Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

August 26th, 2013 Kimberly Review 65 Comments

26th Aug
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight
by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt. But her heart never wavers.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 most willing to fight for?

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas is the second book in the Throne of Glass series and this, this my friends is what all second books should aspire to be! Not since Dark Triumph have I been so impressed by a second book. Maas gave us a story within a story and captured my attention from page one. Three word review: brilliant, intense, and captivating.

Celaena is now doing the king’s bidding as his champion while she works to solve puzzles, unearth conspiracy and seek her own personal revenge. Something is loose in the castle as Celaena pieces more clues together. Her relationships with Dorian, Nehemia and Chaol all develop further as Maas entwines our hearts to these characters. The tale is dark, the character growth is fantastic and the tale that unfolds will have you so completely enthralled the rest of the world will slip away.

Celaena is Ardalan’s greatest assassin and Maas reveals the complexity of Celaena’s personality to us. I love how she swaggers into a room, the ruthless way that she hunts her prey and the devious ways in which she handles situations. She can kill you before you take your next breath and yet she feels deeply and is capable of intense love. She struggles with the responsibilities forced upon her and we experience her raw emotions and fearlessness as she moves towards answers. We experience so many emotions and feel Celaena’s pain that she becomes flesh before our eyes. Prince Dorian and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, are part of Celaena’s circle and she cares for them both. The author reveals to us her choice in this love triangle and for a brief moment we find happiness and see her dream of a bright tomorrow. What I really enjoyed was the friendship that develops with the other and I am hoping that we see Celaena open up and trust more. The romance was hot, sweet and intense as it gave us moments of intense laughter, tenderness and joy. An old woman from the traveling carnival was frightening and fascinating. Other characters within the castle and from Celaena’s past help advance the plot and added some interesting and intense threads.

The world building in Crown of Midnight was bloody brilliant, from the pacing to the way all of the threads come together. Maas led our emotions on a carefully tethered string and my heart burst and ached and cried for more. Ever word, every thread, every experience enhanced the tale. We are beginning to get a very clear picture of the characters, the Wyrdmarks and Celaena’s role in this world. I love the magic and some of the elements that are used to guide Celaena on her quest from talking object to clues hidden in poems. It has a whole Da Vinci Code vibe to it and I quickly gobbled these moments up. I adored the banter between the characters, the drama that unfolded as Maas filled my heart with joy and at other times had me weeping and feeling total despair. It was completely enthralling and gave me that high I chase each and every time I pick up a book. The blending of fantasy, magic, dark and light was beautifully done. The book has some very dark moments both emotionally and in displays of brutal violence. Maas made all of it believable and the character’s voices remained true throughout. The ending left me feeling so many emotions ranging from sadness to hope to fear and set us up perfectly for the next book.

I absolutely recommend Crown of Midnight and the Throne of Glass series to fans of kick-ass assassins, magic, Fae, brilliant plots and fleshed out characters. The quest will engage you and the characters will steal your heart. Maas is on my auto-buy list and I think I would buy any of her books regardless of the genre.

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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65 Responses to “Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas”

  2. Maida

    Ugghh…can you believe I still haven’t read Throne of Glass yet!?? I have heard brilliant things about this series and I love the sound of the storyline and the characters, especially Celaena. She is exactly the type of kick-ass heroine I love to read about, so I know I will have no trouble adjusting to her! There are so many interesting elements in this story, and I seriously am looking forward to them, especially the world-building. I’m so glad this wasn’t a usual “middle syndrome” book and it had a perfect ending! Glad you enjoyed (LOVED lol ;p) this, Kim! Great review! 😀

    ~ Maida
    Literary Love Affair 

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Squee.. yes you must read these and kick-ass heroine is right! Thanks Maida!

  4. Lu Ann Worley

    I have been curious about the Throne of Glass series and now I truly want to read & review them. I hesitate on some historical fiction because they aren’t researched enough to be realistic but this sounds like a great one. Thank you for your review.

  5. aurian

    I love the cover, I love your passionate review, but she is only 18! Why can’t she be a bit older?

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Consider the time period..most were married by sixteen and dead by 30..

  7. Kristin

    *heads explodes* Why haven’t I read the first one… I flippin’ own it.. In hardcover!!! I’m on it this month!!!

    I DO listen to you… That’s why I read Royal Street & Hopeless 🙂

    You own the non-spoilery review!!! Great job!!!!!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I try really hard to keep all of my reviews spoil free, thanks cupcake!

  8. Sharon - Obsession with Books

    A fabulous, detailed review Kimba! I have had this sitting on my kindle since release day but I have been too nervous to start on it, I adored the first book and the praise for this has been amazing but I’m in a reading slump and don’t want it to affect my overall joy of experiencing the book, I’m so pleased to read of how much you enjoyed it.

    You have me excited to start it though (which I hope I will soon).

    Thankyou for sharing. 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I hope your slump passes quickly and that you enjoy this as much as I did 🙂

  9. Lauren

    So happy to hear that you loved this and that it gets 5 cups! 🙂 I’m reading it right now, so I’m skimming your review, but I can’t wait to come back and read it when I’m done. It’s SO good so far, even better than book one!

