REVIEW: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2), by Sarah J. Maas
To Be Published August 27, 2013
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Format: ARC, received at BEA
Genre:  young adult, high fantasy
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt. But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

 

Action. Intrigue. Romance. Magic. A high body count. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) seriously has it all and then some. And it has sealed Celaena Sardothien's place on my list of Bookish Chicks That Kick Ass. 

 

After Celaena won the right to be called the King's Champion (and one day earn her freedom, which is the true prize here), she is now being sent out far and wide to do the nasty king's bidding by killing his enemies. Celaena is trying to find a way to do that and at the same time keep the respect of her friends and live with herself in the morning. Not an easy task. And, it gets harder when her next assignment turns out to be a sort-of-friend. It's also getting harder to hide her connection with the ancient Fae Queen Elena, especially when Elena seems to be trying to send Celaena a message that could really change how this game is being played. 

 

So, one of the biggest questions in your mind (or, at least, it was one of the biggest questions in MY mind) is probably, does the love triangle get straightened out in this book. Well, I can tell you that, the short answer is, yes. Actually, Celaena makes her choice fairly early on, and I thank the lovely Sarah Maas for not torturing us with that any longer than was necessary.

 

But, what I really loved about Crown of Midnight was that, even though the big question on everyone's minds was answered early, that, in no way whatsoever, slowed the story down to leave us with filler until the end. Oh no - in fact, Celaena's romantic entanglements end up being a source of unexpected and excruciating angst and emotion as the book continues. I didn't expect to find myself in tears while reading a high fantasy novel about an assassin. 

 

Speaking of assassins, you may recall that one of my only complaints about Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) (you can read my review here) was the notable lack of assassinations. Celaena more than makes up for this oversight, however, as the number of dead bodies she racks up in Crown of Midnight is staggering. In one scene she takes out nearly 30 men all by her itty bitty badass self. And, that was just one scene! The part of me that really loves a good blood bath was doing a happy dance. 

Crown of Midnight was really an intense study of the many faces of Celaena Sardothien. I already mentioned that we get to see Celaena the Assassin in action. We also see Celaena the Friend. Celaena doesn't have many of these, so when she finds someone she counts as a friend, she protects that person with every ounce of her being. I loved seeing Celaena the Lover - the dichotomy between the killer and the lover is so awesome. And then there is Celaena the Schemer. In addition to trying to figure out the king's agenda and Elena's puzzle, Celaena is all the while laying the groundwork for the time when she can truly be free of everyone and make her own choices. One thing is certain - not matter what face Celaena is wearing, you know she is wearing it FIERCELY.

 

There were some BIG moments in Crown of Midnight. In addition to learning whether Dorian or Chaol was Celaena's heart's desire, we also find out some very important things about Celaena's past that will come into play later in the series. Crown of Midnight is at least partly about saying goodbye and knowing when it is time to do so. 

 

The ending, while not necessarily a cliffhanger in the traditional sense, left me groaning only because I know it will be a very long time before I can find out what happens next. It was a maddening ending that left me raging for awhile. One thing's for certain. Crown of Midnight has risen my expectations for this series exponentially, and based on what I saw here, I have a feeling that the best is yet to come.   

Book #141 - Scent of Magic (Healer #2)

Scent of Magic (Healer #2), Maria V. Snyder
high fantasy
400 pages
Started 12/28/12
Finished 12/30/12
4 STARS

Do you like a good mystery? Intrigue? Mistaken identity? Romance? Ooooooh yeah - I thought so. So, why haven't you read Scent of Magic yet?

Avry has cheated death, and she wants to take her second chance and do something with it. Help people. Save them. But, in order to do that, she needs to be separated from her love and her friends. She has to go back to being alone again.  But, while Avry is fighting the good fight and missing Kerrick, he is trying to do the same in his own home land.

