Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Page #: 418
Source: Library
Rating: 4 Stars

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.
It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

          Celaena Sardothien is back and more badass than ever in this intense sequel to Throne of Glass. Heads will roll, blood will splatter, and readers will swoon… oddly enough… and tears will be shed!

          After being disappointed in the first book I was a bit hesitant to read Crown of Midnight but it surprised me and exceeded my expectations. Celaena really stepped up her game and became the complete badass that I was looking for. We get to find out more about her past as well as meet some of the people in it (his name is Archer and I swooned) though I’m still waiting to see Arobynn Hamel. That’s going to be intense. Being an assassin, it’s not much of a happy past so some of it was quite heartbreaking.

                I still have mixed feelings however when it comes to the other major characters, specifically Dorian and Chaol. I like Dorian a little better now that he is accepting the fact that he and Celaena cannot be together. It gives Celaena a good friend and the scenes with them feel more real now. Chaol on the other hand… I still can’t fully accept him as a love interest. I don’t always believe his actions/reactions and he seems a bit too soft to be Captain of the Guard. The only time I liked him was when he was AWAY from Celaena and NOT thinking about her. I know this is not the popular opinion but that’s just how I feel. My favorite characters actually are Nehemia and Archer. They were cool, had personality, and (in Nehemia’s case) is just as badass as the King’s Champion herself.

                I absolutely love the world that Sarah J. Maas has built. I love the mythology and the fey and was really excited to delve into it more in Heir of Fire. There was enough action to keep satisfied without overdoing it and just disturbing enough to be believable without making me squeamish.Though I wasn't surprised by the big twist at the end, cause I had been expecting it since the first book, I was really thrilled that the author went that way and am jumping up and down at the drama that will come from it.

I definitely enjoyed this sequel and am now officially hooked. I can’t wait to see what happens next on out heroine’s journey!

-Sarah