Main series

Companion books

• Throne of Glass Coloring Book^[19] (2016)

Companion game

Embers of Memory, a two-person card game based on the Throne of Glass book series, was released in October 2019 by Osprey Games.^[20] It is set during the events of the final book in the series, Kingdom of Ash. The players are tasked with helping Aelin survive her imprisonment and ordeal at the hands of Maeve, diving with her into her memories and helping her find the way back out.^[21]

Main

• Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, also known as Celaena Sardothien, is the main protagonist of the series. When she was young, her parents were murdered and she was found near-dead by Arobynn Hamel. Trained from childhood to become an assassin, she earned a reputation as the greatest in the world. However, she was betrayed and imprisoned by her master in the salt mines of Endovier. One year later, Celaena is offered an opportunity to participate in a competition to become the King's Champion. If she wins, she must remain in the King of Adarlan's service for 4 years and will then be granted her freedom and full pardon. In the following books it is revealed that she is the lost Princess of Terrasen. Her lineage makes her key in saving Adarlan from the Valg and grants her immense magical power. While serving the King of Adarlan, she is sent to Wendlyn where she meets her mate, Rowan Whitethorn. She is described as talented, clever, arrogant, beautiful and possessing striking physical features.
• Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius: A full-blooded Fae who is over three centuries old. He has silver hair and pine-green eyes, can take the form of a white-tailed hawk, and has the powers of cryokinesis and wind manipulation. A few hundred years prior to the events of Throne of Glass, his wife, Lyria, and their unborn child were killed. He was tasked with training Aelin when she came to see Maeve, Queen of Doranelle. He and Aelin eventually fall in love and marry, and were revealed to have been mates, even though Maeve had tricked Rowan into believing Lyria was his mate.
• Dorian Havilliard II, is known as the Crown Prince of Adarlan. Havilliard chooses to sponsor Celaena as his contender for the competition to become his father's champion. He tries at times to stand up to his father, but he is never fully able to defy him. His best friend is the Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall. He is adept at solving problems and will search for the answers to questions even if no one else can or will help. He also possesses a great deal of loyalty, as he goes out of his way and endangers himself to protect his friends. Dorian is tall and lean, with raven-black hair with his eyes being sapphire blue. Dorian has inherited raw magic with the goal to hide it from his father. Two of his main magic abilities are being able to use ice and magic hands. Dorian later falls in love with the witch Manon, heir to the Blackbeak clan.
• Manon Blackbeak Crochan: Manon is a witch and heir to the Blackbeak clan. She belongs to an Ironteeth clan making up the heavily martial faction of witches known as the Ironteeth. Her grandmother is the Blackbeak Matron. Her coven is known as the Thirteen, the fiercest coven in the Ironteeth witches. She went to Morath to train in fighting with wyverns, along with many other witches, where she develops a strong bond with her wyvern, Abraxos. She is revealed to be the last Crochan Queen, and is the key to unlocking the curse on the witches' homeland, as she was born of both Crochan and Ironteeth blood. Initially allying with Adarlan, her alliances change in Empire of Storms, as she decides to unite the witches and fight the demons.
• Chaol Westfall: He is the Captain of the Guard, and is very wary of Celaena throughout the first and part of the second book, as he recognizes the threat she poses to the kingdom. He is very close to Dorian and is willing to sacrifice his life for him. Throughout the first book, Chaol helps Celaena get back into shape during the tournament, training diligently with her every morning. In the second book, he enters into a love affair with Celaena. This affair ends after the murder of Nehemia, which Celaena blames Chaol for, because Chaol did not warn Celaena about the threats against Nehemia's life. By the end of the series, they have rekindled their friendship, and Chaol has a new love, Yrene, a healer who cures the paralysis in his legs. Chaol has been described to have a friendly relationship with his underlings. He is loyal and honest, even if his loyalty can come in conflict with his morals.
• Elide Lochan: She is a cousin of Aelin and bears Blackbeak blood in her. She had been imprisoned by her uncle in a tower since she was eight, causing her to lose the ability to read, and also suffers a terrible leg injury. Later when her uncle takes her to Morath as a servant, she befriends Manon and makes her escape with the help of another character called Kaltain. On the way to find Celaena Sarthodien and Aelin, not knowing the two are the same, she meets Lorcan - a fae with powers gifted by Hellas himself, and the two soon falls in love. Most parts of the Empire of Storms is in her perspective. She is an important character whose only powers are her smartness and cunning. She has caught the attention of Anneith - a healing goddess, who occasionally whispers in her ear and guides her. Elide has a pale, triangular face, onyx eyes, and long, thick midnight-black hair and is daring and courageous. She is able to regain her title as Lady of Perranth once her uncle dies and serves in Aelin's court.

