Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass is a young adult high fantasy novel series by American author Sarah J. Maas, beginning with Throne of Glass, released in August 2012. The story follows the journey of Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin in a corrupt kingdom with a tyrannical ruler, The King of Adarlan. As the tale progresses, Celaena forms unexpected bonds and uncovers a conspiracy amidst her adventures. The series concluded with the eighth book in October 2018.

Throne of Glass
The covers of the eight books of the series
  • The Assassin's Blade
  • Throne of Glass
  • Crown of Midnight
  • Heir of Fire
  • Queen of Shadows
  • Empire of Storms
  • Tower of Dawn
  • Kingdom of Ash
AuthorSarah J. Maas
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy
PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
PublishedAugust 2, 2012 – October 23, 2018
Media typePrint

The series appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, and has been optioned by Hulu for a television series adaptation by Mark Gordon.

Overview

Throne of Glass follows Celaena Sardothien, an 18-year-old assassin in the Kingdom of Adarlan. After a year of suffering for her crimes in a slave camp called Endovier, she accepts the offer of Crown Prince Dorian, the King's son, to compete with other assassins and thieves for a chance to serve as the King's Champion, and eventually gain her freedom after four years in the King's service. This leads her to form unexpected bonds with Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, and Dorian, the Crown Prince of Adarlan. Over time, Celaena is drawn into a conspiracy and a series of battles, leading to discoveries surrounding both the Kingdom and herself.[1]

Books

Main series
No.TitlePublication dateCountsISBN
0.5The Assassin's BladeMarch 13, 2014118,431 words / 435 pages[2]ISBN 9781619635173
A collection of 5 stories set prior to the Throne of Glass series, including four novellas previously published in e-book format: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire, as well as The Assassin and the Healer.[3]
1Throne of GlassAugust 2, 2012113,655 words / 406 pages[4]ISBN 9781619630345
After a year of slavery, an infamous teenage assassin named Celaena is given the chance to become the tyrannical king's personal assassin/King's Champion by representing Prince Dorian in a competition against the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. She must survive every test and trial in order to proceed to the final, in which she has to fight her remaining opponents to the death. As candidates are found dead in the castle, their bodies ruptured, Celaena finds herself delving deep into mysteries concerning not only her, but her very own ancestors and the creatures of darkness that dwell deep beneath the castle.
2Crown of MidnightAugust 27, 2013114,494 words / 420 pages[5]ISBN 9781619630642
Celaena, the King's Champion, must win her freedom by butchering every person the king asks her to, but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. With every death she fakes, she puts her close friends at risk. Celaena must choose between a captain and a prince, and battle forces more threatening than the king. She also reunites with an old colleague, becomes obsessed with a rebel movement, and learns more about the king's source of power.
3Heir of FireSeptember 2, 2014163,266 words / 569 pages[6]ISBN 9781619630673
Celaena travels to Wendlyn, a land where magic is still free, to undergo Fae training with the powerful, cold immortal warrior Rowan Whitethorn. Tensions high between them, the pair have to work together to stop evil forces wreaking havoc, as well as learning to accept herself as the Queen of Terrasen. Meanwhile, in Adarlan, Chaol teams with General Aedion Ashryver to rebel against the king and Dorian struggles to understand his growing powers. Manon Blackbeak, an immortal, Ironteeth witch, competes in a competition against other witches in order to become the official Wing leader of the clan.
4Queen of ShadowsSeptember 1, 2015183,840 words / 648 pages[7]ISBN 9781619636064
Stronger than ever, Aelin Galathynius (aka Celaena Sardothien) returns to Rifthold, this time as a free woman. Upon her return, she learns that much has changed since she left, including the capture of her long lost cousin Aedion and the possession of her friend Dorian at the hands of a Valg Prince. Aelin teams up with Chaol's team of rebels and her former master, King of Assassins Arobynn Hamel, determined to get her revenge for over ten years of pain. Across Adarlan in Morath, Manon is forced to use her witches to produce evil monsters as weapons. As she struggles between her duties and growing morals, she befriends Elide Lochan, a servant girl who is the rightful lady of Perranth, and daughter of Aelin's nursemaid as a child.
5Empire of StormsSeptember 6, 2016195,332 words / 689 pages[8]ISBN 9781619636071
Aelin is determined to never turn her back on her kingdom again. Cashing in debts to raise an army, Aelin and her court travel around Erilea in an attempt to stop Lord Erawan of the Valg from destroying the world, but with so many sworn enemies in want of revenge, including Queen Maeve of the Fae, survival seems unlikely. Aelin begins to realise that there are events in her life which may not have happened by coincidence; in fact, many have been pulling strings in the background long before she was born, and that she was destined for something far greater than she thought.
6Tower of DawnSeptember 5, 2017191,282 words / 660 pages[9]ISBN 9781681195773
Taking place during the events of Empire of Storms, Chaol Westfall travels to the Southern Continent with Nesryn Faliq to seek treatment from the gifted healers there, and persuade the Southern Continent to ally with him and his friends in the brewing war against Erawan. Yrene Towers' attempts of healing him lead to her becoming entangled in Chaol's past, despite her own reservations against his loyalty to the very nation that prosecuted her family. Meanwhile, Nesryn improves relations with her family during her stay, and befriends Prince Sartaq.
7Kingdom of AshOctober 23, 2018272,682 words / 984 pages[10]ISBN 9781619636101
After being locked in an iron coffin for months by Maeve, Aelin resists torture in hopes of returning to her kingdom. Rowan searches with his cadre and Elide to find Aelin, his mate and wife. At the same time, Aedion and Lysandra continue to defend Terrasen with the armies that Aelin gathered before she was captured, from forces that would seek to destroy it: Erawan. After successfully allying with the Southern Continent, Chaol and his group race to reach his friends before it's too late. Manon and Dorian grow closer as they travel in search for an army, the final wyrdkey, and answers to their role in the war and as leaders of their respective kindgoms. Threads draw every character closer as they move towards a final battle of freedom for Erilea.

