Book Review – Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA on August 27th 2013
Length: 12 hours 1 minute
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Love & Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 420
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

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?

 

Lynn’s Review:

Crown of Midnight is the second in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. (You can read my review of Throne of Glass here.) In this installment, Celaena is settling into her life as the King’s Assassin. She’s travelling around the kingdom, per the king’s orders. But instead of killing her targets, she’s helping them escape. And when she is back in the castle, she’s getting cozy with Chaol, Captain of the Guard. And chatting up the ghosts and magical door knockers in the crypt. And yes, that’s as weird as it sounds.

I read Throne of Glass in ebook and listened to Crown of Midnight in audio. And honestly, I’ll probably stick with reading for the rest of the series. I had some difficulties keeping up with the story on audio. That could be more of a reflection of my listening while also working rather than the narration. The narrator didn’t make a lot of distinction between the different characters. And as the point of view switches between Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian, I struggled to keep up with who was narrating.

There were multiple plot lines running through Crown of Midnight. And honestly, this book feels like the middle part of a series. I don’t think it would work as a stand-alone book. And as for the big reveal at the end, I accidentally read the summary of the forth book when it was released last spring. And spoiled a huge plot point for myself. Magic is also a much larger part of the story this time around. Including Mort the talking door knocker, who’s bad attitude was rather hilarious. A book that tends to show up in weird places by itself. And a giant monster living under the library. 

I liked Crown of Thrones. The emotional break mentioned in the synopsis was a REAL emotional moment for me as well. It was amazingly well-written. I’d recommend this book, with the caveat of read Throne of Glass first. And don’t read the synopsis of the following books until you are ready!

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