Throne of Glass

Lethal. Loyal. Legendary.

Enter the world of Throne of Glass with the first book in this complete, #1 bestselling series by Sarah J. Maas, author of the Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.

In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival-and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Thrilling and fierce, Throne of Glass is the first book in the #1 bestselling series that has captivated readers worldwide.

Other books in this series include:
Crown of Midnight
Heir of Fire
Queen of Shadows
Empire of Storms
Tower of Dawn
Kingdom of Ash
The Assassin's Blade (prequel novellas)

Sarah Janet Maas (born March 5, 1986) is a #1 New York Times bestselling American author who has fundamentally shaped the modern "romantasy" genre. Born and raised in Manhattan, Maas spent her childhood exploring museums and reading global fairy tales, though she often felt frustrated by the lack of fierce, compelling heroines in fantasy literature. Drawing inspiration from strong pop-culture figures like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sailor Moon, she began writing the stories she wanted to read.

At sixteen, Maas started drafting a dark twist on the Cinderella fairy tale—imagining her not as a servant, but as a deadly assassin. She serialized the story, originally titled Queen of Glass, on the writing platform FictionPress, where it quickly became one of the site's most popular works. She continued developing her craft at Hamilton College, graduating magna cum laude in 2008 with a degree in creative writing and religious studies.

Her debut novel, retitled Throne of Glass, was published by Bloomsbury in 2012 and became a massive international hit, ultimately spanning an eight-book epic series. In 2015, Maas launched her second major series, A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR). Initially a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the series transitioned her work into the "new adult" and adult fantasy spaces. The ACOTAR series became a viral sensation, largely driven by massive popularity on TikTok. In 2020, she introduced her third ongoing adult urban fantasy series, Crescent City.

With over 75 million copies sold worldwide and translations in nearly 40 languages, Maas stands as one of the most successful contemporary authors. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, whom she met in college, and their two children.

“Action-packed . . . What a ride!” ―Booklist on The Assassin's Blade

“A thrilling read.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Throne of Glass

“An epic fantasy readers will immerse themselves in and never want to leave.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on Crown of Midnight

“Celaena is as much an epic hero as Frodo or Jon Snow!” ―New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce on Heir of Fire

“Packed . . . with brooding glances, simmering sexual tension, twisty plot turns, lush world building, and snarky banter.” ―Booklist on Queen of Shadows

“Tightly plotted, delightful escapism.” ―Kirkus Reviews on Empire of Storms

“Turns a corner from sprawling epic to thrilling psychological fantasy.” ―HuffPost on Tower of Dawn

“A worthy finale to one of the best fantasy book series of the past decade.” ―Time on Kingdom of Ash

“Throne of Glass” by Sarah J. Maas is a fantasy novel about Celaena Sardothien, a teenage assassin whose life has already been marked by violence, loss, and survival. The story opens with Celaena imprisoned in the brutal salt mines of Endovier, where she has spent a year enduring hard labor after being captured. Even though she is one of the most feared assassins in the kingdom, she has been broken down physically and emotionally by prison life. Her future seems bleak until she is given an unexpected chance at freedom. Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard offers her a deal: if she competes in a deadly tournament to become the king’s Champion and wins, she will eventually earn her release after years of service. Celaena accepts, not because she trusts the king or the royal court, but because freedom is the one thing she still wants more than anything else.

Once she arrives at the glass castle in Rifthold, Celaena is forced into a world of etiquette, politics, and constant surveillance. She is surrounded by competitors drawn from across the kingdom, including thieves, warriors, and other assassins, all of whom want the same prize. To hide her identity and protect herself, she must play a careful game while also rebuilding the strength and skill that made her famous. Training is brutal, and the competition is dangerous. If she fails, she will return to Endovier. If she succeeds, she will become the king’s personal assassin, serving the very ruler responsible for crushing her homeland. That tension gives the novel much of its energy, because Celaena is fighting for freedom in a place that symbolizes control and oppression.

As Celaena trains, she begins forming complicated relationships with the people around her. Prince Dorian is charming, intelligent, and surprisingly kind, and he becomes intrigued by her wit and defiance. Their connection develops slowly, with banter, curiosity, and a sense that he sees more in her than just a weapon. At the same time, Captain Chaol Westfall, who is responsible for overseeing her, is serious, disciplined, and often suspicious of her. His relationship with Celaena is more guarded and tense, but it also grows through respect. These two men represent different parts of the world Celaena is entering: one tied to privilege and possibility, the other to duty and discipline. Their presence adds emotional conflict to the novel, especially as Celaena struggles to understand whom she can trust.

While the tournament continues, a darker mystery begins to emerge inside the castle. Contestants start dying in brutal and mysterious ways, and the killings suggest that something ancient and evil is lurking beneath the surface of the royal court. What initially looks like a competition for power turns into a fight for survival against a force far more dangerous than the other players. Celaena is forced to investigate the deaths while still keeping up appearances in the tournament. The mystery deepens as she discovers clues connected to magic, forbidden history, and the kingdom’s attempt to erase any trace of the supernatural. The king has outlawed magic, but the evidence inside the castle suggests that magic has not disappeared at all. It has only been buried.

One of the strongest parts of the novel is the way it balances action with character development. Celaena is not just a skilled fighter; she is smart, sarcastic, proud, and deeply damaged. Beneath her confidence is a young woman carrying grief, anger, and a sense of betrayal. Her life as an assassin taught her how to survive, but not how to feel safe or hopeful. Through her training, her relationships, and her investigation into the castle’s secrets, readers begin to see the layers beneath her tough exterior. She is still haunted by her past, but she is also capable of loyalty, compassion, and courage. The novel slowly reveals that her story is about more than winning a contest. It is about reclaiming identity and confronting a world that has tried to control or erase her.

As the competition narrows and the deaths continue, Celaena’s suspicion grows. She realizes that the threat in the castle is connected not just to murder but to the kingdom’s buried history and the power the king has tried to suppress. The truth becomes increasingly dangerous, and Celaena must decide how far she is willing to go to uncover it. The final stretch of the book brings together the tournament, the mystery, and the political tension in a dramatic way. Celaena’s intelligence and determination allow her to survive, but the experience changes her sense of what is really happening in the kingdom. By the end, it is clear that the castle’s horrors are only the beginning of a much larger story.

“Throne of Glass” is both an exciting fantasy adventure and a character-driven story about resilience, freedom, and hidden power. It introduces a heroine who is fierce but vulnerable, and it sets up a world filled with danger, secrets, and political corruption. The novel’s appeal lies in its mix of sharp dialogue, suspenseful plotting, and the emotional pull of a young woman trying to survive while discovering that her own past and the fate of her kingdom are more connected than she ever imagined.