Recurring

• Princess Nehemia Ytger: She is a princess of the kingdom of Eyllwe. Nehemia has chosen to ally with Adarlan so its people won't be killed, but secretly resists them. She pretends that she can only speak in her native tongue and acts like she doesn't understand what people say when they are speaking. In the first book, she has Celaena teach her how to speak the common Adarlanian language. She is a very strong-willed person and refuses to be looked down upon. Her main weapon is a staff that the people from her kingdom produce. She can communicate with Celaena because Celaena can speak in Nehemia's language. Nehemia eventually manipulates an acquaintance into killing her to motivate Celaena to free Terrasen, Eyllwe, and other countries from Adarlan.
• Aedion Ashryver also known asWolf of the Northby commoners: Aelin's cousin, demi-fae with enhanced senses but no magic. Aedion has Aelin's snarky, sarcastic attitude and her self-confidence. He is unfailingly loyal, and willing to die for his queen. Aedion is pansexual, revealing to Lysandra that he is attracted to people regardless of gender. Aedion is 6'3", heavily muscled, has a tanned complexion, long, golden blond hair, and his family's turquoise eyes ringed with gold.
• Kaltain Rompier: Kaltain is a young lady who comes from a fairly rich family. She comes to the palace as the guest of Duke Perrington so she can get close to Dorian and marry him. She is willing to do anything to become Dorian's bride and to be in a position of power. She is imprisoned by Perrington and given to a Valg prince, whom she secretly destroys. She has a rare form of magic called shadowfire. Later in the series, she gives Elide Lochan a Wyrdkey, then destroys herself along with a part of Morath.^[22]
• The King of Adarlan/Dorian Havilliard I: Dorian Havilliard the First is the initially unnamed father and ruler of the Adarlanian Empire. He is the current monarch of the Empire and Head of House Havilliard. By his wife, Georgina, he fathered Dorian II and Hollin Havilliard. The King was described as having no resemblance to his son Dorian; he had a broad frame with a round face and craggy features, and sharp eyes, with one of his eyebrows scarred. When the King was younger and before the Valg had taken him over, he was much like his son Dorian. However, he was possessed by a Valg demon when he was young, making him tyrannical and sociopathic. Under the Valg's control, the King became a ruler who took great pleasure in exerting his will over others. He did not appear to care about anything other than himself and gaining more power.
• Lysandra: A former courtesan who worked with Arobynn Hamel. The earliest depiction we see of Lysandra is a spoiled girl who always gets what she wants, along with frequently getting in the way of her 'nemesis,' Celaena Sardothien. As the series progresses, however, she displays a sharp mind, courage, and kindness. She takes a small girl named Evangeline under her wing, which causes Aelin to begin to trust her again. Throughout the series, Lysandra proves herself to be a loyal and courageous member of the new court of Terrasen. She is fiercely loyal and very dedicated to creating a better world for Evangeline. Lysandra can shapeshift into any animal or human that she wills, however prefers her ghost leopard and wyvern forms. Lysandra is introduced as a stunningly beautiful, curvy woman with dark brown hair reaching down her shoulders and back, pale skin, emerald eyes and full lips. This is not her original form, however, and took it before magic vanished because it was advantageous.

Background

Sarah J. Maas has cited Disney's Cinderella as an inspiration for writing Throne of Glass. While viewing the scene in which the heroine flees the ball, Maas found the soundtrack "way too dark and intense". This led her to re-imagine a number of details. "The music fit much better when I imagined a thief—no, an assassin!—fleeing the palace," she said. "But who was she? Who had sent her to kill the prince? Who might the prince's enemies be? A powerful, corrupt empire, perhaps?"^[23]

Originally known as Queen of Glass, the story initially appeared on FictionPress.com.^[23] Bloomsbury acquired the novel in 2010, and purchased two additional Throne of Glass novels in 2012.^[24] Publicist Emma Bradshaw noted Maas' "huge online following, particularly in the US".^[25] Additionally, Throne of Glass became the first Bloomsbury children's novel to be featured on Netgalley.com, attracting requests "from all over the world."^[25]

Following its acquisition by Bloomsbury, the story went through a number of revisions prior to publication. Regarding the tale's development, Maas stated, "In the 10 years that I've been working on the series, Throne of Glass has become more of an original epic fantasy than a Cinderella retelling, but you can still find a few nods to the legend here and there."^[25]

Characters

In an interview prior to the series' debut, Maas discussed the process of creating her protagonist:^[27]

I grew up reading books like Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown and Garth Nix's Sabriel—both of which feature strong heroines, and both of which profoundly shaped my identity and empowered me. I started writing knowing I wanted to create books like that—mostly because that's what interests me and where my passion lies, but also because I'd love for some young woman to read [Throne of Glass] and feel empowered, too.

