Crown of Midnight
⭐⭐⭐
ROMANCE · FANTASY · ACTION
My Expectations After Throne of Glass
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas is the second book in the Throne of Glass fantasy series. After feeling underwhelmed by Throne of Glass (I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would), I was hesitant to continue, but this book surprised me.
In this Crown of Midnight review, I share my honest thoughts on the second book in Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass saga.
Let’s start with the objective strengths of Crown of Midnight. Crown of Midnight has comedy, action, and romance. Everything a fantasy book needs. It has strong characters with good backgrounds, and it’s obvious that Sarah J. Maas is creating momentum for the last book.
The second installment in the Throne of Glass series left me with a better feeling. I can’t say why, since I’m an action addict, and the first book had a lot more of it.
Unlike Throne of Glass, this book felt more emotionally grounded, with quieter moments that made the characters feel real and relatable. I don’t know if it was the slow-burning romance or the simple yet hooking writing style of Sarah J. Maas. I know I just devoured this book.
Maybe it’s that I was more open-minded to this book than I was to Throne of Glass. I know that starting this saga straight after ACOTAR wasn’t my best decision (as you could guess, I wouldn’t recommend doing this).
All in all, Crown of Midnight is a good book. I wouldn’t say it’s the best fantasy book I have read, but I think I would rank it before Shadow and Bone, and maybe even The Maze Runner. Even though it had a disappointing first book (though now that I think about it, it wasn’t really that bad; I just had really high hopes for it), I think the saga will continue to improve until we reach the best ending imaginable.
While Crown of Midnight isn’t the best fantasy book I’ve ever read, it restored my interest in the Throne of Glass series. If you were unsure after the first book, this sequel is absolutely worth giving a chance.
Summary
Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King’s Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion-not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a princess with a rebel heart.
Then, one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie . . . and what she is willing to fight for.
