Crown of Midnight

This sequel definitely stepped things up. Compared to Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight was more engaging, with higher stakes and more emotional weight. That said, it still took a little while to get going. The first few chapters felt slow, but once the story hit its stride, I couldn’t look away.The dynamic between Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol is fascinating, but also deeply frustrating. The tension, the secrets, the lies…it’s constant. Every time I thought they were making progress, someone else would withhold something or dodge the truth. Celaena especially, her secrets drive me mad. I get it, she’s trying to protect people, but at what cost?The plot twists and emotional gut punches in the second half really delivered. One night changes everything, and the fallout is devastating. I’m still not over it.This book is where the series starts to show its darker edges and deeper world-building. If you made it through the first book and were on the fence, this one might be what pulls you in for good.

Such an amazing storyline! So many twists and turns to keep you reading! Looking forward to the rest of the series

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Yes, yes, yes! Keep them coming because YES! Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian. Perfection. The action, the intrigue, the romance, the hurt, the sacrifice, the betrayals, OMG! Spectacular! Onto the next one!For now I’m still team Celaena x Chaol, although I feel like it’s gonna be Dorian x Celaena.

I do not even know what to say. This ending was criminal. Thank goodness I am reading this now and now when it was published, because I’d be very unwell.Celaena always knew! What?!

I wasn’t sure I’d stick with this series, but this book completely changed my mind—it officially got me hooked! The pacing, character development, and plot twists kept me turning pages, and the big secret revealed at the end sealed the deal. Now I have to finish the series. If you’re on the fence, keep going—this is the one that pulls you in!

Such a great story, wrapped it up nicely with a great twist at the end, can’t wait for book three!

This one got me hooked! I was really hoping that would be the case! I do love the in-depth character development even if it feels tedious at times!

Started out slow but boy did it pick up and get interesting towards the end. I hope that means the rest of the books have more action.

I absolutely loved Crown of Midnight. This second book in the Throne of Glass series takes the story to a whole new level with intense action, complex characters, and unexpected twists that kept me glued to the pages. Celaena Sardothien’s growth throughout the novel is compelling, she’s no longer just an assassin, but a layered character struggling with loyalty, love, and her own sense of justice. The world-building is richer and darker, and the stakes feel higher than ever. The relationships, especially the tension and alliances she forms, add so much depth to the story. Overall, it’s a thrilling, emotional ride that left me eager to dive into the next book!

A great book, it has a lot of twist and surprises. I would read Assassin's Blade before I started The Throne Of Glass series so you know Celaena's story.

I love Maas and her ability to create these worlds that you can imagine and get lost in. For all of her books, i have fallen in love with the characters, and the development and crown of midnight did not disappoint. The live triangle, the hidden secrets, the twists and turns. Ugh, I live for it!! That ending, chefs kiss 🤌🤌.

Sarah J. Maas, you'll just keep getting love letters from me. I love your writing style. I love your characters. You write women and men I can't help but care so much about that it actually hurts. I want to be Celaena's friend...if she would let me in. Dorian and Choal. I love both of them, and I want them to be happy. So, just thank you! For taking the time and effort to create characters that readers like me want to come back to again and again. Also, you surprise me a lot with the plot twists and turns. There is so much going on that I pick up on one thing, but I miss another aspect altogether. Third book, here I come!

I loved this book, when I felt like it was getting slow the pace would fasten again turning into a rollercoaster of action, emotion, and even frustration at times. The way the author puzzles the story together is magnificent. I usually don’t like fantasy because of the wording, which usually is quite hard to follow, but not this book. This author knows how to keep it understandable but also intriguing and not dry. I feel like I’m a fly on the wall watching everything happen and I love it. We need a movie!

If Throne of Glass was the invitation, Crown of Midnight is the breaking point—the place where the glitter fades, the blade comes out, and everything starts to bleed.This isn’t just a sequel. It’s a rupture.Here, Celaena Sardothien is no longer a girl playing assassin in silk gowns. She’s spiraling. She’s grieving. She’s killing with purpose and breaking with consequence. Maas stops softening her and instead lets her unravel—raw, sharp, and wholly unforgettable.The book’s heart is its relationships, and none of them survive intact. Celaena and Chaol burn slow and bright—until silence and secrets destroy them. Dorian begins to fracture under the weight of magic he never asked for. And Nehemia… Nehemia becomes the story’s soul. Her death isn’t just a plot twist. It’s a detonation.From that moment on, everything changes.The grief in this book is unflinching. It doesn’t resolve. It haunts. And Maas leans into that, showing us a heroine who rages through sorrow instead of rising neatly above it. That messiness? It’s what makes this installment unforgettable.And then—just when the dust starts to settle—comes the reveal: Celaena is Aelin Galathynius. Not just an assassin. A queen.Even if you saw it coming, it lands like prophecy.This book is about loyalty and the lies it hides. About justice sharpened into vengeance. About how truth, once buried, doesn’t stay quiet—it burns. The plot tightens, the magic swells, and the world begins to expand beyond Adarlan’s poisoned borders.No, it’s not perfect. The pacing stumbles. The map is still vague. But the emotional stakes? They hit like a blade to the ribs.Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)For the secrets that shattered everything. For the girl caught between who she was and who she’ll have to become. This is where the story chooses to matter. And it does. Painfully, powerfully, completely.

