Read for: Series Challenge, Mount TBR & because everyone is raving about this series
Synopsis: "After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."
My Review: I know I can't believe it either, after having this book recommended so many times and getting such rave reviews, I just can't believe I didn't enjoy it that much. It was okay but for the most part I had to push myself to read it. I found the characters to be annoying as all get out and didn't act the way I would expect in their situations. Celaena was frustratingly vain and over confident even though I found very little proof of her being this great assassin, she was just talked up with no show. The concept was interesting but maybe a little too similar to other outstanding fantasy books I have read for it to really stand out to me. It really just blows my mind that I was not as into this book as I expected (of course expecting that I would fly through the book and die to read the next book I have already purchased all the books out) but I will still continue to read the series and hope it improves and that the characters show their actually skills.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."
My Review: I know I can't believe it either, after having this book recommended so many times and getting such rave reviews, I just can't believe I didn't enjoy it that much. It was okay but for the most part I had to push myself to read it. I found the characters to be annoying as all get out and didn't act the way I would expect in their situations. Celaena was frustratingly vain and over confident even though I found very little proof of her being this great assassin, she was just talked up with no show. The concept was interesting but maybe a little too similar to other outstanding fantasy books I have read for it to really stand out to me. It really just blows my mind that I was not as into this book as I expected (of course expecting that I would fly through the book and die to read the next book I have already purchased all the books out) but I will still continue to read the series and hope it improves and that the characters show their actually skills.
My Rating: I can't tell you how much it blows my mind that I didn't enjoy this book, normally this type of book is at the top of my list but this one just didn't work. I think it is almost entirely due to the characters, the story idea is great. Unfortunately I can only give it a rating of Two Paws.
Well before you get too depressed I have good news for you. I've heard the first one is the worst of the series. That you have to struggle through it and then they get awesome. Hopefully this is true because I own more than just the first too.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the second one is the best. I am debating whether I am going to read the novellas or book 2 next. Either way I am going to push through this whole series since I already have them all.
Delete