Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
Editor reviews
Overall rating
4.7
3 results - showing 1 - 3
Ordering
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Overall rating
4.7
Plot
5.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Audio: 4.5 Stars
As I said before, this is one of the best on the market and Elizabeth Evans continues to give each character their own distinct "voice".
Story: 4 Stars
I get it now. The hype, the fandom, the feels, I GET IT!
The Celaena I was looking for in book one shows up with dagger's unsheathed and heads start.to.roll. Literally. Like, across the floor for all the court to see. It's gross and badass all at the same time. I loved it.
The romance heats ups like WHOA (I loved THAT too.) and then all Hades breaks loose. (Not so much love there. Just saying.)
Death, betrayal and heartbreak mixed together with beautiful prose, and jaw-dropping revelations shredded my feels by the time it was over. So, thanks for that, Sarah J. Maas. No really. THANK YOU! I can't wait to see what happens next!
BRING ON HEIR OF FIRE! (I might need someone to hold my hand though.)
As I said before, this is one of the best on the market and Elizabeth Evans continues to give each character their own distinct "voice".
Story: 4 Stars
I get it now. The hype, the fandom, the feels, I GET IT!
The Celaena I was looking for in book one shows up with dagger's unsheathed and heads start.to.roll. Literally. Like, across the floor for all the court to see. It's gross and badass all at the same time. I loved it.
The romance heats ups like WHOA (I loved THAT too.) and then all Hades breaks loose. (Not so much love there. Just saying.)
Death, betrayal and heartbreak mixed together with beautiful prose, and jaw-dropping revelations shredded my feels by the time it was over. So, thanks for that, Sarah J. Maas. No really. THANK YOU! I can't wait to see what happens next!
BRING ON HEIR OF FIRE! (I might need someone to hold my hand though.)
No Second Book Slump Here
(Updated: September 05, 2013)
Overall rating
4.7
Plot
4.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
What I Loved:
My love for Throne of Glass is well known, but, after reading some reviews, I started wondering if the book was quite as good as I remembered. There were some fair criticisms, things I'd not even considered. In Crown of Midnight, Maas really hits those elements that were missing from the first, and ups the stakes to an incredible degree. This sequel is a must read for those who loved Throne of Glass and perhaps even for those who were on the fence.
One of the criticisms I'd seen was of Celaena being proclaimed a heartless assassin, but that not really ever being shown. Instead, she's going to balls and eating candy. Of course, I love that the assassin has a softer side, but I did agree retroactively that it would have been good to see more of her dark side. In Crown of Midnight, you get to see Celaena living up to her reputation, and, when this girl is on a killing spree, it's a thing of bload-soaked beauty. She may like frilly dresses, but she's also totally cool with being covered in blood. Being able to see all of the facets of Celaena really adds depths to her character.
The other main criticism of the first book that I agreed with was that the King, clearly the villain, didn't have much of a role. He just sort of cackled evilly every so often. In Crown of Midnight, we get to see more of him and learn about his plans, still only the very slightest understanding, but it's enough to make him one intensely creeptastic villain.
The plotting of the story becomes much more complex in Crown of Midnight. Actually, I was really surprised by the direction that the story has gone, very different from the more basic fantasy roots of the first. There are a number of twists, none of which I really saw coming, though I felt really dumb that I missed the biggie, since there were a lot of hints. The plot is full of twists and turns, and full of betrayals.
Of course, there's also the romance. The age of Dorian is over and now it's all about Chaol (as it should be). All I can really say about what happens here is that I approve wholeheartedly. This is why I love guys like Chaol, all cool and collected on the outside, but so much passion on the inside. *sighs happily*
Maas impressed me with her willingness to be cruel and heartless to the characters. To be honest, I really didn't get the impression from Throne of Glass that she would be willing to kill off characters, but I'm thrilled to be wrong. Oh, she's brutal. Mwahahaha. And, no, I won't tell you who dies, so have fun sitting on the edge of your seat the whole time. As you may know, I find killing off a beloved main character a mark of good fantasy.
What Left Me Wanting More:
I do have some quibbles with the world building, but they're minor enough I can't really draw a line to any one thing. The closest I can get to specifics is to say that the world building just seems a little too busy.
The Final Verdict:
Sarah J. Maas really proves her talent in Crown of Midnight, deftly avoiding any sort of second book syndrome. Instead, she greatly amps up the world building, plot and intensity. In my opinion, this series is a must read for fantasy fans. The third book is poised to be epic and heartbreaking, and I am so excited.
My love for Throne of Glass is well known, but, after reading some reviews, I started wondering if the book was quite as good as I remembered. There were some fair criticisms, things I'd not even considered. In Crown of Midnight, Maas really hits those elements that were missing from the first, and ups the stakes to an incredible degree. This sequel is a must read for those who loved Throne of Glass and perhaps even for those who were on the fence.
One of the criticisms I'd seen was of Celaena being proclaimed a heartless assassin, but that not really ever being shown. Instead, she's going to balls and eating candy. Of course, I love that the assassin has a softer side, but I did agree retroactively that it would have been good to see more of her dark side. In Crown of Midnight, you get to see Celaena living up to her reputation, and, when this girl is on a killing spree, it's a thing of bload-soaked beauty. She may like frilly dresses, but she's also totally cool with being covered in blood. Being able to see all of the facets of Celaena really adds depths to her character.
The other main criticism of the first book that I agreed with was that the King, clearly the villain, didn't have much of a role. He just sort of cackled evilly every so often. In Crown of Midnight, we get to see more of him and learn about his plans, still only the very slightest understanding, but it's enough to make him one intensely creeptastic villain.
