Crown of Midnight: From the # 1 Sunday Times best-selling author of A Court of Thorns and Roses (Throne of Glass)

Crown of Midnight was an action-packed, fast-paced and expertly-plotted sequel that will leave readers gasping for breath one moment and with tears pouring down their face the next. It not only will leave you wanting more, it will make you want to be a part of the vivid world Maas has created. I loved book one, and had no idea how Maas would be able to improve for the sequel, but her writing blew me away. As for Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan's Assassin and now the King's Champion, you got to have a more in-depth understanding of her character. From hunting down traitors of the Adarlan's throne for the King, to her love for chocolate cake, Celaena just grows throughout this novel. Yes, she's still arrogant and flirtatious, still walks with undeniable swagger in her steps but you also see her fall in love and deliberate how people feel towards her. While Celaena yields Damaris, the sacred sword that belonged to the first King of Adarlan, as her weapon, Maas' is clearly words. When I opened the first page of Crown of Midnight, I became completely engrossed into the world she had created once again. So in-grossed in fact, I hardly put this book down until I had finished reading it. The plotting was just incredible as well as the understanding of the world and it's history. There's an effortless quality of being able to trick the reader, in a way where a plot twist is thrown at you when you're least expecting it. Just like Celaena's victims, as a fair share of blood is spilled during the novel, you never see it coming. The writing is elegant, beautiful and descriptive - I can't believe I'm saying this is even stronger than that in Throne of Glass. Plot-wise, as Celaena can't bare to kill for the crown, she is putting those who she loves at risk. As Celaena continues to fake deaths, knowing the King could find out at any moment, she leans that there is something even deadlier taking place in the Castle. Once again, it is left to Celaena to discover what it is and try to solve it, which allows the tension to build as she learns more. As for the characters, there was this perfect contrast of good-and-bad, the heroes and the villains. Celaena does clearly favour one man in particular during this novel, and the romance for me was breath-taking. Chaol and Dorian's friendship was something I learnt a lot more about, as well as where their loyalties lie. Nehemia: the kind-hearted Ellylle Princess and Celaena's closet friend, was continuing to fight for the slaves in Calaculla while someone plots against her. There's also a talking door-knob and a witch with iron teeth - what more could you want from a sequel? The only comment I could make in a negative way would be the fact, with so much going on, at the end I became confused. I did in a way feel like I had missed something but, when you tie it all together, the next book is going to be ground-breaking! Words can't describe how much I loved this - you should read it for yourself to find out. Immediately! 4.5 Stars Fans of Throne of Glass will be gripped to this read, and will love getting to know more about the characters they fell in love with in book one.

“It was hard to care, she realised as she started the trek back to the castle. Incredibly hard to care, when you didn’t have anyone left to care about.” YES. Yes yes yes. This book delivered everything I wanted. It upped the stakes, the action, and the emotional punch. Celaena Sardothien? Absolute queen. This sequel was intense, gripping, and honestly impossible to put down. From the moment she strode towards the king with that cape flowing and a head dangling from her hand? CHILLS The men were a little less annoying this time around – but yeah, they’re still men 🙄 And from chapter 48 on? I physically could not stop reading. I buddy-read this with my best friend, and it was WORTH IT. I insulted characters, held my breath, and felt so much pride for Celaena. If you’re craving a badass heroine, action that doesn’t quit, and some light but compelling romance without unnecessary smut, you NEED this in your life. Synopsis: Celaena Sardothien, the King’s Champion, has been tasked with eliminating his enemies. But Celaena has her own plans. Torn between her deadly assignments and the secrets she’s uncovering, she must navigate palace intrigue, dangerous magic, and the weight of her past. One wrong move could cost her everything – but Celaena is never one to back down from a fight. What to Expect: 🗡️ Assassin queen energy 👑 Epic power moves 🔥 High-stakes tension 💀 Gruesome, but in the best way 📖 Unputdownable from chapter 48 on Prepare yourself – this one’s a wild ride

Absolutely brilliant! Crown of Midnight took everything I loved about Throne of Glass and turned it up a notch. The stakes are higher, the twists are sharper, and the emotional depth is far more intense. Sarah J. Maas masterfully balances action, intrigue, and heartbreak in a way that kept me completely hooked from start to finish. Celaena’s character development is phenomenal in this instalment—fierce, vulnerable, and utterly compelling. The plot is packed with secrets, betrayals, and jaw-dropping reveals that had me gasping out loud more than once. And that ending? Devastating and brilliant in equal measure. If you’re on the fence after book one, Crown of Midnight will absolutely win you over. A must-read for fantasy lovers who enjoy strong heroines, rich world-building, and a story that refuses to let go.

