One of the series I finally wanted to reread in 2024 is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I’ve already reread the first book and in that review I stated that I was uncertain when to continue with the second one. This because of the House of Flame and Shadow release. Well, I was having a major book hangover and felt very uninspired to pick up a new-to-me fantasy, so my reread for Crown of Midnight happened earlier than anticipated. By the time this review is written and published I’ve also reread Heir of Fire. Warning: this review contains spoilers for Throne of Glass.

About the book

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on August 15, 2013
Pages: 418
ISBN: 9781408834947
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romantasy

Crowned by Evil.
Bound by Duty.
Divided by Love.

Celaena Sardothien, royal assassin, is the King of Adarlan’s deadliest weapon. She must win her freedom through his enemies’ blood – but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. And every death Celaena fakes, every lie she tells, put those she loves at risk.

Torn between her two protectors – a captain and a prince – and battling a dark force far greater than the king, Celaena must decide what she will fight for: her liberty, her heart or the fate of a kingdom…

My review

Characters

The book picks up four months after the final events of Throne of Glass. Celaena is now the king’s champion and is destined to kill people the king wants to have killed. She has a hard time doing so, but she obays because her freedom is at stake. Besides Celaena, we also follow Chaol and Dorian, they both get their own POV again. I noticed there is some kind of love triangle going on here, which was really common for the time when this book was published. However, Dorian tries to avoid Celaena and vice versa, because the atmosphere gets really tense when they are together. Chaol and Celaena on the other hand get closer, to Dorians annoyance. This also creates distance between Dorian and Chaol, former close friends. Finally, there is Nehemia, who keeps more mysteries for us than in the previous book. Later on, we all find out why though, but this is not until something happens. Despite their differences and difficult relationship, Celaena, Dorian and Chaol are able to work together when necessary. They are able to set their differences aside for the greater good.

Writing

As I already knew the writing was intriguing. I coud definitely see growth already compared to the first book in this series, also Maas’ debut. This book is already heavy on POV changing, but it will be heavier in the other books in this series. I’m used to it and honestly I don’t mind these alternating POVs at all.

Story

Since this book picks up the story four months after the final events of the previous book, it was easy to get back into it. However, we get more and more information we need for the remainder of the series and I didn’t realize this when I read the series for the first time back in 2018. Or maybe I’m more aware of it now. Anyway, I really enjoyed the plot, although it’s still kind of a “warming up” for the next books. There are serious themes woven into this book which gives it even more depth. Also, the plot and characters both show development.

Final thoughts

I’m glad I picked up by Sarah J. Maas at this particular moment. I was invested in this book from start to finish and I really enjoyed being back in this world. Moreover, I noticed that I missed a lot (or can’t remember a lot) of information back when I first read this series. I was that invested that I decided to keep going and read Heir of Fire straight after finishing this one.