I read and really enjoyed the first five books (this includes the prequel bind-up) in the Throne of Glass series back in the day and never got around to finishing it. Obviously it’s having a resurgence thanks to booktok and all the girlies reading SJM books, so I’ve been really tempted to get back into it. I asked my Instagram followers if I should just read a recap of the books through Queen of Shadows and then dive into the final three books OR reread the series to bang it out, and most people voted for the reread. I have to say, I’m REALLY glad I went that route! My bookish memory has always been absolute garbage and rereading it has been like reading it for the first time. I barely remember ANYTHING that happened. Like…nothing haha. I haven’t read many fantasy books over the last few years simply because they’re usually a time commitment for me – I read them very slowly. A lot of them are loooong too, especially books by SJM. I just haven’t had the ability to do it when my reading has been so bad since 2020. I’m really in a good reading rhythm now and am feeling like my old self, so it’s time to enter my fantasy era again. This has been a great way to do it!
Rather than reviewing them all again after rereading, I’m including my Goodreads review screenshots with some updates and links to my original reviews here for the first few books.
I decided not to bother rereading The Assassin’s Blade because I didn’t love it the first time around and it didn’t feel necessary for a reread. The point of rereading the books is to get myself acquainted with the storyline again and it wasn’t important to reread the backstory IMO. I found the summaries online to be super easy to get refreshed without having to read a 400+ page book of novellas that were broadly fine. (As a sidenote, I do still highly recommend reading the novellas if you’re reading this series for the first time. The background on Sam and her life “before” is necessary.)
Interestingly, I read Throne of Glass and then The Assassin’s Blade before Crown of Midnight when reading the books in 2016. I remember having the debates with myself (as you can see above) of when to read it and I felt like most people read it after Heir of Fire, but whatever. It was nice to get the backdrop before continuing the series and after being introduced to the main characters.
As you can tell, I was really excited to continue rereading the series right away because I knew that Crown of Midnight was my favorite of those I had read at the time. I actually picked it up immediately after Throne of Glass this time around and was eager to continue on.
Crown of Midnight was maybe not as wild as I expected (yes, I know I was rereading but I had actually forgotten 95% of the plot) – still really good and my favorite of the ones I’d reread already.
I realized in doing this post that I never posted my reviews for Heir of Fire or Queen of Shadows because I had planned to review three books per post. Clearly that didn’t happen because I never got to the next book! I’m going to review them in full down below, including what I shared on Goodreads the first time around.
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas Series: Throne of Glass #3
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Published by Bloomsbury on September 1, 2015
Also by this author: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, Throne of Glass, The Assassin's Blade, Crown of Midnight, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames , Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash , House of Earth and Blood , House of Sky and Breath , House of Flame and Shadow
Format: Audio/eBook (562 pages) • Source: Owned
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth... a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.
Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.
The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight.
First read September 2016
Wooo that was good. I need to read a recap already because it was sometimes hard to pay attention to the audiobook. I think I like Rowan now but it seriously took me a loooong time to get on board. I don’t know who I ship yet so we’ll see how QoS for that answer! Readyyyyy.
Reread April 2023
I definitely enjoyed this one more the second time around but feel weird about changing my rating! I don’t like to do it for rereads. In any case, it was really fun to see some new characters introduced and different POVs across the world. It just expands on all of the different types of people there are and makes me excited to see how they’ll all connect. I don’t remember what comes in the next book but I know it’ll be excellent. Still on the fence about Rowan upon rereading – he’s definitely still a bit of a dick in this one. I love and would die for Abraxos though.
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas Series: Throne of Glass #4
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Published by Bloomsbury on September 1, 2015
Also by this author: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, Throne of Glass, The Assassin's Blade, Crown of Midnight, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, A Court of Silver Flames , Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, Kingdom of Ash , House of Earth and Blood , House of Sky and Breath , House of Flame and Shadow
Format: Audio/eBook (645 pages) • Source: Owned
Goodreads • Amazon • Barnes & Noble
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.
First read October 2016
Reread May 2023
Good lord, it was like reading this for the very first time. My book memory is so terrible. I’m so glad I decided to reread these before attempting to finish the series! My feelings are definitely the same as the first time around. I really loved seeing everyone come together and am so afraid to find out what happens next haha. The pacing was okay this time around (not quite as cumbersome as the first time I read it). I can’t believe I read this over the course of a month and this time I managed to finish it in a week! I think I’m truly entering my fantasy era. Anyways, unlike optimistic 2016 Lauren who thought she’d read EoS “in a couple of weeks” (try seven years, babe), I will actually be finally getting to the final books this month!
I actually only ever read ToG and never finished the series since I wasn’t particularly interested in the direction the story went in the last 3 books. Reading your review makes me want to reread ToG then continue with the rest of the series!
I’ve enjoyed it!
I’m blaming you for my current re-read of the series! I re-read books 0-4 last year but I’m hoping to read the full series again this summer. So glad that you ended up enjoying everything this time around!!
Haha you stopped reading at the same point I did! I’m hoping to fit in a full reread of the series (minus the novellas) this summer and then finally finishing off the series. I’ve been saying this for years though! This post has given me the motivation to continue 😀
Yay, I hope you do! I’ve loved the experience so far.