“‘The twist of a knife, the birth of a legend…’ Celaena Sardothien owes her reputation to Arobynn Hamel. He gave her a home at the Assassins’ Guild and taught her the skills she needed to survive. Arobynn’s enemies stretch far and wide – from Adarlan’s rooftops and its filthy dens, to remote islands and hostile deserts. Celaena is duty-bound to hunt them down. But behind her assignments lies a dark truth that will seal her fate – and cut her heart in two forever…”
What is the book about?
This book is made up of a collection of novellas that detail some of Celaena’s life before she was betrayed, captured and sent to Endovier. It shows what she was like as Adarlan’s Assassin and how she became the strong woman that we have grown to love in the Throne of Glass series. Arobynn found her and raised her to become the fearless and ruthless assassin that everyone fears. He helped create her reputation and she owes him everything. However, he expects his kindness to be repaid and Celaena is bound to him until she is able to do so. She must do as he says and follow his orders blindly, but Celaena isn’t one for being told what to do and manages to get into trouble quite easily. As a result, Arobynn punishes her in a way that he hopes will show her that she doesn’t rule the world, but even after he sends her away, he is not satisfied by her behaviour. Celaena knows that he is not pleased but the truth is so dark that it would be enough to destroy her, even after everything she has already endured.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
When I discovered that I was meant to read this book rather than the third book in the series (Heir of Fire) after Crown of Midnight, I was initially very annoyed as I really wanted to continue with the main story, especially after the reveal at the end of the book which had left me with many questions. However, once I realised that the book wasn’t another full novel and was actually a book made up of shorter novellas, I was much more interested in reading it. Also, once I found out what exactly the novellas would entail and the questions that I would have answered, I was more than just interested in reading it and was bursting to begin. I was really curious to learn more about Celaena, especially after reading Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight and having many questions about her past left unanswered. I wasn’t sure how much I would learn but I knew that any information would help me understand more and answer at least a few of the questions I had. I soon started to read and was once again shocked at how easy it was to fall back into Adarlan and how easily the book convinced me that I wasn’t sat on my bed in my room and was actually in this crazy magical world. The book was great from the very beginning and I loved every story.
Who was your favourite character and why?
Throughout all of the stories in The Assassin’s Blade my favourite character was (unsurprisingly) Celaena Sardothien. She was the main character in all of the novellas and the stories (though written in third person) were essentially all from her point of view as we got to see her inner thoughts and not really anyone else’s. One reason I really liked Celaena was because of what she did in the first novella The Assassin and the Pirate Lord. She helped the slaves and saved many lives, which made it clear to me that she was a good person. Even though she was an assassin and had killed many people, this story made it clear that there was a line that even she wouldn’t cross and that helping to enslave people was definitely over the line. This showed me the good, sweet girl that she once was when she was younger, before she was raised and taught by Arobynn and that, even after all the suffering and pain she endured; she never fully lost that child inside of her. She was clearly not as helpless as she once had been but there was still part of that could never fully be the assassin she was taught to be.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
As this book was comprised of 5 novellas, instead of choosing a favourite part I will chose a favourite novella. Although I enjoyed them all and they were all very different, my favourite story would probably be The Assassin and the Healer. This was the shortest story and was probably to most people one of the less interesting stories and it certainly didn’t have much action, however it was one that really stood out to me. This is because Celaena chose to help someone, someone who was nobody and had nothing, especially when compared with Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan’s Assassin. Yet despite this, Celaena chose to help her and teach her what she needed to know to be able to survive the rough streets where many women found themselves killed. She also gave her enough more to help her achieve the future that she wanted. This girl had lost all hope, just like Celaena had, but she still had a chance to escape, unlike Celaena, and find a better life. Because of this Celaena chose to help her, so that there would be one less victim and one less person would lose everything because of the King of Adarlan.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, The Assassin’s Blade was an incredible book and I loved getting to see what Celaena’s life was like before Endovier. One reason I enjoyed the book was because it was made up of short stories. It could have easily been one whole book as all the stories flowed into each other, however it was perfect as separate short stories and I found it much more enjoyable this way. This is because it made it feel like the book was much shorter than it actually was and made it much easier to read. Another reason I loved the book was because it answered many of the questions I had since reading Throne of Glass and also some from Crown of Midnight. I loved that it was a sort of prequel and showed me things from Celaena’s life under Arobynn’s rule that I didn’t think I would have gotten had this particular book not been written. I was also able to meet many of the characters that had been mentioned in the first 2 books in the Throne of Glass series and see how they helped to shape Celaena into the girl that I had been introduced to at the start of Throne of Glass. It was a great book and I hope to learn more about Celaena’s past, especially her childhood, in the next few books.
Would you recommend this book?
This book was really enjoyable and I would recommend that anyone who has read the Throne of Glass series reads it as it has some very valuable information. It is a great read for those who love fantasy, adventure, action and some romance and I know anyone who reads it will enjoy it.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
An incredible glimpse into Celaena’s past that adds to the already amazing series that will leave you captivated.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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