THE MAASVERSE DESK · REVIEW

The Assassin’s Blade

5 stars · The prequel that made me understand Celaena before I ever met her in the main series.

I chose to read The Assassin’s Blade first, and I am so glad I did.

Celaena is arrogant, dramatic, talented and very aware of all three. But underneath that confidence is a young woman whose choices, loyalties and capacity for love are already being shaped by a brutal world.

And then there is Sam.

I knew I was reading a prequel. I knew happiness was probably a suspicious concept. That did not make the emotional damage any less effective. Starting here made Endovier carry more weight later because I didn’t just know Celaena had a past—I felt like I had lived part of it with her.

Five stars, and an extremely rude way to begin a series.

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