This is not the badass assassin story I was promised by the badass assassin on the front cover and the blurb, but I enjoyed the story.

Based on the MEGA-HYPE surrounding Throne of Glass, and the fact that I have managed to avoid spoilers like the plague, I knew nothing except to expect greatness and I'm n0t sure it delivered. I think Throne of Glass is a decent book which possibly suffers from 'first in series' issues. I know that the series matures and improves book by book because lots of people have told me so, and since my husband kindly gave me the series for Christmas, I will definitely be finishing it.

Let's get into what worked for me and what didn't. It's hard not to initially draw comparisons between Throne of Glass and The Hunger Games. Both female protagonists start from a place of suffering and malnourishment, they're plucked from that existence and given an 'opportunity' to fight in a competitive tournament which will reward them, should they win. They each have the skillset to survive and the novel is about their journey. For these reasons, if you've read and enjoyed The Hunger Games, you'll probably enjoy Throne of Glass.

What I liked about Throne of Glass:
◘ It's your typical hero's journey novel, with a promise of a wider, more important journey to be revealed throughout the series.
◘ The last third of the book was quite a page-turner for me. There were a couple of plot points that kept me reading until then, for example when Celaena finds a

Spoiler

hidden passageway in her room.

◘ Once I had given up on the idea that we were going to see Celaena's assassin skillset in detail (knowing this was probably going to be saved until the final sparring contest), I enjoyed the romantic storyline. In fact, I think Celaena's interactions with Chaol and Prince Dorian were my favourite parts in the end.
◘ I like this world. Every time a location was mentioned I flipped back to the map to see where it was - I like the geography and the place names and learning about what the places are like. Looking forward to more of this.

Why I gave Throne of Glass a 3 Star Rating:
◘ For the longest time, I couldn't tell whether I was actually meant to LIKE the main character. She's snarky and arrogant, and her constant flattery of herself was off-putting. I'm all for female empowerment and self-confidence but... wow.
◘ The reason for the competition is never really established well enough for me. The winner becomes the King's Champion but why does he suddenly want or need one? It's a bit vague.
◘ The low stakes of this 'competition' make it all a bit tame. Considering all she has to do is make sure she doesn't come last in each Test meant there was no doubt she was going to succeed.
◘ Talking of low stakes... the final leg of the competition is a

Spoiler

SPARRING MATCH in which they're all intended to survive. What? WHAT? So it turned out the biggest threat to the competitors was the monsters summoned from the In-Between to pick them off in their leisure time and is not part of the competition at all.

I'm sure all will become clear in the series.
To sum it up, I would have preferred less talk about what a deadly assassin Celaena is and more demonstration, since that's the entire premise. The book ended in a way that makes me want to read the next one. I want to know where it's going but I have to go back and finish the prequel first!