster to destroy a monster—but light, light to drive out darkness.

We finally get to see Celaena/Aelin come into her own a bit more in this book, but we also get some insight into her psyche that can be tough to swallow at times. Gone is much of the snarky humor and arrogant wit we saw in the palace; as her walls start to come down, it becomes evident just how much self-loathing she carries with her everywhere she goes. I know I sound like a broken record by now, but I just don’t understand why people love to hate her character so much. Maybe it’s the side of me that is drawn to broken things, but she endeared herself to me so much in this installment.

A cry went up from the witches, save for the Thirteen—who stayed cool and quiet. They did not need to cheer, for they were immortal and infinite and gloriously, wonderfully deadly.

On the flip side, I was so happy to finally meet Manon, a character who I’ve heard so many people rave about that I felt like I loved her before she was even introduced. I loved the characteristics of the clans, the Thirteen (squad goals), and Manon herself, but more than anything, Abraxos. He broke my heart, but damn, if I don’t love him so much and want a little bitty version of him for myself. I’m such a sucker for person-animal bonds in stories—or in this case, witch-wyvern bonds—and I literally cried over how precious they were when she first claimed her (and he, her).

Their hands clasped between them, he whispered into her ear, “I claim you, too, Aelin Galathynius.”

I can’t write this review without talking about Rowan and how obsessed I am with his stupid, grouchy self. If you know me, you already know that my number one favorite character type is the grouchy warrior/soldier/leader, etc., who secretly has a heart of gold but takes forever to show it and hides behind a lot of snark and general rudeness. We all have our vices, okay? Anyways, Rowan fits that mood one hundred percent, which means I absolute adore him. Yes, I recognize that he has trope-y alpha male issues. Yes, I like him despite those issues. I’m not going to parade him around as real life significant other goals, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to enjoy him as a fictional character. (Sorry for the miniature rant there…)

“Because I am lost,” she whispered onto the earth. “And I do not know the way.”

There’s so much else I could say about this book, but most of it would be spoiler-y and/or not entirely beneficial to the review, so I’ll cut this one short. I will say that my only problem with the book was the fact that the Chaol/Dorian chapters are so boring in comparison to all of these way cooler, more action-packed perspectives, and I can understand why a lot of people feel that Chaol’s character was actually rewritten at this point in the series, because he definitely didn’t feel entirely like the same guy that I enjoyed in the first two books. That said, I’m not losing sleep over it, because, well… I’m a magpie at heart, and fancy warrior Fae (and brutal witches and iron-toothed wyverns) are my shiny things.

#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

I’ve got this schedule going where I’m trying to read one book in this series per month, leading up to the Kingdom of Ash release, so that I’m all caught up in time for the big finale, but this one took me a little while to pick it up because I had a horrible slump in May. I went a week without touching a book, which hasn’t happened to me in years, and—no exaggeration—this was the only book that was able to cut through the slump for me.

“I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn't, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens.”

I knew a lot of people had told me Crown of Midnight was a big turning point in the series—for better or for worse, though most people I spoke to told me this was one of their favorites—so I went into it unsure of what to expect, and thinking I’d just be content if I liked it equally as much as Throne of Glass. This book totally knocked out all of my uncertainty, though; it was fast-paced, full of plot twists and turns that, while not entirely unpredictable, were endlessly fun to watch unravel.

But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.

While Celaena wasn’t terribly lovable in book 1, I truly enjoyed her character in this installment. It felt like I was back with the assassin from the novellas, who was someone I could genuinely enjoy and appreciate as a character. I won’t harp on again about the polarizing opinions her character draws out of readers, but I’ll stand by what I said in my TOG review: I think Celaena deserves a lot more credit than she typically receives.

The rest of the world quieted into nothing. In that moment, after ten long years, Celaena looked at Chaol and realised she was home.

Of course, the biggest aspect of this book isn’t Celaena’s work as an assassin, and honestly, I don’t even think it’s the political intrigue or the obstacles she faces with the whole saving-the-world-from-an-evil-king business—it’s romance, as any Sarah J. Maas reader would expect it to be. Knowing how further installments in the series pan out probably biased my views a little bit regarding the relationship in this one, but without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that I genuinely enjoyed Chaol’s character, and while he does some really stupid shit, I didn’t feel like his punishments suited the crime.

