General:Crown of Midnight is the second book in Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series. The story picks up after the events of Throne of Glass and sees Celaena Sardothien—an accomplished assassin—still embroiled in a deadly game swirling around the royal court of Adarlan. The book explores more of Celaena, her past, and the kind of relationships she has now that are captured under King or Adarlan’s gruesome rules.
Summary of Crown of Midnight: Celaena wins the champion’s contest and is now lady-assassin to the king – although she will follow no one blindly and defy him if his orders go against her beliefs. But she is torn, between her dedication to the people who saved her and realizing some passion for Prince Dorian Havilliard. Celaena is plagued by the memories of her old life and surviving in a cruel world for mere survival’s sake tends to induce something like guilt.
As she struggles with the hole in who and what she is, Celaena begins to realize that there may be more important things at stake than just her own life. Soon she is caught up in a rebellion against the King and discovers that her whole life was based on a lie; (her past links her to an ancient magical legacy). She also befriends Chaol Westfall, Captain of the Guard, which causes complications in her romance with Dorian.
In the sequel to THRONE OF GLASS, Crown Prince Dorian recruits Caelena as King Champion to fight alongside him but only for a short time) Meanwhile, not-so-dead-but-good-at-hiding Sam is released from Hell and wants badly to win his princess’s throne back=Celaena-who has different things on her mind;try-winning-hearts-of-Fae-followers-because-it-could-be-useful-and-super-strategic-on-the-upcoming-fight-or-for-Dorothy-Two whichchen-isof-a slobbery clown/con-man-demon-Bastard who laughs like Gollum. The book is full of action, suspense, and emotion as Celaena must face her fears -the oldest demons– forced to make impossible choices so that in the end only she can decide where your loyalty is.
In this narrative, laden with suspense and romance you find yourself suddenly immersed in a twisted tale of identity, power & the repercussions of free will. The Tribulation The climax of the story involves truth bombs dropped about who Celaena is and begins the antagonism to come in future books.
Why You Need to Read “Crown of Midnight”
Character Development of Crown of Midnight
The characters grow a lot in this book, especially Celaena. Readers see her evolve as she tries to come to terms with who and what she is, and how it affects the world around her; this makes for an engaging and empowering experience.
Complex Relationships of Crown of Midnight
The complicated love triangle (though is it true when there are feelings on both sides) in Throne of Glass between Celaena, Dorian, and Chaol makes for a complex investigation into romantic & platonic relationships between characters. The themes of the story are very relevant, readers can look back on their relationships and that one person they always go after versus someone who could be truly for you.
Power and Rebellion Themes of Crown of Midnight
It is a story set against the backdrop of oppression and quest fthe or justice. Hudson for a rich and disturbing portrait of power, moral ambiguity and the,e problems in challenging authority.
Immersive World-Building
The world of Adarlan is fascinating and Maas riched this with beautiful lore about magic. It makes reading so immersive, and it allows you to picture things in your mind.
Action and Suspense
The story is action-packed with many surveys happening that make the book interesting until you will finish it. The fun of course is for those that find escapism in fantasy and adventure.
Exploration of Identity
Readers are encouraged to examine their sense of identity and the series suggests that still, such an inner journey continues beyond these revelations.
Emotional Depth
The layering of emotional turmoil (loss, betrayal, and search for family) was well developed in the novel. This creates depth in the characters and consequently can make them empathetic to readers.
Motivation and Resilience
The tales of Celaena’s fight to take back her power when all odds are against it: that struggle inspires readers in reality, even if they aren’t mated with the gods.
Fantasy Elements
The fantasy elements make the story more comforting for fans of that genre, and it helps weave in some magical lore (along with ancient powers/mythical creatures), adding to Hogwarts at Ilvermorny’s appeal.
Continuation of a Great Series
Being the only book in a series, Crown of Midnight is building towards things to come. Readers who like cliffhangers and unresolved storylines will probably be looking forward to reading about Celaena from her very beginnings.
Conclusion
We get some more exciting expansion in Celaena Sardothien’s story and by extension the world, with all that lovely action-adve