The Story
Throne of Glass opens in the salt mines of Endovier, where eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien — once the most feared assassin in the kingdom of Adarlan — has been left to die. After a year of forced labor, Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard offers her a way out: compete in a tournament against twenty-three thieves, soldiers, and killers. Win, and she becomes the King's Champion. Earn her freedom in four years. Lose, and go back to the mines.
What starts as a fight for survival turns into something darker. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena realizes something ancient is loose in the Glass Castle — and it's there to kill.
The Success
Throne of Glass grew into an eight-book series, including prequels and a finale (Kingdom of Ash, 2018) that runs past nine hundred pages. The series has sold more than twelve million copies, been translated into more than thirty-five languages, and spent years on the New York Times bestseller list.
The Author
Sarah J. Maas started writing Throne of Glass when she was sixteen, posting early chapters on the writing site FictionPress under the title Queen of Glass. The story slowly built up a loyal online following. Years later, after studying creative writing at Hamline University, she sold the series to Bloomsbury. Today she lives in the United States with her family and writes full time. She's one of the most-read fantasy authors of her generation.