Worth It Wednesdays is a weekly post where I feature my favorite YA titles. Find out more about it here!
Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publication Date: August 7th, 2012
Goodreads Description: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
Why it’s worth it: LISTEN PEOPLE. I WORSHIP ON THE GROUND SARAH J. MAAS WALKS ON. I tend to have a thing against high fantasy novels for being too detailed, but sometimes YA fantasy teeters too far the other way. The Throne of Glass series is absolute perfection.
Okay, I’ll be honest, the first book in the series wasn’t the strongest, writing wise, but it was SO GOOD that I even managed to win over my book club. The books have gotten even better since then, with the writing and the story constantly improving. The plot is a non-stop action fest, the characters are all well rounded and the magic system and the world building are expertly done. Romance wise, this book sets up a love triangle that I–wait for it–ACTUALLY LIKE because Sarah does such a good job with the relationships between Celaena and her two beaus that it feels real and right.
When I wrote my review of my ARC of the first book, I said, “There are few beautiful things in this world. This is one of them.” I have never meant anything more in my life. The 2nd book only got better, and the 3rd book is the one that I have reread the most. The 4th book comes out in September and I am in physical pain because I don’t have it. I even presented at an academic conference last year–among full professors and grad students much wiser than my undergrad self–with a presentation titled: #Now Trending: How Throne of Glass Proves Bad YA Trends Can Make Good Literature.
This series may actually be my favorite thing of all time right now.
Read it if you’re looking for: Strong fantasy with excellent world building, a kick ass female character, strong female friendships, a love triangle you won’t hate, action and adventure
My Life is a Notebook 
Yes I am obsessed with Sarah J. Maas and Throne of Glass is one of my favorite series of all time!
YES! Another one! Have you read her second series?
I just started ACOTAR today lol
You’ll have to let me know what you think when you’re done! 😀