The Assassin’s Blade ♦ Sarah J. Maas | Review

Before I jump into the review, I have to make it clear that I have already read the German translation of the entire book series. Also, these five stories that take place before the actual plot of the series.
But I wanted to travel to Erilea again, experience Celaena’s adventures again, only this time in the English original.
I know the storyline isn’t any different with translations, but each language has its own feel to it, and some books are just a touch more soulful in the original.

Discover where Celaena Sardothien's thrilling saga began.

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no-one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches—and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

The Assassin’s Blade ♦ Sarah J. Maas

Opinion

The Assassin’s Blade contains 5 short stories. When I started reading the series in German, I read somewhere that these should only be read after the third volume of the main story. Which, to be honest, I find silly. Because these are pre-stories that take place well before the actual action of the Throne of Glass series. Plus, throughout the main series, the aha moments that come from those short stories are still overwhelming.

The first short story was titled The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, in which we meet Celaena Sardothien, the most feared assassin in all of Erilea and our main protagonist. Alongside her, we also meet one of her rivals within the Assassin’s Guild, Sam Cortland. But he becomes more of an ally and friend after they both discover the truth about their trip to Skull’s Bay to see Rolfe, the Pirate Lord.
Disagreeing with what the Assassin’s Guild leader, Arobynn Hamel, is about to do, the two devise a plan to scuttle the deal.

After her adventure in Skull’s Bay, we meet Celaena again in The Assassin and the Healer. But she paid dearly for thwarting the deal with the Pirate Lord. The King of the Assassins has now sent her on a journey to prove herself to him.
On this journey, she has to stay in a run-down inn in Innish until she can continue on a ship. It is at this inn that Celaena meets Yrene Towers, a displaced and driven young woman who had dreams other than to rot away in Innish.
The two young women forge an unspoken pact after helping each other, and inadvertently affect their respective lives.

The Assassin and the Dessert is arguably the longest of the five short stories. Celaena arrives at the Red Dessert, where she must convince the Mute Master of Silent Assassin (aka Sessiz Suikast) to train her personally. For without the Mute Master‘s personal assessment letter, Celaena may not return to Arobynn Hamel. Between the hot sun and countless sand dunes, Celaena forms a friendship with Ansel of Briarcliff that leaves more than a few broken bones in her wake.

In The Assassin and the Underworld, Celaena has returned to Rifthold from her summer mishaps, and she knows that nothing will ever be the same again. Still mourning her friendship with Ansel, Celaena must decide who to trust. But she’s still willing to give Arobynn a chance. Together with Sam, of whom she thought a lot about and who spent the summer completely alone, they have to thwart corrupt negotiations once again. But working with Sam isn’t that easy anymore. Not now that she feels like their friendship could develop into something more. In the end, she must decide whether she will continue to be in bondage to Arobynn. In addition, someone always seems to put obstacles in her way.

Finally free and independent in The Assassin and the Empire, Celaena feels the world opening its doors to her. But after a month, she and Sam still haven’t landed a new job. Realizing that they are still in the grip of Arobynn, they decide to take the plunge: leave Rifthold for good. More motivated than ever, Sam and Celaena accept a dangerous assignment that seems to be paying off. But at what price? Freedom and love slowly, very slowly disappearing before their eyes, just as both had only just begun to taste it.
Destroyed and without Sam, Celaena is sent to Endovier, a labor camp for slaves. In this hell, however, she makes a promise to herself: she will find out who betrayed her and Sam. Because her name is Celaena Sardothien, and she will never be afraid.

Conclusion

Even though I found Celaena to be a bit too arrogant at first, because she made one too many mistakes for me to be the greatest assassin, the protagonist was able to win me over in the end.
Throughout the novellas of The Assassin’s Blade it quickly became clear that besides her arrogance, which she wears as a mask, Celaena is a vulnerable young woman who just wants love and freedom in her life. An assassin who, despite her profession, has her heart in the right place and fights for those who cannot help themselves. Her moral compass points in the right direction.
And if you haven’t read the full Throne of Glass story yet, you’re left wondering what revelations from her past are yet to come and what that scent of snow and pine is all about.

Sarah J. Maas has a genuine talent for crafting captivating stories that transport readers to unknown worlds. Her writing style creates the impressions that you are really there battling alongside Celaena, sharing her agony and despair.
So buckle up and let Sarah J. Maas take you on a wonderful adventure full of magic, friendship, adventure, soulmates, battles, love and finding yourself.

Throne of Glass – The Series

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