The Assassin's Blade
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Emotional
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The Assassin's Blade The Throne of Glass Novellas

Sarah J. Maas2014
The action-packed introduction to the legendary Throne of Glass series - an irresistible bind-up of all five of #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's Assassin novellas Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassins' Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed prequel novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery . . . Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine and find out how the legend begins in the five page-turning prequel novellas to the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.
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Reviews

Photo of Allison
Allison@allikat
5 stars
Jan 27, 2025

Loved! The third novella absolutely broke my heart. As did the fifth one. Such amazing character and world building. So glad I read it first.

Photo of Karen
Karen@kruiz
3 stars
Jan 21, 2025

I am dead inside

Photo of Cameron Gleeson
Cameron Gleeson @cammygleeson
5 stars
Jan 14, 2025

i am heart broken.

Photo of Hannah Alexander
Hannah Alexander @reviews_a_latte
4 stars
Jan 10, 2025

SOBBING

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rain adrastea@rainrkive
3.5 stars
Jan 3, 2025

once i figured out how to undoom him from the narrative the wedding is BACK ON!

+1
Photo of Allysen
Allysen@allysennn
3 stars
Dec 31, 2024

soooo good. I definitely loved going back in time after knowing information ab the characters and stuff. Reading it 3rd was def a good call ONTO THE NEXT

Photo of Frankie Fleming
Frankie Fleming@letsread22
3 stars
Nov 1, 2024

Good… but I wanted more!! Excited for sequels

Photo of julie reads
julie reads@juliepalacio
5 stars
Sep 3, 2024

i cared more about sam in one book than i have for anyone else halfway through the series. i knew it was coming and still wasn’t prepared for it. if i were her, i would’ve killed myself romeo and juliet style idc.

Photo of Janice Walker
Janice Walker@walkertexasranger
3 stars
Aug 29, 2024

Meh

Photo of Isabelle
Isabelle@balletje
3.5 stars
Aug 24, 2024

I read AB as the 4th book in the series and I'm glad I did. I've had people recommend me to read it as the first of third(which I probably would have liked as well) book in the series but I was too much into the story to read this book after CoM.

While I thought the first couple of short stories were a bit boring sometimes, I really enjoyed learning about Celaena's past. In the three books I've read, there were multiple things hinted from her past (like stealing an Asterion mare or spending time in the Red desert) and I really liked that I already sort of knew how these things affected Celaena.

I think that I wouldn't have enjoyed this book as much if I had read it as the first book in the series, simply because I wouldn't have had an idea of Celaena herself and her 'mysterious' backstory in Rifthold. I also think it adds to your reading experience if you already know she's originally from Terrassen, even if (SPOILER) you don't know she's Aelin yet.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, even if at some points it was a bit to slow for my liking.

+3
Photo of Cici Pearson
Cici Pearson@cocoisabird
3 stars
Aug 16, 2024

tbh the only novella worth it in this collective is the last one, the others were fun but also boring and distracting ? idk the final one was the only one that lent anything to the over all

This review contains a spoiler
Photo of Bethany
Bethany@bethibley
3.5 stars
Aug 6, 2024

Ok, the first three novellas were sooo good, I loved finally seeing all the adventure and swash-buckling bad-assery I expected when first introduced to Adarlin's Assassin in Throne of Glass. The last two novellas, however, were excruciatingly slow with all the dialogue and meandering around Riften, especially in the last novella when we already knew Sam's fate. I know it's because there needed to be a relationship fully established with Sam before the finale since we didn't see much of him until the 4th novella, but the plot underneath felt repetitive and pointless--ESPECIALLY since Arobynn's betrayal (BOTH times) was so comically obvious that I lost complete faith in Celaena's supposed intelligence. It was nice to finally know the exact events leading up to Celaena becoming a slave in Endovier, so it was definitely worth the read for the backstory; I just wish the last two novellas weren't so long or predictable.

+2
Photo of Jennifer Gosnell
Jennifer Gosnell@jennifereveann
4 stars
Jul 19, 2024

These novellas are fantastic! I didn’t anticipate that they would be so close in the timeline to ToG and would pick up one after another. I really love that we got to really see Celaena in action, and in a myriad of different circumstances. It was delightful, heartbreaking, and twisty/turny. I’m torn on the reading order. I see the arguments for reading this book first, and the arguments for reading it 3rd or 4th. I read it 3rd, after Crown of Midnight… Overall I think that worked for me.

