Here is the GoodReads description of the first book;
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.
I found this book accidentally when I was searching for some fantasy books and I just started reading it. From the first page, this gripped my attention. As I proceeded to read further I was engrossed.
- High Fantasy Magical World
- Love Triangle
- Deal with a devil vibe
- Enemies to Lovers
- Different Worlds
- Murder Mystery
- Deadly Games
- Competition for the High Position
- Forced Proximity( to some extent)
My Review
I fell in love with this world where magic disappeared some 1o years ago. Our FMC is on her way to the castle to fight in competition and work for the king. She makes a deal with the prince and throws herself into the world of murder and mayhem.
Different plotlines were going on at the same time. There are a string of murders going on which were very much ritualistic but nobody can pinpoint what exactly is happening. There is something wrong with the King and his most close advisor. Prince and the king's guard are getting close to Celaena and Celaena is dreaming about a certain white-haired ancient princess who is telling her all kinds of interesting secrets and protecting her from harm.
This first book sets the plot for the story that is coming in the next books and it's nothing but sort of breathtaking. This book series is my ultimate favorite in the High fantasy genre.
- The world building
- The dynamic between Choal, Celaena, and Dorian
- Celaena's love for books
- The secret hidden passages under the castle
My Favourite Quotes
- “You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”
- “No. I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material.”
- “We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most.”
- “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.”
- “Still, the image haunted his dreams throughout the night: a lovely girl gazing at the stars, and the stars who gazed back.”
- “Sometimes, the wicked will tell us things just to confuse us–to haunt our thoughts long after we've faced them.”
- “Second place is a nice title for the first loser.”
- “Libraries were full of ideas—perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”