Book Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Date Started: August 28th 2013
Date Completed: August 31st 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Action, Thriller, Mystery, Adventure
Rating: Five stars
Review:
How do I begin a review of this book? I'm actually speechless for how to start this. Crown of Midnight had my complete attention the whole way through, made my heart race more than once, and broke it several times. 'So many feels' has never been as relevant as it is now. I thought Throne of Glass was hard to top, but Maas has taken the series to another level, and I need more.
Crown of Midnight opens shortly after the end of Throne of Glass. Now the King's Champion, Celaena Sardothien has started to fake the deaths of her 'victims', offering them a chance to flee the city and never return. She knows the risks surrounding her betrayal to the king, but instead decides to ignore them. But when she's given the name of one of her old friends to dispose of, it seems he might have information to give her that is vitally important. Torn between her duty, morals and the conflicting feelings about the people around her, Celaena must chose her priorities and somehow work out how to save the world in the process.
Maas' writing is great. It's definitely one of the higher levels of sophistication in Young Adult fiction, but it's still easy enough to read, and the flow of the words helps this. The action is beautifully described, and I can truly see Celaena performing all the stunts. There was a bit less in this book than the last, and when it was included it didn't have the grace that was present previously - but that is because of the circumstances of the story, rather than poor writing.
I believe all the characters all the time, which is really important in a novel like this. It's very character-based, as well as the story, so the reader needs to feel connected to the people and care about what happens to them. This was the case for me to the point where I was actually feeling upset for the characters - both with the little and large things.
The story is so complex, and travels so far in such a short time, I'm not even sure where to start. There's several main plots, and then the even smaller details that drop hints for things to come, and are just enjoyable to read. And it's all synchronised so well that none of it clashes, and everything ties in with each other (rather than being separate and unnecessary). It must have taken forever to work out how everything was going to play out, especially since none of it is rushed or ignored or left unexplained (apart from when it's intentional, of course).
You might look at my synopsis and think that this book is going to be able the main character covering her tracks so she doesn't get caught out as a fraud - but then she slips up and she has to somehow rescue everyone she cares about. But no. That is a typical Young Adult plot line. This is a Sarah J. Maas novel. I actually had some trouble writing the synopsis because I had to think about what actually happened at the beginning of this book - because so much goes on and the development is amazing; Celaena is almost a completely different person by the end.
The magic in this book is so good. It's the traditional Fae magic, but the way it's described combines some more modern interpretations of faeries and spells, runes etc to get this new and unique form. It fascinates me and the whole backstory is so well orchestrated I would happily read a 'non-fiction' book about the whole world. Furthermore, the inclusion of magic in the plot is so subtle, yet it's amazingly effective. It isn't the main element of the story (although it is a key aspect), yet it's very important - it just adds that depth and realism to the story that just makes it better and better and better.
Lastly, the romance. If you've read some of my earlier reviews, you'll know that I often rant about romance. I don't like plots to be consumed by it, and it annoys me when it's unrealistic and perfect and just stupid. But the relationships in Crown of Midnight are exactly the kind of thing I really enjoy, and can really get into. It's heartbreakingly realistic, and I can feel the chemistry between the characters. The even better thing is Celaena doesn't lead people she isn't in love with on. (This is one of the main things I hate about the majority of Young Adult love triangles - many girls seem to take their time in deciding which boy they'd like, when both of those in question have to wait around - probably feeling like crap.) And she doesn't forgive mistakes, but she can't help still having feelings anyway. It's an amazingly realistic portrayal of what I'd expect love to be like, showing not only the memorable, quiet moments, but the unpleasantries and confusion and betrayal and hate and fragility or its nature.
I love these characters, and I've loved them since the beginning - but they just keep getting better. I've always loved characters that have mystery around them, because it makes them interesting and gives you something to think about. The great thing about Maas' characters is that they are constantly revealing new aspects of their personality, or history - or even finding them out for the first time themselves. This constantly engages the reader and keeps them on their toes, waiting for what might happen next.
Celaena continues to be my favourite character of all time. I fell in love with her gentle nature - but I love her unstoppable, ruthless side as well. We rarely see truly ferocious female characters in Young Adult books these days, and so Celaena is not only a breath of fresh air from the typical examples of YA heroines, but she's also incredibly stunning the learn about. In addition, she's an extremely clever girl with a loud mouth and a ton of abilities we actually get to witness (rather than just hearing about). I absolutely love her and I connected with her so well that I really did care what happened to her, and I still do.
Chaol. Where to start with Chaol. He's a new take on the common good-looking action male lead. But instead of being reckless (for which Celaena takes all) he's controlled, calm and clever. I really like this combination, since we don't get to see it much these days. I loved that tender side of him, and I can tell that he really cares about Celaena. Even later in the story, he still goes out of his way to help her, when it clearly doesn't help him. I think he's great and my heart is still breaking for him.
