The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas
- Jan 24
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 31
We are once again in the world of Celaena Sardothien, the hero of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series. This is a review of The Assassin's Blade, a collection of novellas. If you are looking for a summary of the series, click here. This is a collection of novellas that deals with body horror, death, bullying and abuse (emotional, physical, mental), gaslighting, racism and slavery, torture, violence, blood, trafficking, kidnapping, murder, talk of colonization, injury detail, classism, and toxic relationships.
When we first met Celaena in Throne of Glass, she had been sentenced to hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier. Now we get to see what exactly happened to land her there and we finally find out what happened to Sam. We see the relationship between Celaena and Arobynn, and fans of the books will be delighted to pick out little moments in the first books that are expanded on in Assassin's Blade. Spanning five separate and unique stories that feed into one another to form one cohesive collection, Sarah J Maas does not disappoint.
After I finished the Court of Thorns and Roses series, I began reading the Throne of Glass series starting with this book. I then stopped reading the Throne of Glass series and it would be a few years before I tried again. It's generally accepted that these novellas are not a good place to start, they are not indicative of the general quality of the Throne of Glass novels. What they are is fun! If you are already invested in Celaena Sardothien's story, this is an entertaining way to see who she was before entering the salt mines. You get to see examples of the people from her past that she references in the main books, some of the more unbelievable stories she tells are explained and put into context. All in all, a nice addition to the series but it was not my favorite nor would I recommend starting your Throne of Glass journey with this book.
I'm giving The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas 3.5 stars out of 5, and there is no spice at all, just some innocent kissing. Don't miss it if you're reading the Throne of Glass series but do not read it first. I was told by my resident Sarah J Maas expert that you should read it third, and it fit nicely in the spot.
If you want more from Sarah J Maas, check out her website at https://sarahjmaas.com/
Pairs well with fruit and homemade cream and knowing who to trust...and who not to.
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