Audio Review: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas
Narrator: Elizabeth Evans
Series: Throne of Glass #0
Published by Bloomsbury on 2014-04-01
Age Range: 14+
Length: 435 pages
Length: 12 hours and 52 minutes
Listening Speed: 2x
Reviewing Audiobook, Hardcover from Audible, My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2025 Audiobook Challenge, 2025 Beat the Backlist

The twist of a knife. The birth of a legend.

Step into the world of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas with this collection of prequel novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful Assassin's Guild and its scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, she yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. But when Arobynn dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, Celaena finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her own allegiance.

If she hopes to escape Arobynn's clutches, Celaena will have to put her faith in her wits and her blade . . . knowing that if she fails, she'll lose not just a chance at freedom but her life.

A prequel to the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas explores the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling-and deadly-world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

Confession time: This is my fifth….no sixth time reading this book, and for some reason unbeknownst to me I’ve never reviewed it 😅 The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas is a collection of novellas set before the Throne of Glass series in which we are introduced to Adarlan’s Assassin in all her glory and see how she winds up the mines of Endovier at the start of book one. The very first time I read these was just before the release of Queen of Shadows, the fourth in the series, and I was enthralled then as I am now.

Celaena Sardothien is an assassin serving under Arobynn Hamel, the leader of the Assassin’s Guild in Adarlan. Her master found, rescued, and raised her after her home and family were destroyed in the king’s quest to conquer the continent. Her loyalty to him is almost unquestionable, until he sends her and Sam, Celaena’s rival assassin, to the pirate lord to set up a slave trade between them. That’s a line she will not cross, and so sets the stage for her ultimate downfall.

I love Celaena. She’s cocky (with good reason), stubborn, arrogant, but with a good heart. Yes, she is an assassin with a heart, high standards, and morals. She doesn’t kill just anyone, and because she is the best, her identity is kept secret to all not inside the guild. Her relationship with Sam builds tentatively after they work together in the first story and crescendos by the end. I loved seeing it grow and blossom.

Overall, I loved The Assassin’s Blade. There are five interconnected tales within this book, each featuring a mission Celaena undertakes. The stakes grow higher with each mission, and with each mission, Celaena’s loyalty begins to waver. I loved the backstory we are given in each story, with The Assassin and the Desert being my favorite. If you are a fan of the series or looking to dip your toes into Maas’s worlds, I highly recommend it.

Audiobook Note: I opted to listen this time. I love Elizabeth Evans’s narration. She is fantastic. Her inflections bring Celaena to life on the page. Highly recommend if you enjoy audio.

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