The Holy Terror

Two things will make or break this book for you: whether or not you like Celaena and whether or not you hate love triangles.I like Celaena. Yes, a lot of what she says and does contradicts her character, and so much of her being a badass relies on Celaena telling us that she's so, but I like her. I like that she's pretty and uses it to her advantage. I like that she loves dresses and make-up and weapons and books. I think I'm mostly just sick of the "plain girl who isn't special yet two hot guys fall for her" trope. Beyond sick of it. Celaena has skills, is intelligent, and places her own life and safety above romance. I think she's one of the most pragmatic characters I've come across in YA fantasy. Also, it's worth mentioning that this book passes the Bechdel Test, which is a rarity. I've been reading this series' novellas (definitely better to read after this book if you plan on tackling them) and for some reason I can't help wanting to read more about Celaena and this world Maas has created. I have one novella left and I'm apprehensive about reading it because I know what's to come and I'm not looking forward to it. I don't even like short stories typically, and these are pretty meaty, adding over 400 pages to Celaena's backstory, and I found myself anxious to find out more.Strangely, the novellas have made me look back on Throne of Glass more fondly. I don't know if anyone else felt this way and I suspect most people who didn't like this book probably didn't bother with the novellas, (or did and didn't like them either,) but I invite you to give them a shot. Normally if I didn't love a book then I'd have no desire to read supplemental material, especially when I know what's going to happen. After I finished Throne of Glass though, I started reading [b:The Assassin and the Pirate Lord|13415554|The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass, #0.1)|Sarah J. Maas|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1335782612s/13415554.jpg|18721148] because I was curious about Celaena's time before Endovier. And then I finished that first novella and it wasn't the best thing I'd ever read but every night while I was reading before bed I'd try to read something else but then I'd think "I want to visit Celaena again." It was weird. Maas created a rich world with characters I liked enough that I wanted to keep reading despite the issues I had with this book.There's a love triangle that a lot of people will probably hate, and I really felt bad for both guys at times. Love triangles are never a deal breaker for me though, so keep that in mind. They just don't bother me like I know they do some people. I think both guys have their pros and cons and I liked seeing Celaena interact with them. Ultimately, this story is about Celaena so I cared more about her than either romantic plot line.Another great thing was the multi-cultural aspects; I was really glad that this book didn't have an all-white cast and that Maas took care to create fantasy versions of many different ethnicities. Each novella also features Celaena traveling to these different nations and I enjoyed the glimpses of the cultures Maas hinted at though didn't have time to expand on in Throne of Glass.This book was long and so much felt drawn-out, but I've read worse. There are some aspects of the story that could have been beefed up while others should have been glossed over. One of the main things that gets annoying is Celaena saying how awesome she is but not living up to her claims. She's not as ruthless as you'd think an assassin should be and she struggles more than you'd think she would. I think people would like her more if Maas hadn't built her up as being the best at absolutely everything, especially without actually showing her being the best. After reading the novellas I appreciate Celaena's attitude and skills more, especially after learning more about her relationship and history with Arobynn Hamel, the King of Assassins. Although, I think I got to the third novella and realized she still hadn't actually assassinated anyone ...A three-star book is difficult to review because I didn't love it but I didn't hate it so I'm wary to persuade or dissuade someone into reading it. You could go either way with this one and I understand why people are at both ends of the spectrum. This whole series has grown on me though, and the more I read and the more I think about it the more I like it. Maas writes competently and she's adept at world-building, so if you find yourself liking Celaena and you don't hate love triangles, you'll probably enjoy this book.