The Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass Prequel Novellas Hardcover – March 4, 2014

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord4.5 STARSI really enjoyed this story! I like that Sam and Celaena's relationship starts off with the hate to love trope. I think it's written well written and their relationship grows naturally. They were a good team and I like that they've started to respect each other as the story progressed. I know that Celaena (well, SJM's books and characters in general) gets a lot of pretty valid criticism but one of the things I really like about her character is how soft she is towards things that matter the most. I like that she will do the right thing despite whatever the consequences will be, even if it could end her life. I think that is really cool and admirable.The Assassin and the Healer4.5 STARSI liked this story a lot more this time around versus the last time I read this collection of stories. I think what I liked the most about it was the theme of women helping other women. Celaena teaches Yrene not only learn how to defend herself but also helps her with Yrene's future with being a more educated and skilled healer. I really love compassionate Celaena.The Assassin and the Desert5 STARSI truly love this story. This is one my favorite of the whole collection. Seeing Celaena's yearning for a friend that is also a girl, something she's never had before, and then becoming close with Ansel was so pure and heartwarming. The way Celaena started feeling at home or at least maybe safe versus how she felt with Arobynn broke my heart. I wonder if we will visit the Red Desert again. I know the story's tone basically completely changes after Heir of Fire, so I am not sure. But I think it would be cool.The Assassin and the Underworld4 STARSI was a little bit bored in the moments in the beginning but mid way when this story picked up Ii was hooked. Honestly, re-reading this and seeing where exactly Celaena pissed off Arobynn enough to make him an enemy is heartbreaking. In the moment you don't blame her but with what is coming in the next story you can't help but wish she had done things differently. I really like the romance between Sam and Celaena in both this story and the next one.The Assassin and the Empire4 STARSObviously this one is the story everyone's dreading when they pick up this collection of short stories. If you're reading it after the first or second book in the series, you probably can guess what would happen, but it doesn't hurt any less. By the end you can't help but hate everything about Arobynn, if you don't already from how Celaena describes him in the first two books of the series or what he does to her and Sam after Skulls Bay. He's manipulative, possessive, aggressive, and cruel. I got so mad at Celaena for not thinking clearly. I understand she is grieving, and in shock, but I assume she was trained to be able to think clearly if something like this goes wrong. I know this will be a bit hypocritical, but I love that she wears her heart on her sleeve, but at the same time I wish she would slow down, rewind, and think. There were so many moments and hints that would have lead her to being more successful her mission at the end and instead she leads with her temper. It just made everything so much more heartbreaking. Overall, I really liked this story but I definitely saw myself skimming in moments.Overall, I recommend this book of short stories especially if you plan on reading past Heir of Fire in the Throne of Glass series. I think this collection is super important to read if you want to continue with Queen of Shadows because characters from the short stories start making appearances and it's best if you have the backstory of them and their relationships with Celaena. Plus, I honestly think is some of Celaena's best moments happen in this book!

Reading order tip:If you plan on reading the entire series whether you like the first book or not, then do yourself a favor and read Assassin's Blade FIRST. I loved ACOTAR and I knew I would love TOG too so regardless of my feelings of the first book I knew I would continue on.I read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight first as that was SJM's 'recommended order' and I really wish I listened to the entire internet saying NOT to but I assumed the author must know best.Assassin's Blade is the prequal. It's her back story, it's everything that happened before, it chronologically makes sense to read it first and in my humble opinion...... SJM's recommended reading order is stupid.It was hard to pull myself away from the story to go back in time because I was so invested with the first two books. It was a distraction to jump backwards in time and I find myself needing a recap of the first two books before I can continue on. I would have much rather read it first.I did not like Celeana in this book, she was bratty, cocky and insufferable and had I been the type of person where this book would determine if I would read the rest of the series I may not have continued simply because of her character. Since I had already read the other two books, I know that her character has developed, been humbled and changed a quite bit and I LOVE her but Assassin's Blade had me wanting to slap her a few times.With that being said, I enjoyed the book. The story/stories were fantastic and exciting and heartbreaking and everything I love in a fantasy read and I'm excited to get back to the 'current' timeline now that I have some insight to her past.

