By Eliza Brecheisen
On 23rd of October 2018 Sarah J. Maas released the final book in her Throne of Glass series. After a two-year long cliff hanger, fans’ insatiable hunger was met with the emotional journey that was Kingdom of Ash. The series started out with Throne of Glass, starring an ex-assassin Celaena Sardothien, who was betrayed in a mysterious past, and becomes a slave at the Endovier Salt Mines in the fictional land of Adarlan. The prince calls her as his personal competitor in a challenge among the royals and elitists of Adarlan; she must defeat other challengers to become the King’s champion- his personal assassin. As she competes, she uncovers dark secrets about the castle, and the people and creatures living in it.
In the Goodreads Choice Award, Kingdom of Ash won first place for YA Fantasy Novel; with just over 52,000 reviews landing it a rating of 4.65/5. It became clear very fast that the series was ending with fire. For about a week I carried around the brick that was Kingdom of Ash– 984 pages and I still thirsted for more. Maas fills each page with beautiful imagery and intense plots that entrance any avid reader. Every spare moment of my time was with my nose stuck in the book. This is a spoiler free review, so all I will say is that Maas knows how to end a series making us cry and laugh at the same time.
Many of her fans wear t-shirts and follow a hashtag called #MaasDestruction, where fans of Maas’s series come together and discuss the feelings and opinions they have about the novel. Even I have used this hashtag: we all have to vent somehow. Despite this, many people in online forums said they did not like the character of Celaena, and believed she was self-centred. However, I think this is because we are so used to having characters that are insecure about the way they look and feel. Having a confident lead was refreshing for me; it made the plot interesting to read, and Celaena’s character unpredictable and fun. Celaena’s confidence and resilience makes her an aspirational heroine that readers can look to for inspiration. Every time Celaena gives her trademark motto, “My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid,” we feel the strength she has, which encourages us to adopt a similar fortitude in our own lives and attitudes.
The only negative feedback I have about the book is that at some points it can be ‘wordy: Maas can use a lot of metaphorical language to describe things that distract from the plot and the action taking place in the moment. I appreciated this more when re-reading her novels, but the first time through I wanted answers more than her in-depth scene-setting.
Personally, I would highly recommend the Throne of Glass series. Anyone who enjoys emotionally moving, action-packed, tear-jerking and hilarious journeys will find the same joy I did in reading this series. This seven-book series (plus a prequel) give an absolutely stunning emotional journey and is a must-read for all those who are lovers of fantasy novels with unexpected plot twists.
Bennett Buzz 