Throne of Glass FanGuide 1: What to Know Before Starting the Series

Summary

Fantasy Fangirls – TOG Fantasy FanGuide Ep 1: Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight

Episode Date: February 2, 2026
Hosts: Lexi and Nicole

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Overview

In this highly-anticipated first episode of their TOG (Throne of Glass) Fantasy FanGuide series, sisters Lexi and Nicole embark on a detailed, passionate, and spoiler-conscious deep dive into the world of Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass universe. The episode covers Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass, and Crown of Midnight, guiding newcomers and seasoned readers alike through lore, reading order debates, worldbuilding, major characters, and essential foreshadowing. The hosts balance encyclopedic fandom knowledge with heartfelt emotional insight—and plenty of lively sisterly banter.

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Episode Structure and Spoiler Policy

• [03:53] The episode is split in two:
  • Part 1: Absolutely spoiler-free for the first three books covered (Assassin’s Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight). Safe for new readers.
  • Part 2: Series-wide spoilers for all eight books. Big, explicit warning before this section!
• “We are great at giving very obnoxious spoiler warnings so you know when we move from Part one to Part two.” – Lexi [04:34]

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reading Order Debates

[08:50–17:32]

• The Big Question: When should you read Assassin’s Blade?

  • Chronological Order: Read Assassin’s Blade first for zero spoilers.
    • Pros: Fully blind to major character fates.
    • Cons: The short-story format is different and may deter new readers.
    • “If you prefer absolutely zero spoilers and chronological order, read Assassin's Blade first.” – Lexi [11:19]
  • Maas’s Order (SJM recommends): Read it third, after Crown of Midnight.
    • Gives attachment to characters before knowing their backstory.
    • “For emotional impact, it flows beautifully for her character arc to read it third.” – Lexi [11:19]
  • After Heir of Fire: Some read it fourth for big emotional impact before Queen of Shadows.
  • Others: Some even read Assassin’s Blade last, including Nicole on her original read.
    • “I actually read it last and I'm really, really glad I did ... There was a wonderful surprise, specifically in Tower of Dawn, that I did not know because I hadn't read Assassin's Blade.” – Nicole [14:03, 16:15]

• Tandem Reading (Empire of Storms & Tower of Dawn):

  • What is it? Reading the two simultaneously, as their events occur in parallel.
  • Pros: Prevents cliffhanger frustration, balances less-loved Tower of Dawn.
  • Cons: Harder on audiobook, requires focus.
    • “Not to sound like a broken record, but again, it depends. If you do not like the characters that Tower of Dawn follows ... We would definitely recommend the tandem read...” – Nicole [19:01]
  • Audiobook tip: “I admit I totally raw dogged it though.” – Lexi [20:10]

• Order of SJM Series:

  • Best for newcomers to Maas: ACOTAR → Throne of Glass → Crescent City.
  • “Please read Acotar, including the fifth book before reading Crescent City.” – Lexi [23:55]

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2. World-Building and Lore Cheat Sheet

[30:51–38:25]

• Main Continents:

  • Erilea: Primary setting, ruled (conquered) by the King of Adarlan. Magic suppressed here.
  • Eastern Continent: Land of the Fae; Wendlyn’s location.
  • Southern Continent: Home to the Torre Cesme and elite healers.

• Key Locations:

  • Rifthold: The capital, with its iconic Glass Castle and sinister clock tower.
  • Ilwey: Resistant nation, last to fight the King.
  • Terrasen: Celaena’s/Aelin’s homeland, first conquered.

• Politics & Magic:

  • Magic is illegal and inaccessible in Erilea—those with magic are banished, killed, or enslaved.
  • Slave Camps: Endovier and Calaculla—mentions of their horror and importance.

• Foundational Magic-Lore:

  • Wyrd: Force underlying this universe—old word for fate. (“Think of Wyrd as a force that makes up this universe.” – Lexi [36:11])
  • Wyrdmarks & Wyrdgates: Magical symbols and voids allowing passage between worlds.
  • Fae and Little Folk: once populous, now rare/hiding.

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3. Major Characters (Intro & First Arc)

[38:25–42:21]

• Celaena Sardothien: 18, infamous assassin, outwardly arrogant but traumatized by her past. “She has exquisite taste in clothes, accessories, and she is unmatched with her ruthlessness and fighting skills.” – Lexi [36:11]
• Dorian Havilliard: 19, crown prince, charming and idealistic but immature.
• Chaol Westfall: 24, captain of the guard, loyal, rule-bound, Celaena’s other love interest.
• Nehemia Ytger: Princess of Ilwey, 19; diplomat, advocate for her people.
• King of Adarlan: Conqueror, cruel–driving the world’s conflict.
• Duke Perrington, Caltaine, Arobynn Hamel, Sam Cortland: Key antagonists/players in various plots and assassins' politics.

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4. Historical Timeline — Essential Backdrop

[42:21–43:55]

• 1,000 years ago: Second Demon War; Elena and Gavin (first King/Queen of Adarlan) defeat Erawan, found House Haviliard.
• 10 years ago: King conquers Terrasen, eradicates Fae/magic.
• 2 years ago: Assassin’s Blade’s first story events.
• 1 year ago: Celaena sent to Endovier, setting up Throne of Glass’s start.

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5. Hosts’ Perspectives and Reader Expectations

[44:11–48:07]

• Nicole: Loves early books for their foundation, doesn’t mind YA vibe, finds Assassin’s Blade less compelling personally but appreciates its role.

  • “Crown of Midnight is one of my top three books in the series, especially on a reread, because you're like, oh my God, it's all there.” – Nicole [44:11]

• Lexi: Appreciates SJM’s growth and the slow burn of the epic, recommends going in expecting YA and evolving complexity.

  • “I have a genuine appreciation for how much this series evolves and seen SJM grow as a writer.” – Lexi [45:49]

• Major tip: Avoid googling fan art or character names to prevent being spoiled for major twists.

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PART TWO — SERIES SPOILERS AND DEEP FORESHADOWING

[57:15+]

A sharp spoiler warning leads into full-series discussion. Highlights include:

1. Celaena’s/Aelin’s Character Arc

• Assassin’s Blade events (especially Sam’s death) are central to her inner walls and later self-sacrificing choices.
• Vulnerability themes traced from her relationship with Sam through to Rowan.
  • “His death to her proves that those walls should always stay up to protect those that she cares about, to punish herself ...” – Lexi [60:26]
• Aelin’s refusal to let loved ones in is traced back to trauma–“She will never let something like that happen again.” – Lexi [61:58]

2. Throne of Glass & Crown of Midnight Plot Arcs

• Throne of Glass:

  • Celaena, behind her bravado, craves freedom.
  • Loves the competition plot for illustrating her drive—and arrogance. “She is that good!” – Lexi [66:58]

• Crown of Midnight:

  • Initiates deeper emotional transformation.
  • Chaol/Celaena relationship: safe, but ultimately not sustainable.
    • “Kaol embodies that safety for her. Are they meant to be together? No. Absolutely not. But behind closed doors, they make sense.” – Nicole [67:41]
  • Nehemia's death: planned as a catalyst for Celaena to embrace Aelin.
    • “She knows that Nehemia's death is going to break Celaena.” – Nicole [69:31]
    • “Nehemia’s sacrifice is also reminiscent of Lady Marian’s sacrifice, for which Celaena also feels unworthy.” – Nicole [67:43]

• Cliffhanger Reveal:

  • "Celaena Sardothien is Aelin Ashriver Galathinius” (end of Crown of Midnight). “This was one of the most satisfying reveals I have read. Like, really and truly. I loved it so much...” – Lexi [72:10]

3. Dorian, Kaol, and Nehemia — Secondary Journeys

• Dorian:
  • Grows from immature prince to traumatized, powerful king-to-be; his magic and bloodline foreshadowed early.
  • “He finally finds a love and she’s beheaded right in front of him before he has a word collar put around his neck. God duh.” – Nicole [75:24]
• Kaol:
  • Embodies struggle between ingrained loyalty and new truths.
  • Early relationship with Celaena: “He only wanted to love certain parts of her.” – Lexi [88:20]
• Nehemia:
  • Instrumental in both plot and protagonist’s growth, ultimately sacrifices herself as planned with Elena.
  • “She is the first person to challenge Celaena’s avoidance of responsibility.” – Lexi [78:43]

4. Foreshadowing & Butterfly Effect Moments

(Top scenes and details called out)

• The earliest hints Celaena is Aelin — attitudes, dreams, offhand remarks [92:27–94:26].
• References to Dorian and Aelin’s bloodlines, and the “nameless is my price” motif [95:55–102:20].
• Early clues to Duke Parrington’s true nature (“obsidian eyes,” “shadow crosses over his face,” etc.) [94:26–96:02].
• The Lord of the North/white stag symbolism, little folk, rattle the stars motif—all paying off in later books and series conclusion [98:01–98:57].
• “Tell me tomorrow” — the same line ends both ToG and Kingdom of Ash [97:08].
• Caltain’s transformation and impact, Irene’s butterfly effect [99:00–100:38].
• Sam’s phrase: “My name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid” — becomes Aelin’s battle cry and prime motif [105:45].

