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The Assassin's Blade: The Throne of Glass Prequel Novellas (Throne of Glass, 8) Paperback – February 14, 2023

by Sarah J. Maas (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39,185 ratings
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The twist of a knife. The birth of a legend.

Step into the world of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas with this collection of prequel novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful Assassin's Guild and its scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, she yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. But when Arobynn dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, Celaena finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her own allegiance.

If she hopes to escape Arobynn's clutches, Celaena will have to put her faith in her wits and her blade . . . knowing that if she fails, she'll lose not just a chance at freedom but her life.

A prequel to the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas explores the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling-and deadly-world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

Previous page
  1. Print length
    464 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bloomsbury Publishing
  4. Publication date
    February 14, 2023
  5. Reading age
    13 - 17 years
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.1 x 8.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1639731091
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1639731091
  9. See all details
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Popular Highlights in this book
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Previous page
  1. “My name is Celaena Sardothien,” she whispered, “and I will not be afraid.”
    Highlighted by 8,262 Kindle readers
  2. This girl wasn’t like wildfire—she was wildfire. Deadly and uncontrollable. And slightly out of her wits.
    Highlighted by 6,727 Kindle readers
  3. Hoped that an assassin’s jewel would pay for a healer’s education.
    Highlighted by 2,441 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Action-packed . . . What a ride!” ―Booklist on The Assassin's Blade

“A thrilling read.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Throne of Glass

“An epic fantasy readers will immerse themselves in and never want to leave.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on Crown of Midnight

“Celaena is as much an epic hero as Frodo or Jon Snow!” ―New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce on Heir of Fire

“Packed . . . with brooding glances, simmering sexual tension, twisty plot turns, lush world building, and snarky banter.” ―Booklist on Queen of Shadows

“Tightly plotted, delightful escapism.” ―Kirkus Reviews on Empire of Storms

“Turns a corner from sprawling epic to thrilling psychological fantasy.” ―HuffPost on Tower of Dawn

“A worthy finale to one of the best fantasy book series of the past decade.” ―Time on Kingdom of Ash

About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. Sarah lives with her family in New York City.

sarahjmaas.com
facebook.com/theworldofsarahjmaas
instagram.com/sarahjmaas

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing (February 14, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639731091
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639731091
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 - 17 years
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.06 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 39,185 ratings

About the author

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Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas

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Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Crescent City, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and the Throne of Glass series. Her books have sold more than twelve million copies and are published in thirty-seven languages. A New York native, Sarah lives in Philadelphia with her husband, son, and dog. To find out more, visit sarahjmaas.com or follow @therealsjmaas on Instagram.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
39,185 global ratings
It came kind of damaged
3 Stars
It came kind of damaged
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Top reviews from the United States

Heather
5.0 out of 5 stars Such A Great Collection of Short Stories
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2018
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The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
4.5 STARS

I really enjoyed this story! I like that Sam and Celaena's relationship starts off with the hate to love trope. I think it's written well written and their relationship grows naturally. They were a good team and I like that they've started to respect each other as the story progressed. I know that Celaena (well, SJM's books and characters in general) gets a lot of pretty valid criticism but one of the things I really like about her character is how soft she is towards things that matter the most. I like that she will do the right thing despite whatever the consequences will be, even if it could end her life. I think that is really cool and admirable.

The Assassin and the Healer
4.5 STARS

I liked this story a lot more this time around versus the last time I read this collection of stories. I think what I liked the most about it was the theme of women helping other women. Celaena teaches Yrene not only learn how to defend herself but also helps her with Yrene's future with being a more educated and skilled healer. I really love compassionate Celaena.

The Assassin and the Desert
5 STARS

I truly love this story. This is one my favorite of the whole collection. Seeing Celaena's yearning for a friend that is also a girl, something she's never had before, and then becoming close with Ansel was so pure and heartwarming. The way Celaena started feeling at home or at least maybe safe versus how she felt with Arobynn broke my heart. I wonder if we will visit the Red Desert again. I know the story's tone basically completely changes after Heir of Fire, so I am not sure. But I think it would be cool.

