I recently finished the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, and I have a lot of thoughts on it. For starters, if you’re looking for a sign to read this series, this article is definitely it. From the incredible worldbuilding to the character development throughout this eight-book series, here are the reasons why I loved reading these books. Please note that some spoilers will be included; however, there will be warnings placed in advance for those who don’t want to have the plot spoiled for them.
I went into this series having previously read the five so-far-released A Court of Thorns and Roses books, and from how much I loved ACOTAR, I couldn’t wait to see what Throne of Glass would be like. There is some controversy around the order in which to read the books; some consider the series to have seven and a half books, with the prequel Assassin’s Blade counting as half instead of a whole book. I decided to read books in their publication order, as this is the way the author prefers, so I began with Throne of Glass, followed by Crown of Midnight, The Assassin’s Blade, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, and finally, Kingdom of Ash. I can’t remember the last time I read a series with so many books, but I couldn’t read them fast enough and was so excited to update my Goodreads each time I finished one. One of my favorite things about this series is that most of the books switch between the points of view of different characters. I am not typically a big fan of third person narration, but I was able to look past that pretty quickly once I really started to get into the first book. As you get further into the series, there are more perspectives to switch between as new characters are introduced. I felt that it really added an element of suspense to the story: having to wait to hear what happened to one character while reading from another’s point of view.
Another thing I loved about these books was the incredible worldbuilding Maas does, allowing the characters and the settings to play out like pictures in my head while I read. I can see the flat expanse of Rifthold in the heart of the city of Adarlan; I can feel the scorching heat of the Red Desert or the frozen terrain of the Western Wastes. I can also feel for the characters, feel their joy and also their pain, and it makes for such an immersive experience.
!! Spoiler Warning — some of the following content contains information from the books that prospective readers may want to steer clear of, so skip past this paragraph if that’s you !!
Speaking of characters, I was amazed by how well developed the character arcs were for each character in these books. I would argue that Aelin undergoes the most significant changes, starting the series as Celaena Sardothien, an assassin imprisoned in the mines of Endovier, and evolving into her true self as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. However, Dorian and Chaol have pretty significant character arcs as well. Dorian starts out as the Crown Prince to the throne of Adarlan, trying to stay in his father’s good graces while still defying him in any way he can, to King of Adarlan, magic-wielder and shapeshifter. Chaol, I must admit, got on my nerves a lot. I wasn’t his biggest fan, especially in Queen of Shadows, but I cannot deny that his redemption was indeed earned. Beginning the series as Captain of the Royal Guard of Adarlan, Chaol proved his allegiance to Dorian again and again in hopes of a better future for his friends and, eventually, his wife. I won’t lie though, I still don’t fully like him. It’s his vibe, I think. He gives Chad energy. I just tolerate him because his wife is a badass.
!! End of Spoiler Warning !!
While Throne of Glass is largely regarded as a fantasy series, it is also very action-packed, which is something I love to see in a book. The action keeps the story moving and makes for an interesting storyline, especially when combat and battle are involved, raising the stakes for well-loved characters. They moved relatively fast and held my attention very well — I was never bored while reading on about them. Whether they were fought with swords and arrows or fire and ice, the battles were very detailed, keeping me on the edge of my seat with every page.
One final aspect of this series that I absolutely loved was the amount of detail Maas put into the storyline. With each book the story is transformed, more is revealed about the past, and new characters are added. The story even has its own lore, so to speak: tales of the past that are referenced frequently throughout the series. Slowly learning more and more about Erilea and its history over the course of eight books while the main storyline played out had me very invested in not only the story, but the world Maas has built as well.
Overall, I would give the Throne of Glass series a 5/5, a new favorite to fangirl about to my friends, who have not read it and will not understand all of my book references (*sigh*). If you have a friend who is obsessed with this series, this is your sign to READ IT, so that they have someone to discuss the books with. I hope you love it as much as I do!