She smiled sadly. “You'll figure it out. And when you do...” She shook her head, knowing she shouldn't say it, but doing it anyway. “When you do, I want you to remember that it wouldn't have made any difference to me. It's never made any difference to me when it came to you. I’d still pick you. I’ll always pick you.”

There’s just one thing I didn’t like, and I’ll word this vaguely for anyone who hasn’t read it, but if you have read it, you’ll know what I mean: there’s a certain character in this series who made a “sacrifice” of themselves that was in terribly poor taste, and frankly, MADE NO SENSE. I almost knocked a star off just for this one thing. (Feel free to hit me up for private rants. I have a lot of feelings.)

To escape death, she'd become death.

Overall, though, Crown of Midnight was a huge success for me. Maybe I’m buttering it up a little bit because it kicked my slump’s ass, but I’m so glad I continued the series and now I’m super excited to move on to book 3!

#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

Despite the fact that this series has become one of my favorite series of all time (literally, it’s now tied with two other series for my #1 favorite spot), I was extremely apprehensive about picking up this installment! Not only is it so close to the end (just one book left!), but it takes place from Chaol’s perspective in the Southern Continent, and if you’ve read my reviews of the other books in this series, you know I’m not his biggest fan.

“You must enter where you fear to tread.”

With that in mind, I’m not sure why I ever doubted Maas’ ability to entertain me, because no amount of dislike for Chaol could have kept me from still enjoying this book quite a bit. While Chaol is incredibly angsty and self-loathing through most of the book, and that aspect of his personality gets old quickly, he also grows so much as a character and comes to recognize his own flaws and mistakes in a way that makes it hard not to forgive him. He’s still not winning Character of the Year awards from me any time soon, but I definitely don’t hate him.

“Using the chair is not a punishment. It is not a prison. It never was. And I am as much of a man in that chair, or with that cane, as I am standing on my feet.”

There’s also a lot to be said for his disability rep. Chaol begins the book hating his wheelchair and himself, but he grows to accept his new disability and begins to realize that it’s going to hold him back from so much less than he thought it would. There are also a few discussions regarding how disabled individuals can feel like guinea pigs for physicians (healers), or how painful it is to be treated differently. I won’t promise this rep will work for every own-voice reader, but as someone who suffers from chronic pain and invisible disabilities, there were moments that actually made me cry because I felt so strongly understood by Chaol’s representation.

It was like waking up or being born or falling out of the sky. It was an answer and a song, and she could not think or feel fast enough.

The real shining stars in this book, though, are Nesryn and Yrene. They are both such enjoyable characters, and I especially loved watching the way Nesryn came to life when she finally got to come home. There’s a lot of talk about her feeling out of place at first, but she quickly comes to realize that she’s been welcomed into her homeland with open arms by almost everyone she meets, and it means so much to her that it’s incredibly heart-warming. They’re both strong-willed, independent women who could take on just about anything, whether it’s through Nesryn’s archery or Yrene’s healing, and I cherished them both tremendously.

“I think she was a god… I never learned her name. She only left a note with two lines. ‘For wherever you need to go—and then some. The world needs more healers.’”

We also meet quite a few new characters in this installment, as well as seeing some old faces (this would be a good time to tell you that it’s practically a requirement to read the Assassin’s Blade novellas before picking up Tower of Dawn!). I’ve mentioned this before, but I am a sucker for storylines that rally together all of the older, minor characters in the end, and Maas does that beautifully in both Empire of Storms and in this book. I especially loved watching certain puzzle pieces fall into place for characters (as in the scene with Chaol and Yrene at the end of the book that literally made me weep over how much I love Aelin).

Some swore the cats had been caught pawing through the pages of open books—reading.

One thing I want to address, though, that made this a 4.5 instead of a solid 5 for me, is the fact that it was originally intended to be a novella, and then was almost 700 pages in the end. On the one hand, I do think this book is longer than it should be—but on the other hand, a novella length wouldn’t have fit everything in, either! I think something in the 450-500 page range would have been a much better length, but it’s not a big complaint from me, as I’d always rather a book be a little too long than way too short and rushed.

This was not the end. This crack in him, this bottom, was not the end. He had one promise left.