The story's teenage heroine, Celaena Sardothien, is introduced as an orphan who was raised and trained by an assassin. She is characterized as skilled, arrogant, and witty. While shaping her protagonist, Maas was inspired by the heroism of Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings, and by the characterization of Velma Kelly from Chicago. Maas has stated that the latter's "arrogance and fierceness made me want to write about a woman like her—about a woman who never once said sorry for being talented and determined and utterly in love with herself."^[28]

The author ultimately designed Celaena as a highly capable character whose talents also form a basis for numerous faults. In interviews preceding the series' release, Maas noted her heroine's issues with "impatience" and "vanity".^[27] She also suggested that Celaena would grow while adjusting to her new role.^[26] In addition to Celaena's skills as an assassin, Maas wanted the character to have several traits and hobbies befitting her age,^[29] including a fondness for "shopping, books, and fine dining", as well as a "penchant for getting into trouble."^[30]

In creating the friendship between Celaena and Chaol, Maas gave the characters a number of differences. As the story begins, Chaol is introduced as a strict and ethical captain, while Celaena is presented as a morally ambiguous assassin. According to the author, this contrast contributes to Chaol's character development as his bond with Celaena grows. Amidst their experiences, Chaol eventually comes to view her not just as a captive criminal, but also "as a human being."^[31] While writing the novel, Maas envisioned Chaol as a character who had "always seen the world in black and white," and concluded that "Celaena just throws a wrench in that."^[31]

Prince Dorian is presented as a suitor for Celaena as well. However, their relationship is complicated by his status as the crown prince.^[32]

Publicity

In anticipation of the series' debut, Bloomsbury released e-book editions of four prequel novellas—The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire—between January and July 2012.^[33] Throne of Glass was previewed by Publishers Weekly in February, while the book trailer premiered on MTV.com in May.^[34][35] Additionally, film option rights were acquired by Creative Artists Agency.^[36]

Reception

Throne of Glass has received generally positive reviews, making its debut on the New York Times Best Seller list with the release of the second novel, Crown of Midnight.^[37] A review from Publishers Weekly lauded the series' opening as a "strong debut novel." The review went on to state, "This is not cuddly romance, but neither is it grim. Celaena is trained to murder, yet she hasn’t lost her taste for pretty dresses or good books, and a gleam of optimism tinges her outlook. Maas tends toward overdescription, but the verve and freshness of the narration make for a thrilling read."^[38] The Guardian gave it 5 stars out of 5 with the author of the review stating that the main character, Celaena, was more "relatable" than most other female protagonists.^[39] In her review for USA Today, Serena Chase called Celaena a "next-level Cinderella".^[22]

Kirkus stated, "A teenage assassin, a rebel princess, menacing gargoyles, supernatural portals and a glass castle prove to be as thrilling as they sound." With regard to the protagonist, Kirkus noted that "Celaena is still just a teenager trying to forge her way, giving the story timelessness. She might be in the throes of a bloodthirsty competition, but that doesn't mean she's not in turmoil over which tall, dark and handsomely titled man of the royal court should be her boyfriend—and which fancy gown she should wear to a costume party." The review concluded that the story's "commingling of comedy, brutality and fantasy evokes a rich alternate universe with a spitfire young woman as its brightest star."^[29]

Throne of Glass was named Amazon.com's "Best Book of the Month for Kids & Teens" in August 2012.^[40] Whitney Kate Sullivan of Romantic Times stated that "Maas' YA fantasy world is one of the most compelling that this reviewer has visited all year. The assassin heroine's growth and the multilayered secondary characters are amazing."^[41] Serena Chase of USA Today applauded the story's love triangle, and noted that "Maas excels at world building, spicing up this unusual take on the Cinderella story by injecting myths, fairy tales and religious traditions with the magic of a fresh and faulted world. Whereas many authors rely on geographic detail to build their worlds, Maas' environment is more politically driven and her characterizations are deftly drawn to support that sort of structure." Chase also commended Maas for creating "a truly remarkable heroine who doesn't sacrifice the grit that makes her real in order to do what's right in the end."^[42]

Accolades