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Notable Quotes

• “Everyone's opinion is valid. It’s only with you and I that we’re like, how dare you, sister.” – Nicole [16:40]
• “Tower of Dawn is not a fan favorite in the series since it follows a less popular group of characters. I think I speak for both of us when I say we actually disagree here at Fantasy Fangirls …” – Nicole [19:01]
• “Please read Acotar, including the fifth book before reading Crescent City. Yes, this is for plot reasons. Please just do it. Just trust us on this one.” – Lexi [23:55]
• “Magic may be illegal and inaccessible, but friends, this is a fantasy book so we still get little glimpses of magic.” – Lexi [36:11]
• “The boys definitely do annoy me in these books, I'm not gonna lie, but the final lines in Assassin's Blade just give me chills for days.” – Lexi [48:07]
• “If you have been having a campaign for two and a half years for Fantasy fangirls to cover Throne of Glass, this is the perfect episode to share with them. Congratulations.” – Lexi [106:56]

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Memorable Sister Banter & Moments

• Lexi and Nicole’s playfully fierce back-and-forth on reading order, ships, and character flaws pepper the entire episode, lending relatable warmth and humor.
  • “Don’t you dare start on Kaol. I’m about to go to bat for my boy.” – Nicole [65:29]
  • “Lexi, I think you and I can agree on this, if we were doing a deep dive of him, he would get so many Ls.” – Nicole [88:29]

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Useful Timestamps

• [03:53] — Episode/series structure and spoiler notes
• [08:50] — TOG recommended reading orders explained
• [19:01] — The tandem read (Empire of Storms / Tower of Dawn)
• [30:51–38:25] — Quick start guide to TOG world/lore
• [44:11] — Why the hosts love the early books/their mindsets
• [57:15] — Major spoiler warning – series-wide analysis begins
• [62:30+] — In-depth character-by-character arc breakdown
• [92:27+] — Foreshadowing, favorite scenes, “top 10” moments

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Final Thoughts

Part literary guide, part fandom celebration (with plenty of giggling asides), this episode is a treasure for new and returning readers seeking to deepen their understanding of the Throne of Glass’s sprawling story and emotional resonance. The hosts’ insights into reading order, character arcs, and hidden foreshadowing, paired with clear warnings on where to stop for spoilers, make this an ideal companion for anyone about to embark on their Erilean adventure.

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Upcoming:
Episode 2 will cover Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows — part one spoiler-free for those two books, part two FULL series spoilers.

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Follow & Share:

• Instagram/TikTok: @fantasyfangirlspod
• Perfect episode for convincing wary friends to try the series!

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“My name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid.” [105:51]

Transcript

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Welcome welcome welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls Podcast where two sisters dive deep into beloved fantasy lore, character theme, series and more.

[A]

I'm Lexi, Ultra sister and Fantasy Lore nerd.

[B]

And I'm Nicole, younger sister and romantic at heart.

[A]

And today's the day we're starting our four part fan Guide series for Throne of Glass. We're so excited. Please listen closely to our spoiler warning because it is very specific and different for each of these fan guide episodes. These Throne of Glass fan guide episodes are split into two parts. Episode 1 Part 1 is plot spoiler free for the entire series of Throne of Glass. If you have not read any of the books, this part one is for you. This is all about laying the foundation for the first three books in the series, Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. This part one is designed for people not familiar with the world but want to get their bearings as they start reading. Then Part two is where it includes series spoilers. This will be the case for all of these Throne of Glass Vanguard episodes. Don't you worry. We are great at giving very obnoxious spoiler warnings so you know when we move from Part one to Part two. And in case you have to jump off, Part two discusses character journeys and our biggest highlights from Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. Since we'll talk foreshadowing and how events in these first three books affect characters in the future, we are doing blanket spoilers for all eight Throne of Glass books in these fan Guide Part twos while we're bringing up spoilers. I know this is long, but please bear with us. These Throne of Glass episodes do not include any Spoilers for Acotar or Crescent City if you want our mass verse conversations, we have a three hour compilation to listen to from our 11 months of deep diving ACOTAR. Link to that episode is in the show notes.

[B]

So with all of that said, if you do not know the importance of AH Time's Rift, then you are safe to listen to part one but not part two because we are discussing the meaning of very important subjects around that. But like Lexi said, we will be giving a big obnoxious spoiler warning for you before we move into Throne of Glass series. Spoilers if you want to listen to the second part of that episode quick great. Go finish the series. We will be here when you're done.

[A]

Next, we of Fantasy Fangirls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, friends, this podcast is.

[B]

Rated R. These first three books may be YA geared, but we are talking about not one but two boys. So please be mindful of those little listening ears.

[A]

Additionally, we are so excited to see you at upcoming live events. On March 6th through 8th in Dallas, Texas. We will be podcast partners at Dreamers and Readers festival.

[B]

Then on April 8th we are partnering with the Denver Nuggets and Rebecca Yarros for a fourth Wing themed basketball night at Ball Arena.

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Plus, we are so excited to do a live show at the neptune Theater on April 19th in Seattle. Tickets are on sale now for you to dive deep into how to Train youn Dragon with us.

[B]

Check out our website or the links below for more information and more events. Plus a promo code for dreamers and readers. And in case you missed it, Fantasy fanfellas is launching Season two this Wednesday.

[A]

Our very own executive producer Hayden and Book Talk star Stephen Walker recently launched a new podcast where every week they dive deep into Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and they begin book two, the well of Ascension, on February 4th.

[B]

Hayden is an expert in Sanderson's Cosmere and has already read the Mistborn series.

[A]

But Steven has not. So each episode only includes spoilers up to the chapters covered as Hayden takes Steven through his first time reading the Mistborn series.

[B]

Season one of Mistborn is out now on the Fantasy fanfellas feed and Season two is only available on the Fantasy fanfellas feed this Wednesday. Be sure to give them a follow link in the show notes.

[A]

Last thing before we jump into Throne of Glass Vanguard Episode 1. If you love Fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more content, more community and so much more, especially now, please check out Fantasy Fan Club, which we have a very big announcement with this right.

[B]

Now while we have three fangirl centric tiers, the Hive Mind, the Spice Watchers and the Feral Fans where you'll be able to access our Boppin Discord live Q&As, AD FREE and early episodes, welcome gifts, giveaways and so much more. Surprise. We have officially added three more network tiers to the Fantasy Fan Club to get early access and ad free episodes to all Fantasy Fangirls network shows plus extra goodies. Check out the link in the show notes to learn more.

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Join the party and learn all the details about the tier that's right for you at fantasy fans fangirls.com fan club and friends. Really and truly, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us as we've turned this podcast into a dream come true. A whole media network. We have so much on the horizon. We're so excited and it's all because of you. So just thank you so much.

[B]

And now our name is Fantasy Fangirls and we will not be afraid.

[A]

Okay, well, I'm just gonna start crying right now. Yes.

[B]

Got her. 10 minutes in.

[A]

First things first with today's fan guide, and that is the reading order of the Throne of Glass series. There are eight books total. Assassin's Blade is the prequel of short stories. It was originally released as individual novellas starting in early 2012. Then the combined print and ebook came out in 2014. More on this prequel with reading order in a minute. Now let's move on to the seven main books of the series. Throne of Glass, which was published in 2012. Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, Tower of Dawn, and finally Kingdom of Ash. This last book of the series came out in 2018.

[B]

All right, one of the most controversial questions in the book space, like literally the entire book space, is where to read Assassin's Blade in the Throne of Glass reading order. And quite frankly, people have some very strong opinions about it. We are not those people because we believe that it extremely depends on what type of reader you are and what type of storytelling you prefer. So we'll go through the most popular options and what kind of reader might enjoy those options. So you can best select which one would work best for you. So first is the story timeline, chronological order, AKA read Assassin's Blade before you read Throne of Glass. All of Assassin's Blade happens before the events in Throne of Glass and the events in Assassin's Blade are frequently mentioned in Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and a lot more in the rest of the series, and for some people it can be frustrating or even distracting at times to not really understand what passages are being referenced. So reading Assassin's Blade first might diminish that distraction and frustration. Throne of Glass is also a massive spoiler for the events at the end of Assassin's Blade, specifically something that greatly affects who our FMC is. And some prefer to head into the ending of Assassin's Blade blind and unsuspecting. So if you don't want any spoilers for Assassin's Blade, reading it first does make sense. I'll also throw out if you're someone who doesn't like to go back in time, reading it first does make sense. Now like I've alluded to, but I want to give it like kind of a blaring warning. Assassin's Blade is a collection of short stories which might turn some people off the series because it is very different than the rest of the books, but these five short stories are regularly referenced in the series as a whole.

[A]

Yes, I absolutely love how each of the short stories really does come back into play later on in the series. I think that's masterful storytelling agreement. Alright, so if you prefer absolutely zero spoilers and chronological order, read Assassin's Blade first. But if you're like me and love experiencing the emotional journey, knowing what the eventual outcome is, but only hints of how it came to be that way, read Assassin's Blade third. After Crown of Midnight without spoilers, there is a big shift in the story at the end of Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire is a really big transformational book for the fmc. Reading Assassin's Blade between Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire is like a commercial break where you learn more of Celaena's backstory and meet people and events mentioned in those first few books. You see why she is the way she is heading into a book where she has some serious self discovery to do and I think for emotional impact, it flows beautifully for her character arc to read it third. I'm also someone who likes jumping right into the main story when I start a series and then going back to read the prequel after I'm already attached to these characters.

[B]

So another not quite as popular opinion is reading Assassin's Blade after Heir of Fire, so reading it fourth. I'm not gonna lie, I think this one makes sense and I'm shocked it's not more popular.

[A]

I can't I thought I knew you.

[B]

I thought I knew you. And for two people who say that.

[A]

Reading order doesn't matter, I'm surprised by how strong of an opinion I had.

[B]

That felt this well. Okay, let me explain my reasoning. So between Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows, another hu shift happens for our main characters. And some of those original I'll call it characteristics are present in Assassin's Blade for Celaena, our fmc. So I could see Assassin's Blade after Air of Fire having a huge emotional impact because you see how far she's come, especially before a very, very, very big storyline in Queen of Shadows that is tied to a lot of those short stories in Assassin's Blade. So in my opinion, I think this makes more sense before erafyer I said it. I freaking said it. But again, you need to be okay with going back in time, which some people like myself actually don't really enjoy.

[A]

See, even the two of us in our different opinions really does go to show how different all of us readers are with the reading order. It's completely up to preference. But Nicole, instead of when people should read Assassin's Blade, why don't we share when we actually read Assassin's Blade for the first time?

[B]

A few years ago I was planning on reading it after Crown of Midnight because that's what I was seeing everyone say you have to do on TikTok.

[A]

So that is what Sarah J. Maas also says. By the way, that's the order she recommends.

