Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - The Assassin's Blade

I’m not really sure what to say about this book. It isn’t the type of book that ive read before, but I really enjoyed it. It kept me hooked the whole way through. I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen next. Even though Celina is an assassin, she still feels like the good guy. liked how her and Sam ended up together, and I almost cried when he died. Which makes me hate Arobyn even more. I don’t understand how someone could treat a person like that. But now I get the hype over Sarah J Mass books and I can’t wait to read the next one !

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quietlex's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I didn’t love or hate it. It seemed pretty lackluster and predictable at times. I didn’t believe the romance between Celena and Sam, it felt forced and uninspired. I think this book was more focused on the different missions and progressing the plot rather than developing interesting and complex main characters. I’m hopeful that the rest of the series will build on who Celena is and why she thinks and acts the way she does. Quite disappointed with the lack of spice as well. Not the best start to the series, in my opinion.

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emilywemily6's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This collection of stories about Calaena before the Throne of Glass events was harder to get through than I thought, and I think it’s because I knew the eventual outcome for both Calaena and Sam 😭 I really enjoyed the second and third stories though. I saw the “twist” of whose to blame from a mile away and felt like this grouping of prequel stories didn’t add a lot to the series as a whole, but gave me more time with Calaena’s character. I was really hoping for more info about the HUGE spoiler revealed at the end of Crown of Midnight, but all we got was an allusion to Calaena keeping secrets about her past 👀 So while I enjoyed this read, it didn’t meet my expectations in a couple ways. I am excited to get back into the rest of the series!

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chantellimus's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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amandafitz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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smnthstrrlwd's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

If you're on social media and an SJM fan, you're aware of the discourse around which order to read the Throne of Glass series. I chose to read The Assassin's Blade first and I am so glad I did.

Split into five novellas, The Assassin's Blade gives readers a peek into the past of Celaena Sardothien and sets the foundation for a lot of decisions she makes in the later books. Learning about Celaena's history as Adarlan's Assassin, her moral compass at the youngest age she is throughout the series, and her relationships with friends and lovers, alike, were all valuable moments that allowed me to feel much more connected to her as a main character.

In addition to giving readers an intimate peek into the history of our main character, The Assassin's Blade also introduces us to at least one character in each of the novellas whose whereabouts by the end of the novella are unknown, leaving them seemingly destined to play a larger role later in the series.

I found that the novellas flowed quickly and I loved the way one novella picked up after the last with only a minor time jump. This technique kept the overarching story moving and kept me interested from start to finish. That ending though, my GOD. I was sobbing into my hands during the last 10 pages which seems to be a consistent trait of SJM's writing. And I have to say, it works! I found myself so invested in Celaena's future that I immediately picked up Throne of Glass which is exactly the kind of vibe I am looking for in a series!

Side Note: To each their own with their preferred order, I don't care to hear anyone else's reasonings behind the order they chose (trust me, I've seen enough TikToks about it to last me a lifetime.) One of the best things about books and reading? It is a completely personal experience. And I appreciate that the TOG series can be read in a variety of orders. I think that it is incredibly awesome that I can go back and read the books again in a different sequence if I want to have a different experience than what I'm having right now. Amazing!

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breathehopebooks's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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