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Cassandra

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Cassandra is Currently Reading

Cassandra is currently reading

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)

by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: 6-stars, fantasy, book-club-reads, mini-shelf, currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

read in November 2015

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Cassandra said: " **UPDATE - 08/29/18: I sometimes reread books when I know I want to read something, but don't feel like committing to anything new at that given moment. So when I pick this book up with the intention of reading the series slowly and sit here at 4:17A **UPDATE - 08/29/18: I sometimes reread books when I know I want to read something, but don't feel like committing to anything new at that given moment. So when I pick this book up with the intention of reading the series slowly and sit here at 4:17AM after having finished the book instead of read a little and sleep......... I'm just impressed and annoyed. Impressed that this book still does this to me on the reread, but annoyed that I'm now awake when I have work tomorrow.

Anyways, I fricken love this series and I missed Celaena so much. I also missed Chaol and Dorian..........

I missed everyone.

Goodnight.**

Actual Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Meet Celaena Sardothien, Ardalan’s most famous assassin at only 18, and one of the competitors in the King’s competition to finding his new Champion. After spending a year in the mines of Endovier serving out her crimes, she is retrieved by the Crown Prince, Dorian, and brought back to the royal home of the man who was responsible for the death of her parents. Her reason for accepting? The Prince offers her, her freedom, and in exchange she must act as his champion and if she wins, remain so for the next four years.

Eager to leave the depths and cruelty of the mines, and finally have some plan to becoming the normal girl she wishes to be, she accepts. After returning home with Dorian Havilliard, she’s faced with opponents who are all men, and all just as vicious as she has been rumored to be. Thieves and assassins and everything in between, all travelling from across the world to be in this competition and each sponsored by a member of council.

It isn’t an easy adjustment, having to answer to someone like the King and his royal family, but she will do whatever it takes for her freedom. Celaena is brought into training sessions with Chaol Westfall, the captain of the guard and Dorian’s closest and oldest friend. No matter how hard she tries, he lacks the trust and humor that she seems to slowly be giving him. This bothers her very little because although there is a tension there, their training sessions tend to be the most fun and challenging times she’s been apart of in a while.

The Prince can’t help but find his champion intriguing and beautiful, and finds himself wanting to be in her presence. He doesn’t seem to be the only one though. Somehow, Chaol thaws and finds himself feeling the same pull to Celaena that the Prince seems to feel as well. But out of loyalty, he does nothing about this.

As the competition progresses, competitors are slowly being eliminated one by one, in more ways than one. When one loses, another is brutally murdered, but no one can figure out who is doing this. Celaena is determined to figure out this mystery, even more so now that she has discovered this hidden passageway that leads her to these symbols that she has yet to understand. Between the competition, her new attraction to the Prince, as well as her friendships with Chaol and Nehemia, the questions lie behind whether or not she is able to solve this mystery before she is the next victim or will her freedom be the result of her death.

Okay, WOW. What a great start to the series. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the third person perspective in this story, it wasn’t unbearable and I got over it pretty quick. Celaena was a great assassin turned heroine in my opinion. She held the strength and determination of a true warrior, but also presented herself in a civilized manner. I was super happy that her back story was slowly given to those around her, especially Dorian and Chaol. I was pleasantly surprised to see her form relationships with her servants and instructors, as well as Nox, who was also in the competition with Celaena. I also loved Celaena’s sense of humor. She was witty and very sarcastic, regardless of who it was she had been talking to. Even with her feelings for Dorian and clearly her feelings for Chaol, she did not change the way she was with either of them. You always see the girl become very introverted when it comes to discovering her feelings for a guy, and that was definitely not the case in this book. Thank. GOD.

Chaol and Dorian’s loyalty to one another was refreshing as well. I never like storylines where the lead males are infatuated with the same girl and one betrays the other. They were both respectful towards each other and also towards the assassin. That was another surprising thing that I enjoyed. No one really treated her with the hatred that I was expecting. Distrust? Yes. Were they suspicious of her? Yes. But even when the council’s champions started being murdered, no one questioned her – aside from Chaol, who just wanted confirmation that it hadn’t been her. Just doing his job.

I also loved Nehemia’s part in all of this. I HATE when there isn’t another girl that the lead female can’t connect with. When they’re just surrounded by testosterone with no one to confide in. NOT THIS TIME BUDDY. It was so exciting to see them find a common ground, and Nehemia was a PRINCESS. It was just great to see how easily they found their relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. The first book the series was strong and intriguing. I haven’t been able to read a lot of fantasy since I started reading, so this was a nice change of pace. I kind of got a Mortal Instruments vibe going from this. Is that wrong? With all the dark demonic forces and the magic? If you haven’t read Cassandra Clare’s series, I suggest you do, because if you like one, you will most likely enjoy the other. ...more "

progress:

(page 5 of 406)
"and so we run it back" — Aug 26, 2026 07:25AM

Aug 29, 2018 01:19AM · see review

Cassandra is currently reading

Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher Vol. 1 (Delinquent Daddy and Tender Teacher, #1)

by Tama Mizuki

bookshelves: currently-reading, 2026

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Apr 01, 2026 11:45PM

Cassandra is currently reading

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating [and Other War Crimes] (Guides to Villainy and Love)

by Tiffany Hunt (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 01, 2026 04:38AM

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Cassandra’s Notes & Highlights

Book cover for Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse, #1)

Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse, #1) by H.D. Carlton

5 notes & 5 highlights

the pHAAAAANTOM OF THE OPERAAAA

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Cassandra’s Quotes

“when i sleep i remember days that never were. i dream a life i never saw and which i now see he never wanted...”
― Anthony Oliveira, Dayspring

tags: biblical, friendship, lgbtq, love, poetry, queer, retelling

5 likes

“Sometimes I want to climb into Callum's mind so I can see the world the same way he does, as something to investigate in all its technicolor glory rather than just something to conquer.”
― Jax Calder, The Unlikely Heir

2 likes

“The fact that Israel actually benefits from violating international law and receives “red carpet” treatment from the West means that we all have a role to play in ending the injustice that the Palestinians are facing.”
― Noam Chomsky, On Palestine

6 likes

“How, then, does one become an activist? The easy answer would be to say that we do not become activists; we simply forget that we are. We are all born with compassion, generosity, and love for others inside us. We are all moved by injustice and discrimination. We are all, inside, concerned human beings.”
― Noam Chomsky, On Palestine

3 likes