I loved this book. I have to admit that Book One of this series left me a bit uncertain as to whether I wanted to continue reading the rest of the books being offered by Sarah J. Maas. This was my first time reading her books.I am so glad that I gave the series another chance!There are so many twists and turns that you genuinely do not expect or even see coming. Sarah keeps you guessing with each passing chapter. This excites me because usually I can guess what is coming with most books that I read.Not with this one.In this book, we find Celaena Sardothien accepting her hard-won position of the King’s Champion. Be prepared to hate the King for all of the vile things he is going to ask Celaena to do in his name. Throughout it all, Celeana never forgets who she is or what her end goal should be. The King has no problem asking her to kill anyone he considers to be a traitor or an enemy of his Kingdom. Celaena has to find a way to complete her tasks without losing the bright, vulnerable woman that she hides from most people.Along with the King, you will meet his son, Dorian, and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol. Each has their own special attributes. Each one develops feelings for the brave, sassy Celeana. Which one of these unique men will she choose? If any… One is magical, sensual, and oh so romantic, while the other man is more pragmatic, sensible, and constantly worries about Celaena’s safety. Each one loves her in their own special way.This is a great story of a determined woman who is on a mission to make her legacy come true. She has a great many secrets that she is desperately trying to keep hidden from those who would kill her if they knew them. Can she safely accomplish the tasks she is being held to, or will all of her loved ones pay the price for her failure?You will have to read the book to find out.I loved this book. I cannot wait to read Book Three.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. The first one started a bit slow and like I said in my review, it was a bit repetitive, BUT man… this one was INCREDIBLE. I swear.“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.”In this book we pick up right where we left off in Throne of Glass. Celaena has been named the King’s Champion and she now must fulfill his every wish. His every evil wish: kill this, kill that, and Celaena can’t do anything about it… or can’t she? She’s been told to do anything and everything in her power to uncover the King’s plans and the evil that surrounds her and everyone she cares about. Good think she’s smart.This book was so, so, SO good. I absolutely loved it. The pace picked up a lot more than it did in the first book, so it was easier to get into the story. The character development was incredible. Every single character had me guessing what they were going to do next and sometimes they turned out to be completely different than I expected. Some others turned out to be exactly what I hoped they would be. The plot twists. OMG. I didn’t see some of them coming!!!!!!! So I was a bit shocked at first, but then realized how much sense they make to get the story going. And this world. Man, this world is just so freaking awesome. Every single detail is well-thought and they are so important to the story. I loved reading every single word of this book.Celaena keeps being her sarcastic and badass self, but in this book you get to see her in her element. She fights like a true assassin, so she can be scary as hell sometimes, but the beauty of this character is that she’s the combination of a badass woman and sweet girl. She is able to recognize the good and the bad. She knows what side she’s on, even if it takes her a bit longer to come to terms with it. I think I understood her a lot more in this book. I also loved seeing her letting her guard down for a bit, and it felt completely different from what happened before. The stolen looks and stolen kisses. Meaningful words and memories. It felt deeper in this book. And I loved it, because she managed to show her vulnerable side without being weak. Not that I would think that she’s weak, of course.“But he had no idea what sort of darkness lurked inside her, or what sort of monster she was willing to become in order to make things right.”Now, let me tell you a little more about the mess this book has made out of me.I’ve always talked about how strong I am when it comes to picking a boy in the books I read. It’s always easy. There’s always something to hate about one of the boys, making it easy for me to pick one and stay true to that one boy. But this? I knew this was going to be hard. I knew it the moment Dorian kissed her for the first time. I knew it the moment Chaol reacted out of passion and protectiveness. I knew it when I noticed both of these guy’s look towards Celaena. These two characters are beautiful and passionate and just so freaking lovable:One is pure heart and magic. He’s just sweet and attentive and such beautiful and trusting soul. There’s magic within him. There’s power that he doesn’t know exists yet, but I know he’s destined for good. He is good in all the ways his father is bad.“He would move on. Because he would not be like the ancient kings in the song and keep her for himself. She deserved a loyal, brave knight who saw her for what she was and did not fear her. And he deserved someone who would look at him like that, even if the love wouldn’t be the same, even if the girl wouldn’t be her.”The other one is all about protecting those he care about, no matter the cost, all without exaggerating. He’s all about giving them the best of him, and making sure they are ok. He recognizes his mistakes for what they are and knows when to give some space. He’s passionate and trust-worthy. He’s reliable, even when he thinks he’s not.“I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn’t, but I do. So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care what happens.”And I think, no I know, it will only get harder as the story goes on.Now, the plot. OH MY GOD. There are a lot of things going on and you MUST pay attention to the details. They will show you the way to understand this amazing world and see it through the character’s eyes. Also, we have some shocking plot-twists that had me jumping up and down. Some I expected and some I didn’t, but that’s part of the beauty of this story.I love all the possibilities this book has given me. There are queens and kings in the making. There is love that goes deep, but even so, it’s still fragile. There are truths, half truths and lies. There are mysterious and different kinds of magic.I must thank you, Sarah J. Maas. You have created such a wonderful and magical place and characters. Each character and their story is interesting by itself, but as a whole, they manage to fit perfectly. This is definitely the kind of...