[B]

She does recommend that order, yes. And when I got to the end of Crown of Midnight, I'm sorry, the last thing I wanted to do was go back in time. I was like, no. So I really wanted to stay with the characters and where they currently were. So I kept saying, oh, I'll read it next. Oh I'll read it next. And then before I knew it, I finished Kingdom of Ash without reading Assassin's Blade. So I actually read it last and I'm really, really glad I did. I'm sorry. I loved having some of the surprises later in the series that I would not have had if I had read Assassin's Blade earlier in my read. And I will also be the first to admit Assassin's Blade is my least favorite book in the series. I am not a short stories girl. I've never been a short stories girl. There's a reason I like the Thickie Boy books a lot. That's a me thing though. And I don't enjoy going back in time again. That's a me thing. So I felt like of what I would have learned in Assassin's Blade I picked up on later in the series. Are there certain storylines that I probably would have meant a lot more to me if I had read Assassin's Blade. Yes, yes. We are not judging, Lexi. We listen and we don't judge. I am not saying don't read Assassin's Blade. Not at all. And on each of my four rereads of the series, I have skipped Assassin's Blade. I'm sorry. I'm so. I don't like short stories. I'm sorry.

[A]

Okay. I think Assassin's Blade is so important to read before the second half of the series because of what we learn about the main character. And every single one of those short stories is in there for an extremely good reason. For the rest of the series. I think SJM was masterful in how she told these stories and how they come back into play later on and they're woven back into the story. I say reading order doesn't matter, but as a personal favor to me, please at least read Assassin's Blade before Queen of Shadows.

[B]

Oh, you mean, like, read it fourth? I'm.

[A]

I don't care when you read it. Just. I just. Just read it before the second half of the series. We can at least agree on that, right?

[B]

We can agree that, yes, read it. It's very important to get the full talk experience. And I will say that there was a wonderful surprise, specifically in Tower of Dawn, that I did not know because I hadn't read Assassin's book. That's the best part about that. I fucking loved not knowing it, though.

[A]

Oh, my God. I can't believe that I'm about to be doing these fan guide episodes with.

[B]

Here we are saying everyone is. Everyone's opinion is valid, and everyone. It's only with you and I that we're like, how dare you, sister. Wow. Okay, Alexi, how did you read Assassin's Blade? Oh, yeah, don't ask me this question. How did you read it, oh mighty one?

[A]

I was weird and tandem bred Assassin's Blade alongside Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight, then finished reading it after I finished Crown of Midnight. Out of all the options we've shared. Do not do that one.

[B]

No.

[A]

Don't recommend it.

[B]

No.

[A]

But it was my weird way of testing, which I preferred, and I kept getting pulled back into the main story. So I finished Assassin's Blade after Crown of Midnight, got the emotional punch in the gut, and then loved going right into Era Fire with all the extra.

[B]

Context, I commend people who can finish Crown of Midnight in that middle massive cliffhanger and then go back in time.

[A]

Like, that's the best part.

[B]

No, no, no. Oh, I'm so, so different. I'm very different. And all opinions are valid. Yes, but believe it or not, that's actually not the only controversial opinion about the dog. Reading order. Let's discuss to tandem read or not to tandem read first. What the fuck is a tandem read? Empire of Storms and Tower of dawn are two books that follow two different groups of characters in two separate parts of the world, but they are happening at the same time in conjunction with each other. So brilliant minds have made a chart breaking down chapter stretches for you to bounce back and forth from one book to another. So it's almost like reading one big book. Now that sounds hard. Nicole. Why would people do that? Two big reasons. Number one, if you read each separately, you have to read Empire of Storms before Tower of Dawn because Tower of Dawn references things that occur in the middle and at the end of Empire of Storms. And for some people, it can be different to stop that story progression on a big cliffhanger and go back in time. Then there's number two. Tower of dawn is not a fan favorite in the series since it follows a less popular group of characters. I think I speak for both of us when I say we actually disagree here at Fantasy Fangirls. Tower of dawn is actually one of my favorites in the series. But like we've been saying, to each.

[A]

Their own, I love it because it made me from not liking that character to really appreciating them in a whole new way.

[B]

Yes, yes, I agree. So people do like to break up Tower of Dawn to make it easier to get through where they do get to go back to Empire of Storms regularly. So the question is, do we recommend the tandem read? Not to sound like a broken record, but again, it depends. If you do not like the characters that Tower of Dawn follows, yes, we will get into it when we get to those group of episodes. We would definitely recommend the tandem read, especially given where Queen of Shadows leaves off. And I will also say, if you are physically reading the books, so whether that's in paper or hardback or even on ebook, it can be a lot easier to bounce back and forth. Something I will flag is that for us audiobook readers, it can be a lot more difficult to do the tandem read because you have to be consciously aware of where you are in the chapters and when. When you're coasting on an audiobook, that can just be a lot harder to track. You also have to be a little bit more conscious, which has that extra mental awareness and can sometimes take you out of the story. We have Both done the tandem read on audio, so it is possible.

[A]

I admit I totally raw dogged it though.

[B]

You really did. I don't know if I'm the best person to talk about it on audiobook.

[A]

Well, so okay, so I would often just be coasting and then up. All of a sudden I would hear a really big spoiler from Empire of Storms in Tower of Dawn and be like huh? I don't think I remember reading that. So I'd pause and go back to Empire of Storms to catch up. Or really and truly, whenever I felt like it, I go to the other book. So it was more like a mood tandem read. Not optimal for story flow experience. But I share this because you don't have to be rigorous to still really enjoy the tandem read.

[B]

So I will say on my most recent rereads, this is my first fifth read of the series. I read each of them alone. This was the first time I did not do the tandem read. Or I guess it would be tandem. Listen. So I read Empire of Storms first and then I read Tower of Dawn and I actually found I enjoyed the two books way more. I am someone who did not raw dog the tandem read experience. I was surprised. Definitely not you. I was a lot more strict on like, okay, make sure I'm following the reading order to a table and the reason and that there's a reason I bring up that you have to have that conscious awareness. And I felt like I was constantly being like, what chapter am I on, what chapter I'm on? Rather than getting lost in the story. So I think that that was actually a reason I enjoyed the two books on their own. More as I was doing them on audio and again, keep in mind that again I was doing them on audio and I also really enjoy Tower of Dawn, so keep that in mind as you're making the choice for yourself.

[A]

So on a first read, I really recommend the tandem read. And it's fun to read two books that follow the same timeline. It just really is. It's a totally different experience. And there are very few other books that you can even have an option to do a tandem read with. So I definitely recommend it. Doing that for the first time for my second reread right now for the fan guides, I am doing Empire Storms and then Tower of Dawn. The last big question about reading orders are which Sarah J. Maas series should you read first? And surprise, once again, it depends. A Court of Thorns and Roses, or more frequently known as Acotar, is the book that got both Nicole and I back into reading and it has a very special place in our hearts for that reason. Fun fact we decided to do fantasy fangirls because of Acotar, and we originally recorded two Acotar episodes that will never see the light of day before we decided to switch over to 4th Wing to launch the podcast. Between all three of these SJM series, Acotar is more emotionally driven and I'd say it's an approachable entry point to fantasy because it is the easiest to follow for plot and the world, and it is shaped by deeply personal and relatable character journeys. The romance is at the forefront of Acotar, so if you're a reader who leans more romance than, say, epic fantasy, Acotar is the starting series for you. It's also the only series of the three that is in first person pov. If you're a reader already familiar with epic fantasy books or longer series, then by all means jump right into Throne of Glass. It has a large cast of characters, a sprawling world, a throughline plot that paces keeps building and expanding throughout the series. If you ask me, it's very different vibes from Acotar, but both beautiful series in their own rights. If you want to read Acotar first, then I recommend Throne of Glass second, which leaves Crescent City third. I think it's best to read last only because Crescent City is not a beginner fantasy series whatsoever. It has a very rich and complex world and it can take a little while to orient yourself. And in fact, House of Earth and Blood, which is book one of Crescent City, is one of Nicole's and my favorite all time books. Especially that ending. If you take anything away from this with the series reading order, though, there is one true Please read Acotar, including the fifth book before reading Crescent City. Yes, this is for plot reasons. Please just do it. Just trust us on this one.

[B]

All right, we're about to continue into this no spoilers fan guide. But first a quick word from our sponsors.

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[A]

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[B]

Yeah, they're even picking it up tomorrow. Talk about fast. Wow. Way to go. So, about that picture frame. Ah, forget about it. Until Carvana makes one, I'm not interested. Car selling made easy on Carvana. Pick up these nail flies.

[A]

All right, friends, now let's jump in with the world itself. It is time to turn to our throne of glass cheat sheet. AKA what this fan guide is all about. Like we said, this will not include any true plot spoilers, but obviously we are talking basic information about the world and the state of it, as well as introducing our main characters. This is intended to help you get your footing as you start reading. And remember, we're going to build off this foundation for future episodes. We are only scratching the surface surface here as we prepare for this epic fantasy series. Let's open with the world. There are three continents for us to know. Aurelia is our main continent in the series. The King of Otterlin has been conquering the continent's territories for more than a decade. And there has been no magic here in Aurelia for these past 10 years. Across the great ocean is the eastern continent. Ah, the land of the Fae, where the kingdom of Wendland is. And lastly, we have the southern continent, which is home to the Torrey Chesme, the elite healers institution.

[B]

Let's get into the main law that rules over the empire. That's going to be very important for these first three books in Aurelia. In Aurelia, only magic is illegal. In other places like Wendland or on the southern continent, magic still rules. Go magic. But it's not just a boot. Bad for you. For trying to use magic. It is literally, for the most part, inaccessible on the continent of Aurelia. As a result, magic wielders and Fae have escaped to places like Gwendolin or have been killed, or they have vanished, wound up in slave camps. More on those in a moment. This is all because the King of Otterland is fully unhinged and has outlawed magic on the continent of Irelia. The people on the continent of Aurelia aren't too thrilled about this. Like the nation Illway, which is one of the last nations still fighting the King of Atterlin's rule, despite being under his rule since. The King of Atterlin has conquered all of the countries and nations in Aurelia, but they're not fighting against him alone. In Otterland, there are groups of rebels who are fighting back against the king. But these rebels aren't really causing too much of a stir right now. At least. Remember those slave camps I mentioned, though? There are two that are very important for us to know. Andover and Kalakala. Both are salt mine camps. Endovier is in Otterlin, and Kalakulla is in Ilway. Both of these places are, unsurprisingly, horrific. And in recent months, they have been filling up more and more. Now that we have the politics and the basic world map down, let's get into the three areas of the continent of Aurelia that we need to know, especially for these first three books.