The plotting of the story becomes much more complex in Crown of Midnight. Actually, I was really surprised by the direction that the story has gone, very different from the more basic fantasy roots of the first. There are a number of twists, none of which I really saw coming, though I felt really dumb that I missed the biggie, since there were a lot of hints. The plot is full of twists and turns, and full of betrayals.
Of course, there's also the romance. The age of Dorian is over and now it's all about Chaol (as it should be). All I can really say about what happens here is that I approve wholeheartedly. This is why I love guys like Chaol, all cool and collected on the outside, but so much passion on the inside. *sighs happily*
Maas impressed me with her willingness to be cruel and heartless to the characters. To be honest, I really didn't get the impression from Throne of Glass that she would be willing to kill off characters, but I'm thrilled to be wrong. Oh, she's brutal. Mwahahaha. And, no, I won't tell you who dies, so have fun sitting on the edge of your seat the whole time. As you may know, I find killing off a beloved main character a mark of good fantasy.
What Left Me Wanting More:
I do have some quibbles with the world building, but they're minor enough I can't really draw a line to any one thing. The closest I can get to specifics is to say that the world building just seems a little too busy.
The Final Verdict:
Sarah J. Maas really proves her talent in Crown of Midnight, deftly avoiding any sort of second book syndrome. Instead, she greatly amps up the world building, plot and intensity. In my opinion, this series is a must read for fantasy fans. The third book is poised to be epic and heartbreaking, and I am so excited.
We Have a Winner!
Overall rating
4.7
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Ah, fantasy. Time and time again, you draw me in, only to disappoint...wait--what? What is that you say? You have a new fantasy author who you KNOW will not disappoint me? She has written a sequel that is even more intense and *fantastic* than the first? Oh yes...fantasy fans. Unless you are the most scrupulous of readers, this is a fantasy series bandwagon you absolutely MUST jump on.
Last summer, I was happily introduced to Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's Assassin, and now King's Champion. She is a fixating mix of girly and bad-ass, sensitive and rock-hard. She knows when to play up her assassin side and when to be real. And she is such a master at this that for now (we hope), she has fooled the evil, powerful king, whose rise to power is becoming more and more curious the deeper Celaena goes into his glass castle's stony foundation.
I already know I like Celaena. She's got some traits that are vexing, but hey, what beloved MC doesn't? Namely, her choice of lover in the first book. But she has made up (in my opinion) for her past *mistakes* with the King's son, Dorian, by choosing rightly this time around. Okay, okay, so not everyone is going to want Chaol to be the one she picks, but Maas gives us plenty of opportunities to wonder if they are fated or not, and to wonder whether or not the friendship between Dorian and Celaena that has now come to peacefully exist will eventually blossom into something more, something deeper. But the romance in this sequel is just one of the many aspects of the plot that will keep you hooked...
Celaena is still making visits to Queen Elena's tomb, and she is finding more hidden there than she thought possible. Between that and her assignments from the king, Celaena is busier than ever, but she still finds time to spend with her dear friend, Princess Nehemia, who may also be hiding some secrets of her own, in spite of her promise to never lie to Celaena. When Celaena finds herself assigned to kill one of her old friends, she takes matters into her own hands and begins to find pieces to a puzzle she never realized existed.
There are all kinds of intriguing fantasy elements in Crown of Midnight, and all are artfully and uniquely arranged to make this series one of my favorites. There are witches, carnivals, Fae, tombs, labyrinths, riddles, poems, forgotten languages, haunting songs, and otherwordly creatures, and all are woven into this story with an ease that belies this new author's age. It all appears to be written by an old master, a tale found itself in some dark cavern, hidden away in a locked chest amongst other treasures. There is even a tiny introduction to a new character, and it fit in so well with everything else I had almost forgotten it! I absolutely cannot wait until the next book, and I think I am going to be looking for the prequels to this series as well. I've got to get more of Erilea.
Last summer, I was happily introduced to Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's Assassin, and now King's Champion. She is a fixating mix of girly and bad-ass, sensitive and rock-hard. She knows when to play up her assassin side and when to be real. And she is such a master at this that for now (we hope), she has fooled the evil, powerful king, whose rise to power is becoming more and more curious the deeper Celaena goes into his glass castle's stony foundation.
I already know I like Celaena. She's got some traits that are vexing, but hey, what beloved MC doesn't? Namely, her choice of lover in the first book. But she has made up (in my opinion) for her past *mistakes* with the King's son, Dorian, by choosing rightly this time around. Okay, okay, so not everyone is going to want Chaol to be the one she picks, but Maas gives us plenty of opportunities to wonder if they are fated or not, and to wonder whether or not the friendship between Dorian and Celaena that has now come to peacefully exist will eventually blossom into something more, something deeper. But the romance in this sequel is just one of the many aspects of the plot that will keep you hooked...
Celaena is still making visits to Queen Elena's tomb, and she is finding more hidden there than she thought possible. Between that and her assignments from the king, Celaena is busier than ever, but she still finds time to spend with her dear friend, Princess Nehemia, who may also be hiding some secrets of her own, in spite of her promise to never lie to Celaena. When Celaena finds herself assigned to kill one of her old friends, she takes matters into her own hands and begins to find pieces to a puzzle she never realized existed.
There are all kinds of intriguing fantasy elements in Crown of Midnight, and all are artfully and uniquely arranged to make this series one of my favorites. There are witches, carnivals, Fae, tombs, labyrinths, riddles, poems, forgotten languages, haunting songs, and otherwordly creatures, and all are woven into this story with an ease that belies this new author's age. It all appears to be written by an old master, a tale found itself in some dark cavern, hidden away in a locked chest amongst other treasures. There is even a tiny introduction to a new character, and it fit in so well with everything else I had almost forgotten it! I absolutely cannot wait until the next book, and I think I am going to be looking for the prequels to this series as well. I've got to get more of Erilea.
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