a reason to wear a mask." 1
THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD is the beginning of four prequel novellas to THRONE OF GLASS, and it's definitely one wild ride. Sixteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is young, beautiful, stubborn, dauntless, and easily not the sort of person you'd want to fight. In this first novella, Maas gives us a quick introduction into the type of character Celaena is -- and the lengths she's willing to go to when it comes to fighting for what she believes. Overall, a great beginning to the novellas.
"There was nothing left in the world
except sand and wind." 2
THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT marks a turning point for the young assassin. As punishment for her actions in the first novella, Celaena is sent into the Red Desert to train with the Silent Assassins, or more specificially their leader, the Mute Master. But getting his attention isn't as easy as she anticipated, and she's stuck training with other assassins in the meantime. Celaena goes through so much development in this novel as she forms friendships and finds a little more compassion inside of herself. Regarding characters and settings, Maas's writing is excellent.
THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD is easily the lesser novella of the four, if only because the story isn't quite as engaging and Celaena is much more bratty and selfish. But fortunately, Sam Cortland makes up for any and all flaws in this novella. Sam and Celaena's bickering yet caring relationship is fun to watch unfold, especially as things between them get a bit more complicated as their lives become exceedingly dangerous.
THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE is utterly heartbreaking. The stakes are higher than ever for Celaena, and there is more on the line than only her life. It's romantic, sad, and so very bittersweet once the final chapter concludes. Celaena is not the same assassin that she used to be, and the journey she goes through in this novella is a terribly sad one. I wish I could say more, but I'd be spoiling the entire story. Betrayal, romance, twists...it's hard not to love these novellas, and the conclusion of this novella left me eager to reread THRONE OF GLASS in hopes that it will resonate with me more now that I know more about Celaena's past.
Highlights: I love how, for all of Celaena's ferocity, she has a good heart and good instincts. She's an intriguing character. And Sam is just fantastic. Characters, as a whole, are wonderfully written and perfectly unique to themselves. Maas knows how create tension, both romantic and life-or-death tension. Maas described each setting so vividly, as well as Celaena's actions during a fight. Packed with action, romance, character development, and so much more, the THRONE OF GLASS novellas don't disappoint.
Lowlights: I feel like the story could have been stronger in the third novella. I also wish Celaena wouldn't have been as foolish as she was, to open her eyes and see certain people for what they really are. A few of the twists were incredibly easy to spot.
Source: I purchased each novella from Amazon for my Kindle (and am grateful they were only 99 cents each - such a fabulous deal!)
Final Ratings
THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD: 4.5 out of 5
THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT: 5 out of 5
THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD: 3 out of 5
THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE: 5 out of 5
2 location 15, TAatD
3 location 870, TAatU
4 location 1301, TAatE
I think I have one of these novellas, but I haven't read it yet. I'll have to start them!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I remember you saying that the novellas were so much better than Throne of Glass! They really do sound excellent - maybe with the exception of #3. Celaena was an interesting character for me - at first, I really didn't like her and her arrogance... but at some point, I guess I started to see her other, better side and started to really like her, as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to reading this one although your review is tilting me towards giving it to Madison to read first. It sounds as if it will blow her away :D
ReplyDeleteCleo Rogers (Bankruptcy Chicago)