The Assassins Blade

Ellie 

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

“Saying that she was sorry didn't feel adequate. She knew what this sort of loss was like, and words didn't do anything at all.”

"Where do men find it in themselves to do such monstrous things? How do they find it acceptable?"

“"I hoped she would eventually trust me enough to tell me. I had to give her that chance, even though it was a risk. I hoped she would learn to face her pain- that she'd learn to endure it." He smiled sadly at Celaena. "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."”

Lily

It's past four in the morning." She said, adjusting the folds of her crimson silk dressing gown and crossing her bare legs beneath the wooden table. "This had better be important". 

"Perhaps if you hadn't been reading all night, you wouldn't be so exhausted," snapped the young man seated across from her.

Mia Lisandra 

First book out of the tog series that I listened to and damn SJM isn’t playing! Heart already broken!!

Femke

I wish I would have read this first. You would see it all progress more

ava 

Another good book in the series. I know this is a controversial topic of where to read this book. I do think it should be read between the books in the series just so that emotional connection is there for the characters. It will impact the story more too. But I can also see how people could read it first. I prefer the earlier because of what I stated because of what you know so far. It also raises so many questions about what could happen next in some situations too. 

Priscilla Stanfield

ITS 4.5 BECAUSE I READ IT AFTER HEIR OF FIRE!!!!!! THAT IS THE BEST TIME TO READ THIS DO NOT READ IT AS A PREQUEL

Katherine Marie Elizabeth

Now with having a connection to Sam and seeing his personality … my heart breaks. Such a good novella. I wish I would have read this first. But so grateful that she did publish this. 

Alana 

Cass Paul

It was so good but long, but it makes so much more sense now. 

Hope Aaron 

I genuinely don’t know how I stopped reading this book for so many months. The newness of my kindle was so much more fun than a regular book BUT LET ME TELL YOU!!!! I cried, I cried and cried and now need to re read the first 3 tog books to remember what I’ve forgotten b4 I continue

Cheyenne Willis

The first three novellas were a pleasant surprise. I’m not huge on prequels, especially not in the middle of the main storyline, but I was able to get lost in the first three stories and enjoy learning about Celaena’s character at this point in her development.

I did not like the last two novellas as much. I appreciated getting to learn about the dynamic between her and Arobynn, especially going into Queen of Shadows. But the entire last two novellas I just felt dread because I knew where the plot was headed. Additionally, I was surprised by how flawed her relationship with Sam was. Which isn’t too much of a surprise I guess given that he was her first boyfriend but damn they just didn’t talk things through. Also, watching Caelena not put the pieces together that it was Arobynn who betrayed her was so frustrating. I understand that she’s blinded by her longstanding and complicated relationship with him, but it’s so consistent with his character, so consistent with his actions in prior novellas. He’s not even particularly subtle with the hints that he’s involved with the plot. So yeah I get it, but still frustrating.

Still a worthy read; I feel like it adds a lot to the story

Bethany Jenkins

The first three novellas were a pleasant surprise. I’m not huge on prequels, especially not in the middle of the main storyline, but I was able to get lost in the first three stories and enjoy learning about Celaena’s character at this point in her development.

I did not like the last two novellas as much. I appreciated getting to learn about the dynamic between her and Arobynn, especially going into Queen of Shadows. But the entire last two novellas I just felt dread because I knew where the plot was headed. Additionally, I was surprised by how flawed her relationship with Sam was. Which isn’t too much of a surprise I guess given that he was her first boyfriend but damn they just didn’t talk things through. Also, watching Caelena not put the pieces together that it was Arobynn who betrayed her was so frustrating. I understand that she’s blinded by her longstanding and complicated relationship with him, but it’s so consistent with his character, so consistent with his actions in prior novellas. He’s not even particularly subtle with the hints that he’s involved with the plot. So yeah I get it, but still frustrating.

Still a worthy read; I feel like it adds a lot to the story

i'm crying, i literally feel like i will never feel whole again. i think the wounds this book has created will never truly heal tbh

kristin :)

I read this before TOG to begin the series and I’m so glad I did!

Kimberley Leader

Ashley LeBlanc Wilson

Theresa Lisa 

What did I just read 

I wanted connection 

"My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid" 

I got this book in the mail this morning and finished it with 5 minutes to midnight...I'm usually not one for short stories but this was incredible. I love how the ending built right up to the first book and how they all flowed so well. 