Companion books
  • Throne of Glass Coloring Book[11] (2016)
  • The World of Throne of Glass[12] (TBA)

Characters

Main
  • Aelin Galathynius aka Celaena Sardothien: Trained from childhood to become an assassin. She was betrayed and imprisoned by her master in the salt mines of Endovier. Before her capture, she was known as Adarlans Assassin. With this reputation, Sardothien gets offered an opportunity to participate in a competition to become the King's Champion. If she wins, she must remain in the King's service for 4 years and will then be granted her freedom and a full pardon. During the contest, she adopts the persona of a jewel thief from a port in Belhaven to avoid her identity being revealed. She is described as beautiful and possessing striking features, clever, and arrogant.
  • Rowan Whitethorn: He is a full-blooded Fae who is over five centuries old. He has silver hair and pine-green eyes. He can take the form of a White-tailed hawk and his powers include ice and wind. He was tasked with training Aelin when she came to Doranelle to see Maeve. He was previously blood sworn to Maeve, but him and Aelin fell in love with each other and she eventually bargained for his freedom.
  • Dorian Havilliard aka King of Adarlan: Havilliard chooses to sponsor Celaena as his contender for the competition to become his father's champion. He tries at times to stand up to his father, but he is never fully able to defy his father. His best friend is the Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall. Dorian is also bright, having a curious mind and a love of reading. He is adept at solving problems and will search for the answers to questions even if no one else can or will help. He also possesses a great deal of loyalty, as he goes out of his way and endangers himself to protect his friends. Dorian is tall and lean, with raven-black hair with his eyes being sapphire blue. Before meeting Celaena, Dorian is a vain heartbreaker, a puppet of his tyrannical father.
  • Manon Blackbeak Crochan: Manon is an Ironteeth witch and heir to the Blackbeak clan, one of the three clans in the Ironteeth witches. Her grandmother is the Blackbeak Matron. Her coven is known as the Thirteen, the fiercest coven in the Ironteeth witches. She went to Morath to train in fighting with wyverns, along with many other witches, where she develops a strong bond with her wyvern, Abraxos. She is the key to unlocking the curse on the witches' homeland, the Western Wastes. Her alliances change in Empire of Storms, as she pursues change for a greater cause.
  • Chaol Westfall: He is the Captain of the Guard, and is very wary of Celaena throughout the first and part of the second book, as he recognizes the threat she poses to the kingdom. He is very close to Dorian and is willing to sacrifice his life for him. Throughout the first book, Chaol helps Celaena get back into shape during the tournament, training diligently with her every morning. In the second book, he enters into a love affair with Celaena. This affair ends after the murder of Nehemia, which Celaena blames Chaol for. By the end of the series, he has rekindled their friendship. Chaol has been described to have a friendly relationship with his guards, and they appear to trust and respect him.
  • Princess Nehemia Ytger: She is a princess of the kingdom of Eyllwe. Eyllwe is deciding to rely on Adarlan so that they won't be killed. She pretends that she can only speak in her native tongue and doesn't understand what people say when they are speaking; in the first book, she has Celaena teach her how to speak the common tongue. She is a very strong-willed person and refuses to be looked down upon. Her weapon is her staff that the people from her kingdom produce. She is able to communicate with Celaena because Celaena can speak in Nehemia's language.
  • Aedion aka Wolf of the North: Aelin's cousin, demi-fae with enhanced sight and hearing, but does not have powers. Aedion has Aelin's snarky, sarcastic attitude and her self-confidence. He served as a general in Adarlan's military before reuniting with his cousin and joining her court. He is unfailingly loyal, willing to die for his queen, and even besmirch his own name for the good of Terrasen. Aedion is bisexual, revealing to Lysandra that he is attracted to people regardless of gender. Aedion is tall (6'3), heavily muscled, and handsome, with a tanned complexion from years in the snow-bright mountains of Terrasen. He has long, golden blonde hair and turquoise eyes ringed with gold.

