Today’s post is all about three of my favorite series and my favorite books in each series.
I am talking about Sarah J Maas’s series:
-Throne of Glass;
-A Court of Thorn and Roses;
-Crescent City.
Throne of Glass
Sarah J Maas wrote her first book in that series when she was sixteen!
Before the release of the first “Throne of Glass” in 2012, four small novellas, forming the prequel Assassin’s Blade were published in ebook.
I confess that, knowing what happens in these novellas, I never read them and I don’t think I will.
All that to say that you can begin with “Throne of Glass” and progress further in the series.
If “Throne of Glass”, first book in the series was already very addictive, I have two big favorites!
The first one is “Heir of Fire”.
Heir of Fire is a pivotal book in the series.
It’s where Aelin will realize or rather reveal who she truly is. It also has an “enemies to lovers” trope with the first apparition of the amazing Rowan Whitethorn!
“Gods, he was brilliant. Cunning and wicked and brilliant.
Even when he beat the hell out of her. Every. Damn. Day.”
This is also the book where we meet what remains one of my favorite badass characters of all time: Manon Blackbeak!
“Witches didn’t need blood to survive, but humans didn’t need wine, either.”
Heir of Fire expands the Throne of Glass universe introducing a lot of new key characters and I loved them all, even the “bad” ones.
And this showed who Aelin was:
“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.”
My second favorite in the series is the last one: Kingdom of Ash.
I held my breath countless time. I hoped just to despair right after then hope again. When a victory was in sight it was to be squashed right away by a plot twist, another ordeal to face.
I raged and I cried. Often. For all the hurt. For the lives lost. For the biggest sacrifices and the cruelest plot twist Sarah J Maas concocted. I was enthralled. Enraptured in this story of legend. I had stars in my eyes and lived in another world. Filled with huge beasts, witches, warriors, cruel gods, demons … I was elsewhere.
I finished this book exhausted and in awe once more of Sarah J Maas talent.
Some of my favorite quotes from that book:
With the “Throne of Glass “series, Sarah J Maas held the readers interest for 4392 pages, rallying a community behind her and becoming one of the most revered fantasy writer at such young age making it a huge accomplishment.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
If that whole series is amazing and if I never expected to love Feyre as much as I loved Aelin, I have two favorites in the series so far.
In A Court of Mist and Fury SJM did the opposite of the second book syndrome! She gave us a sequel even better than the first book!
My world turned upside down as I was now team Rhys, no longer team Tamlin.
A Court of Mist and Fury is once more an epic tale, full with battles, twists and turns and incredibly vibrant characters. I loved Cassian, Amren, Mor and Azriel. They were perfectly portrayed, all adding layers to the story, giving interesting side stories to follow within the main story. I loved the building of this fantasy world, between snow caped landscapes, Summer kingdoms and dark mountains. Above all else, I loved the characters development. The author truly made me fear the worst before righting my world again, giving me a fantastic surprise with Rhysand. I’m in heaven when writers trick me in such a way, completely reshaping my perception and understanding of the main characters.
I felt so many emotions reading this sequel: despair and pity when Feyre was lost, anger when Tamlin locked her up, hope and joy when Feyre mastered her skills or found a new family, glee when Rhysand baited and taunted her, fear so many times as Feyre barely escaped death (another of Sarah specialty) and HUGE FRUSTRATION for this Hell of a CLIFFHANGER!!!!
I never thought one day that Nesta would become my favorite Archeron sister yet, here we are! I don’t know why I doubted Sarah J Maas, she truly amazed me.
That book was fabulous!
That book is a formidable testimony to resilience and rebirth.
Sarah J Maas dug deep into Nesta’s psyche, her past, her trauma.
Nesta will begin this story at the bottom of a pit, loathing herself, and that she will have an incredible growth throughout the book.
The friendship she will form with equally hurt women will help her and her friends overcome their past trauma.
Their motto could be “stronger together”.