~The Assassin and the Pirate Lord~First, I think it's important to recognize that one of--if not the--main purposes of these novellas to grow Celaena from an intolerably insolent and arrogant adolescent into a world-wiser (but still cocky) young adult.The #1 complaint about this series is that readers don't like Celaena.Personally, I love her, but I understand why others might not. She's a superlative character who some people can't handle her extremes, and that's only one of a dozen legitimate issues.BUT.There are several loudly voiced complaints that, as far as I'm concerned, don't hold water. I've already addressed my feelings in regards to the claim that she is too girly to make a believable assassin in my Throne of Glass review.The other assertion I cannot abide is that Celaena "never does anything," or "never kills anyone."That she's basically all talk.Maybe I'm confused, but I've never supposed that assassins are meant to go around killing EVERYONE indiscriminately. And she's not just an assassin. She's the King of Assassins' heir. Adarlan's Assassin.At least half of her identity is reputation, and it wouldn't behoove that reputation (or be good for business) to run around like a maniac slitting throats and eviserating passersby.In this novella, she's a sixteen-year-old girl who single-handedly disarms and disables the entire crew of a pirate ship. She easily defeats the Pirate Lord in combat, using his own weapons to do it.How is that nothing? How is that all talk? *mind is boggled*Beyond establishing herself as a seriously kick-ass heroine, the foundation for something that will shred your heart into teeny, tiny pieces is also laid. <------*WAILS*And, you know . . . there are pirates.Everything is better with pirates.SO. Not my favorite of the bunch, but a close(ish) second.~The Assassin and the Healer~This novella wasn't part of the original four. I chased down pieces of it on various blogs, over the course of several days before CROWN OF MIDNIGHT was released.Anyway, I liked this one a lot, too.So should anyone who thinks Celaena doesn't kill often enough. How about six or eight mercs in a dark alley after they try to rob and attack a barmaid?All I'm saying is that's an awful lot of bodies piling up for an assassin who allegedly doesn't assassin.Moving on.We also learn some Celaena background: that her country was destroyed by war, and she feels a kinship with others who have suffered similar fates. That as a child she had dreams that are in complete contradiction to her current status.Aaaannddd we (once again) get to observe the softer side of Celaena. The side that compels her to intervene on behalf of others when she can. many reasons I'm able to overlook her more abrasive qualities.Bottom line: a worthy addition to the canon.~The Assassin and the Desert~Oh, my FEELS. They hurrrrrrt *sobs*So what does is say about me that this is my favorite of the group? Hmm . . .In the inevitable aftermath of her actions in Pirateville, Celaena is sent into the blistering, unforgiving heat of the desert to train with the Mute Master, Arobynn's (infinitely more benevolent) Southern counterpart.She has one month to train with the Silent Assasssins. One month to earn the Mute Master's respect in the form of a letter to Hamel on Celaena's behalf, commending her efforts and abilities.One. Month.This is the novella that makes me determinedly profess that readers' NEED to read the prequels.There are people and places and events that have already begun to play a greater role in the main books, with half a dozen foreshadowings of things to come.You. NEED. To. Read. It.And it won't make sense, if you haven't read the first one, and after that . . . Well, why not just read them all?Besides . . . Don't you want to see Celaena fumble her way through her first friendship? And not just her first friendship, but her first friendship with a GIRL?Of course you do.And who could blame you?~The Assassin and the Underworld~This novella should have been called THE ASSASSIN AND THE TANGLED WEB OF AROBYNN HAMEL, but I guess it doesn't rollllll of the tongue the same way.I really wish I could give you an accounting of the events that take place here unhindered by the knowledge of what's to come.But I can't.I read it too many times and it broke my heart too completely.THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD is about what happens when Celaena returns to the Assassin's Keep after Arobynn beat her into unconsciousness and sent her to the desert.Celaena arrives full of confidence and more than a little bit of self-satisfaction.She succeeded in accomplishing her nearly-impossible-to-complete task. More than succeeded. Was sent home from the Red Desert with a fortune great enough to purchase her freedom.When she struts into Arobynn's office, she has every intention of telling him, and leaving him.Unfortunately . . . It doesn't work out that way.Instead, she allows herself to fall back under his spell. Not fully, she's been made too wary for that, but enough that she becomes an unwilling accomplice in his nefarious plans one last time.This is where we first see the depth of Arobynn's treachery.My thoughts on Celaena's lack of immediate response to said treachery upon her return to Rifthold in ToG: [Many think Celaena is being willfully obtuse about the role her mentor played in the events that led to Sam's horrific death and her imprisonment at Endovier, but this is something I understand: [for spoiler see Goodreads or blog reveiw]~The Assassin and the Realm~THE ASSASSIN AND THE REALM starts at the end. Celaena is suddenly a prisoner of we-don't-know-whom/we-don't-know-why.All we know is that she's shattered. She does not care that she's caged like an animal. She does not care that she's in chains. Cold, hunger, thirst, all things beyond her concern.And then . . . in the dark . . . she remembers.Maas is an expert at cultivating DREAD. It may not be as stealthy here, what with us already knowing that Celaena---in some context---has failed, but that doesn't negate the fear, the roil in your belly, as you push yourself to keep reading, to find out what happened, what went wrong, so that at least then . . . it will be over.As I said earlier, I read these before reading THRONE OF GLASS, so I can't state from experience that if you're having issues with Celaena, reading THE ASSASSIN'S BLADE will fix them. BUT. I can say that I've never had any issues with her character development, and the majority of readers who have taken my advice have found themselves understanding her better than they had previously. Beyond that, you need the background from Celaena's time in the Red Desert to fully appreciate what's happening in the main series (my favorite YA series, incidentally). <------FYI.SO. Read it. I'm so far passed "recommending" it that I'm brandishing it wildly.“My name is Celaena Sardothien,” she whispered, “and I will not be afraid.”