Recurring
  • Kaltain Rompier: Kaltain is a young lady who comes from a family that is rich, but not so rich that they are widely known or have as many privileges as those in the King's court. She came to the palace as the guest of Duke Perrington so that she could get close to Dorian because she wanted to become his bride. She is willing to do anything to become Dorian's bride and to be in a position of power. Later in the series, she redeems herself when she destroys part of Morath, and herself along with it.[13]
  • The King of Adarlan: Dorian's unnamed father and the ruler of the Adarlanian Empire. He is the current monarch of the Empire and Head of House Havilliard. He was the father of Dorian and Hollin Havilliard, and the husband of Georgina Havilliard. The King was described as not looking at all like his son Dorian; he had a broad frame with a round face an craggy features, and sharp eyes. One of his brows is scarred. When the King was younger, and before he had been taken over by the Valg, he was much like his son Dorian, always poking around in forgotten places where he wasn’t wanted and reading books no one his age should read. However, he was inhabited by the Valg when he was still young, which changed him, making him tyrannical and sociopathic. Under the Valg's control, the King became a ruler who took great pleasure in exerting his will over others. He did not appear to care about anything other than himself and gaining more power. Had he never been possessed, he would have been a loving and kind father, which he showed to his son in Kingdom of Ash. He was also mentally strong for being able to survive Valg possession for decades; it is mentioned that common people could only take a few months of possession before they broke.
  • Lysandra: The earliest depiction we see of Lysandra is a spoiled girl who always gets what she wants, along with frequently getting in the way of her "enemy" Celaena Sardothien. As the series progresses, however, she displays a sharp mind, courage, and kindness. She has taken the small girl Evangeline under her wing and this is what makes Aelin begin to trust her again. Throughout the series Lysandra proves herself to be a loyal and courageous member of the new court of Terrasen. She is fiercely loyal and very dedicated to creating a better world for Evangeline. Lysandra is a shapeshifter and can shapeshift into any animal or human that she wills. She prefers her ghost leopard form. Lysandra is introduced as a stunningly beautiful curvy woman with dark brown hair reaching down her shoulders and back. Her skin is pale with emerald green eyes, full lips, and voluminous breasts. After magic returns, they become much smaller.