And finally, because a lot of people have asked me in the few days since I finished reading this: is this book required reading for the series? YES. There are reveals in Tower of Dawn that are freaking HUGE for the series as a whole, plus there is so much character development that I honestly think you can’t afford to miss it. If you’re one of the series fans who simply refuses to read this, please, at least get a full-spoiler recap from someone! There’s just too much to miss.

#0.1-#0.5 The Assassin’s Blade ★★★★★
#1 Throne of Glass ★★★★☆
#2 Crown of Midnight ★★★★★
#3 Heir of Fire ★★★★★
#4 Queen of Shadows ★★★★★
#5 Empire of Storms ★★★★★
#6 Tower of Dawn ★★★★★

She was fire, she was darkness, she was dust and blood and shadow.

As anyone who knows my taste in books is already aware of, I’m total trash for Sarah’s other series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and have been for a while, which is why I know it’s kind of surprising to a lot of people (myself included) that it’s taken me this long to finally start on this series! That said, I decided that I would make an effort in 2018 to get caught up on the series before the finale this fall, and per Sarah’s own website’s recommendation, I started with this novella bind-up.

I was honestly nervous to pick this book up, because I kept thinking, “What if it doesn’t live up to my love for the ACOTAR series?!” Luckily, my concerns seem to be invalid – based on this collection, at least – because losing myself in the word of Celaena and the Assassins was effortless, and made me so eager to move on to Throne of Glass!

Quiet as mice, quiet as the wind, quiet as the grave.

→ The Assassin and the Pirate Lord – ★★★★★ ←
Celaena thinks that she and her colleague Sam Cortland are being sent to meet the Pirate Lord to seek repayment for a slight he’s caused the King of the Assassins. Upon arrival, the teens learn that they’ve been tricked into an escort mission for a batch of slaves that Arobynn is hoping to sell. I thought this was an fantastic introduction to Celaena’s character, and it immediately made me fond of her as a protagonist. I loved that she was willing to risk her career and her name to free a few hundred strangers, and the ending set a wonderful stage for her relationship with Sam and his willingness to follow her, no matter the cost.

→ The Assassin and the Healer – ★★★★☆ ←
After the debacle with the Pirate Lord, Celaena is sent away for a while, as part of her punishment. In this installment, she stays at the White Pig Inn, where she meets Yrene Towers, a young healer barely scraping by as a waitress, and in desperate need of learning how to defend herself. Who better to teach her than a trained killer? This was my least favorite of the stories, but I still thought it was enjoyable enough for 4 stars. It just didn’t feel nearly as three-dimensional as the other novellas (which is to be expected, since it’s substantially shorter at only 40 pages).

→ The Assassin and the Desert – ★★★★★ ←
As Celaena arrives in the Red Desert, she begins her punishment: training with the Silent Assassins, and earning a letter of recommendation from their leader, the Mute Master. This was such a fleshed out, well written story, and while reading this one, I remember thinking to myself that this was where the real story telling in this collection began. I loved getting to know the ins and outs of the Silent Assassins and their homes, as well as watching Celaena’s friendship with Ansel come into form. Most of all, I enjoyed the world-building that was given in bits here and there, like the story of Spidersilk.

→ The Assassin and the Underworld – ★★★★★ ←
Upon her return to Rifthold, Arobynn surprises Celaena by apologizing, and offering her a mission picked specially for her: to kill a man who wants to help the King of Adarlan create a booming slave business. This story was positively gut-wrenching to watch unfold. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that certain aspects of Celaena’s mission seemed suspicious from the beginning; Sarah J. Maas is the queen of painful foreshadowing, but like any other trickery she inflicts upon her readers, all you can do is sit back and watch it unfold.

→ The Assassin and the Empire – ★★★★★ ←
A few weeks after Celaena discovers Arobynn’s treachery, she and Sam are living happily on their own, but there’s one problem: to leave Rifthold and Arobynn behind forever, they must leave the Assassin’s Guild, and that costs coins that are going to require one last, dangerous job. Just… see what I said about the last story: with SJM’s writing, sometimes you know something horrible is well on its way, but there’s nothing you can do besides waiting patiently for the heartache. I didn’t think I had grown quite so attached to the characters in this collection until reaching the end of this particular novella, but I found myself devastated and immediately wanting more. I think this was a brilliant story to end this collection on, and it cemented my beliefs that The Assassin’s Blade is the perfect opening to this series.

“My name is Celaena Sardothien,” she whispered, “and I will not be afraid.”