[A]

Number one, where we spend the majority of our time. The capital city of Otterland. Rift Hold. The king of Otterland and his royal family rules from here in the glass castle. Yes, it is literally a palace made of glass. Huh? Throne of glass. Get it? There is also a clock tower here in Rift hold, which is a black, creepy structure that was erected the same year as Prince Dorian's birth, with even creepier demon statues erected atop it. While Rift hold has its wealth, art, shopping, and culture, not to mention the Assassin's Guild as a whole, this capital is kept poorly. Slums, fighting pits, shadow markets. The city has a constant smell. You get the idea. There is a river that flows through Rift hold, with the harbor opening into the great ocean.

[B]

The next nation to discuss is Illwy. We've mentioned this country multiple times. It's one of the last countries still fighting against the King of Otterland's rule despite. Despite having been conquered by it. It's where the slave camp Kalakala is located. Much of the people who make up the slave camps, both in Kalakala and in Andover, they are from Ilway. Important to note but it's also home for the two biggest prosperous cities on the continent because they have many, many crucial trade routes going through Ilway. The monarchy in Ilway, for unknown reasons, has been able to keep their ruling titles as of King and Queen despite the King of Otterland's control of the country. Which leads us to the ill way Princess Nehemia, who has been sent to Otterlin to learn the customs, the politics, and to promote relations between the two straining countries.

[A]

And lastly, we have Tercen. It is the northernmost and largest territory in Aurelia and Celaena's home country. Tercen was the first country to be conquered by the King of Ireland ten years ago. Despite Terrassin being the strongest, most fortified kingdom, Tercen was home to many human magic wielders and fae before the King of Otterland took control. Now, as we get into the more fantastical elements of these first few books, you'll become familiar with something called Wyrd, spelled W Y R D. Consider wyrd like a deity. It's an old term for fate or destiny. But Word is not a religion. Although they do say things like by the word or Word help me. Not unlike by the Cauldron or something like that from the Acotar series.

[B]

Nothing is more confusing than being an audiobook listener and being like by the word. And I'm like W O R D like by the by that one damn word. And then I saw it in paper and I was like oh.

[A]

But that's not all. Word governs and forms the foundation of this world and all life. I think of Word as a force that makes up this universe. Magic may be illegal and inaccessible, but friends, this is a fantasy book so we still get little glimpses of magic. Unfortunately, I can't say too much much in this first episode with no spoilers. But while Word is still fresh on your mind, we have Word Marks and Word gates. Word Gates are black voids in the word that allow passage between worlds. And Word Marks are an ancient runic language that cast spells and perform magic. There are were magic users and gifted healers here on Aurelia who are human. Though remember that no magic can be wielded anymore on this continent. It's literally not possible. And unfortunately over the past 10 years with Magic being illegal, these magic use have been burned at the stake or become slave camp prisoners. There are also the fae who are a magical species. They're stronger, faster, with powers as you can imagine. But they are not allowed in Otterlin. They were either banished or executed. And lastly, we have the Little folk. They are tiny fairies that used to live among their larger cousins, the fae. They hide in forests and make rare appearances. Let's introduce important characters to know, shall we? Real quick. This is setting the stage for characters at the beginning of our main story. So if you want to read Assassin's Blade before knowing how Throne of Glass opens, now's a safe spot for us to say goodbye. For now. Only if you want to go in completely blind with Assassin's Blade, I just have to do my due diligence. Here we go with important characters at the start of Throne of Glass. First up, we have the one, the only, Celaena Sardathian. She is 18 years old, but don't let her age fool you. Before she was sent to the slave camp one year ago, she built a well deserved reputation as Otterlin's assassin. Over 10 years, she was protege to Erben Hamel, the king of the assassins. She has exquisite taste in clothes, accessories, and she is unmatched with her ruthlessness and fighting skills. Celaena has golden blonde hair, turquoise eyes with a ring of gold, and she has been requested to represent the crown Prince in a competition to be the King's champion.

[B]

Speaking of that crown prince, let's get into one of our two love interests. Dorian Havilliard, the crown Prince of Otterlin. He is 19. Yes, they are all fairly young with legendary sapphire eyes and blue black hair. And homeboy's got enough swagger to rule the world someday. I'm not going to say that Dorian has had an easy life, but he is idealistic, he reads, he's highly intelligent, and he's also very romantic and a big old flirt. But in ways he is still very immature and quite childish. Which brings us to the kickoff for his character arc, literally chapter one. In Throne of Glass, his father the King is hosting a competition to see who can become the King's champion. Basically the King's number one assassin. And many of the royals and lords are set to bring a champion, a competitor to fill the competitor's pool. As you can guess, Dorian chooses Celaena, Atterlin's most famous assassin and now a slave in the Andover camp for his champion. It's an interesting decision and quite unpopular, especially from his best friend and rule. Following Captain Boy Kaol. Let's get into him. Kaol is 24, with chestnut hair and brown eyes. He is the captain of the King's royal guard. He has a, I'm going to call it a one track mind, especially in the first part of the book. He follows the rules. He keeps his Oaths he does no wrong. He is also another love interest. But before you're like no, it's a love triangle, keep reading.

[A]

Now we have Nehemia, the Princess of Ilwe we mentioned earlier. She has dark skin, she is known for her beauty and her brown hair is often braided, decorated with Bangles. She's 19 years old and Nehemia has been sent by her father to help mend the relationship between Illwy and the King of Otterland to advocate for her people of Illwy.

[B]

Next. We've talked a lot about this dude, but let's talk about the King of Otterland. He's conquering the continent. He's outlawed magic and it's not surprising to hear that he's just overall not a great dude. There is a reason the slave camps like Andover and Calacalla are filling up fast. He is ruling the continent with cruelty. And it's one of the big reasons Ilwe and the rebels in Atterlin are fighting back. I do want to highlight a much smaller character, but the king's right hand man and direct advisor, Duke Parrington. He is a weasel. A little weasel with thinning hair, black eyes and a red face. And he's older. His champion for the competition is fan favorite and expected winner, Kane. Bad Kane. He's also betrothed to the young Caltaine Rampier, who is less than thrilled with that match. And she's got her eyes set on a certain crown prince.

[A]

Speaking of, we have the beautiful and very wealthy Caltaine Rampier. She has raven black hair and is a vain courtier with her eye on Prince Dorian. She is scheming with Duke Parrington who brought her here to Rift Hold.

[B]

And lastly, we have to touch on a character who is prominent in Assassin's Blade. Erebin Hamel, the King of the assassins. Even at 38ish years old, he rescued Celaena when she was orphaned as an eight year old child. He trained her to become his protege. He's a mentor, he's her father figure. And also in a weird way, he's also a never acted upon lover. Meaning there's this weird, weird tension. But it's always in his best interest. As the King of the Assassins, he is was also in charge of Sam Cortland, another assassin Celaena's age who was her direct rival. Thanks to Eren subtly pitting them against each other. For the entirety of Assassin's Blade.

[A]

To put a bow on the lore and characters, let's give a really quick high level of the historical timeline of events. A Thousand years ago, there was a second Demon War. And there were two important figures in that war. Names we'll want to remember. Elena, first Princess of Tarasen, and her husband Gavin, who was the first king of Otterlin. Elena and Gavin fought the dark Lord Erewhon in a war that ravaged the continent.

[B]

Gavin founded Otterlin and was given the rights to the land in repayment for winning the war, therefore, founding House Haveliard of otterlin.

[A]

Then, 10 years ago, from the start of Throne of Glass, the King of Otterlin conquered Tarasen and he slaughtered the royals and burned the territories as well as the libraries. All mention of the fae and magic were eradicated from Otterlin. This is when the king banned magic. And then within one month of his proclamation, magic completely disappeared from the continent.

[B]

Skipping ahead a few years, two years from the start of Throne of Glass, we have the events of the Assassin and the Pirate Lord, which is the first story in Assassin's Blade, which sets off a chain of events for Celaena and a certain fellow assassin. And then one year from the start of Throne of Glass, Celaena is turned over to the king for a trial and sentenced to nine lives in the salt mines of Andover. She is being kept alive barely to make her suffering last as long as possible. See why we had to give a spoiler warning for Assassin's Blade? So at the beginning of Throne of Glass, Celaena has been in Andover for about a year, which most people do not survive that long.

[A]

Before we move into our spoiler segment, let's close out this no spoilers part with a standard question we at fantasy fangirls always like to ask ourselves. And that is, why did we like these books? And specifically, what did we think of these first three books of the Throne of Glass series?

[B]

I personally love, like, underlined, bold, italicized love, Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. Yes, they are more simple, they are more ya, and quite frankly, I don't care. I love these books so much. Crown of Midnight is one of my top three books in the series, especially on a reread, because you're like, oh my God, it's all there. It's all there. And I view them as really. I'm gonna call it the setup, or I'll even say the second prequel to the series. Because everything changes after Crown of Midnight when it comes to Assassin's Blade. I've mentioned this, and I'll just say it again. I'm not personally as invested. It is a me thing. I'm entirely raising my hand. It also might be because of the timing that I read them and maybe.

[A]

You should have read it earlier, before Queen of Shadows, you mean?

[B]

Before Queen of Shadows. So reading it for I don't care.

[A]

When, just read it before Queen of Shadows.

