Throne of Glass was first published in 2012 as the debut novel of up-and-coming writer Sarah J. Maas. Maas began writing the first version of the book at age 16. Now, years later, she’s become a New York Times bestselling author with countless titles to her name. She recently ended the Throne of Glass series with its seventh and final installment, Kingdom of Ash, which released in October 2018 and clocked in at over 900 pages.
Throne of Glass began as a story of a misfit assassin, Celaena Sardothien, in a fantasy empire who ends up thrown into the politics of the royal court in a competition to become the King’s Champion. Over each book, though, Celaena’s story has developed into so much more than its initial premise. Maas masterfully explores identity, power dynamics, the impacts of war, a complex magic system, and so much more.
Here are just a few of the reasons why this series is a must-read:
1. The lovable characters
This series is full of characters that tug on your heartstrings. Some you’ll identify with, and others will be so different than you’d ever expect. I believe one of the most successful parts of Maas’ writing is her ability to create realistic, complex characters who feel like your best friend, even within the context of a high fantasy world. Plus the relationships that emerge between each character are so intricate and well-developed that you’ll be rooting for so many friendships and relationships by the end!
2. The epic plot
The span of the plot is so vast that I would often find myself flipping back and forth between pages and the map at the front of each book with each read and reread. There’s so much changing and surprising you at every moment that you’ll never want to put the book down without getting some answers. Even people who don’t normally love fantasy books will find themselves drawn to Maas’ multi-faceted story.
3. The pets
Do the animals in the story actually impact the plot that much? Maybe not. But sometimes they do. From dogs to dragons and more, it’s always fun to get emotionally invested in fictional pets that might just save the day.
It’s never too late to get into this series. Now that all the books have been released, this can be your next binge-read over the coming breaks!