These women could bring warrior to their knees and rival with the bests by the end of the story.
It was meaningful. It was truly inspiring.
There were two scenes in particular, one in a forge, one on a training field where you could feel Nesta clawing her way back to sanity and strength. NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN!
These words resonated deep in my soul and I was crying while walking on the street, listening to the audiobook.
That’s something that I adore in Sarah J Maas ‘s books: her cast of side characters is always stellar. I would never mind for them to be the main characters in spin off stories!
“Never again.
Never again would she be weak.
Never again would she be at someone’s mercy.
Never again would she fail.
Never again, never again, never again.”
Crescent City
I must confess that I have a love/hate relationship with that series.
For the first time I gave less than 4 stars to one of SJM books! And it was the “book in the middle”.
I had a rocky start with House of Earth and Blood as it has a lot of info dump at the beginning. But I ended up giving that book 6 stars!
What made me give six stars instead of five was the grand finale!
Some won’t like a heroine going all “Kill Bill” and escaping death countless times, kind of like Aelin did, but I gobbled it up like chocolate! Because yes I love kickass heroines. It’s empowering and I just wanted to shout “Go, go, go girl!”.
The transformation of Bryce from party girl to badass heroine and the amazing banter were just bonus!
SJM redeemed herself with that last instalment!
If the storyarc was all over the place in House of Sky and Breath, the plot here was straightforward even if a lot happen but we don’t lose time meandering unnecessarily.
What I also really appreciated is how SJM chose to exploit her “other” characters (not telling more here). I feared it would be too “intertwined” and dragging on but no, it just made sense, was used for one purpose and truly served the plot.
And of course I adored all the characters, no new ones here as we have been introduced to everyone in the other books…nearly! Every character was amazing, grew a lot and relationships be it romantic or friendship has been strengthened. You have that real “found family” and “people united around a common goal” feel.
Last but not least, special mention for Brice who kicks behinds and made me think of Aelin in Queen of Shadows a lot (with all her planning ahead, thinking crazy schemes and pulling them), for Hunt Attalar also known as “Alphahole” who will astonish you even a bit more and for his dedication to his mate.
Have you read her books? What are your favorites?
I didn’t realize SJM wrote TOG when she was sixteen. Wow! I am a fan of that series for sure. I agree that ACOMAF was stronger than ACOTAR. I finished that book pumped up on girl power.
Yes it’s a feat when you think how young she was!
I will be honest and I mostly liked TOG just for Rowaelin. My favorite books were Queen of Shadows and Tower of Dawn. Chaol’s book really redeemed him in my eyes.
ACOTAR will probably always be my favorite series. I might’ve been weird but I never liked Tamlin. I wished she had gotten together with Lucien instead but was relieved when she ended up with Rhys instead. I still can’t stand Nesta but I enjoyed the friendships she had in her book. Who do you wish Az ends up with? I personally like the idea of him with Gwyn.
I am currently reading the third Crescent City book and then I’ve finally read all of these books. I unfortunately didn’t like Crescent City series. It’s my least favorite series. I kept reading in case one day I might learn to like Bryce and Hunt but it never happened. I think the third book is the only one I will ever reread and that’s just for ACOTAR characters and Lidia.
My favorite SJM book is definitely A Court of Mist and Fury. My least favorites were the second Crescent City book (I was so bored during the whole book that I only gave it one star. I think I skim read most of that book.) and Kingdom of Ash (didn’t have enough relationships in my opinion and was pretty bored. I think I gave it two stars).
Sorry for the long comment
I didn’t want to read Tower of dawn at first as it divereged from the main series but I was so glad I read it! As you said Chaol redeemed him en Yrene was an amazing character! I am crossing my fingers that Az will end up with Gwyn but that would be weird as the first two sisters ended up with the guys from the Inner circle LOL And Crescnet City is my least favorite series too, the second being my least favorite book of all those she has written!
ToG is my utter fave of her series and Heir of Fire is soooo good!
Agreed Caro!!!