Mini Review: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas

 

Synopsis:
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin’s Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn’s orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free?

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Plot:
Firstly, this is the last Throne of Glass I read, when I initially read the whole series last year, I somehow missed this. Completely forgot?? Like a moron. However, I don’t think it took any enjoyment or understanding away. I’m not hugely fond of short stories and only read it because it’s SJM. They actually were entertaining.

It’s hard to explain the ‘plot’ when it’s a compilation of novellas.
It’s basically set before Celaena is sent to Endovier, it’s the lead up to how she ended up there and her life as an assassin. This was a fun, quick read and I really liked each story, my favourite being The Assassin and the Desert, that was so cool!

As with every other SJM book, it was a quick read and I absolutely devoured it. I read something like 75% of it in one go, it was fun and engaging from start until finish. It is probably the best place to start if you’re new to Throne of Glass but I don’t think it is necessary to start here.

Characters:
Celaena: This was the Celaena I expected in ToG, badass, merciless killer. I like her a whole lot better here. I mean she’s still the headstrong, snarky girl we love but it’s cool to see her as a proper assassin. When I first read ToG I assumed it was going to be all about an assassin and that kind of life but obviously, it wasn’t and took a different turn.

Sam: I fully expected to love Sam because everyone loves him and cries over him. But he was just okay? I personally, don’t see all the fuss. What happened to him was awful and he didn’t deserve it at all. I was a tad upset but mostly for Celaena.

Individual Ratings:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord: 4 Stars
The Assassin and the Healer: 4 Stars
The Assassin and the Desert: 5 Stars
The Assassin and the Underworld: 4 Stars
The Assassin and the Empire: 4 Stars

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

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