Crown of Midnight

Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas

First Published: 27th August 2013

Series: Throne of Glass #2

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 418

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 8.5/10

Goodreads Summary:

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. 

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend." 

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

I waited a while before continuing this series because I had my doubts about the first book. After I read A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was more motivated to read the rest of Sarah J. Maas' books. So, I reread Throne of Glass quickly before moving onto this one.

And let me say, this book is a great sequel to Throne of Glass. Celaena is now the king's Champion, assassinating his enemies for him. As usual, Celaena is still the cold-hearted girl we knew. She hides her emotions well, unless it comes to her loved ones. In this book, Chaol and Celaena's relationship develops steadily, until *spoiler alert* Chaol betrayed Celaena by withholding information about Nehemia, leading to her murder. After that, Celaena refused to have anything to do with Chaol. There went my ship, plummeting down into the depths of the ocean. *spoiler over* Now that everything has been single-handedly ruined - and it's only the second book, mind you - I don't really know what to do :(

I think Celaena fluctuates between selfishness and selflessness. When she goes and 'kills' the king's enemies, these are times when she is being selfless. But in the end, isn't she doing that more for her own benefit? For the majority of the book, Celaena doesn't want to kill anyone. How can you do that if you're the king's assassin? Anyways, when she refused to help Nehemia, it was quite selfish to think like that. I know, Celaena had a tough past and has endured many things she shouldn't have had to, there are many others suffering as she had, and she will do nothing about it. Although it is quite sad how they left off their last conversation.

"You are nothing more than a coward"

Ouch.

Moving on to other things.... We now know there are three keys that control the Wyrd gate. Celaena has found one, and the other two's locations are still unknown, but we think the king has one. The king is a cruel and evil ruler, ready to kill all those who stand in his way. He has conquered many territories and lands, meaning that not many people like his rule. That's why there is a rebel force rising who want to find the lost heir to the throne. *spoiler alert* Who would have thought that it was Calaena? (note the sarcasm) Great "plot twist" - who saw it coming? Also, including the fact that Celaena is half Fae... *spoiler over*

Sometimes, I find myself comparing Celaena and Feyre (A Court of Thorns and Roses). Two heroines, two completely different stories, but they are quite similar. Both can be sarcastic and cold, Celaena more than Feyre, and more deadlier as well. I think Feyre is more nicer, more open to having friends. Do you guys prefer one over the other? Or are they equal for you?

So, seeing as this was a good book and all, I guess it's time to look for Heir of Fire!

My Chosen Quote:

“The best lies were always mixed with truth.”