[B]

I definitely see the importance of its role in the series and how it shapes and especially some very particular decisions that she makes. I will say Lexi, you recently said something that really changed Assassin's Blade and I'll even say later Celaena in the series for me and I am really grateful for that and it did make me want to go back and read Assassin's Blade. Overall, I go into these books, these first three books, knowing that they are not going to feel like high epic fantasy. That will come patience. But I know that there is a moment at the end of Crowd of Midnight that makes everything so worth it because it is the jumping off point for what becomes the masterpiece that is the TOG series.

[A]

When it comes to the series and especially these first three books, I have a genuine appreciation for how much this series evolves and seen SJM grow as a writer. From first book to last book. As an epic fantasy, Throne of Glass series takes its time to give characters winding journeys, subplots that make them who they are, and with its steady pacing for the first four books, I can understand how some people wonder where's all the fast paced action? This is an ingredient of these long series, letting stories unfold some faster than others, and experiencing all the building blocks as these characters grow Right before us on the page towards the end of the series is when it gets really emotional for people, the people crying on social media that you see how this was the most impactful thing that they've ever read. And that is because you been through it all with these characters since the beginning. Well friends, this is the beginning. And with that mindset, I find these early books so fantastic and important to the overarching stories. These characters are young and immature and just trying to figure out their ways. And yes, it is pretty young adult, but we have to remember SJM was 16 when she started writing Throne of Glass. It was not published for another 10 years though. I don't want to say go into this with low expectations, but certainly go in with adjusted expectations that are not. This is the most life changing thing I'm ever going to read. You've seen from social media with the understanding that these early books are more YA and you're in it for the long haul to experience this epic journey with them, to get to know them deeply over time, to have the emotional impact and epic feeling later on I think that really gives us new perspective heading into these first few books and understanding why they are so essential to the greater story. I love the plot in Throne of Glass and how the setting and cast of characters and world building opens up a little bit more in Crown of Midnight. That's something else that I appreciate so much about this series with how it gradually opens up into the greater world. It doesn't feel overwhelming as you're reading it because again, it is so well paced. Are these first three books my favorite? No, but they are essential to the greater story and I love these books and the foundation they create for all the rest to come. The boys definitely do annoy me in these books, I'm not gonna lie, but the final lines in Assassin's Blade just give me chills for days.

[B]

It's worth mentioning this as a reader tip. Do not google fan art or especially characters that you learn along the way. There is some very important checkpoints that happen later in the series and quite frankly a lot of them are all over social media without any spoiler warnings. We highly recommend not googling, not going on social media and searching for those words all right friends, we are about to enter our TOG spoilers section.

[A]

So if you have not read all eight of the Throne of Glass books, this is your time to say goodbye.

[B]

Next Monday will be episode two of our Throne of Glass Fan Guide series where we are covering Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. Remember, part one will be spoiler free for those two books and beyond, but we will be discussing spoilers from Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight and Assassin's Blade as the world and the characters keep building. Think of this as a everything you need to know before reading Air of Fire and Queen of Shadows. Then part two is just like this one. Spoilers for all of the talk books, especially for those two. Oh my God.

[A]

We'd love to give the biggest warm welcome welcome welcome to our newest feral fans in the fan club. Thank you so much for being here.

[B]

Welcome, welcome, welcome. Jessica, Caitlin, Haley, Joanna, Jackie, Sammy, Sarah, Helen, Kelly, Aaron and Angie. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

[A]

Yay. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for supporting the show. It means everything to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And if you're like, hey, I want my name shouted out on the podcast and to be shouted with all this love to join our fan club@Fantasy Fangirls.com Fan Club Link is also in the show notes. We are very active on social media with many fan guides and lots more. So please be sure to follow us on Instagram and Slash or TikTok at fantasy fangirlspod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch on YouTube, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along. Same goes for Fantasy fan fellas to give them a follow Antasy fanfellas While.

[B]

You'Re hitting buttons, don't forget to hit that five star rating button on whatever podcast platform you are listening on. And if you want to go above and beyond, Celaena Sardothian would thank you if you write a little love note in that review section. And don't forget, don't just do it for this podcast, but for any podcast you listen to. All right friends, before we move into our spoiler segment, a quick word from our this podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. I remember when we first started FFG and honestly one of the best decisions we made was to put some real time and attention into our website. Websites are essential for any small business success. In fact, I actually just started my new author account using Squarespace for the website and it was so easy.

[A]

I did it in a day.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

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[B]

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[B]

I am obsessed with my me undies and for Christmas I got Brett a narwhal pair of boxers. And if you have been a listener of fantasy fangirls, you know that I've been obsessed with my narwhal printed knee undies for so long, every single time I put them on, I sing the narwhal song because obviously, what else would I do? And then I got Brett a pair so now we can sing it together and we're adorable. I love it.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[A]

Sponsors, friends and fellow readers, this is our official warning that we are about to enter our Throne of Glass. Spoilers Part of the episode where we discuss character journeys for these first three books and our favorite highlights and moments of foreshadowing for the rest of the series. Spoilers for the whole series.

[B]

So with all of that said, if you have not finished all eight books in the Throne of Glass series, this is your warning. This is your obnoxious warning. We will be here when you're done.

[A]

So for now, goodbye, farewell. We'll miss you, but don't want to risk spoilers for you. And now let's Chat about these incredible characters we're introduced to in these first three books of the series.

[B]

Let's kick it off with the biggest one that was the hardest to do. Spoiler Free our Celaena Sardothian, Queen of Terassin. Aelin Galathenius the only place that seems.

[A]

Right to start for Celaena's journey is the betrayal that changes everything at the end of Assassin's Blade. The love between Celaena and Sam is so central to her character arc. Sam is the first person who loves Celaena without wanting to control her or use her for their own gain. No one has ever looked out for her safety the way Sam does, and he gives her love. Where trust is not about manipulation, trust is raw and real and wrapped up in love and support. Because of Sam, Celaena is able to imagine for the first time what life could look like beyond being Otterlyn's assassin. He helps her identify herself as more than a killer, and what's more, they realize they can dream of freedom together. That's the word that is such a huge theme in the series and especially for Celaena in these first few Freedom. As we like to say on fantasy fangirls, this FMC is a fiercely independent woman, but she does not have any freedom. And Assassin's Blade is all about her realizing not just the possibility of it, but that she wants it, which becomes her driving force in Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. She just wants her own freedom and to get away from all of this and take control of her own life. But you know what's not included in securing her own freedom in these first few books? Embracing her true identity as Aelin. Even thinking about that would make her responsible for others in a way she absolutely does not want or think that she deserves. Sam challenges Selina's deep set belief that she has to do everything alone. He proves the importance of partnership, where they can lean on one another for support. But with that also comes the terrible and sad lesson for Selena that when you let others in on your plans, when you have a partnership, there is a very real risk of losing the person you're doing this with. Sam dies because of her choices, and it makes her realizing loving someone else, letting them into her heart and in on her plans, is a vulnerability that she will never risk again.

[B]

And she even still in this point of her life, she has limits to that vulnerability. Despite the love Sam gives to Celaena and the feelings she knows she has for him, she was not able to vocalize it, which is something that will haunt her. Especially in Queen of Shadows, the scene where she goes to his grave. I do. I do agree. Reading Assassin's Blade before that scene is so, so important. Another moment in Queen of Shadows that is a direct mirror of this love story with Assassin's Blade is when she lets Rowan have that soap of hers. When she lets him share her lavender soap because she didn't let Sam do that. And I feel like there's a little part of her, big part of her that feels guilty for not sharing even soap with him.

[A]

Yep. Throughout the first few books of the series, Celaena has built back up those emotional walls she took down for Sam. Because his death to her proves that those walls should always stay up to protect those that she cares about, to punish herself, that she once naively thought she could have something good. Her confidence, her swagger, her arrogance in these early books is really a mask for her fear. And it won't be until her self transformation and healing journey in Heir of Fire that this masked fear shifts into real empowerment. The betrayal that kills Sam and lands her in the salt mines makes Celaena stop trusting others. And she's always planning several steps ahead because of the plans gone wrong tragedy with Sam and her blaming herself for it. She withholds information, even from friends and allies. I'll be honest, one of my biggest gripes with Aelin as we get into Queen of Shadows and definitely beyond, is how much she plans and executes on her own, literally refusing to tell her most trusted friends what her plans are. And it can make us readers be like, come on, girl. But then we consider why she acts this way. It comes back to the end of Assassin's Blade and the utter catastrophe that she cannot forgive herself for. She will never let something like that happen again. Which translates to indeed carrying out plans on her own and keeping loved ones in the dark. They can't get hurt like Sam if they are not in on her plans. And this realization made me look at Celaena, Aelin's character, in a new, far more understanding and sympathetic light.

[B]

So I alluded to this earlier, but now that I'm able to talk more candid, this is exactly what I meant with when you mentioned this part of Assassin's Blade and why this is is so important for Aelin's character arc, especially later. Because I agree, like I. I do find myself, especially in Empire Storms, getting very frustrated with Aelin where it's like, come on girl. And I feel for Rowan, especially with the decision that her and Lysandra make at the very end of the book. And when I look at it this way, when you brought it up, I was like, oh, okay, I see it. Do I agree, especially that she knows that Rowan is her mate at the end of Empire Storm? Not necessarily. But also, I don't have to agree with every character to understand where they're coming from. And that alone made me view Aelin, especially as I'm rereading Kingdom of Ash right now, very differently. And I'm loving looking at her from this perspective. So thank you, Lexi. You changed my mind. You're welcome. Moving into book one, Throw in a Glass. We see this cocky Celane attitude very predominantly in this book. But what makes Celaena then Aelin such a compelling FMC is that this front that she puts up. It's not a front, it's not an act. It's her. She is a killer. She's an assassin who doesn't lose sleep if she kills the right people. She's very much who Erebin made her. She's cunning, she's ruthless, she's smart and she's arrogant beyond belief. And she's wounded. She's a constant contrasting to this inner self with Celaena. She's deeply loyal to her friends, a characteristic that Erebin, I feel like, tried to manipulate the crap out of her so that she would only be loyal to him. Haha. You failed, Erebin Hamel. She's compassionate, something you don't normally associate with an assassin. And we start to see hints at this deeply traumatic past of hers. What I love is that on a first read, a lot of the trauma that we read in Crown of Midnight and Grow in a Glass is we think that it's all only linked to Sam. Like, I love that scene where she's playing piano. This is in tog, and she's tearing up thinking of Sam. She's finally giving herself a moment. This is like one of the first moments we really see her with her walls down. Especially something she's very rarely been able to do since going to Endovier. But then a cocky and flirty Dorian Prince Haveliard comes in and is shocked by the fact that she's crying. An assassin. He's only seen her as his cocky, always in control, smug killer. So the fact that she, I'll call it, has a heart, it isn't really something that occurs to him right away, which is why in that scene, I can't believe I'm doing this. It takes him a minute to change his attitude and he does, eventually. But I'm sorry, I'm giving Dorian an L. I know we're not even deep diving, but I'm giving him an L on the scene. Read the room, buddy.

