The Glass Castle of Romance and Suspense in ‘Throne of Glass’

The Glass Castle Unveiled

“Throne of Glass”, written by Sarah J. Maas, catches the reader’s attention from the first chapter and never lets go. That being said, something does leave the reader yearning to know more about the relationship between Celaena and her two lovers — Dorian and Chaol. During their romantic courtships, there always seemed to be distractions that left the reader on the edge of their seat.

An example of these diversions is the evil that lies within the castle. This evil is slowly killing off each of the champions and leaving a pattern of Wrydmarks, or ancient symbols, around the demolished body. Celaena was sent on a quest by the first Queen of Ardalan to find this evil and banish it from the castle forever. Queen Ellena gave her an amulet to help protect her. At the beginning of the book, Celaena develops feelings for Dorian, the crowned Prince of Ardalan.

Later, she slowly began to develop feelings for Chaol and eventually fell in love with him. Celaena Sardothian, an 18-year-old assassin from Ardalan, has been imprisoned in a death camp for the past year of her life. One day, Chaol Westfall, captain of the guards at the Glass Palace, comes to retrieve her. He presents her to Dorian Havillard, crowned Prince of Ardalan, and offers her a proposal.

Journey Within The Glass Castle

The King of Ardalan is holding a competition, and Dorian wants Celaena to be his contender. The competition is a series of deadly tests to find the person with the most brains and bronze. If Celaena is the victor, she must work for the king as his assassin for four years. Once she has finished her term, she will be granted her freedom. Though Celaena despises the king, she accepts his offer in hopes of escaping the death camp and gaining her freedom.

Once they arrive at the castle, Celaena is prepared for the competition. A year at the death camp has left Celaena starved, bruised, and weak. After a few training sessions with Chaol, Celaena easily regains her strength and skills. Once the competition begins, it becomes clear to Celaena who is friend or foe, and she instantly makes an enemy. As it progresses, an evil is released into the castle. This evil begins killing the champions one by one with unimaginable brutality. Celaena must find this evil and demolish it before it takes over the kingdom. One of the author’s main arguments in “Throne of Glass” is that one’s first love isn’t necessarily going to be the last.

Lessons from The Glass Castle: Perseverance and Love

Celaena and her first love meet in Ardalan, training to be assassins. She tells Dorian many stories about him and their adventures together. These stories lead the reader to believe something tragic happened to this nameless character. Celaena is constantly found wearing a ring that her lover gave her when they were training in Ardalan. Through these interactions with Dorian, he slowly begins to fall in love with Celaena.

When Dorian begins to realize his feelings for Calaena, he makes a constant effort to see her. He offers Celaena small gifts and grants her freedom. “The dog swished her tail once. Then, another time. “She’s yours,” Dorian said. “If you want her.” This is one example of Dorian’s gifts. Another is when Dorian fished in his pockets and pulled out a gift. “Here’, he said as he placed it in her palm. Celaena examined it drowsily and replied, “A ring.”

After observing these behaviors, Celaena soon starts to develop feelings for Dorian as well. Although these feelings are continuous throughout the novel, they are more prevalent in the beginning. Towards the middle of the story, Celaena starts developing feelings for her trainer, Chaol. He pushes his feelings away and hides them until near the end of the story. A quote from Chaol that helps establish this fact is: “With each day, he felt the barriers melting. He let them melt. Because of her genuine laugh, because he caught her one afternoon sleeping with her face in the middle of a book because he knew she would win.’

Chaol eventually succumbs to these feelings and saves Celaena’s life. These examples are a few ways the author helps support this argument. The author’s argument was engaging. It always left you wanting to know more about each character. The way Sarah J. Maas transitions from one lover to the next is seamless. She is a master of suspenseful drama, which allows the reader to see right into the heart of each figure. Sarah also uses cunning humor to help the reader relate to the characters.

Although this novel would be enjoyable to a wide audience, it lends itself to teenagers and young adults because they are much more susceptible to relationships, much like those of Celaenas. Romantic lovers’ quarrels and heart-throbbing drama are another reason young readers might be drawn to Sarah’s story. In the novel, Celaena overcomes her tragic past and continues to enjoy wearing makeup and dresses. An impressionable reader can greatly benefit from this lesson of perseverance. It is for these reasons this book is best suited for a younger audience. A novel to compare to “Throne of Glass” is Red Queen. In Red Queen, the main character, Mare, is forced to take an identity that is not herself. She is told to follow a strict set of rules. If one of these rules is broken, Mare and her family will be killed.

This is similar to “Throne of Glass” because Celaena is also forced to take a different identity named Lillian Gordaina. If either of their identities were released to the public, there would be many questions raised. Another novel for comparison is The Selection. When the castle is holding a competition to find a queen, the main character, America, is called to fight for Prince Maxon Schreave’s heart. These stories are similar in two ways. First, America is in love with a man named Aspen Leger; however, when she travels to the castle, she quickly falls in love with Maxon. This is similar to “Throne of Glass” because neither of their first loves ends up being their last. Next is the similarity of competition within the novels.

Conclusion: An Unforgettable Adventure Within The Glass Castle

Overall, “Throne of Glass” was an enjoyable read! The way Sarah J. Maas begins the story with an innocent fairytale theme captures the reader from the start and makes them seem completely at home in her highly imaginative world. The reader will enjoy exploring different viewpoints and easily form a personal connection with the characters. In conclusion, Throne of Glass delivers an unforgettable adventure that is wildly creative and captivating from start to finish.

References

1. Maas, S. J. (2012). Throne of Glass. Bloomsbury USA Children’s.