Sunday, September 8, 2013

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release: August 27, 2013
Series: Throne of Glass
Pages: 418
Review: Five Stars!

I know it's Sunday and I should be doing a Series Sunday post, but today is special. This afternoon, I'm going to go to a book signing and meet the one and only, Sarah J. Maas! I recently finished her new release, Crown of Midnight, and decided to review that today instead. If I have time, I'll post a regular Series Sunday post later.

Crown of Midnight was spectacular. The first book, Throne of Glass, was one of my all-time favorite books, but this managed to top it, easily. See my review of Throne of Glass here. When reading the reviews by bloggers before it came out, I didn't get what was SO great about this book, but having picked it up and read it, I can't disagree with them. Crown of Midnight is perfect in every way. It has amazing character development, a perfect plot arc, and a cliffhanger at the ending that has left me hungering for book three!

The main character is Celeana Sardothian. She's an assassin in a mythical land known Erilea. As of the beginning of the book, Celeana works for the twisted and evil king of Adarlan. When I started book one, I knew something was special about Celeana. On page 85, I realized just how special she was. I had fantasies about Celeana that I was almost positive wouldn't happen, but oh, they happened. She's good at keeping secrets, even from herself. Celeana's past has always been a bit of a mystery, but this book sheds more light on the topic then ever before. The truth comes trickling out through secrets and lies. Romance is an important aspect of the book, but more often than not, I wasn't quite feeling the spark. In book one, there was a love triangle between Celeana, crown prince Dorian, and Chaol, Captain of the Guard. It's more or less solved in this book, but I keep wanting more. As readers know, previous to the series, Celeana had a boyfriend named Sam who was killed right before she was arrested. The ideal ending romantically for me, would be that Dorian and Chaol were put to the side and Sam was brought back from the dead. I honestly loved that boy, and his character feels too rich and deep just to kill off after four novellas. The characters don't end! There's also Princess Nehemia. She's Celeana's best friend and closest confident. She's a rebellious girl and hates the king for attacking her people. When the worst happens, and disrupts all of their lives, the characters still manage to heal and heal fast. Not once to they hold back, mess up, or go to slow. And by the end of the story, Celeana has realized what she is willing to fight for, her past, her family, her kingdom, herself.

Sarah J. Maas was tasked with the responsibility of created an entire new world, full of possibilities and people. She does this amazingly, effortlessly weaving in side-plots and backstories for characters only mentioned or to come. Events occur that readers know will have repercussions and can't wait to see. Your characters pain is our gain, as they say. The book flows from one page or another until, before I know it, I've somehow already finished the book. I flew threw these pages, not once stopping for anything. The book is so amazing, words simply can't describe it. A world has been born, people, and as each person picks it up and discovers it, this world will grow more and more. I love this book and am super excited to meet Sarah herself this afternoon! I give this book five stars!

P.S. Here are my reactions on twitter while I was reading...


Author Bio:

I’m a 25 year-old YA fantasy author living in the desert in Southern California. My debut novel, Throne of Glass, was published by Bloomsbury Children’s in August, 2012. (Book Two – Crown of Midnight - will release sometime in Fall 2013.)

I was born/raised in Manhattan, but traded freezing winters and sweltering summers for No Winter Ever Weather when I followed my then-boyfriend (now husband!) out to California in 2008. I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College with a degree in Creative Writing, and a minor in Religious Studies. I’m represented by Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency.

You Can Find Her At:

Synopsis:

She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.

But where will her conscience, and her heart, lead her?

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she willing to fight for?

You Can Find it At:
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