[A]

All I have to say is these two boys are extremely lucky that fantasy fangirl is not doing a full day deep dive here because they would get spanked over and over again with elves.

[B]

So I know in these, like they're supposed to, though. That's exactly, exactly they're supposed to. Yeah, this is great show. Don't tell the scene it like. Because Dorian has so much maturing to do. Homeboy is just so immature. And this is also show. Don't tell that they are not right for each other. But still, I am giving him. I'm giving him a little L. A little L for that scene.

[A]

Are we just picking out scenes where people are getting Ls? Because I can get a laundry list for Kale.

[B]

Don't you dare start on Kale. I'm about to go to bat for my boy.

[A]

That's another good reason. I don't know if our relationship could survive a Throne of Glass deep dive. I'm gonna be honest. When we were just working on the outline, we learned so much about each other, and it's like, who are you? I absolutely love, love, love, love, love, love the competition plot in Throne of Glass for Celaena and how determined she is to win. And arrogant to think she absolutely will win, which is very on par with Otterlin's assassin. But yes, she is that good. Even with the gruesome murders of her competitors and the demons that she encounters, Elena's warnings and guidance, Celaena is pretty focused on winning this competition to eventually get her freedom. She has found a path forward against impossible odds. And she's going to survive long enough to take it, goddamn it. Even if it means serving the very man who destroyed her life. The King of Otterlin. He took everything from her. And it's almost like she's simultaneously willing to play whatever game she has to for her freedom and at the same time giving him one big fu that she, of all people, will be given her freedom by him. Even after winning the competition, Celaena is on a one track mind. Gain her freedom over these next four years, avoid being imprisoned again at all costs. And that is why she feels like she has to break things off with Dorian at the end of Throne of.

[B]

Glass, which is then what gives her the opportunity to start things up with Chaol in Crown of Midnight. However, Celaena is under the impression that she is a lot closer to her freedom. Because she is. And as a result, she. She's softer, she's more hopeful. She has a golden retriever like A literal golden retriever. Fleet foot, the boy. And for the first time in God knows how many years, she actually has a sense of safety. And Kaol embodies that safety for her. Are they meant to be together? No. Absolutely not. But behind closed doors, they make sense. In this chapter of their lives, they are both craving that sustainability. Absolutely.

[A]

I 100% agree with that. Yes.

[B]

But the moment they go outside those closed doors and go out and do their jobs. Yeah, it does not work out. Cha loves behind closed doors Celaena. But the moment she air quotes kills someone, he's like, gasp, what are you doing? Which is why this line from Dorian hits so hard. Yes, it's from Air of Fire, but I'm still pulling it. It quote, you cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love. It is true. And I am a firm believer that Kaol needed someone brave and inspiring like Celaena to help him see that the King has not been a great dude and he's been fighting for the King all along. And help him open his eyes to see that maybe he doesn't need to fight for the King. And there might be more to this whole story. I do think an important thing to note is that throne a glass in Crown of Midnight. She wants to win the competition for her freedom. We talked a lot about that. She wants to skirt under the radar as the King's assassin when she wins the title in Crown of Midnight. But none of this is the freedom that she wants to avenge her family for. Terassin as Queen Aelin, Galathinius. As far as she's concerned, that woman Aelin, she is dead. She has no interest in fighting back in that way against the Otterlin monarchy. Which is one reason that Elena and Nehemia decide to go forward with Nehemia's death. To propel Celaena into embracing that she is Aelin, and thus that she is this nameless and must sacrifice herself to close the gates. Which. Yes, we will get into that in a minute. I want to pause, though, because I do want to take a full circle moment of appreciation for the nickname that Nehemia gives Celaena, Elentia, which means spirit that could not be broken. She knows that Nehemia's death is going to break Celaena. But as Elena says, Elena knows Celaena will find her way back because she is a spirit that cannot be broken. Which. Let's move into this because this is a huge, pivotal moment for Celaena in her character arc. As we get into the rest of the series. Nehemia is found dead. I'm gonna. I will be so Real. When I was reading this for the first time, I was like, holy crap. This is one of those moments where I was like, are we sure this is Young adult? Holy. Holy shit. It is terrifying. We'll talk about the plan and how it was decided between Nehemia and Elena in a moment. Because that death did exactly what they were planning to go. It breaks Celaena. Especially because the last words they spoke to each other were in anger. And Nehemia said that Celaena is a coward. Not something Celaena enjoys being called. But Nehemia is referring to the fact that Celaena refuses to embrace her full identity and, I don't know, saved the world. Nehemia's sacrifice is also reminiscent of Lady Marian's sacrifice, for which Celaena also feels unworthy. But Nehemiah doesn't know that. And she wouldn't have been able to understand that. Celaena's shame would only grow if more people died for her. Which again, goes back to Sam. It's like Celaena finally lets her guard down again. And she lets people back into her life. And even with Nehemia, she still kept her at arm's length. But still she died cruelly. Again, this is Sam all over again. This is Lady Marian all over again. But the difference here is that Celaena knows she can do something. And that Nehemia was doing this for a reason. As Nehemia confirms when she's summoned via wordmark, Nehemia says, quote, you do not understand yet. But I knew what my fate would be, and I embraced it. I ran towards it because it was the only way for things to begin changing.

[A]

This.

[B]

This. This. This is the catalyst for Celaena to know that it is time. It is time to start embracing Aelin of the Wildfire. Oh my God, What a badass title. Fire breathing bitch Queen. I love you. Is she thrilled about this embracing? Absolutely not. As we will see at the beginning of Heir of Fire, she's not doing so hot. She's fighting against this realization of her true identity with everything she's got. But she knows that it will not be easy to hide from Aelin Galithinia anymore.

[A]

So let's talk about that. Because at the end of Crown of Midnight, we get the big the jaw dropping reveal.

[B]

Ah.

[A]

I'm getting chills even just thinking about this. Celaena Sardathian is not in league with Aelin Ash River Galithenius. Celaena Sardathian is Aelin Ash River Galathinius, heir to the throne and rightful queen of Tarasen.

[B]

Oh, my God.

[A]

I love it so much. This cliffhanger reveal at the End of book two was so satisfying. This was one of the most satisfying reveals I have read. Like, really and truly. I loved it so much, I was luckily able to dodge spoilers that Celaena was Aelin. Though I had seen the name Aelin enough online to know that she would be a main character later on in the series. In fact, in Crown of Midnight, when the rebels are saying Aylin is gathering armies, I was like, oh, oh, that's how she'll come into the story. I did not see it coming that Cena is Aelin.

[B]

I did see it coming. I remember texting my friend, well, good for you. I remember texting my friend. And I was like, I think that this is what's happening. And she sent me a voice note back being like, I think you should keep reading. And I was like, no, because I was thinking very much along the same lines as you. I think I thought that Celaena was actually going to take a major battle backseat in the story and this like, woman Aelin was just gonna come in and barrel her way through. But then I kept on like, kind of hearing these like, little things where like, Celaena would like, shift her movement anytime that Aelin was mentioned, and I was like, so I'm really proud of myself for calling that one.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

But of course, when it's revealed, all these puzzle pieces fall into place and I just. I love it. I love it, I love it. The whole second book was really building up to this reveal because Celaena convinced herself that Aelin was dead within her and therefore dead for good to the world. But throughout Crown of Midnight, Celaena has to start peeling back the layers she has spent the last 10 years putting around herself, thanks to Elena nudging her along. Which we'll talk a lot more about next episode as we dive more into the plot from these books. And of course also thanks to Nehemia calling her out, which I'll discuss lots more here soon there's a shift from self preservation, like in Throne of Glass, which was becoming champion and getting to fudge out four years later with her freedom to Crown of Midnight, where she's fighting for a greater cause after she's learning about the rebels falling in love again, Elena's guidance, Nehemia's motivation, but she's still not ready to embrace Aelin. No, no, that won't happen until the end of Era Fire, which again, I love how well paced her self discovery and healing journey is. But Celaena has established enough trust and vulnerability with Chaol, even after the shit that goes down between them in Crown of Midnight with his indirect role in Nehemia's death and before she travels to another continent. Somebody does need to know the truth. Or at least have the means to figure out the truth themselves. Which is another reason why I love this part so much. It's so Celaena coded and she gives Chaol just the date that her parents died. He can figure out the rest on his own given what he's now seen with her being part Fae. We'll get into all the magical side of her identity next episode. But with this reveal is her acknowledging Aelin is not truly dead dead. And to us readers it's like holy shit. Everything we thought we knew about Celaena has way more depth to it. She's been hiding from herself in plain sight, running from her destiny far more than we ever could have imagined. And we better buckle up because the main story to take back her kingdom and free the continent is really launching.

