Review: The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas

Just a quick note before I do my review. I have decided to change the format of my reviews because I don’t really like what I have been using (with what I don’t like and what I do like) and I don’t really think it works for me. So this review is going to be in my new format! Let me know what you think.

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose.

Today I am going to review the final Throne of Glass novella, The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas. This story was a little darker and twisted than the others and it is possibly my favourite of the four. This story covered the events that landed Celaena in the prison that is the salt mines of Endovier. As with the previous novellas, it was nice to know what actually happened leading up to Throne of Glass.

I found Celaena to be less annoying in this story compared to the others and I think that this may have been because she was willing to give everything up to be safe with Sam. I still found her a little vain and stubborn, but she had softened a little. I also felt that she was more aware of what was going on around her and she didn’t have blind faith in Arobynn anymore. In saying that, I still think she trusted Arobynn a little too much. She also thought things through a little more than in the other books, particularly in how she planned to leave Rifthold and in planning their final job.

I felt like Sam had become darker in this story. We saw him needing to be violent, as such, when he fought. He did say that it was because it was easy money, but I also felt that he needed it to sort out his feelings. I liked that Sam only trusted Celaena. He had no faith in Arobynn. I also liked that he would do anything for Celaena. It was also nice to see him be a bit rash at times, particularly in his need to leave Rifthold behind. I also felt that he was a bit rash when it came to the mission, particularly that he wanted to take it on by himself.

The plot was fairly original, but not necessarily unpredictable. From reading Throne of Glass, I knew who was going to die and that someone betrayed her. It was from reading the novellas that I guessed who it was that betrayed her, and the book proved me right. There were some surprises, like support from an unexpected front, but I mainly knew or guessed what was going to happen. In saying that, if I had of read this before reading Throne of Glass I think it would have been a lot less predictable.

This was a great story to finish the novellas and a great lead up to Throne of Glass. I am satisfied that I now know the events prior to Throne of Glass and I am eagerly anticipating the release of the second book, Crown of Midnight, in August this year!

I give this story 4/5 stars.

Mel.

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