“‘Crowned by evil. Bound by duty. Divided by love.’ Celaena Sardothien, royal assassin, is the King of Adarlan’s deadliest weapon. She must win her freedom through his enemies’ blood – but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. And every death Celaena fakes, every lie she tells, puts those she loves at risk. Torn between two protectors – a captain and a prince – and battling a dark force far greater than the king, Celaena must decide what she will fight for: her liberty, her heart or the fate of her kingdom.”
What is the book about?
Celaena Sardothien won the king’s competition to see who would win the title of King’s Champion and the contract to go with it. Now she is the King of Adarlan’s greatest weapon, a skilled assassin, at his disposal to use to dispatch anyone who threatens his rule. She just needs to do as she is told for 4 years and then she will win her freedom and will be able to get as far as she wants without having to watch her back. However, one wrong move and the king will not only have her killed but also kill those she loves, and she knows that he will do it if it comes to it. Despite this, she cannot bring herself to kill for the crown and the cruellest person she knows. However, she risks everything every time she disobeys direct orders and each time she worries the king will discover the truth. Not only is Celaena torn between her duty and her determination to not follow the king’s orders, but she is also tor between two protectors – the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Guard. While trying to decide she is also facing a greater evil and a power so strong and so dark that if the king even got a taste of it, it would destroy the whole world.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
After reading Throne of Glass I had so many questions, mainly about Celaena and the mysterious Wyrdmarks and the power they contained so I was bursting to read this book. I knew before I had even started the book that it was going to be amazing because of the success of the first book in the series and how much the friend I borrowed the books from had loved the whole series. After all I had heard about the series from both my friend and from people on social media I honestly can’t believe that I had waited so long to finally start the series. It is a huge investment though, as it is a very large series, but I had been told it’s worth it so I was really excited to keep reading. The blurb didn’t give me much more information as I already knew what I was going into after reading the first book in the series, however I was still intrigued. Once I started to read, I was immediately transported back to the world that I had grown so accustomed to in Throne of Glass and soon forgot that Adarlan didn’t actually exist and that I had my own world to go back to when I finished the book. It was an amazing read from the very beginning.
Who was your favourite character and why?
I liked many of the characters in the book and all were really well developed and all had something intriguing about them; however there was one that stood out to me. My favourite character was definitely Nehemia for many reasons, one of those being her friendship with Celaena. Celaena had never really had anyone since she arrived in Rifthold but then Nehemia chose to befriend her, despite everything that she had done, and start a friendship that both really needed. Another reason I really liked Nehemia was because she was the only one who was willing to sacrifice everything to build a better world, one where everyone was free to follow the life they want without fear of the king. She wanted to save her country and her people and was willing to do whatever it took to get it, even to stand up against the king and risking her own life for the sake of others. This was something that not many people were willing to do and she had very few allies, however she still did it. Although she did try to convince people, she wasn’t very pushy and was just trying to help them see that that was the best thing for them and the whole world. She was a very strong, smart girl and did her best to help everyone.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
I really enjoyed the book and found it really difficult to decide on a favourite part, however there were some things that did stand out to me and made me enjoy the book even more. My favourite part or parts was the romance between Chaol and Celaena, which took a little while to begin but once it did was really enjoyable. I had been shipping them since the first book and was glad to see them together, especially after having them basically ignore their feelings for half the book. It was so obvious yet it took them both so long to realise how they felt and make their move. It was a great moment for me and made the book that much more interesting as it added some romance to a book that was heavily fantasy and action.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, Crown of Midnight was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed every second of it. One thing that made me love the book was the short chapters. Even if 2 books are exactly the same length, with the same number of pages and the same size text, if one of them has short chapters of only 5 or 6 pages and the other has long chapters then the one with shorter chapters will always feel like it was easier and quicker to read. This is something that I will never understand but it always happens so it was really nice that the book had shorter chapters because it made it a lot more fun to read. Another thing that I enjoyed about the book was the amazing world building. It was crazy to think that the world that I had fallen in love with and had practically lived in for the past few days had been created by a single person with only a few words. I love fantasy because it is an escape, an escape from the world that I live in into one that has magic and creatures that I couldn’t even begin to understand. It makes me feel like I have travelled to more places than I actually have and makes me feel alive. This is why I love that this world in this series was created so well that I am once again able to add another world to the vast list of places I have been to through books. Crown of Midnight was an amazing book and I just cannot wait to read the next one in the series, especially after the cliff-hanger ending of this one.
Which book did you like better, the first or the second?
Both Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight were absolutely incredible and definitely contributed to the excitement that I have for reading the next book in the series (Heir of Fire) and I honestly do not know which I liked better. One thing about Throne of Glass that I definitely enjoyed more was the plot. Although Crown of Midnight did have some interesting parts, it really just felt like a bit of an introduction that was just giving me background information to help when reading the rest of the books in the series. Instead Throne of Glass had an actual plot (Celaena trying to win the competition to become the King’s Champion) and so I did enjoy the first book in that respect. However, there was also stuff in Crown of Midnight that made me like it more than Throne of Glass. One thing was the plot twist and shock at the end. Throne of Glass had a more normal conclusion; however Crown of Midnight revealed something that I kind of started to see coming but still found just as shocking as I would have if I hadn’t had any suspicion. It made me even more intrigued to read the next book and made the book stand out to me. Overall I don’t think I could pick a favourite, but I had an inkling that Heir of Fire will definitely be better than both the previous books.
Would you recommend this book?
I definitely recommend reading Crown of Midnight (of course after Throne of Glass – the first book in the series) and I have no doubt you will enjoy it. It is a great book for fantasy, romance and adventure lovers and I think it is perfect for those who are over 16 and can’t wait to jump into another fantastic new world.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A thrilling novel with mystery and romance that will keep you on your toes.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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