Dorian is probably the perfect boy. I've never been sure which of the two boys I liked more; and I'm still not. But Dorian is like the softer side of Chaol - I do sometimes think they're so alike they're almost the same person. They're both intelligent, controlled and care deeply about Celaena. (They both also know when to let go (whether they succeed or not) - thank god for some Young Adult authors that actually understand that.) But Dorian's almost cleverer than Chaol when he accepts earlier on, and helps his friend no matter what. I felt really sorry for him, but I also admired the fact that he didn't put himself first - also a contradiction from the typical 'princely' persona.
(I understand this might not make complete sense is you haven't read the book, but I'm trying not to give away spoilers.)
I've never been quite sure of Nehemia. I think I was wary of her at first, and it did take me a while to trust her, but now I do and I think Celaena needs a friend like her. They work really well together, but I love the fact that there's still an unspoken tension between the two about their origins and actions. Another time my heart broke.
Roland kind of disappeared after a while. I don't know whether that was important to the plot, or perhaps will be used later in the series - or if he had used up his usefulness. I thought he was very interesting when he was involved, and I hope to see more of him in the future.
I just love Mort. I think he's hilarious, and I just really love him. Not much else to say other than I think one of my favourite characters of all time is a bronze door-knocker.
The pace was fast - and I mean fast. So much happened; there were so many twists and turns; it almost feels like many stories wrapped into one when I look back on it. I couldn't put the book down for most of the time I was reading it - and only then because I actually had to do something. Everything was relevant and somehow important to the plot.
But none of it was rushed whatsoever. Maas took her time to explain everything and write it all in detail and make sure nothing was overlooked or made less important than it needed to be. We didn't miss any details because Maas wanted to get onto a later part - which tends to happen a lot in these sorts of books, where there's numerous plots and twists occurring at the same time.
I would recommend this book to absolutely everybody. It's one of my favourite books of all time (and you know how picky I am). It's got action, fantasy, mystery, thrills, romance, comedy. Literally, anything you'd want. And I don't think it's completely aimed at girls. I'm sure the pure adrenaline in a lot of this story would satisfy boys as well. It's honestly so good, and the story could go anywhere from here. You should read Throne of Glass first (or maybe the novellas if you aren't sure and just want to try it out) or you might get confused and there are some pretty huge plot spoilers.
I completely fell in love with this book and I'm actually getting excited by the prospect of another one on it's way.
Image Source: http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q799/
snugglyoranges/covers/CrownofMidnight.jpg
How do I begin a review of this book? I'm actually speechless for how to start this. Crown of Midnight had my complete attention the whole way through, made my heart race more than once, and broke it several times. 'So many feels' has never been as relevant as it is now. I thought Throne of Glass was hard to top, but Maas has taken the series to another level, and I need more.
Crown of Midnight opens shortly after the end of Throne of Glass. Now the King's Champion, Celaena Sardothien has started to fake the deaths of her 'victims', offering them a chance to flee the city and never return. She knows the risks surrounding her betrayal to the king, but instead decides to ignore them. But when she's given the name of one of her old friends to dispose of, it seems he might have information to give her that is vitally important. Torn between her duty, morals and the conflicting feelings about the people around her, Celaena must chose her priorities and somehow work out how to save the world in the process.
Maas' writing is great. It's definitely one of the higher levels of sophistication in Young Adult fiction, but it's still easy enough to read, and the flow of the words helps this. The action is beautifully described, and I can truly see Celaena performing all the stunts. There was a bit less in this book than the last, and when it was included it didn't have the grace that was present previously - but that is because of the circumstances of the story, rather than poor writing.
I believe all the characters all the time, which is really important in a novel like this. It's very character-based, as well as the story, so the reader needs to feel connected to the people and care about what happens to them. This was the case for me to the point where I was actually feeling upset for the characters - both with the little and large things.
The story is so complex, and travels so far in such a short time, I'm not even sure where to start. There's several main plots, and then the even smaller details that drop hints for things to come, and are just enjoyable to read. And it's all synchronised so well that none of it clashes, and everything ties in with each other (rather than being separate and unnecessary). It must have taken forever to work out how everything was going to play out, especially since none of it is rushed or ignored or left unexplained (apart from when it's intentional, of course).
You might look at my synopsis and think that this book is going to be able the main character covering her tracks so she doesn't get caught out as a fraud - but then she slips up and she has to somehow rescue everyone she cares about. But no. That is a typical Young Adult plot line. This is a Sarah J. Maas novel. I actually had some trouble writing the synopsis because I had to think about what actually happened at the beginning of this book - because so much goes on and the development is amazing; Celaena is almost a completely different person by the end.
