Finished reading: 23 February 2024
Rating out of five: 4.75/5

The fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, Queen of Shadows absolutely blew my socks off—what a book! There’s a lot to get through, but trust me, this book is 100% worth it.

Celaena (now going by her actual name, Aelin) is back in Adarlan after her incredible journey over in Wendlyn, and she’s ready to fight for those she’s lost, those she loves, and her people. And, she’s going to fight for that damn crown that is rightfully hers.
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I’ll keep warning y’all—there be spoilers in this one, including choices and plot twists from the books that have come before this one. For those who are reading along, have already read it, or don’t have any want to read these and don’t mind being spoiled, let’s get into it!

Previously reviewed: 27 July 2017
Rating: 2.5/5

Now here’s a book that’s got some history and influence attached to it. The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is one of those texts that’s referenced when talking about leadership, and there are some significant people in history (and in the current age…) that have referenced this book as something they have read and refer to multiple times.

But, let me get this straight, this may not necessarily be a good thing.

I read The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli as part of a university subject back in 2017, and then published a review on the previous version of TaleInferno about it. And, because I’ve been listening to the Midnights album by Taylor Swift recently, I thought this would be a good book to start my Throwback Book Reviews.
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A quick disclaimer: I’m not a historian. Also, I note that this is a translated text—you’ll see that the version of this book I have is a Penguin Books variety published in 2011 and translated by George Bull. Every translation is different. Some translators rewrite the text to be about a Ruler, not a Prince. Some quotations will also be different, which can lead to different connotations. However, the main points generally stay the same.

​Finished reading: 13 February 2024
Rating out of five: 4.5/5

The third book in the Throne of Glass series, Heir of Fire takes us away from Adarlan (or at least with Celaena) to Wendlyn, a land where magic still exists as it’s not impacted by the King’s ‘off’ switch. Celaena is broken after a terrible loss and heartbreak, and doesn’t really know what to do next, until she meets Rowan Whitethorn, which leads her to be truly tested to find an inner strength not just for herself, but for the survival of the world she lives in and those she loves.

As you can expect, this review will have some spoilers from the previous instalments of this series. For those who have yet to get to this point of the series—you’ve been warned!

Finished reading: 30 January 2024
Rating out of five: 3.75/5

The second book in the Throne of Glass series, and I’m going to be honest right out the bat, Crown of Midnight took me a bit of time to read and get into. However, as the story progressed, I could feel myself pulling my way up closer to a potential 4/5 rating, but we just didn’t quite make it.

We’re heading into Throne of Glass spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read the first book yet, so if you haven’t, you’ve been warned! Otherwise, if you have read the first book of the series, then let’s get right into it.

Finished reading: 17 January 2024
Rating out of five: 4.5/5
We’re rolling right in to the first book of the Throne of Glass series titled—if you can guess--Throne of Glass. If you read these books in chronological order, not publishing order, then you’ll know where we left off and where our main character, Celaena Sardothien, has been hanging out.

If not, well, welcome to the Throne of Glass series, which starts off in the salt mines of Endovier. This location is a slave camp, where those imprisoned in the salt mines suffer years of hard labour and live in absolute squalor. So, as you can imagine, after spending a year here, Celaena is having a great time (sarcasm, in case you missed it).
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That’s until she’s brought to the Crown Prince—known as Dorian Havilliard—by Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall.

Finished reading: 12 January 2024
Rating: 4/5

​​A collection of five short stories, The Assassin’s Blade follows the story of the young and deadly assassin, Celaena Sardothien, and truly sets up the epic Throne of Glass series. It provides an in-depth look into how her character has been built, and what has led to the events that unfold in the first book of the Throne of Glass series.