Throne Of Glass

Author - Sarah J. Maas

Publisher - Bloomsbury Publishing

Format - Paperback

Pages - 404

First Published - 2012

Enter the realm. Unleash the darkness. Live the legend.
In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. Celaena Sardothien has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a deadly competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

But something rotten dwells in the castle - and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival - and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world, and the people she has come to love.

Warning: Major spoilers for the entire first book, Throne of Glass.

Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's most infamous assassin, has survived a year in the brutal slave camp of Endovier. Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard offers her a chance at freedom: compete to become the King's Champion. If she wins, she'll serve the tyrannical King of Adarlan for four years before earning her freedom. She accepts and travels to the Glass Castle under the false identity of Lillian Gordaina, where she trains under Captain of the Guard Chaol Westfall.

While preparing for the competition, Celaena meets Chaol, who initially distrusts her but gradually comes to respect and care for her. Dorian, who is charming, intelligent, and increasingly attracted to her. Princess Nehemia of Eyllwe, who becomes Celaena's closest friend. Nehemia secretly knows much more about ancient magic than she first admits.

A subtle love triangle develops between Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol, though nothing is fully resolved in this book. Champions competing in the tournament begin turning up brutally murdered. Their bodies are mutilated, and strange magical symbols called Wyrdmarks are found at the crime scenes. Although magic was supposedly destroyed years ago by the King, it becomes clear that powerful supernatural forces still exist beneath the castle.

Celaena discovers hidden tunnels beneath the castle and encounters the spirit of Queen Elena, one of Adarlan's ancient rulers. Elena repeatedly tells Celaena: she must win the competition, a great evil is awakening, and the kingdom's fate depends on her. At first Celaena resents this, believing becoming the King's assassin makes her part of the King's cruelty.

The murderer of the champions is revealed to be Cain, another Champion sponsored by Duke Perrington. Cain has been using Wyrdmarks to summon a terrifying demon-like creature called a Ridderak. Every person the monster kills strengthens Cain before the final duel. Celaena eventually fights and kills the Ridderak beneath the castle but is badly wounded. Nehemia secretly uses ancient magic to save her life, confirming that magic still survives despite the King's attempts to eradicate it.

The final duel of the last two champions is between Celaena and Cain, before the match Kaltain, manipulated by Duke Perrington, poisons Celaena's ceremonial wine. Cain nearly defeats Celaena while she's weakened. As Celaena loses consciousness, Elena's spirit intervenes, helping free her from the poison's magical effects. Regaining her strength, Celaena defeats Cain. Cain tries one last attack after the duel, but Chaol kills him with an arrow, saving Celaena's life.

Celaena wins the competition and officially becomes the King's Champion. However, she secretly plans to undermine the King whenever possible. Rather than assassinating innocent targets, she intends to fake deaths or help victims escape whenever she can.

Dorian admits he wants a relationship with her, but Celaena refuses. She doesn't want emotional attachments while she is bound to the King. Their romance pauses, while her connection with Chaol quietly deepens.

The book ends with several mysteries still unresolved:
Magic is not truly gone.
Wyrdmarks are immensely powerful.
Queen Elena believes Celaena has a far greater destiny than simply serving as an assassin.
Duke Perrington appears to be involved in a much darker conspiracy that extends far beyond the competition.

Main Characters
Celaena Sardothien - The protagonist, an 18-year-old assassin who survived the slave camp at Endovier.
Dorian Havilliard - Crown Prince of Adarlan.
Chaol Westfall - Captain of the Royal Guard and Dorian's closest friend.
Nehemia Ytger - Princess of Eyllwe, living in Adarlan as an ambassador, becomes Celaena's closest friend.
King of Adarlan - The ruthless ruler who conquered much of the continent.
Queen Georgina - Dorian's mother.
Prince Hollin Havilliard - Dorian's younger brother.
Cain - One of the strongest Champions and Celaena's biggest rival.
Lady Kaltain Rompier - An ambitious noblewoman wants to marry Dorian
Duke Perrington - Powerful noble and adviser to the King.
Philippa - Celaena's lady's maid.
Queen Elena - An ancient queen whose spirit appears to Celaena.