Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas
- Jan 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 6
The second novel in Sarah J Maas' debut series, Crown of Midnight continues to follow the story of Celaena Sardothien, assassin and King's Champion. It is one of Maas' earlier stories so it doesn't have much of the spice her later novels are known for, but it does talk about death, confinement, genocide, slavery, blood, grief and death of a parent, stalking, colonization, war, injury details, classism, and murder. We are following an assassin, after all. This will be a review of Crown of Midnight, if you are looking for a summary of this book or any in the Throne of Glass series, check out our summary page.
Celaena has won a brutal contest and won the position of King's Champion, which pays well but forces her to work closely with the King of Adarlan, who she hates more than anyone else. Luckily for her, it's not all bad at the palace. She has met a princess who quickly became her best friend and closest confidante, Nehemia. She's made friends with the crown prince and heir to the throne, Dorian, who is unlike his father in almost every way, although things between the two of them have been strained of late. There's someone that she really likes, and who may just like her back. And best of all, she's found a way to fool the king when she gets her orders. But she's playing a dangerous game, and hiding a secret that would get her killed if the king ever found out. But nothing ever stays this good for long, and something throws Celaena's world into a tailspin and changes the way she sees everything around her, and changes the way everyone around her sees Celaena.
If you read by review of Throne of Glass, the first and titular novel in the series, you will know that I was hesitant to start this series. I had read the novellas and wasn't sure how much I would enjoy these books. I was finally worn down and gave it a try and I enjoyed Throne of Glass, even though I could tell it was Sarah J Maas' first novel and I didn't like it as much as I'd liked some of her other books. But I really liked this one. Celaena is far less annoying, I really connected with some of the other characters, and there's a cute puppy that I became quite attached to. The novel sets up the plot to be able to last for several subsequent books and it did have a twist that I enjoyed late in the book. Celaena becomes more ruthless in practice, not just reputation, although it happens in a way that keeps you sympathetic towards her. The writing is better, although I am excited to see how it continues to improve as Maas continues. I'm happy that I continued reading the series and am excited for the next novel. Before I get there, I'm going to read the prequel novellas again, I've been told this is a good spot to read those before continuing.
I'm giving Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas 4.25 stars out of 5 and a spice level of .25. I would say this book is safe for older kids, the violence is not graphic, there is nothing particularly scary, and there is nothing exciting when it comes to the romance.
For more from Sarah J Maas, check out her website at https://sarahjmaas.com/
Pairs well with cream puffs and unraveling a frustrating riddle.
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