I never really wanted to read "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas because the cover did not appeal to me and my impression was that it was overhyped. But then my husband read it last year and liked it, and he suggested that I should give it a try.

Young and beautiful Celaena has been slaving away as a captive in a salt mine when she is suddenly visited by the Captain of the Royal Guard. She is offered one chance to escape the mine and thus survive: If she wins a tournament held in the capital city that will determine who will be the next Royal Assassin.

This is a typical YA fantasy story that has all the ingredients: Beautiful protagonists, a tournament, love interests, a heroine with great abilities, evil villains and heartbreaking moments. But it really is a page turner and I just could not stop reading. While I rolled my eyes more than once, especially during some of the romantic moments, it was also great fun. I grew fond of the characters and was totally sucked into the story. I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds! ( )

I started reading this book due to how much I enjoyed the ACOTAR series. I really struggled with getting through this one. I went in with the expectations of loving it just as much as ACOTAR and was let down. Overall the storyline was ok but it just really didn’t keep my attention. I want to read the rest of the series to see where the story goes but with how difficult it was for me to get through the first one I am not sure I want to try the rest. ( )

This book is fantasy first and the most "fantasy" of all the Maas novels so far. Though this book is designed to skew a bit younger than ACOTAR it still sucks you in. Honestly, I didn't know where the story would go and was surprised by the ending. Though I'll be taking a break from Maas' books for a little while, I cannot wait to continue this series with the next installment. ( )

Somehow both a completely stereotypical YA novel, and also everything I was looking for. ( )

The tropes are all overdone—competition, love triangle, hidden identity. I enjoyed the book but I did struggle to get through it. The pace is slow and the plot twists were visible from a mile away. ( )