“The Assassin’s Blade” written by Sarah J. Maas is the prequel to the series “Throne of Glass”. This book includes five novellas; The Assassin and The Pirate Lord, The Assassin and The Healer, The Assassin and The Desert, The Assassin and The Underworld, and The Assassin and The Empire. The Assassin and The Pirate Lord is about Celaena and Sam, both assassins from Arobynn’s guild that were sent to set up a deal for their boss. However, they find that this deal required slaves and both Sam and Celaena hated that their master was getting profit from slavery. So Celaena, being who she is, puts her mind to freeing these slaves with the help of Sam, which is shocking because both these assassins have been at each other’s throats for so long. The Assassin and The Healer is about her punishment for freeing the slaves in the previous novella, which is to go to the Red Desert. But to get there, she travels through a small town, waiting for a passage which is several days late. While staying at this inn for the time being, a barmaid catches her attention, whom she saves and teaches how to fight. The girl somehow brings up memories from her past as well. The Assassin and The Desert is about her time at the Red Desert training with the Mute Master. Her punishment requires her to retrieve a letter stating that the Mute Master approves of her skills and whatnot. She also finds acquaintances, her feelings for Sam spark up, and she makes her “first real” friend who may or may not last. The Assassin and The Underworld is her arrival from the Red Desert, where she throws herself into a big mission to distract herself from Arobynn and Sam. The Assassin and The Empire is about what happens to Sam, and it’s not pretty. If you read “Throne of Glass” you would think you would be ready for this sadness, but you won’t be.
I recommend this book to 13 years and up and that you read this before the actual series because there were so many connections that I didn’t understand. For example Celaena said “I am Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid” multiple times during “Throne of Glass” but it didn’t register in my head that it was Sam who said that to help himself and now she says it to help herself. She has that memory that stays with her when she says that phrase. Also there are multiple times where they talk about Sam and reading this prequel allows you to see the love she had for him. Without it, I feel like you wouldn’t be able to understand these emotions. Throughout the rest of the series, there are people from this prequel that come back later in her storyline like Ansel from The Red Desert and Yerene from The Healer.
Written by Julia, Teen Volunteer
CBPL Reviews 