I found myself so attached to Sam by the end but I already knew it wouldn't end well no matter how much I hoped. I'm so hyped to get into Queen of Shadows tomorrow! 

Individually they rated something like this: 

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord - 4/5
The Assassin and the Healer - 3.5/5
The Assassin and the Desert - 4/5
The Assassin and the Underworld - 4.5/5
The Assassin and the Empire - 5/5

Jessica

4,5
The more I read this series the more I relate to Celaena. It makes me deeply sad. But great book tho :)

I know there’s hot debate about when in the series to read this book. I’ve seen people say to read it before Tower of Dawn but I read it last after everything. You could honestly read it first too. It’s 5 shorter novellas with a continuous timeline and there’s callbacks to all the other characters we meet throughout the series, and it’s cool to hear their stories later. I think I enjoyed it more because I was already familiar with Rolfe, Ansel, and Yrene.  

I will literally never recover from this series. 

Madeleine Winterich

I know there’s hot debate about when in the series to read this book. I’ve seen people say to read it before Tower of Dawn but I read it last after everything. You could honestly read it first too. It’s 5 shorter novellas with a continuous timeline and there’s callbacks to all the other characters we meet throughout the series, and it’s cool to hear their stories later. I think I enjoyed it more because I was already familiar with Rolfe, Ansel, and Yrene.  

I will literally never recover from this series. 

I read this after crown of midnight and whilst I’m personally content with the reading order I chose I would probably recommend reading this first.

Despite I guess already knowing how this would end I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I think it certainly rounds out Celaena’s character. Each of the short stories felt purposeful except maybe the healer though I can only assume we will see that weave it’s way into the plot in later books.

I had hoped we would go a little further back in time but I also understand why the author would leave that out to serve the plot better overall.

Only giving three stars because if I had read this first I’m not sure if I would have continued the series. I feel like I enjoyed because I’d already read throne of glass and crown of midnight but without those I’m not sure I would have been that invested.

Natalie Noble

Reading order

I read this after crown of midnight and whilst I’m personally content with the reading order I chose I would probably recommend reading this first.

Despite I guess already knowing how this would end I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I think it certainly rounds out Celaena’s character. Each of the short stories felt purposeful except maybe the healer though I can only assume we will see that weave it’s way into the plot in later books.

I had hoped we would go a little further back in time but I also understand why the author would leave that out to serve the plot better overall.

Only giving three stars because if I had read this first I’m not sure if I would have continued the series. I feel like I enjoyed because I’d already read throne of glass and crown of midnight but without those I’m not sure I would have been that invested.

kristine hugøy vie

Marchelle

4.5/5 Rating. 

"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."

Vanya de Lang 

Emotionally wrecking. A story about love, loss, friendship, betrayal and much more. An excellent read.

Anna Olivia

june

Sam and celaena deserves a better ending. I’m emo

elizabeth church

** spoiler alert **
           I'm so glad I read this book!! I usually never read prequels or any books outside of the main series, but the reading order I got off of TikTok had it and the series pack I bought included it so I just decided to start it and see how it goes... and it made me cry and it was amazing. Seeing Celaena before going to Endovier, before the King's Champion contest, was so interesting and I loved seeing what she was like before it all happened. Ughhhh and Sam. I postponed reading the last story just because I didn't feel like crying during my Canada holiday, but then Roe v Wade got overturned and I already cried like 4 times that day, so I decided to read it finally... and I'm just now realizing this is a lot of info, but whatever... ANYWAY, Sam dying, ugh I don't even have words for how sad that was, Celaena's reaction to it all, ugh I don't know what to say, it was all so sad I can't. I didn't get to really connect with the characters in this book because it was all kinda short stories but I could feel how much Celaena connected with them and that's what made me love them: Ansel, that barmaid who I forgot the name of, SAM, they were all very meaningful people in Celaena's life. OH MY GOSH and being able to connect things that Celaena talked about in ToG and CoM to her past made me SO HAPPY. Like the Asterion horse she stole from the Lord of whatever... and that's all I remember but THERE WAS MORE things that I related back to the earlier books while reading this.

The Assassins Blade

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