The Assassin and the Underworld
4 STARS

I was a little bit bored in the moments in the beginning but mid way when this story picked up Ii was hooked. Honestly, re-reading this and seeing where exactly Celaena pissed off Arobynn enough to make him an enemy is heartbreaking. In the moment you don't blame her but with what is coming in the next story you can't help but wish she had done things differently. I really like the romance between Sam and Celaena in both this story and the next one.

The Assassin and the Empire
4 STARS

Obviously this one is the story everyone's dreading when they pick up this collection of short stories. If you're reading it after the first or second book in the series, you probably can guess what would happen, but it doesn't hurt any less. By the end you can't help but hate everything about Arobynn, if you don't already from how Celaena describes him in the first two books of the series or what he does to her and Sam after Skulls Bay. He's manipulative, possessive, aggressive, and cruel. I got so mad at Celaena for not thinking clearly. I understand she is grieving, and in shock, but I assume she was trained to be able to think clearly if something like this goes wrong. I know this will be a bit hypocritical, but I love that she wears her heart on her sleeve, but at the same time I wish she would slow down, rewind, and think. There were so many moments and hints that would have lead her to being more successful her mission at the end and instead she leads with her temper. It just made everything so much more heartbreaking. Overall, I really liked this story but I definitely saw myself skimming in moments.

Overall, I recommend this book of short stories especially if you plan on reading past Heir of Fire in the Throne of Glass series. I think this collection is super important to read if you want to continue with Queen of Shadows because characters from the short stories start making appearances and it's best if you have the backstory of them and their relationships with Celaena. Plus, I honestly think is some of Celaena's best moments happen in this book!
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hannah
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing prequel
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2024
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It was heartbreaking reading after the first 2 books knowing how this would end but it's a beautiful back story for Celana
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Melynda Wangsness
5.0 out of 5 stars “Where do men find it in themselves to do such monstrous things? How do they find it acceptable?”
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2024
Verified Purchase
For context: This is my first book in the Throne of Glass series. (And I'm sobbing already.)

These five novellas had me hooked from the start. With the controversy on when to read Assassin's Blade in the ToG reading order, I was concerned that I would lack the background to fully appreciate these short stories. While I may find them to be deeper as I go along, I will say that I am NOT disappointed that I picked this book up first!

The character development was addicting, pulling me into these novellas and building deep feelings (positive or negative) for each of the individuals we met. Even though these were short stories, I found myself transported into the worlds we experienced. Maas did an amazing job of packing beautiful world building into these five novellas!

I'm diving right into Throne of Glass, IMMEDIATELY because Assassin's Blade was a wonderful introduction to the ToG world!

"But that was a lifetime ago. A different person ago."
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Brittany
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful addition to the series - Like a whole new book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2014
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Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide

I had been meaning to start THRONE OF GLASS for a long time and was juuuust about to start it when Nikki from There Were Books Involved advised me to read the novellas first. See, this would haven’t been my first read of THRONE OF GLASS. I had actually tried back when the book first came out in 2012 and made it about 80 pages before my book was due back the library… But I hadn’t been really interested it in. I had found it a bit hard to get into and I think I wasn’t at a point in my reading life at that point in time where I could really appreciate fantasy as much as I do now. When Nikki advised me to read the novellas first because they actually helped her appreciate THRONE OF GLASS that much more, I decided that was definitely the best route for me.

The funny story is… I was only able to borrow some digitally from my local library so I had to purchase the others… and ended up accidentally reading them out of order (I read the third one first and the first one third). It didn’t really affect my overall opinion too much, but more of a funny little story which obviously wouldn’t have happened if I was actually reading THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE. Oh well!

THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD is the first novella of the bunch (and the one I ended up reading third. Oops) and I’m actually kind of glad I ended up reading it out of order. I really loved all of the novellas but I think this one was my least favorite. Since I read the third one first, I already knew essentially what happened here and it wasn’t that it was anticlimactic but more so that I had already seen a more mature Celaena — even two novellas later — so I grew a bit impatient with her at times. It wasn’t a huge deal for me, but I did notice it a bit. I also felt like the plot was probably the least interesting out of the four that I read and felt more like a string of sequences than something that really flowed. It did have quite a bit of important foreshadowing in there, though, and it was really great to get that foundation for both the world and the characters. This was also an extremely important story because it really sets to motion absolutely everything that leads up to THRONE OF GLASS.