The magic in this book is so good. It's the traditional Fae magic, but the way it's described combines some more modern interpretations of faeries and spells, runes etc to get this new and unique form. It fascinates me and the whole backstory is so well orchestrated I would happily read a 'non-fiction' book about the whole world. Furthermore, the inclusion of magic in the plot is so subtle, yet it's amazingly effective. It isn't the main element of the story (although it is a key aspect), yet it's very important - it just adds that depth and realism to the story that just makes it better and better and better.
Lastly, the romance. If you've read some of my earlier reviews, you'll know that I often rant about romance. I don't like plots to be consumed by it, and it annoys me when it's unrealistic and perfect and just stupid. But the relationships in Crown of Midnight are exactly the kind of thing I really enjoy, and can really get into. It's heartbreakingly realistic, and I can feel the chemistry between the characters. The even better thing is Celaena doesn't lead people she isn't in love with on. (This is one of the main things I hate about the majority of Young Adult love triangles - many girls seem to take their time in deciding which boy they'd like, when both of those in question have to wait around - probably feeling like crap.) And she doesn't forgive mistakes, but she can't help still having feelings anyway. It's an amazingly realistic portrayal of what I'd expect love to be like, showing not only the memorable, quiet moments, but the unpleasantries and confusion and betrayal and hate and fragility or its nature.
I love these characters, and I've loved them since the beginning - but they just keep getting better. I've always loved characters that have mystery around them, because it makes them interesting and gives you something to think about. The great thing about Maas' characters is that they are constantly revealing new aspects of their personality, or history - or even finding them out for the first time themselves. This constantly engages the reader and keeps them on their toes, waiting for what might happen next.
Celaena continues to be my favourite character of all time. I fell in love with her gentle nature - but I love her unstoppable, ruthless side as well. We rarely see truly ferocious female characters in Young Adult books these days, and so Celaena is not only a breath of fresh air from the typical examples of YA heroines, but she's also incredibly stunning the learn about. In addition, she's an extremely clever girl with a loud mouth and a ton of abilities we actually get to witness (rather than just hearing about). I absolutely love her and I connected with her so well that I really did care what happened to her, and I still do.
Chaol. Where to start with Chaol. He's a new take on the common good-looking action male lead. But instead of being reckless (for which Celaena takes all) he's controlled, calm and clever. I really like this combination, since we don't get to see it much these days. I loved that tender side of him, and I can tell that he really cares about Celaena. Even later in the story, he still goes out of his way to help her, when it clearly doesn't help him. I think he's great and my heart is still breaking for him.
Dorian is probably the perfect boy. I've never been sure which of the two boys I liked more; and I'm still not. But Dorian is like the softer side of Chaol - I do sometimes think they're so alike they're almost the same person. They're both intelligent, controlled and care deeply about Celaena. (They both also know when to let go (whether they succeed or not) - thank god for some Young Adult authors that actually understand that.) But Dorian's almost cleverer than Chaol when he accepts earlier on, and helps his friend no matter what. I felt really sorry for him, but I also admired the fact that he didn't put himself first - also a contradiction from the typical 'princely' persona.
(I understand this might not make complete sense is you haven't read the book, but I'm trying not to give away spoilers.)
I've never been quite sure of Nehemia. I think I was wary of her at first, and it did take me a while to trust her, but now I do and I think Celaena needs a friend like her. They work really well together, but I love the fact that there's still an unspoken tension between the two about their origins and actions. Another time my heart broke.
Roland kind of disappeared after a while. I don't know whether that was important to the plot, or perhaps will be used later in the series - or if he had used up his usefulness. I thought he was very interesting when he was involved, and I hope to see more of him in the future.
I just love Mort. I think he's hilarious, and I just really love him. Not much else to say other than I think one of my favourite characters of all time is a bronze door-knocker.
The pace was fast - and I mean fast. So much happened; there were so many twists and turns; it almost feels like many stories wrapped into one when I look back on it. I couldn't put the book down for most of the time I was reading it - and only then because I actually had to do something. Everything was relevant and somehow important to the plot.
But none of it was rushed whatsoever. Maas took her time to explain everything and write it all in detail and make sure nothing was overlooked or made less important than it needed to be. We didn't miss any details because Maas wanted to get onto a later part - which tends to happen a lot in these sorts of books, where there's numerous plots and twists occurring at the same time.
I would recommend this book to absolutely everybody. It's one of my favourite books of all time (and you know how picky I am). It's got action, fantasy, mystery, thrills, romance, comedy. Literally, anything you'd want. And I don't think it's completely aimed at girls. I'm sure the pure adrenaline in a lot of this story would satisfy boys as well. It's honestly so good, and the story could go anywhere from here. You should read Throne of Glass first (or maybe the novellas if you aren't sure and just want to try it out) or you might get confused and there are some pretty huge plot spoilers.
I completely fell in love with this book and I'm actually getting excited by the prospect of another one on it's way.
Image Source: http://i1359.photobucket.com/albums/q799/
snugglyoranges/covers/CrownofMidnight.jpg
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