Books, Boots and Bakeries

Okay so… how hadn’t I read this before?

I’m actually a bit embarrassed to admit this, but somehow The Assassin’s Blade completely slipped through the cracks. I dove headfirst into Throne of Glass years ago and just kept going, assuming I’d caught all the important bits. Turns out I’d missed quite a lot. Reading this now, finally, it’s like a giant puzzle piece slotted into place. Things make way more sense, emotionally and narratively.

I don’t usually love short story collections, so maybe that’s the reason why? For me, they tend to feel disjointed or rushed, and I never really get attached. But The Assassin’s Blade? It surprised me. I found myself properly invested, which I wasn’t expecting at all. The stories felt connected, and they built on each other in a way that gave me that slow simmer feeling I usually only get from a full length novel.

I also messaged my neice, to tell her I was embarking on this journey. Her response “Awww, I miss my girl”

All her excitement aside… I was dreading it a bit. I knew enough about Sam to know it wasn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows, and I was right. I read most of it during a flight between Canberra and Melbourne (bit of a theme, hey), and let’s just say it wasn’t exactly the kind of book you want to be sniffling over in a middle seat while a stranger hogs the armrest. So I did the logical thing and read the second half on the flight home.

But I’m so glad I finally read it. Even if my copy does not, in the slightest, match covers with the rest of the series……………

It adds a whole new depth to Celaena. The bravado, the pain, the layers, all of it lands harder now. And honestly? I reckon it should be required reading before launching into the rest of the series. You’ll get so much more out of the journey if you do.That said, for any future readers – if you’re just starting out, I’d actually recommend reading it in the recommended order, after Crown of Midnight. I think the emotional punch hits harder that way, and you’ll have a bit more context to really feel the weight of it all.

Now excuse me while I stare into the middle distance and emotionally process Sam Cortland.