The second novella (skipping over the one that is only in TaB… so technically # 0.3) is THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT. I think I enjoyed this more than THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD because Celaena really starts to learn things about herself and is both mentally and physically pushed to the limits on so many levels. It’s easy to know who you think you are but once you’re put in extremely trying situations, you start to see the person you really are and what weaknesses emerge. It was heartbreaking too, because I think Celaena really opened up and discovered a lot about herself but then both of those things made her close herself off again. I really loved the relationships in this novella a lot and I think it was a really important piece of Celaena’s background that we got to know.

The next novella was THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD (that I accidentally read first) and I just fell in love. It was so intriguing and so complex for a novella! I really felt like I got to know all of the characters so intimately and each of the characters — as well as the plot lines — really begin to grow. There were TWISTS and things I did not see coming and it was probably one of the best novellas I have read in a long time (maybe ever?)… That is until….

THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE — HOLY CRAP, you guys. This novella BROKE me. It was flat out amazing and also set up a lot for THRONE OF GLASS but there were so many things I didn’t expect and so many things that completely floored me. If you read the main novels first — as goes for any of these novellas — you already know what happens in the end but I got to experience all of that backstory first hand and it was… well it was a wild ride. This is one of THE best novellas I’ve ever read and all of these are worth the read, whether you’ve already read all of the books so far in the series or not.

My overall opinion of the novellas is that they’re must-reads for fans of this series. I know a lot of people actually aren’t a fan of novellas but these four (and I’m assuming the fifth that I haven’t read yet) all fit together to really kind of form a whole new story in one book. I read them all before I started THRONE OF GLASS which you don’t have to do, but I really enjoyed it because these are all prequel novellas and I really felt like I was reading the series in chronological order. Given what I’ve learned so far in CROWN OF MIDNIGHT, I think it’s important to read these novellas before book two because there is a lot of history explained there that really makes more sense and draws on more emotions if you’ve read the novellas first.
14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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MARTHA
5.0 out of 5 stars muy buen libro
Reviewed in Mexico on December 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
perfecto
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Rayane Barbosa
5.0 out of 5 stars A melhor série do mundo
Reviewed in Brazil on April 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
TOG dispensa comentários pois é a minha saga favorita, essas edições novas ficaram lindas e as capas condizem super com a história ❤
livro é um paperback como qualquer outro, não é soft touch (glória a deus) e o mapa de dentro pisa no da edição brasileira.
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Rayane Barbosa
5.0 out of 5 stars A melhor série do mundo
Reviewed in Brazil on April 22, 2023
TOG dispensa comentários pois é a minha saga favorita, essas edições novas ficaram lindas e as capas condizem super com a história ❤
livro é um paperback como qualquer outro, não é soft touch (glória a deus) e o mapa de dentro pisa no da edição brasileira.
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H Louise
5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED THIS - My advice from a newbie adventuring into the series, read it first!!!!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
I can't fathom why some folks find this book challenging; personally, I adored it! I devoured every page in a single sitting. It elicited such a range of emotions from me – tears, laughter, smiles, and even moments of intense rage!

There's this common advice to read the book third, but honestly, I've seen more people regretting that decision than those who read it first. It took me a whole week to make up my mind because the community's opinions on this are so sharply divided. But I'm incredibly glad I decided to dive in first. Now, as I venture into Throne of Glass, I'm filled with excitement, feeling deeply connected to the characters, and armed with valuable context for what lies ahead
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Giorgia Legnani
5.0 out of 5 stars Stupendo
Reviewed in Italy on April 11, 2024
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Niente da dire, leggetelo!
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Memomint
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book and good quality
Reviewed in Germany on March 27, 2024
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Good book and good quality
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