  10. Andrea

    I haven’t started this series, and until I’m into fantasy again, I’m not sure I will. But, I’ve honestly heard nothing but praise and that Crown of Midnight is one of the best follow ups ever. So glad you enjoyed, Kim.
    Great review!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Thanks Andrea, this is one genre that I only frequent once or twice a year but if you decide to dabble, this is a great one 🙂

  11. Braine Talk Supe

    I usually don’t like books that are heavily influenced by another book but this has got to be the exception. I don’t care if it has similarities with Game of Thrones, I love Celaena.

    And that ending?! Jaw dropping.

    Can’t wait for book 3!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Exactly, I do not mind fan-fic or similarities and I think Maas holds her own.

  12. Tanya

    Wow, what a great review for a second book, I guess I need to read the first one. 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Yes, this was a wonderful surprise, I assumed I would enjoy it..I had no idea it would be breathtakingly wonderful

  13. fishgirl182

    oooh i need to read this one. i thoroughly enjoyed throne of glass and am really excited about this one. thanks for the review!

  14. Ginny

    You’ve convinced me to add this not only to my TBR shelf but to my reading calendar. The series looks great. I’m going to grab it this week.

  15. Giselle

    I want to read this series just to see this world building everyone is talking about! Fantasy is a hit or miss for me but I have a feeling this one would be a winner! Celaena definitely sounds like my kind of heroine and super easy to root for!

  16. Jan

    Crown of Midnight sounds great. Of course, I bought Throne of Glass earlier this year and haven’t read it yet. But I did go ahead and buy Crown of Midnight based on your review. And I’m moving the first book up on my TBR list! Good review!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I feel ya on that TBR pile..I think you will be glad you chose to read these.. 🙂

  17. Melissa (Books and Things)

    I’ve been seeing this one around, but didn’t ask for a review copy since I haven’t read the first book (yes, in order… don’t faint). So need to read this series!! You have just pushed it to the top of my wishlist. 😀

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I feel that way about other series..if only we could read them all!!

  19. Jennifer Bielman

    I hear the world in this series is amazing. I still need to buy the first book which I plan to see. This is definitely my kind of books.

    Hey, just wanted to mentioned that our comment info (name, email, website) are no longer saved like it was before. We have to input that info in every time we comment. It’s not a big deal but I thought I would let you know.

  20. Heidi

    Well said! This book was kick ass and heartbreaking at the same time. The romance is so well done but frustrating at the same time. Baba Yellowlegs was something else wasn’t she!

  21. kara-karina

    brill review, K.! 🙂 I think it was a great book even if it was hard to judge with my horrendously formatted review copy for kindle. Glad you enjoyed it so much!

  22. Kim { Book Swoon }

    I’m so excited to get my hands on Crown of Midnight. I loved Throne of Glass, and if possible the sounds even better! Celaena’s character seems to have so much growth in this book, besides the amazing continuation of the story. Thanks for the wonderful review Kim!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Kim this exceeded Throne of Glass on so many levels you are in for a treat!

  23. Christa

    So happy this lives up to the first book. I absolutely love all the characters and the world and can’t wait to fall back into it

  25. kindlemom1

    You have no idea how excited I am that both you and Heidi reviewed this one today and that you both loved it. This is one of my absolute favorite series and I am so happy you both really enjoyed it as well!!
    Great review!!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Thanks Ali, I think a lot of peeps are happy with this series 🙂

  26. Shane

    Great review. I didn’t enjoy the first book that much but your review makes me want to give the second a try 🙂

  27. Jenny

    I’m so nervous to read this one Kim! I think I was the only person who didn’t fall madly in love with Throne of Glass, so I’m hesitating on picking this up just in case that happens again. I LOVE the sound of this second book though and I feel like Celaena will really be someone I can root for when I didn’t feel as much of a connection to her in the first book. I’m thrilled she makes a romantic choice and that the love triangle isn’t drawn way out:) Definitely going to have to give this one a try!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      This is better than the first, but I loved that as well, I hope you try it.

  28. Olena

    What a wonderful review! I haven’t read this series yet but I have heard so many great things about it. Your review makes me want to put my current book aside and start this series so that I can find out just how awesome it is 🙂 The cover looks awesome and definitely grabs my attention.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      ha Olena just call me the “book pusher” and this series is totally worth dropping everything else!

  29. Sarah

    Wow, look at that awesome cover! She looks bad a**! Great review 🙂

  30. Nick

    YES! Both you and Heidi gave this book 5 stars on the same day and you have no idea how happy that makes me! This series is so fabulous, so I love it when my blogging friends love it as well.
    I loved the romance in this one as you said and yes, that old woman was so creepy.
    I can’t wait for the next book either! The wait is going to be a long excruciating one.
    Fabulous review, Kim! 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      *dances and goes all fangirl with you* I could not wait to share this review and talk about it..if only all second books were like this *sigh*

  31. Jenea

    I need to pick up the first book and soon so I can catch up. Great review.

  32. Chene Sterckx

    I love it when a series just gets better and better. I will be sure to check this series out 🙂 Thank you for another great review Kimba 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      This series is fantastic, I simply can not say enough good things about Maas, I do hope you get a chance to read it Chene 🙂

  33. Naomi

    YES! YES! YES!! I thought this was a brilliant second book too!! And that ending….. I want more now!! Terrific review girl, loved it!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I so agree Naomi, my heart races just thinking about it!

  34. Tanja

    We both posted reviews for this book today! 🙂 I loved this one as much as you did. I totally agree world-building was even better here and Calaena is amazing as always. Great review 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Oh I cannot image what, this series is quite brilliant 🙂