Photo of Maya
Maya @restupkin
3 stars
Jul 11, 2024

3.75 ★ “I will not be afraid.” The ending of this book shattered me. Realizing that she’s just a young girl. All the things they put her through. All the horrors she had to go through. Just for her to be used again and again. Being betrayed every step of the way. She just can’t catch a break it breaks my heart :(

Photo of Haley
Haley@waddlesworld
3 stars
Jul 9, 2024

At first I really enjoyed this book but towards the end it started getting slower and harder for me to get through. Overall the book was good.

Photo of Kaylin Paige
Kaylin Paige@brattybookworm
4 stars
Jun 28, 2024

This was great. I have heard that this is the worst book in the series but that is simply untrue. I loved this book and every story inside of it.


The ending devastated me. I am a mixture of emotions rn. But this is just the prologue, so I am so excited to see where this story goes.

Photo of Mackenzie Richardson
Mackenzie Richardson@mackenzie
3 stars
Jun 14, 2024

It was kind of hard for me to get into this story. I think I just was looking for something similar to other SJM books, and I didn’t find it at first. However, about half way through I started to enjoy it. I think I just didn’t enjoy the story breaking up between the novellas. The story was pretty slow in the beginning I feel like.

Even though it was hard for me to get into, I’m glad I started with Assassin’s Blade. I couldn’t IMAGINE starting the series not knowing what happened. I wish we could’ve gotten to know more about Sam, but also he seemed to be a pretty surface level character. The part where he said his biggest secret was that he was in love with Celaena was a little… underwhelming. I guess if his only purpose was to die, then I understand why we didn’t know more, but still.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this story. I loved when Celaena was with the secret assassins the most. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

This review contains a spoiler
+4
Photo of CLAUDIA VALDES
CLAUDIA VALDES@cloudvaldes
5 stars
Jun 4, 2024

i’m telling you right now, this book has altered my life path. this book means everything to me, n sam is so wonderful and beautiful and he deserves so much light and this book has destroyed me. i hate it and i love it and im sad

Photo of Aims
Aims@aimz
4 stars
May 30, 2024

Wow! Don’t read this as the first book in the series. It definitely hits harder once you know a little……..

+3
Photo of Valentina Williams
Valentina Williams@valentina99
2.5 stars
May 28, 2024

Not my favorite but I see now why I had to read it. Men are trash — confirmed.

Photo of Gabriella Mustica
Gabriella Mustica@gmustica
5 stars
Apr 28, 2024

i read this third and knew a bit about celaena’s past just from reading throne of glass and crown of midnight. learning all of the details that make celaena who she is made me love her even more! I sobbed!! I can’t wait to read the heir of fire and the rest of the series

Photo of Edna Aviles
Edna Aviles@avilese07
5 stars
Apr 13, 2024

I got mixed reviews on this one, some people said it was boring to get through & I couldn’t disagree more & im glad I read it in the order I’m reading right now cause it’s got be ready to dive into the next book! I enjoyed this one.

+3
Photo of Z♡
Z♡ @kanzee
4 stars
Apr 6, 2024

4★ i’m so glad i read this one after Heir of Fire. the emotional impact with the relationships between characters hit harder during the later books in the series and even though i knew what was coming, it didn’t stop the tears

Photo of Neeha Mian
Neeha Mian@beezkneez
4 stars
Apr 6, 2024

My fave out of TOG so far!

Highlights

Photo of Karen
Karen@kruiz

“He sent you to the Red Desert,” Sam went on, his words soft and low. “But my punishment was having to watch him beat you that night.”

Page 262

screaming

Photo of Karen
Karen@kruiz

Trying so hard not to get attached to sam cortland and failing. #pain

Page 139
Photo of maría 🪻
maría 🪻@mariaxgp

She would tuck Sam into her heart, a bright light for her to take out whenever things were darkest. And then she would remember how it had felt to be loved, when the world had held nothing but possibility. No matter what they did to her, they could never take that away.