[B]

Off now let's move into Dorian and his journey through Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. So I'm not gonna lie, I do think that book one Dorian is more one dimensional and he's supposed to be. He chooses Celaena as his champion in tog because he believes she'll win and more importantly, she's gonna shake up his day to day and piss off his father. He's a good dude who just hasn't really had to face the harsh realities of life yet. Like I mentioned earlier, he's had some hardships, but at the end of the day he sees himself as a prince whose biggest struggle is finding a woman he loves that he can marry. He does not want to marry for political gain, but love instead. Oh my God is this so fucking tragic considering where his storyline goes. An air of fire. He finally finds a love and she's beheaded right in front of him before he has a word collar put around his neck. God duh. He's searching for love because he believes in his heart and soul that love, love conquers all. And he's also getting around a little. And Celaena is his next target. Seems to not write but like he has his eyes set on her because I think he likes what he can't have. She's exciting, she's adventurous, she's deadly. She's not throwing herself at him like Caltain is. Celaena and Dorian's relationship is so short lived that it's often forgotten about in the series, but I think that's very purposeful. Dorian in tog is way too immature for Celaena or any relationship for that matter. And Celaena needs literally anyone Else. Because Dorian is dangerous, given who his father is and, you know, given that his father literally killed her family and took her kingdom. Which is why there's this huge contrast between Throne of Glass Dorian and Crown of Midnight Dorian. Oh, my God. I fucking love him in this book. He's hurt seeing Celaena, the woman he thinks he loves, go down this path with Chaol, but he lets her go knowing that it is rife for both of them. What maturity water did he start drinking? Oh, my God. I think a huge part of it is he suddenly has much bigger issues at play because. Surprise. And this was so hard not to talk about earlier. He's got magic. Raw magic. And this is fucking amazing. I'm covered in chills right now. Oh, my God. Real quick, I want to address how Dorian has this raw magic in a world where A, he's human and B, magic is nulled because of the word key and the spell on the three clock towers. Magic is not Fae specific in the Tog world, as we see with Irene in the Torya Chesme. He is also from fae lineage. Literally, he comes from Mala Firebringer, just like Aelin. He also doesn't just have magic. He has raw magic. The rarest and deadliest kind. Sheer, undiluted power capable of being shaped into whatever form the wielder desired.

[A]

Daddy.

[B]

Phantom hands, here we come. But this doesn't answer the question. How does Dorian have magic when the rest of Aurelia doesn't? When Dorian's father, Dorian Sr. Froze all magic, he made an oopsie. And using his. His blood that accidentally made it so anyone with his blood could use magic.

[A]

Now, Nehemiah, our dear sweet Nehemia, gone far too soon in the series. Nevertheless, she is such a huge catalyst for this story and for Selena. Aelin's Arc. Nehemia, Princess of Ilway, starts as an ambassador sent to Otterlin to advocate for her kingdom. But she actually has a way larger agenda at play. And we'll learn not until Empire of Storms that Elena came to Nehemia long before her arrival to Otterlin, when the princess sought to learn how to save Aurelia and pay the price in the process. Ah, but Elena told her it is only Mala's bloodline that can pay, not Nehemia. And which two bloodlines flow from Mala Haviliard House and Galathenia's house, AKA Dorian and Aelin. It was here that Elena told Nehemia that Ailyn is. Is not dead. She's just in hiding. And Elena let her know that Alen will be under a different name. But Nehemia can recognize the eyes and the bastard mark of Brannon on her brow. So it is up to Princess Nehemia to get to Otterland and into her enemy's household. The two bloodlines will converge there. That is why Nehemia is here in Rift hold in the palace to guide AEN and help her. But yes, Nehemiah will still have to pay Aylin a dear price. She will not make it out of Rift hold alive, as Elena warns her. And our brave princess agrees to the request made by Elena in whatever way I can for Irelia and for my people. Nehemia is Celaena's first source for information on wordmarks and the magic that they hold. This is a big deal when they are literally right under the nose of the king who has outlawed magic. But this is her role. To teach Celaena, who she obviously knows as Aelin, about the deeper magic within this world that Aelin will need to understand. Plus, Nehemia is Celaena's first true friend. And she is the first person to challenge Celaena's avoidance of responsibility. Celaena is hiding from her past and Nehemia refuses to let her stay that way. Especially knowing that Celaena has the power to lead this continent into a new age out from the oppression of the king of Attoland. This is what Nehemia wanted to do, and she was told it actually has to be Dorian or Aelin. So Nehemia believes in Celaena before Celaena believes in herself, which will be a terrible burden that Celaena carries with her. In Heir of Fire, Nehemia speaks for the oppressed when they cannot. She cares for her people and advocates for them, even if it means openly challenging Otterlin's methods and endangering herself. Nehemia pushes Dorian to object to the king's plans of expanding Calacalla, which helps Dorian's confidence and his own ability to further grow as a leader. But sadly, Nehemia knows that Celaena needs a breaking point to fully step into her destiny. As Nicole was talking about earlier, Nehemia orchestrates her own death as a final act of rebellion and as a means to motivate Celaena to action. Elena, the ancient queen pulling all sorts of strings, tells Nehemia that one of them has to break either Celaena or Dorian, the two from Mala's bloodline. And Nehemia knows that Dorian is not ready. He's still too immature. He's not ready to take up a rebellion in arms. But Celaena, she's the most ready. So she has to be broken to then be able to Build herself back up. A phoenix rising from the ashes, so to speak. So Nehemia must do what needs to be done and only hope that Elena is right, that Celaena Aelin will find her way back and save this continent. With all this in mind, from Nehemia's perspective, and certainly Elena's, the end justifies the means, the fate of the world, the lives of their people. Even if it can be debated that her decision to let herself be brutally murdered took away Celaena's choice. Which brings me back to this theme of freedom. Celaena is seeking freedom for herself, still chasing a reminiscence of the dream she shared with Sam. But it's impossible to find freedom while hiding from who you truly are. How she will ultimately find freedom for herself is embracing who she truly is. Aelin Galathinius. Celaena will only find her true freedom when she owns her identity. And therefore it takes up her responsibility to lead all of her people into freedom. On a reread, all of the foreshadowing with Nehemia knowing Celaena's true identity. It is right there on the page and I love seeing it on this reread.

[B]

Lastly, a main character for us to highlight is Kaol My boy. Feels very similar to what I said about Dorian and Tog. I saw on the Internet one time someone saying that Throne of Glass is literally Celaena fighting for her life under the rule of the man who killed her family while uncovering lost secrets from her ancestors. And Kaol and Dorian are literally like but do you like me? And it's so true. This will be a theme for the entirety of the COVID of Tog. The men are not supposed to stand out. They are supporting characters for a reason. And yet they still do go on their own coming of age journeys, much like Dorian's. Kaol's really does kick off in Crown of Midnight. But I argue that the seeds are planted in Tog. For Kaol, Thrown a Glass is about learning to see an assassin. Someone who his role and country has made him view as. As not human and not worthy of being treated like a human. But slowly he starts to see her as a person. Emphasis on the word slowly. He is paranoid about safety when it comes to Celaena. Not her safety, the safety of people around her. He doesn't want her to roam the castle. He always has guards on her. He does not trust this assassin because he knows her as Otterlin's assassin who went to Andover. And the way he has been taught that is just bad. That means they are bad. Full stop. Which is why in Crown of Midnight, him and Celaena's relationship is so perfect again for their current chapters of where they are in life. And it is extremely flawed. It's worth mentioning again behind closed doors. She is the woman he loves. He sees her passion. He sees her deep loyalty. Her moral compass is. Is always pointing north, even if their definitions of north are different right now. But outside of those rooms, she is still an assassin. She murders. At least he believes she murders. And it's near impossible for him to wrap his mind around because it doesn't feel right. Which, yes, is a huge double standard. Because when she tells him that she's not actually killing people because you know the King is evil, he's like, the king is going to kill you. What are you doing? You vowed to do this. Does it make sense? No. And it's not supposed to. Because chaos mind doesn't make sense right now. I will go to defend his mindset. He is.

[A]

Hold on here. Yes, I understand that. And I do agree the essentialness of this. And it does not stop me from wanting to smack him upside the head.

[B]

Okay. He is at a crossroads. He is at the same time challenging the basis of the King's rule and the very system that Kaol himself is has upheld. And going back to his default, which is to believe the King fight for Otterlin and the royal family and do his duty. And these two mental paths are at direct opposition with each other. They are consistently being tested. Nehemia's death is a great example. He got a heads up that the Princess was in danger. And he did not tell Celaena because as head of the Royal Guard, an NDA is part of the job. And Nehemia died as a result. She would have died anyway because of her and Elena's plans. But Celaena and Ka' El do not know that at the time. If he had chosen love over duty in that moment, there might be a chance that Nehemia would be alive, at least in him and Celaena's world. And Celaena and him would have stayed together. But it is losing Celaena in that moment when she says, you will always be my enemy. That is what permanently severs his loyalty to the King. Kael is the embodiment of. Of learning that your values and the history you've always clung to is not the full story. And this is why I'm pretty adamant that I don't think he should be demonized for that. His discoveries and eye opening journey. Yeah, he's an ass sometimes. And oh boy, we will call him out. Especially in Queen of Shadows next episode for it. But it's all because it's a reflection of himself. These two books, books Crown of Midnight specifically, are the beginning of him questioning the things around him and starting to get curious and wanting to uncover the truth about who he believes he should fight for. And I love this. I do think that his curiosity is something a lot more people should hold in their back pocket. And I like how he handles this information because sometimes it's really realistic and it's not always pretty. He's not perfect. He's far from perfect. And, Lexi, I think you and I can agree on this. If we were doing a deep dive of him, he would get so many else. But the way I look at it is it's like it would be how Delulu is k all style of Ls. Every time we as readers get frustrated, if I put myself in his shoes, it makes perfect sense to me. The way he's acting, how he is. Would I act that way? No. But that's part of reading.

[A]

I do agree with what you were saying, and as a reader, he is a hard character to stomach sometimes for myself. And I think part of that, too, does come back to really him only wanting to love certain parts of Selena. And I understand the reason why that you just explained. And I really appreciate you sharing all that because it is very important.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And understanding that and not personally being able to get past that is something that's super fair.