I've been reading a lot of books lately with dual POVs, and I realized something - I REALLY love them. Most books are told from the female character's POV, and I'm often times left wondering what is going through the guy's head. Scent of Magic is a dual POV book, and I'm so, so glad. I loved knowing what was going on with Kerrick and what he was thinking. Especially since he and Avry were separated for nearly the entire book. 

Avry is one ballsy chick. She's willing to stick her neck out in order to try and take out the big nasty bad guy. She's protective of her friends and her family and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. And, Kerrick is the same. Those two really were made for each other.

This was a really captivating book! The mystery is a good one, keeping me interested and involved at all times. The supporting characters are some of the best I've ever seen - Belen, the monkeys, Jael - bad or good, they are interesting.

So, what do you think of dual POVs? Do you like high fantasy? If so, then you should start the Healer series today!

Book #137 - Touch of Power (Healer #1)

Touch of Power (Healer #1), Maria V. Snyder
high fantasy
390 pages
Started 12/20/12
Finished 12/22/12
4 STARS

I read Maria V. Snyder's Study series back in the spring of 2012, and hadn't read anything of hers since then. It seems a bit like blasphemy, since she's a local author and I've met her twice since then. At one of the book signings I attended over the summer, I had her sign my copy of Touch of Power. And, as of this past Saturday, I now have a signed copy of Scent of Magic (Healer #2). I decided it was high time I get started on this series

Avry is the last healer in existence, which means she's highly sought after. Some want to kill her, some want to possess her. So, she gets lucky when Kerrick and his merry band of men free her from a difficult situation. In return they ask that she heal a friend of theirs - who is NOT a friend of hers. During the journey to find this friend, she grows to love this rag-tag group of guys. Perhaps even enough to die for them.

Maria sure knows how to weave a good story. My favorite part is the world these characters live in. The rules, the history, the characters - they all weave together to make this magical place that is very easy to lose yourself in. Books that you lose yourself in are the best kind.

Avry is a strong woman. As the last healer left, she has to be. Yet, the reason I love her is because she's not strong 24/7. She has a few moments of weakness where she breaks a little, and those glimpses into her less confident side makes her more real to the reader. Because, let's face it, no woman - heck, no person - is strong all the time. Those types of characters seem like bad caricatures of what the author intended.

Kerrick is awesome - he's mean and cranky and stoic and yet he grows to care for this pure person. But, I gotta say, my favorite characters in this story are Kerrick's men - Belen, Loren, Quain and Flea. They are definitely the comic relief in this story. Also the heart of it.

If you haven't tried a Maria V. Snyder book yet, I definitely recommend that you do. Strong women, loyal men, and fantastic worlds - what do you have to lose?

Book #134 - Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1), Sarah J. Maas
high fantasy
404 pages
Started 12/5/12
Finished 12/8/12
4 STARS

I'm a sucker for hype. Many times, I'll read a book if there's a lot of polarizing points of view on it, just so I can see for myself what all the fuss is about. Throne of Glass was one of those books. It seemed as if most reviews were either stellar or very poor. I had to see on which end of the spectrum I ended up.

Celaena Sardothian is a notorious assassin who was caught and thrown in a work camp that no one ever survives. After a year there, she is pulled out by the crown prince and asked to be his champion in a series of trials with other thieves, assassins and soldiers. The winner is named the king's official assassin and is released from whatever prison from which he or she came. The losers go back. But, something else starts killing the contestants before their trials. And Celaena is determined to get to the bottom of it so that she can win fair and square and finally be free.

For a book about an assassin, she didn't do nearly enough assassinating.There was, in fact NO assassinating. None done by Celaena, anyway. I was really bummed out, because she was a real badass. She absolutely could've done some epic killing. It was unfortunate. The trials that we got to observe were my favorite parts of the book. I loved reading about Celaena besting the biggest, baddest dudes in the land. And, she did it with flair and panache. It was awesome. But, for some reason, we didn't get to see all the trials either. Another bummer.

