Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

 

Summary (from the publisher): "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.

Review: In the last book, assassin Calaena Sardothien was victorious in winning a brutal contest to become the king's champion and ultimately to win her freedom. Yet despite her official title, Calaena knows the king is evil at heart and is far from loyal to the crown. But as she carries on with this charade, her closest relationships suffer, including that with the Crown Prince Dorian, the Captain of the Guard Chaol and her best friend, foreign princess Nehemia. Then, a terrible tragedy forces Calaena to examine her true loyalties and what she is fighting for. 

It was nice to see Calaena find love in this book for the first time since Sam's death in the prequel novellas. But this book is hardly a happy ending. I also liked that she still refuses to be a ruthless killer just because she's the king's champion but remains true to her nature and answers ultimately only to herself and her own conscience. Despite her motivations being questioned by her friends, Calaena never bows down to the evil goals of the king. 

I liked this installment in the series somewhat better than the first, but I am still not loving this series as much as ACOTAR. I do appreciate that this series is young adult, so the romance is much lighter but it still seems very violent for a young adult book. 

Stars: 3

Related Titles: 

• The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1 - 0.5) by Sarah J. Maas
  
• Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas
  
• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
  
• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
  
• A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
  
• A Court of Wings and Ruins by Sarah J. Maas
  
• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas