Broken glass

  I initially passed on Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas since an endorsement on the cover compared it to Game of Thrones and the Hunger Games. That sounded pretty much like a copycat of sorts to me. I was both right and wrong. As usual the endorsements didn’t really help the book, but just confused a potential reader. The story didn’t truly remind me much of either series of books mentioned, but is a somewhat original take on the mythical fantasy assassin.

  Celeana is in jail, in beyond cruel slavery in hellish salt mines, a dreary, unending existence, without any visible hope of getting out, but eventually she does, anyway. Her further path remains perilous. One wrong move may mean death. Her freedom beckons, but only if she can survive a competition between killers and become the King’s Champion. She does not ask if it’s the right thing to do. She doesn’t have a genuine choice. So she fights and keeps fighting, like she’s practically born to do.

  There is cruelty here, even if there should have been more, there is realism, even though there should have been more of it and better defined. I read the entire book through and that is certainly rare enough in itself. Usually, I lose interest halfway. The story does hold my attention. Its suspense is sufficient to hold my interest to the end, and I might want to read the next book in the series in spite of its flaws.

  This is a young adult romance book and that is ruining much of my enjoyment. An assassin behaving like a lovesick brat is so infuriating that I can hardly express it. The absence of sex and of truly mature themes in general is always insulting.