I did love the supporting characters. Prince Dorian and Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall were so different from each other. But, they both fall in love with Celaena and show their affections in very different ways. Dorian is a showman and Chaol is reserved and bides his time. And, although it seems as though Celaena prefers one over the other by the end, nothing is certain in this love triangle.

Overall, despite the lack of death, I did enjoy Throne of Glass. It was interesting and I really loved the characters - especially Celaena. I wonder what the future holds for her, Chaol and Dorian in the second book. 

Book #116 - The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4)

The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4), Cinda Williams Chima
high fantasy
608 pages
Started 10/23/12
Finished 10/25/12
5 STARS

Amazing. Beautiful. Exciting. I just don't have the right words to describe how incredible The Crimson Crown was. It was the perfect ending to an epic series.

Raisa is queen and Han is trying to find out who is killing wizards in Ragmarket, who is trying to kill Raisa, how he can manage to marry the girl that he loves. He has a full plate. And, as war bears down on the Fells, neither Han nor Raisa can tell exactly who is a friend and who is not. Like I said - full plate.

After four books, I can tell you that I feel so much for all of the characters in this series, be they major or minor, evil or good. I wanted, with every fiber of my being, for the good guys to carpe diem and be happy for once. And, I despised the bad guys so much that I couldn't wait for them to bite it in the end. Raisa spends much of the book feeling helpless and frustrated, and I found myself so wound up in the book that I was sharing her emotions. Seriously - isn't that the hallmark of a great book?

I think one of my most favorite things about this book is that Chima didn't try to do too much. It seems that, much of the time, authors try to tie up every single loose end at the end of a series, and as a result, all the major plot points are hurried and less than they could've been. Chima's too smart for that, and thank goodness for that. Oh don't worry - all the main questions that had been dogging us for awhile now were answered. But, despite a very perfect ending, you're left feeling that there's still more story to tell. There's still problems and looming tensions. Not everything was tied up in a neat little bow. At the start of the book, there was so much going on - I'm so glad that Chima picked her battles (excuse the pun).

If you have not read The Seven Realms yet, seriously - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I hate having to reduce myself to yelling at you, but honestly, you won't find a better high fantasy series out there anywhere.

Book #115 - The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3)

The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3), Cinda Williams Chima
high fantasy
517 pages
Started 10/20/12
Finished 10/22/12
5 STARS

You might notice that books 1 (The Demon King) and 2 (The Exiled Queen) from the Seven Realms series are missing from my list this year. That's because The Gray Wolf Throne was a re-read for me. I read the first three in the series last November, and in anticipation of the release of the 4th and final book in the series, The Crimson Crown, on October 23 this year, I wanted to refresh my memory a bit. And, I have to tell you, The Gray Wolf Throne was every bit as exciting and wonderful the second time around as it was the first.

Raisa, Princess of the Fells is trying to get home, but is being dogged by assassins and thoughts of her almost-boyfriend Han Alister, a wizard. After Han saves her life and they make it to safety, she finds out that tragedy has struck her homeland and she is needed back there immediately. Despite Han's wariness of her and her position, he sets himself up as Raisa's personal bodyguard, and becomes determined to protect her and maybe she may grow to love him. Raisa sets to work trying to help bring her countrymen together, all the while fighting off all the wannabe consorts that are lining up outside her door, including the nasty Micah Bayar. But, she only has eyes for Han, even though they are never allowed to be together. 

I just can't say enough about how amazing this series is. The Gray Wolf Throne is the turning point in this story. It is action-packed from the get-go and it never lets up. We see some main characters die and some alliances that we had thought were rock solid start to weather away. Han's and Raisa's relationship is wonderfully tragic in the best sort of way. They obviously love each other, but neither one wants to say it because it seems like a futile effort for them to try and be together. And, then there's the wars raging around them and the constant threats from the evil Bayar family - it seriously is the epitome of an epic story.

Since I've already mentioned that this was a re-read for me in preparation for the last book's release, you can imagine what the next review I'm posting will be about. The Crimson Crown was, I think, the best book I've read this year. I can't wait to share my thoughts about it with you all.