Okay, can we take a second to just bask in the greatness that is the cover of this book? I love a good cover and this series definitely ranks up there on my lists. Also, Celaena is pretty B-A and the cover screams that. Okay, now onto talking about the sheer wonderful that this book is full of.
I thought i loved book one, but this novel takes the cake. We went from just plain great, to a novel that couldn't possibly be any better. We were non-stop in this novel. I felt like each page something monumental happened and if you didn't pay close enough attention you would miss some of the brilliance of the writing. Each new chapter brought us more clues and more chaos. It was a wild ride from start to finish. All of that and an ending that leave you mouth agape.
This novel really dove deep into the grit of the plot. We got to see a whole new side of Celaena and with this side of her comes far darker scenes then you ever thought you would be reading. If you haven't read the prequels, you should also do that. It gives you a peek into this side of her that makes this novel 10 times better. Well, maybe not that much better, but with that knowledge before you read this a WHOLE lot of this book makes even more sense. It is like the code breaker. You know things before other readers will.
We get lots of older characters popping up in this novel, as well as some new faces that make a big bang. Couple that with the tremulous romantic relationships we left off with in the firs novel and we have the makings for a read that you can't possibly love any more.
For those on the fence with book one, you should most definitely read this novel. It was a whole new ball game for the series and things were definitely taken up a notch.
Synopsis:
"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.
It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign 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 give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