Crown of Midnight was one of my most anticipated reads but I tried to read it when it was first released but I had too much trouble remembering what had happened in Throne of Glass. So I put Crown of Midnight down and it’s only because I recently listened to Throne of Glass on audio that I’ve been able to finally dig in to this beauty of a book. I’m glad I did the re-read though because I definitely forgot a lot of important details. Celeana Sardothien is the royal assassin to the King of Adarlan after she won the position where she much serve the King for next several year but will eventually gain her freedom. Now she must carry out the King’s deadly tasks and take down the people that threaten his position as King. But Celeana being Celeana – head strong, determined and feisty she will never follow the King and tries to stop his plans but by doing so, she risks all she loves. But her journey is far from over and the deeper she unravels the mysteries of the castle, the more she discovers about magic and the importance of her role. Admittedly Crown of Midnight does have a slow start but because I’m so invested in the story and characters, it didn’t bother me. It was like catching up with old friends and I loved every minute of it. It’s once you hit the halfway mark that things seriously take a turn and the story becomes impossible to put down. Exciting, thrilling and so engaging this story doesn’t have a dull moment and the author really starts weaving in all the answers to the questions you’ve collected throughout the story. And the answers, the answers will simply blow you away! I wasn’t prepared for them but I’m in awe of the master piece that is this book and it shows you how talented Sarah J. Maas is! Is there anyone more badass than Celeana? Seriously this woman is amazing! Is there anything she can’t do? She’s become stronger and stronger with every turn of the series and has continued to grow and become someone to admire with her determination and courage. It’s hard not to love her! But there’s definitely more to Celeana than meets the eye and this is the book where we really discover her secrets and it left me reeling. And the story wouldn’t be complete without the two leading guys – Dorian and Chaol – whom I love for both completely different reasons. Crown of Midnight was definitely worth the wait but that ending, gosh, I’m so glad I have Heir of Fire at hand so I don’t have to wait to see what happens next. Amazing! Well done Sarah J. Maas for delivering a worthy sequel!

This is my fourth Sara J Maas book of the year, and my god has it been worth every second of reading! Crown of Midnight takes off perfectly where Throne of Glass finished, you can read my review here, so after the fierce competition to become The Kings Champion Celeana now has to live with her life killing for the king. Although Kings champion Celeana us far from the freedom she desires. Does she kill for her master, or does she live by her own morals and risk everyone she loves and holds dear? Celeana was as bad ass in CoM as she was in ToG! In fact no, I think she kicked a bit more butt in CoM after finding her feet, her confidence and her weapons she really came into her own! She's such a strong character, and so incredible you can't help but absolutely love her. Even though Celeana's character developed in each book, it's nice to see her develop across the series as a whole. It took her a while to find herself in Throne of Glass and in Crown of Midnight once she's gotten comfortable in her own skin, you start to see who she really is, and what she's really capable of. I mean lets be serious now the best part of Crown of Midnight was Chaol and Dorian. I ship Chaol and Celeana so bad guys! Chaol and Dorian are so much more in Crown of midnight than they were in Throne of Glass. They've developed and become more solid characters in my eyes. Dorian was rather besotted with Celeana in ToG, that much was clear but in CoM he sits back and lets her do her thing, whilst hurting himself too! Got to admit I felt for him so much during CoM. Chaol did the total opposite, he was so reserved about her in ToG, to the point where I don't think he actually liked her at all, and then in CoM BOOM! Someones got his thaaaang going on for her! Chaol is one of those got to love, slightly damaged but loveable characters that you root for al the time. Lovable rogue so be it! I'm excited to see where these ships sail in Heir of Fire and the rest of the series! Crown of Midnight really develops the storyline of the series, it's stands as a fabulous book and an epic instalment in the Throne of Glass series of books. The characters develop, the storyline is fast-paced and gripping and all in all it makes you crave the next instalment. I really struggle to write reviews for the second or further books in a series because I don't want to say too much in case you've not read the previous books just yet. Be warned, the ending of Crown of Midnight is utterly heartbreaking and you're ships will sink, your heart will break and it'll take you some time to recover! Until you dive into Heir of Fire! It's epic, exciting and truly unputdownable. Crown of Midnight is a book you'll revisit time and time again, and t'll break you every time. A massive, huge 5 heart read!