I hereby declare CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas the most worthy sequel of all sequels that have ever been written. Alright, perhaps I don't exactly have the authority to make such a declaration, but the beautifully-written, thrilling and mysterious sequel to the 2012 release, Throne of Glass, is more than deserving of the praise.I read both Throne of Glass and CROWN OF MIDNIGHT in an (almost) marathon, with only one book in between. I cannot believe I waited so long to start this series! Now that I've read these first two books, I am already waiting with bated breath for the next installment. The wait each year, until the sixth and (at the time of this write-up) final book is released in 2017, will be pure torture, I tell you... Pure torture.With that said, I guess you'd probably like to know why I love CROWN OF MIDNIGHT so much. I loved this second installment even more than I did the enthralling Throne of Glass, though that feat seemed near impossible at the time I was reading it. For anyone who enjoys good fiction - not just fantasy or magic or historical-type novels, but plain old good fiction - CROWN OF MIDNIGHT is a must-read. In this single novel you have the perfect combination of an original premise, a well-thought out cast of characters that you can root for as well as despise, a clash of kingdoms/enemies and allies, an unpredictable mystery, plenty of romance, action and adventure and so much more. If I had to make a comparison, after reading just the first two installments I can already see the Throne of Glass series doing for young adults (and adults) what Harry Potter did for kids (and adults) in the last two decades.What did I like most about CROWN OF MIDNIGHT? I'd say the writing, since the book is full of so many quotable passages and is highly "readable" for any lover of fiction. The descriptions the author uses to develop her world, her mythology and a history of magic are far more convincing than anything else I have read in fantasy fiction lately. Her dialogue conveys the character's personalities and emotions, while allowing the readers to fill in the blanks and develop our own opinions about their motives. The fact that the author excels in her writing style and skills is undeniable, but that is not the only reason I loved this novel...I also loved how solid every single element of the story feels. CROWN OF MIDNIGHT takes the introductions to both the characters and the world from book one and progresses those items into a solid story that, albeit fantastical, we as readers can 100% believe in. Actions and reactions roll off on each other like the swell of waves on steady seas. As with any ocean, those waves must come crashing into the shore at some point. In CROWN OF MIDNIGHT that crash comes with such force, at a point when the reader is most invested in the story, that it feels like the waves are crashing against our own heart. Because the author has created such a solid story, cast and world, both the good and the terrible things that happen within these pages are felt and believed in with every fiber of the reader's being. But that's not all...I'm always pleased when we get to see a romance progress before the final installment. I also love it when enough time has passed that the romance progresses in a realistic way, rife with uncertainty, passion and discovery. The "love triangle" that appeared in book one is quickly resolved in CROWN OF MIDNIGHT. But that is not to say that things are all unicorns and glitter for our pair of lovers... This book contains plenty of romantic swoons, I can't deny that. But we must keep in mind that we're talking about a romance involving a hired assassin for a tyrannical king, so things can (and will) go wrong for anyone who hopes for happiness... I love (LOVE) that the romance in this book feels just as solid as every other element of the story, despite its ups and downs.Can I just talk about the characters for a moment? There are so many within these pages, both old and new. In Throne of Glass I came to like the four main characters, Celaena, Chaol, Dorian and Nehelemia, as I gradually got to know them. While reading CROWN OF MIDNIGHT, my love for (and connection to) the characters just exploded! Trust me when I say that Throne of Glass was a mere build-up to the direction in which each of their lives were taken in book two. CROWN OF MIDNIGHT trumps all. Hands down.We see so much more assassin "bad-assery" out of Celaena in CROWN OF MIDNIGHT. (In Throne of Glass, I just wasn't convinced. But now.... NOW I AM.) This girl kicks some serious bad guy butt, guys. Celaena balances the fine line between good and evil with finesse, but all the while I love where her heart is in every move she makes. I never thought that I would back a killer as much as I do the young and extremely dangerous Celaena, but there you have it: I totally support every kill she makes and would totally take her on as my own personal Champion.I wish I could go on and on a...

