If I’m being honest with myself, I was kind of wanting to hate this series before I started it. There was just so much hype surrounding it that I was fully looking forward to being a curmudgeon and dog this series. Dammit, my plans were thwarted and I ended up finding Throne of Glass fairly entertaining. I never wrote a review of it but I gave it 4 stars. However, I definitely saw an improvement when it came to this second book, Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2) by Sarah J. Maas. (Side note – I accidentally typed Gals just now and then I started laughing picturing a series called Throne of Gals.)
“A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.
It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend.”
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.
The Good
- Plot – Okay, the plot in this book was 100x more entertaining than in the first. There was plenty of action and mystery going on throughout the story and I didn’t find myself getting bored as I did in the first book. There’s nothing worse than reading a fantasy story and being bored.
- Chaol – Yeah, I liked him in the first book but he was even better in this one. He went through some growing pains and is starting to feel the pressure of having feelings for Celaena and being able to complete his duties. He’s loyal to a fault and suffers from some serious issues. I like my men to be really flawed and I’ll be damned if that isn’t Chaol all the way.
- Celaena – I found myself liking Celaena a bit more in this book, than I did in the first one. We actually get to see her in action some – FINALLY. Also, she wasn’t as immature acting as she was in Throne of Glass. We actually get to see that her past is finally starting to weigh on her, which I think added a much needed layer to her character, especially in terms of development.
The Bad
- Nehemia – I cannot stand her character. Don’t ask me why that is, because I don’t know. There’s just something very annoying about her and gives me an irrational dislike towards her. I was insanely pleased with where her character ended up. Too mean?
- Convoluted History – Maybe I’m just too dense to get it, but the history and mythology in this series is so damn confusing to me. All of historical references and explanations are just too messy for me, and bring up more questions than they answer. I’m not really sure I understand all of the different connections between the myths and current events. Every single time there’s some backstory or myth mentioned, all I can think is – WTF are they talking about? I feel like the reader is already supposed to know some of this information and I clearly do not.
Because this book was too damn entertaining for its own good, I’m gonna have to give it all the stars. As much as it pains me to admit, I was hooked. This series is like a guilty pleasure read – you know it’s got lots of issues but you can’t help but love it anyways. I’m curious to see how it progresses (pssst.. I already finished Heir of Fire too). I’ve seen where EoS has gotten some very mixed reviews, so I think this is going to be interesting.
Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars
What are your thoughts on this book or series? Do you think I’m being too mean to Nehemia? Am I the only one who has a hard time following all of the myths and history? Am I taking crazy pills? Why can’t I like Dorian?
Wonderfilled Reads 
Glad you loved it because that gives me hope for this series. I also wanted to hate it before I started it. I didn’t want to have to read so many books, but now I want to know what happens. And Chaol and Celaena are better in this one also makes me happy.
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Yeah, I can definitely see an improvement in the writing. Not only that, but the actual plot was wayyyy more entertaining and interesting than in ToG!
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That’s good because Donna told me she thought this was the worst book of the series and that made me less interested. Good to know. 🙂
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Well I’ve only read the first 3 so I can’t compare it to all of them but I think in terms of entertainment, this one is probably the best so far but in terms of the depth of the storyline then I’ll have to go with Heir of Fire – even though it was slower in parts for me personally and could stand to shed some unnecessary pages.
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I always feel a sense of smugness when people love this series. So glad you’re enjoying it. If you’re struggling with the history just you wait. Book 5 was 700 pages of me going “WHAT”
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Hahaha it’s one of those series that you know is full of flaws, but you read purely for the entertainment and fun. And oh geeze, I thought I was confused enough after finishing Heir of Fire…. 😩
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It does have its problems but it’s so fantastic and addictive
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Just like you, I also loved this book way more than Throne of Glass. I actually loved The Assassins Blade which is the prequel to Throne of Glass too. I giggled when I read “throne of gals” ha!! Crown of Midnight made me binge this series, I’m interested in your thoughts on the rest of the books.
With the history, SJM explains more of it in the other books. It’s okay not to like popular characters!
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Yeah, I just found the plot to be soooo much better than it was in ToG! And I just finished Heir of Fire which I think could’ve dropped about 100 pages and still been a really good book. It was a bit slow for most of the book but the ending was really great. However, I think it made the history and myth even more confusing. I think it may just be me who’s having trouble with all of this haha!
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Heir of Fire was so hard to get through for me. I almost DNFed it honestly lol but glad I didn’t cause Queen of Shadows was everything. However, I really disliked Empire of Storms and that’s when things were confusing for me (historical and character wise). Sorry that things aren’t making sense =(
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Yeah, I think it was really slow but I enjoyed the ending as I think it was a good catalyst for the actual entire story to reach the climax. I’ve heard a lot of mixed opinions on EoS. It’ll be interesting to see where the derision comes from.
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I agree with you on that =)
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I am completely obsessed with Throne of Glass. The series is fantastic, in my opinion. I haven’t gotten to read Empire of Storms yet, but I plan to binge the whole series again and then reading through it when I go home for Winter break. I’m glad you liked it ❤ The series only gets better from here. Heir of Fire can be a bit slow, but that's part of the beauty of it. Instead of the major conflict being an external entity to fight, Maas moves it inward and it was beautiful.
Also, if the history still confuses you, I highly recommend reading the Assassins Blade because it will highlight the major events before Throne of Glass.
I love your review ❤
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Thanks! Yeah, it’s very easy to see how this is such a beloved series. I put it along the lines of Percy Jackson, TMi, etc – series that all just put a lot of emphasis on the fun and entertainment that reading brings.
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I agree 100% with this. I rated it a little lower just because it took me so long to get fully invested in the story, but I’ve noticed that is just how I am with SJM books. I was realllly hated Nehemia, too. I immediately bought HoF after I finished CoM but still haven’t gotten around to it.
Oops.
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Ahhhhh, welcome back Britt!!!
I actually was able to get into Crown of Midnight much quicker than I did ToG and HoF. And I’m really glad that I’m not the only one who didn’t like Nehemia! I don’t even have a real reason for why her character just annoyed me so much 🙈.. I like Heir of Fire but I will warn you ahead of time – it’s a bit slow in parts and there’s a heck of a lot of information thrown at you.
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Thanks love!! I’ve missed your face.
ACOTAR is slow at the beginning, too. I think that might just be her writing style. I don’t have a reason either! She was just an annoying little shit, that’s all haha. Thanks for the warning on HoF! I really do need to get around to it.
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We’ve missed you too!
Yeah, I agree with you on that. Hahahaha and yes, she’s just annoying!!! I hope you enjoy HoF. The ending was really good and it does introduce my new fave, Rowan Whitethorn. 😍
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