Development

Background

Sarah J. Maas has cited Disney's Cinderella as an inspiration for writing Throne of Glass. While viewing the scene in which the heroine flees the ball, Maas found the soundtrack "way too dark and intense". This led her to re-imagine a number of details. "The music fit much better when I imagined a thief—no, an assassin!—fleeing the palace," she said. "But who was she? Who had sent her to kill the prince? Who might the prince's enemies be? A powerful, corrupt empire, perhaps?"[14]

Originally known as Queen of Glass, the story initially appeared on FictionPress.com.[14] Bloomsbury acquired the novel in 2010, and purchased two additional Throne of Glass novels in 2012.[15] Publicist Emma Bradshaw noted Maas' "huge online following, particularly in the US".[16] Additionally, Throne of Glass became the first Bloomsbury children's novel to be featured on Netgalley.com, attracting requests "from all over the world."[16]

Following its acquisition by Bloomsbury, the story went through a number of revisions prior to publication. Regarding the tale's development, Maas stated, "In the 10 years that I've been working on the series, Throne of Glass has become more of an original epic fantasy than a Cinderella retelling, but you can still find a few nods to the legend here and there."[16]

Characters
Maas envisioned Celaena Sardothien as a strong and capable heroine, and was inspired by both male and female protagonists.[17]

In an interview prior to the series' debut, Maas discussed the process of creating her protagonist:[18]

I grew up reading books like Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown and Garth Nix's Sabriel—both of which feature strong heroines, and both of which profoundly shaped my identity and empowered me. I started writing knowing I wanted to create books like that—mostly because that's what interests me and where my passion lies, but also because I'd love for some young woman to read [Throne of Glass] and feel empowered, too.

The story's teenage heroine, Celaena Sardothien, is introduced as an orphan who was raised and trained by an assassin. She is characterized as skilled, arrogant, and witty. While shaping her protagonist, Maas was inspired by the heroism of Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings, and by the characterization of Velma Kelly from Chicago. Maas has stated that the latter's "arrogance and fierceness made me want to write about a woman like her—about a woman who never once said sorry for being talented and determined and utterly in love with herself."[19]

The author ultimately designed Celaena as a highly capable character whose talents also form a basis for numerous faults. In interviews preceding the series' release, Maas noted her heroine's issues with "impatience" and "vanity".[18] She also suggested that Celaena would grow while adjusting to her new role.[17] In addition to Celaena's skills as an assassin, Maas wanted the character to have several traits and hobbies befitting her age,[20] including a fondness for "shopping, books, and fine dining", as well as a "penchant for getting into trouble."[21]

In creating the friendship between Celaena and Chaol, Maas gave the characters a number of differences. As the story begins, Chaol is introduced as a strict and ethical captain, while Celaena is presented as a morally ambiguous assassin. According to the author, this contrast contributes to Chaol's character development as his bond with Celaena grows. Amidst their experiences, Chaol eventually comes to view her not just as a captive criminal, but also "as a human being."[22] While writing the novel, Maas envisioned Chaol as a character who had "always seen the world in black and white," and concluded that "Celaena just throws a wrench in that."[22]

Prince Dorian is presented as a suitor for Celaena as well. However, their relationship is complicated by his status as the crown prince.[23]

Release

Publicity

In anticipation of the series' debut, Bloomsbury released e-book editions of four prequel novellas—The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire—between January and July 2012.[24] Throne of Glass was previewed by Publishers Weekly in February, while the book trailer premiered on MTV.com in May.[25][26] Additionally, film option rights were acquired by Creative Artists Agency.[27]

Reception

Throne of Glass has received generally positive reviews, making its debut on the New York Times Best Seller list with the release of the second novel, Crown of Midnight.[28] A review from Publishers Weekly lauded the series' opening as a "strong debut novel." The review went on to state, "This is not cuddly romance, but neither is it grim. Celaena is trained to murder, yet she hasn’t lost her taste for pretty dresses or good books, and a gleam of optimism tinges her outlook. Maas tends toward overdescription, but the verve and freshness of the narration make for a thrilling read."[29] The Guardian gave it 5 stars out of 5 with the author of the review stating that the main character, Celaena, was more "relatable" than most other female protagonists.[30] In her review for USA Today, Serena Chase called Celaena a "next-level Cinderella".[13]

Kirkus stated, "A teenage assassin, a rebel princess, menacing gargoyles, supernatural portals and a glass castle prove to be as thrilling as they sound." With regard to the protagonist, Kirkus noted that "Celaena is still just a teenager trying to forge her way, giving the story timelessness. She might be in the throes of a bloodthirsty competition, but that doesn't mean she's not in turmoil over which tall, dark and handsomely titled man of the royal court should be her boyfriend—and which fancy gown she should wear to a costume party." The review concluded that the story's "commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its brightest star."[20]