Page 434

💔

This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Syrina
Syrina@syrinaina

Where she was, it was quiet, and damp, and cold, and reeked of mildew and refuse.

Page 417
Photo of Inés García Piñeiro
Inés García Piñeiro@inesgarciapi

Cuando estoy demasiado asustado, empiezo a decirme a mí mismo: Me llamo Sam Cortland... y no tendré miedo. Llevo años haciéndolo.

le quiero mucho😭

This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Cassie French
Cassie French@cassiebargerfrench

"If you can learn to endure pain, you can survive anything. Some people learn to embrace it -to love it. Some endure it through drowning it in sorrow, or by making themselves forget. Others turn it into anger.”

Page 223
Photo of Inés García Piñeiro
Inés García Piñeiro@inesgarciapi

-¿Pero por qué? ¿Por qué no puedes superarlo?

Él la tomó por los hombros y la sacudió.

-¡Porque te amo!

Ella se quedó con la boca abierta.

-Te amo-repitió él y volvió a sacudirla- Te he amado desde hace años. Y él te lastimó y me obligó a ver mientras lo hacía porque siempre lo ha sabido. Pero si te pidiera que eligieras, elegirías a Arobynn, y... Yo. No. Podría. Soportarlo.

Sam te adoro 😭

This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Miranda Watson
Miranda Watson@mirno15

If you can learn to endure pain you can survive anything. Some people learn to embrace it-to love it. Some endure it through drowning it in sorrow, or by making themselves forget. Others turn it into anger. But Ansel let her pain become hate, and let it consume her until she became something else entirely - a person don't think she ever wished to be

Page 223

👀

This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Miranda Watson
Miranda Watson@mirno15

Prayed Yrene Towers seized her life with both hands and set out for the pale-stoned owers city of Antica. Prayed that somehow, years from now, Yrene Towers would return to this continent, and maybe, just maybe, heal their shattered world a little bit.

IYKYK

Photo of Leni McLeod
Leni McLeod@lenimcleodreads

And she was not afraid.

Page 225

kill yourself I’m crying

Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

"I do the things that I do because I'm afraid . . . And because I don't know how to express what I feel"

Page 374
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nara davies@narara

She preferred the silence. In the silence she couldn't hear the worst question of all: had she brought this upon herself?

Page 338
Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

"I love you," he breathed against her mouth. "And from today onward, I never want to be separated from you. Wherever you go, I go. Even if that means going to hell itself, wherever you are, that's where I what to me. Forever."

Page 333
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nara davies@narara

In the silence of her bedroom, she swore an oath to the moonlight that if Sam were hurt, no force in the world would hold her back from slaughtering everyone possible.

Page 315
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nara davies@narara

"I love you,” he repeated, shaking her again. “I have for years. But if I asked you to pick, you’d choose Arobynn, and I. Can’t. Take. It.”

“You’re a damned idiot,” she breathed grabbing the front of his tunic. “You’re a moron and an ass and a damned idiot." He looked like she had hit him. But she went on, and grasped both sides of his face. “Because I’d pick you."

Page 311
Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

"Well, I care what you think of me. I care enough that I stayed at this disgusting party just for you. And I care enough that I'd attend a thousand more like it so I can spend a few hours with you when you aren't looking at me like I'm not worth the dirt beneath your shoes"

Page 284
Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

“My name is Celaena Sardothien,” she whispered, “and I will not be afraid.

Page 435
Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

The music broke her apart and put her back together, only to rend her asunder again and again.

Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

Quiet as mice, quiet as the wind, quiet as the grave.

Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

Everything has a price."

Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

The girl who'd taken on a Pirate Lord and his entire island, the girl who'd stolen Asterion horses and raced along the beach in the Red Desert, the girl who'd sat on her own rooftop, watching the sun rise over Avery, the girl who'd felt alive with possibility...that girl was gone.

Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

“You want to hear something ridiculous? Whenever I’m scared out of my wits, I tell myself: My name is Sam Cortland … and I will not be afraid. I’ve been doing it for years.”

Page 377
Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

This girl wasn’t like wildfire—she was wildfire. Deadly and uncontrollable. And slightly out of her wits.

Photo of nara davies
nara davies@narara

"Life isn't easy, no matter where you are. You'll make choices you think are right, and then suffer for them."

Page 101