Crown of Midnight

Author - Sarah J. Maas

Publisher - Bloomsbury Publishing

Format - Paperback

Pages - 418

First Published - 2013

Never trust an assassin.

Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King's Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realises she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion - not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a 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 decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie ... and what she is willing to fight for.

After winning the competition in Throne of Glass, Celaena becomes the King's Champion, serving as the King of Adarlan's personal assassin. Publicly, she appears to carry out his orders, but secretly she fakes many of her assassinations, allowing her targets to escape instead of killing them. She sends false evidence of their deaths back to the King, living a dangerous double life.

Celaena grows much closer to Chaol Westfall, and the two begin a romantic relationship. Their feelings deepen as Chaol starts questioning his loyalty to the King. Meanwhile, Dorian Havilliard realises he still loves Celaena but steps aside after seeing how happy she is with Chaol. At the same time, Dorian discovers that he possesses magic—something that should be impossible since the King outlawed magic years ago. Terrified, he hides his powers from everyone except Chaol.

The King orders Celaena to assassinate Archer Finn, a handsome courtesan from her past. Instead of killing him immediately, Celaena investigates and learns Archer is connected to a growing rebellion against the King. He claims to have information about forgotten magic, ancient artifacts called Wyrdkeys, and Princess Nehemia's secret activities. Although Archer isn't entirely trustworthy, he pushes Celaena to question everything she believes about the King's rule.

Princess Nehemia has been secretly working to oppose the King and restore hope to the conquered kingdoms. She knows much more about magic and Celaena's destiny than she initially reveals. Nehemia and Celaena argue because Nehemia believes Celaena is hiding from her true purpose by simply serving as an assassin. Their friendship becomes strained. The novel's biggest tragedy occurs when Nehemia is murdered in her rooms. Chaol had received intelligence suggesting Nehemia was in danger, but he chose not to warn Celaena because he believed the King was trying to trap her. When Celaena discovers Nehemia's body, she is devastated and furious. Believing Chaol's silence contributed to her friend's death, she can barely forgive him. Nehemia's death becomes the turning point that drives Celaena to fight back against the King instead of merely surviving under his rule.

Consumed by grief, Celaena hunts down those responsible. She captures Archer Finn, believing he orchestrated Nehemia's murder. Although Archer denies ordering the killing, he admits he manipulated events for political gain. Before Celaena can learn everything he knows, Archer is assassinated by someone else. Celaena also uncovers more clues about the Wyrdkeys, magical portals, and the King's growing supernatural power.

Throughout the novel, Celaena continues visiting Queen Elena's tomb beneath the castle. She learns the King possesses powerful Wyrdkeys, ancient magical objects capable of immense power, the Wyrdkeys are suppressing magic across the kingdom, the King has been searching for ways to control forces from another world and that Elena believes Celaena has a far greater destiny than serving as an assassin.

Near the end of the book, Celaena returns to the ruins of Terrasen and finally reveals the truth she has hidden from everyone. Celaena Sardothien is not her real identity.

She is actually Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, the long-lost heir to the throne of Terrasen. When the King conquered Terrasen years earlier, everyone believed Princess Aelin had died. Instead, she survived, went into hiding, and eventually became the assassin known as Celaena Sardothien. Only a handful of people know the truth by the end of the novel. Chaol pieces it together after Celaena leaves him a clue before fleeing.

After Nehemia's death and the collapse of her relationship with Chaol, Celaena decides she can no longer stay in Rifthold. Chaol secretly helps her escape by arranging for her to sail to Wendlyn, believing it will keep her safe from the King. He then pieces together Celaenas true identity. Celaena has another purpose: she intends to uncover the truth about her heritage, her magic, and the destiny Queen Elena has been urging her to embrace.

The novel ends with Celaena embracing her true identity as Aelin Galathynius, Dorian hiding his dangerous magical abilities and Chaol remaining in Rifthold, torn between loyalty to the crown and loyalty to his friends. The stage set for Heir of Fire, where Aelin's journey expands far beyond being an assassin.

Main Characters
Celaena Sardothien (Aelin Galathynius) - The protagonist.Chaol Westfall - Captain of the Royal Guard, Dorian's closest friend and Celaena's love interest in this book.
Dorian Havilliard - Crown Prince of Adarlan.
Princess Nehemia Ytger - Princess of Eyllwe and Celaena's closest friend and also secretly supports the rebellion against Adarlan.
King of Adarlan - The ruthless ruler of Adarlan who commands Celaena as his personal assassin.
Archer Finn - A handsome courtesan and former acquaintance of Celaena who is connected to the rebel movement.
Queen Elena - The spirit of an ancient queen who continues to guide Celaena through visions.
Kaltain Rompier - A noblewoman associated with Duke Perrington.
Duke Perrington - A powerful noble and adviser to the King.
Fleetfoot – Celaena's beloved dog and loyal companion.
Roland Havilliard – Dorian's cousin, who spends more time at court in this book.
Mort – A magical talking door knocker that helps Celaena uncover secrets beneath the castle.