Throne of Glass: Volume 1

While I am a fantasy and action fan, Throne of Glass overall was a disappointment and was one of the first book I had trouble reading through. Pacing issues made me hard to understand when exactly did the protagonists started liking each other. For a supposed Queen of the Underworld there was hardly any action, much less the "Tests" being fully elaborated apart from 3 tests. And heroine broke off her romance without bothering to fight for her man. Overall this series.... Gosh.

Ugh, was this an awful book. I don't even want to intellectually dissect why it was a horrid read, but I hope it'll save you 6-ish bucks. The author is a terrible writer. There are lots of fantasy writers with better world-building skills, and I had higher expectations. I didn't understand the characters' actions or choices because they weren't consistent with their personalities. Additionally, the writing is a hot mess. This story could have been a great mystery but lacked the careful construction of adding in small details over time. New elements are dumped in, and not satisfactorily tied up later. To compare this book to The Hunger Games or Game of Thrones is an insult to the series' authors. Are people in a systemic fight to the death? Yes. Is there significant political intrigue? Kind of. A better comparison is a plucky, cocky Bella Swan in a Disney-fied Hemlock Grove setting.

Although the plot is fantastic, Maas does not write a subtle story. Every opportunity to build suspense, and there were many, was sorely misused. Intriguing subplots and minor characters were too easily resolved, explained, and swept away. The ideas are beautiful, but she is much too eager to ease the mind of the audience. That said I will certainly continue reading because, despite my certainty of the end result, I hope yet to be thrilled by the maturity of a more seasoned author in the follow books.