Okay, so while I did enjoy this book, and would read again, I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as Throne of Glass. Don’t get me wrong, I did really enjoy it; it was very exciting and action-packed. I just found it to be the same as TOG, where the first half was a little slow (and less fun) but the second half really picked up quickly and was thrilling and worth the read! It has definitely made me excited to continue with the series and see where it goes (I bought the next straight after finishing Crown of Midnight). I guess, the book could perhaps count as a very slight filler book, that it was setting up the main plot for the series (I won’t mention what that is, but if you’ve read the series, you know what I’m talking about). I liked the development of Celaena, I still think she is a great character with a truly amazing and fascinating background. I will say, however, that she did ever so slightly annoy me in this book, especially regarding Chaol and Archer. I think it’s ludicrous that she just simply believed Archer and turned on Chaol so freaking quickly, especially after everything they had shared. I still like her a lot though, and think she’s great. The development of relationships was one of the best outcomes of the book; I liked where Celaena and Chaol’s relationship went in this book. They have such great chemistry, both romantic and friendly. I also liked that Celaena and Dorian’s friendship was almost cemented in this book.

‘But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years. If you thought things couldn’t get anymore dark, twisted, dangerous and intense after reading ‘Throne Of Glass’ then you’re certainly in for a surprise with ‘Crown Of Midnight’. Truthfully it amazes me that I’d somehow managed to forget some of the events from this book as they dealt some pretty serious emotional blows to me at times. I literally couldn’t put this book down and there were segments where I didn’t even want to blink due to how intense things became. Like with book one in the series the action and intrigue is pretty much non-stop. There are more stirrings of magic, plenty of twists and turns, some pretty major revelations, swoon worthy romance and so much more. It’s the sort of fantasy novel that manages to balance all of its elements gloriously; having a mesmerising mix of darkness, danger, romance and even, on occasion, humour. I love watching the interactions between the major characters from book one; they contain the sort of banter that never fails to steal my heart. Character wise there’s a lot of revelations and development for all of the major individuals from the first book in the series. The path that Celaena’s on is one that never fails to mesmerise me although just how dark she could get at times surprised me. She’s definitely the sort of central character that you can never fully predict or put anything passed. Both Chaol and Dorian are on roads that leave me longing for more too; travelling towards future endeavours that I couldn’t even begin to predict. The world continued to dazzle and delight me, the level of work that must have gone into crafting it simply staggering to behold. There’s so much to discover in the past, present and future, that I can’t wait to devour more. And the ending is one that leaves me infinitely relieved with my ability to dive straight into book three. It’s certainly the sort of outcome that would have readers bursting with impatience at any kind of wait for more. So altogether I think it goes without saying that I recommend this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. It’s one of the most widely known YA fantasy series out there and for good reason. With so many twists, turns and devastation in book two I truly cannot fathom where the series will ultimately end up.

This is how you write a fantasy novel. Great characters, development, evolution and revelations. Magic used intelligently, and my personal favourite action. I could not put the book down. I like the way that they characters have their responsibilities and jobs but that is not all that defines them. Celaena has no problem hacking up body parts but she is still a girl who loves to shop. I think even though she is an assassin she sees herself as more of an avenger. She will avenge her friends no matter the cost. The story Celaena Sardothien won the right to become the King's Champion (personal Assassin) since then she has been charged with dispatching a number of his enemies. In many cases she brings back trophies in the form of severed heads, and family insignias (rings) still attached to the hands. However having no love for the King she has been she has been helping his enemies get away and faking their deaths. The problem is she is too good at it and even her closest friends and biggest supporters believe she has completely turned over to the dark side. Then she is given a target who intersected with her former life in Assassins Keep (Archer) a courtesan (prostitute). This simple assignment sends a ripple effect affecting Celaena and everyone she cares about. They also fills in some history; there is a more detailed account of what Celaena did the day she "snapped" in Endovier. There are also hints that Celaena knows exactly who betrayed her. In the next book I am begging for a showdown with the King of Assassins, but so far Celaena has already made enough enemies to keep her busy for a good long time, which is great news for a long series. The only thing I did find annoying in this book is the right characters suddenly appearing exactly the right moment, but will all the fate and prophecies in the book, this could be easily explained. I am a fan of Sarah's writing style having chapters of different length, and almost chunking the chapters so information is easy to take in and broken up for me. This might be a fairy tale setting but that is where the similarities stop, this is more the grim story tales type of book, with grizzly deaths, torcher, and harsh language (even though the characters do not swear in print, they usually "unleash a string of curse"). I love the Throne of Glass universe. There are references made to not only the first novel but the eBook prequels as well. This book is a lot more action packed to the first novel, there HUGE revelations about Celaena and Dorian, (who have a Luke and Leia type relationship), as well as the forces that are using them. A great book. Start it and you will not be able to put it down. You do not need to have read the previous stories to enjoy this one but they do help and after reading this one you will want to go back and read the others.