Throne of Glass Series: Reading Order and FAQ
- Jasleen
- Oct 17, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 16, 2021
Now that this amazing popular fantasy series is complete, many readers are looking to start it. It is a bit of a longer series but I absolutely loved it and I will explain how exactly to read it!
Series Overview
Genres: Upper Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance, Fae, Witches, Dragons (Wyverns), Magic, Adventure
Suggested Age Range: 15-18+
Content Warnings (for entire series): Murder, Torture, Death, Slavery, Poisoning, Blood & Gore, Trauma & Nightmares, Animal Death, War Themes, Suicide, Imprisonment, Depression, Knife Violence, Rape (Mention), Stillbirth, Alcohol/Drug Abuse, Mature Content
Synopsis:
This is SJM's debut series, which features Celeana Sarthodien, an 18-year-old assassin who has just served a year of hard labour in the slavery salt mines of Endovier for her crimes before being presented to Dorian, the Crown Prince of Adarlan. Dorian offers her freedom on one condition: she must become his champion in his father's competition to find his new royal assassin. Her opponents are thieves and murderers, all sponsored by a member of the King's council, but Celeana is the most feared assassin in the empire. While training with Captain Westfall, she realizes that a mysterious killer is eliminating her opponents one by one, and Celeana is determined to find the culprit before she becomes another victim. Secrets are uncovered, lies unveiled, and a discovery of a greater destiny threatens to change Celeana's life forever. That is if she doesn't get murdered first...
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Throne of Glass
Click on one of these questions to jump straight to it!:
I heard that some people read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn in tandem. What does that mean?
Do I have to read Tower of Dawn? The cover doesn't look like the rest of the series.
I'm new to the fantasy genre. Would this series be good for me?
I've heard that Sarah J. Mass (SJM) is problematic. Should I still read this series?
1. What's your recommended reading order for the series?
Throne of Glass (2012)
Crown of Midnight (2013)
Heir of Fire (2014)
The Assassin's Blade (Novella) (2014)
Queen of Shadows (2015)
Empire of Storms (2016)
Tower of Dawn (2017)
Kingdom of Ash (2018)
There are many debates about when to read the novella. I've explained that here.
2. What is the age rating for this series?
I'd say Throne of Glass is good for anyone 15 years and older. However, from Crown of Midnight onwards, it becomes more mature and becomes borderline New Adult due to the mature content in Empire of Storms.
There is also a lot of death and murder in this series (the main character is literally an assassin, what did you expect? LOL) so please consider my content warnings above before reading the series. You may want to research more warnings online if you have any triggers.
I started this series when I was 15 and really enjoyed it. However, I took my time and read the series over a span of 3 years (I re-read the first 7 books while waiting for Kingdom of Ash to be released). So, it's really up to you when you want to read it! If you want to do a straight binge-read of the series, just be aware that it does have mature content so be sure you are good with that beforehand. My suggested age ratings are just suggestions; you decide whether or not you want to read it!
3. What is The Assassin's Blade?
It's a novella (which means it's shorter than a novel but longer than a short story)! It takes place before the events of Throne of Glass so it's a prequel to the series. It contains 5 short stories of Celeana's life before she was sent to the slave camp.
The first 4 stories were originally published as ebooks in 2012 before Throne of Glass was released. However, the print novella that was published in 2014 contains an additional story that adds to the entire storyline.
4. When should you read the novella?
It's your choice if you want to start the series with the novella or read it later. However, be sure to read it BEFORE Queen of Shadows.
I like to read it after Heir of Fire because The Assasin's Blade focuses on Celeana and Sam, and the characters from the novella appear in Queen of Shadows and onwards.
DO NOT read it at the end! I've seen many people read the novella after Kingdom of Ash and then realize just how connected and thought-out the plot truly was.
Note that the novella is NOT meant to be an introduction to the series. You may find the world and characters confusing if you decide to read the novella first, so keep an open mind because the overall series gets better with every book!
5. Do I have to read The Assassin's Blade?
YES. It truly explains so much of why certain characters get introduced and you see everything come together at the end. Also, it's a great book on its own and Celeana is amazing, so please read it!
6. I heard that some people read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn in tandem. What does that mean?
A tandem read means reading two books together. Some people read both Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn at the same time because both books take place after the events of Queen of Shadows (nearly exact timeline).
Personally, I read the books in order of publication (so, Empire of Storms, then Tower of Dawn). It's your choice if you want to read them separately or in tandem. It may be difficult managing two big books at the same time, but if you can handle it, go for it!
This guide by the Chatting Chapters covers how to read in tandem.
7. Do I have to read Tower of Dawn? The cover doesn't look like the rest of the series.
YES. There is a LOT of important information that you will need before you start Kingdom of Ash. The reason why it has a different cover is that Celeana is not in it (another main character is! I won't say their name just to avoid spoilers). Despite that, Tower of Dawn is a must-read.
8. How do you pronounce "____"?
Check out Sarah J. Mass's official Throne of Glass pronunciation guide here!
9. I'm new to the fantasy genre. Would this series be good for me?
YES! Throne of Glass is a great series even if you're not an avid fantasy reader. The first book starts off pretty basic with medieval elements and murder mystery and slowly incorporates magic and higher fantasy elements as the series progresses. It's very easy to follow and super entertaining!
10. I've heard that Sarah J. Mass (SJM) is problematic. Should I still read this series?
There are many debates on many social media platforms about this issue. It comes down to your own opinions of whether or not you think SJM is problematic. I will say that her series does have a lack of ethnic/gender diversity with her characters, which is probably the most prominent issue that people have with her books.
However, I still really enjoyed the series and I think the story is worth reading. It has a great overall theme and message and the story is very iconic and exciting!
If you are uncomfortable with purchasing the series and directly supporting the author through the book sales, I recommend buying second-hand copies from discount stores or from people in your area. You could also try to find online versions if you want to. It's all up to you! 😊
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