Throne of Glass was named Amazon.com's "Best Book of the Month for Kids & Teens" in August 2012.[31] Whitney Kate Sullivan of Romantic Times stated that "Maas' YA fantasy world is one of the most compelling that this reviewer has visited all year. The assassin heroine's growth and the multilayered secondary characters are amazing."[32] Serena Chase of USA Today applauded the story's love triangle, and noted that "Maas excels at world building, spicing up this unusual take on the Cinderella story by injecting myths, fairy tales and religious traditions with the magic of a fresh and faulted world. Whereas many authors rely on geographic detail to build their worlds, Maas' environment is more politically driven and her characterizations are deftly drawn to support that sort of structure." Chase also commended Maas for creating "a truly remarkable heroine who doesn't sacrifice the grit that makes her real in order to do what's right in the end."[33]

Television adaptation

In September 2016, it was announced that the Throne of Glass series had been opted for a television adaptation by Hulu. The series is set to be titled Queen of Shadows, named after the fourth novel in the series, with The Mark Gordon Company serving as the main project studio. The adaptation will be written by Kira Snyder, with the pilot potentially being directed by Anna Foerster.[34]

References
  1. "Throne of Glass". goodreads.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  2. "The Assassin's Blade". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  3. Sarah, Maas (August 12, 2013). "Big News: Announcing The THRONE OF GLASS Novella Collection". goodreads.com. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  4. "Throne of Glass". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  5. "Crown of Midnight". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  6. "Heir of Fire". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  7. "Queen of Shadows". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  8. "Empire of Storms". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  9. "Tower of Dawn". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  10. "Kingdom of Ash". Accelerated Reader Bookfinder. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  11. "Throne of Glass Coloring Book". Sarahjmaas. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  12. "The World of Throne of Glass". Sarahjmaas. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  13. Chase, Serena (August 16, 2012). "Review: 'Throne of Glass' by Sarah J. Maas". USA Today.
  14. Maas, Sarah (April 14, 2011). "I hear music…Mighty fine music…". Let The Words Flow. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  15. Maas, Sarah (January 16, 2012). "Big News Reveal (Part 2)". goodreads.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  16. Page, Benedicte (July 27, 2012). "Free Prequels For Bloomsbury's Assassin". bookseller.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  17. "Interview With Sarah J. Maas". hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy.com. July 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  18. "Interview with Sarah J. Maas". yabookreads.com. December 8, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  19. Cypess, Leah (August 8, 2012). "Interview With Sarah J. Maas, author of Throne of Glass". Enchanted Inkpot. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  20. "Throne of Glass review". Kirkus Reviews. May 2, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  21. Maas, Sarah (August 18, 2010). "Celaena Through The Years". sjmaas.livejournal.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  22. Maas, Sarah (February 5, 2009). "Long Entry About Writing and Inspiration". sjmaas.livejournal.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  23. Maas, Sarah (December 15, 2008). "What I'd Write, Dogs". sjmaas.livejournal.com. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  24. Dennard, Susan (January 21, 2012). "The Assassin and the Pirate Lord". publishingcrawl.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  25. "Fall 2012 Sneak Previews". Publishers Weekly. February 20, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  26. Rosenfield, Kat (May 14, 2012). "Peep The EXCLUSIVE Trailer For Throne Of Glass". MTV. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  27. "I Have A Film Agent". goodreads.com. January 21, 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  28. Maas, Sarah J. (September 2, 2014). "Heir of Fire". Amazon.com. ISBN 978-1619630659.
  29. "Children's Review: Throne of Glass". Publishers Weekly. June 18, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
  30. "Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas - review". The Guardian. January 4, 2015.
  31. "Best Books of the Month for Kids & Teens". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  32. Sullivan, Whitney. "Book Review: Throne of Glass". Romantic Times. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  33. Chase, Serena (August 16, 2012). "Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas". USA Today. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  34. Andreeva, Nellie (September 7, 2016). "TV Series Adaptation Of 'Throne of Glass' Books From Mark Gordon Co. Set at Hulu". Deadline. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
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