This is one of those books. You know, the ones that you absolutely CANNOT put down for anything. Here's what I mean: I have to wake up at 4:30 each morning. I have to. But last evening I was about half-way through this book when I headed to bed. But I couldn't sleep. At all. I HAD to know what happened next. I tried and tried and tried to sleep, but I would not rest until I finished the entire story. Finally, at about 3 am I finished, but even then I could not sleep. My mind replayed the events of this story over and over and over again. My words will not give this book justice. It is just SO, SO GOOD. It may rank as one of my favorite books ever.I will not spoil this story for this review, so feel safe to read on.What I LOVED:Chaol!!!! Oh wow, how I loved Chaol! Strong, stoic, loyal, caring ... but fallible. In this story the stoic Captain of the Guard opens up a bit ... just a bit, but it is enough to fully entrench him in my heart as one of my favorite book heroes. And I don't think it is spoiling too much to say that when he weeps inside a broom closet at one point in the story he gained my heart completely. His struggle in this story was heart-breaking at times.Celaena! Do you know what I love about this amazing heroine? She can be so ruthless and hard. She can kill a strong man without flinching. She is fierce and talented. But she isn't this emotionless automaton. She shows feelings of tenderness and kindness. Even in the face of such a horrendous profession as an assassin she manages to retain her femininity at times. She doesn't like for people to see her vulnerability, but she can be vulnerable at times. She cries. She loves. She does't always have the right answers, and sometimes she makes big, big errors. She can be selfish in many ways, and as Nehemia points out, she can act as a coward at times. She is absolutely amazing! Sarah Maas manages to write a complicated heroine with many layers. She does not fit into any stereotype. She fascinates me at every turn in the story.Dorian! Dorian almost takes a back seat in the first half of this story, but by the end of the story it is easy to remember how much I liked him in Throne of Glass. He is a source of goodness in a kingdom of evil. In this story he faces a knowledge about himself that is terrifying ... something that could send him to the gallows if anyone discovers it. He is still dealing with his love for Celaena, but is working through things. I am totally on Team Chaol for this story, but I do love Dorian and hope that all ends well for him by the end of this series.The romance. In this day and age romance is often rushed in stories. Authors race through the preliminaries in romantic relationships in order to get straight to the kissing and declarations of love. In this story I appreciated Maas's subtlety as she wrote the romance. The romance is not the central part of the story, and yet the romance infuses every single action in some way. Chaol proves his love for Celaena over and over and over again without ever uttering a word. Everyone could see the love that these two felt for each other even though neither one had declared that love. The events of this story were absolutely beautiful at times ... the sorts of scenes that I love to relive over and over in my head and re-read from time to time.The story. This story has it all. There is danger and mystery. There is romance. There is friendship. There are alliances and betrayals. This is a complicated story that doesn't feel complicated. I can see the convergence of action that is leading to something greater. Nothing is entirely predictable, keeping me on edge as I read. Authors of high fantasy can often come across as pretentious as they create their worlds and craft their story. But Sarah Maas manages to write a fantasy that is easy to relate to. The themes presented are universal, and the dilemmas the characters face are realistic. This is such a well-written book.It had been awhile since I read Throne of Glass, so I was a bit concerned that I would have forgotten key details about the plot. Maas is able to leave gentle reminders that kept me in the story without making it feel like a giant recap lesson. I was able to quickly re-enter this world and join the story without a lot of confusion, thank goodness.I cannot understand exactly why all of these people feel this need to be so loyal to such an awful king. Maybe it is fear. Maybe there is little choice. I don't know. But I do look forward to seeing how Dorian, Chaol, and Celaena come together to bring good to a world so unused to happiness. This is a story that will resonate with me for a long, long time. I can't praise it enough. Five stars!