[B]

And I agree that. Oh, God, let's just go ahead and give him the biggest, fattest L for how he handles that relationship with Celaena, with loving her behind closed doors and not loving her out in the open.

[A]

Yes. And that's not even just about how they shouldn't be together in the first place. It's kind of like a forbidden relationship. They're not too nearly to the extent with Dorian, but it's not being able to love her or really see past just her job.

[B]

Yeah, Yeah, I agree. I agree. And that's where I go back to. I feel like it's because when he's in these moments, it's that crossroads, and his default is what is right. What have I always been loyal to? And it's like that almost takes over his subconscious and conscious mind, and that's where I go back to. This feels so realistic. If he just dropped everything and went towards Selena, I'd be like, bro, you've known her for two seconds.

[A]

I agree.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And maybe it's also because I just recently finished Queen of Shadows, and I do love his transformation in that. But he is a Very difficult character in the beginning of Queen of Shadows.

[B]

He does not know everything that happened in Wen Lin. He just has her come back and he's been left with a shit pile to pick up. He doesn't know he sent her away.

[A]

In the first place and he's mad.

[B]

At her for being gone.

[A]

That right there literally proves my point.

[B]

But that's where I go back to. He is constantly a character of contradictions. And I think that that is. I think that's realistic and I think.

[A]

That it also is something that is understandably hard for readers.

[B]

Yes, I agree, but that's right. I go back to something like, with no spoilers. I feel like he feels very DM to me, where it's like I see when he is being. I see where he's coming from. This brings us to his biggest test to date. Learning Celaena's true identity. If he learned that she was Aelin in book one, he would have gone straight to the King because it's what he was supposed to do. It's what his loyalty demanded of him. But he didn't. Because he's starting to learn that evilness of the King. Although learning that he sent Celaena to Wendland thinking it was would save her in a completely different way, but then understanding that, oh shit, she's the long lost Queen of Tarasen. And I just sent her to her strongest potential ally, her aunt. Really her great, great, great, great aunt, but and actually not her aunt at all, Queen Maeve. He's like, fuck me. Which I think is so funny because he knows she's going to return with one of the greatest, greatest threats to the kingdom. I also think one of the reasons he is such a dick in part one of Queen of Shadows is because he kind of expected her to return, maybe with a little bit of a cure all. And to hear that she's back and she's in the shadows is a little bit like, well, I guess it's fucking up to me. And Nezren. It's not logical, but it is in his mind. And that's where I go back to. I feel like he's so fucking realistic. But when she returns with the greatest of all threats, threats to the kingdom, it means he is finally going to have to choose loyalty to the kingdom and the King, or loyalty to Celaena, which obviously we will talk way more about next episode. Now for our final section of this Throne of Glass fan guide. Our top 10 moments from these first three books. Think about this as our foreshadowing and favorite moment section all rolled into one big meaty section. I'll kick it off. In the opening scene of Throne of Glass, when Dorian and Kael are talking to Celaena in Andover, Kael reprimands and corrects Celaena for not calling Dorian by his title. So he corrects firmly, your Highness. And Celaena responds with what? Celaena, AKA the Queen of Tarazin, is like, yes, you just called me your high like that. I remember hearing that on a first reread and flipping the fuck out. That is so good. That's in, like, chapter two.

[A]

I love all of the little nuggets of foreshadowing that she is Aelin in these first few books. Again, on that trip from Andover to Rift Hold, Celaena thinks how she would, quote, never again have anything to do with the rise and fall of kingdoms. She wasn't fated for anything, not anymore. We think it's because of her being Otolin's assassin on a first read. But now we know better, and it's her burying her true identity of Aelin. And then when she's dreaming and she's in the tombs, she's facing, quote, a featureless young woman with golden hair and a crown far too heavy for her to bear. She's dreaming about facing herself and her true identity. And I love that she's featureless. This woman is faceless, but it's actually her. And then another one when she hears the name Aelin Galathenius for the first time from Archer in Crown of Midnight, and her heart stops beating. She breathes, but Aen's dead because it couldn't possibly be true. And she thinks to herself that any alien they believe they met must have been an imposter. And in the moment it's like, oh yeah, it seems like that would be way too good to be true, that this long lost queen is alive. But on a reread, it's like, aha. It's because Celaena is Aelin and definitely has not been gathering any armies. Speaking of foreshadowing for who she truly is, I also love the little nods to Aelin's magic. Early in Throne of Glass, it is actually stated on the page. It had been a while since she'd contemplated the gifts she'd lost, though the memory of her abilities haunted her dreams despite the carnage. Perhaps it was good that magic had vanished. It was far too dangerous for any sane person to wield her. Gifts might have destroyed her by this point. And then there are little hints about what kind of magic she had. Like from Irene, who thinks to herself about Celaena. This girl wasn't like wildfire she was wildfire. Deadly and uncontrollable and slightly out of her wits. Or when Celaena is throwing punch after punch, it's as though, show quote, something burning inside of her that she couldn't quite get out.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

That's only a few of the examples.

[B]

Next is all the Parrington foreshadowing, because. Oh, yeah, did we forget to mention Parrington is Erewhon. Oh, my God. Add this to the list of things that made me scream when I first realized it. Some of the finest foreshadowing moments are his first appearance. Prince describes him as having obsidian eyes. Do you know how hard it was to have a straight face when I said that his eyes were black earlier? Oh, my God. In Throne of Glass, I was almost.

[A]

Like, oh, that's too big of a spoiler. It's like, no, they wouldn't know that.

[B]

That's fine. That's fine. In Throne of Glass, Chaol sees a shadow cross over Parrington's face repeatedly. And then when Parrington glanced down at his own black ring, that shadow passes again. Also in Tog, Parrington's black ring ring pulses, and immediately Kaltane's head throbs, and she describes the ring as making her want to run, run, run. In Tog and Crown of Midnight, Parrington is a big proponent of securing Illway even further and sending more slaves to the mines. Possibly more subjects for his own experimentation. Or just more people he wants to control. And, of course, we have the conversation between Parrington and the King of Otterland that alludes to Parrington using power over Caltain to influence her. Hence the headaches. Oh, my God. It's so crazy, because when you read it for the first time, you do not in any way see Parrington as a lead over the King of Ireland, like you as front and center. And it's so subtle and, oh, it's so good.

[A]

Well, and then Roland, who's introduced in Crown of Midnight, and he starts getting headaches, too, and then. Then he gets sent off, and then, surprise, he's back in Queen of Shadows.

[B]

Oh, it's so magic. Oh, God. Yeah. I think he gets killed in by the Witches. By the witches.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Which was really more of a mercy for him at that point.

[B]

Well, he's begging for it, which is tragic considering how swaggery and cocky and proud he is to be so high in the King's. Oh, my God. Oh, God, it's terrible.

[A]

We get our first, first erawan mention in Chapter 25 of Throne of Glass when Celaena meets Elena for the first time and finds Damaris. I love that she recalls that this is a sword that Gavin Haviliar used to slay the dark lord Erewhon. And then she literally turns around and meets Elena. The very reason that statement is not actually true. I love it.

[B]

I love the little details. Throne of Glass. The last line is quote, tell me tomorrow. Which is the same line that ends Kingdom of Ash. Aw, so good.

[A]

I love all of those full circle moments between Throne of Glass and Kingdom of Ash when Elena tells Celaena she could rattle the stars and do anything if only she dared. And that deep down, Celaena knows it too. And that's what scares her most. Before several big moments throughout the series, Aelin repeats this about going to rattle the stars. And at the end of Kingdom of Ash, when they have won, they have accomplished the impossible, we get this line. The doors opened at last and the roar from the gathered crowds was loud enough to rattle the stars. As when they walked out into the cheering city.

[B]

She did it. She rattled the stars. I love it so much that writing. Well, and also the fact. And no masks for spoilers, but the fact that Aelin, when she's falling through world, falls as a literal red star on a very important day. Yes, yes.

[A]

And then another is when Celaena is going to the salt mines at the end of Assassin's Blade and she sees the white stag, the Lord of the North. And then Aelin will ride the white stag into Orinth. At the end of Kingdom of Ash, the queen returns.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Beautiful. Got him into the little folk. And how they make their first appearance when Celaena is on her way to Rift hold from the beginning of Throne of Glass, they show their appreciation for their queen through the little gifts they leave in the night. This is only the first of several times they appear in the story, but they are consistently there for Aelin, where they can be saving her, helping her, giving her gifts, recognizing her as the true Queen of Tarasen. The little folk are small fairies that live in the wood and they were originally ruled from by Queen Mab, the fairy queen. As the last living descendant of Queen Mab, Aelin is also their queen. And then another top favorite from these books, Fleet Foot. That is all.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I love Fleet Foot so much. I love a good dog companion.

[B]

Love a dog companion. Love a little gold dog. Little gold puppy. How interesting. The fact that Caltain. Hard left pivot. The fact that Caltain goes from who she is in Throne of Glass to who she becomes in Queen of Shadows. I'll even throw out the moment she comes in at. In Kingdom of Ash. Superb storytelling. Oh, my God. In Throne of Glass, I cannot stand her. And the decisions that she makes, everything she stands for, which, by the way, is a lot of her upbringing and the people that she's been surrounded with and how she's been told she can be valuable. And then you get to who she is in Heir of Fire, and especially Queen of Shadows. And, oh, my God, you're going from like, I can't stand you to, that's my girl. Good job. And then you realize how she's being manipulated by Parrington. And the first moment where she drops it, she's getting headaches. And then the flapping wings are getting louder and you're like, fuck. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. She is literally Shakespearean. Like, her character is so beautifully tragic. Then she gets the word key put in her arm. Oh, my God. But that's next episode. Then, of course, we have the decision for Celaena giving her the cloak. That will literally be the reason that Caltain gives a lead the word key. And Queen of Shadows. What? Masterful butterfly effect. Oh, my God. Oh, I think my all time.

[A]

Just while we're talking butterfly effects, Irene is my favorite butterfly effect.

[B]

Well, and that's why I'm saying I loved having that as a surprise.

[A]

See, I read the whole book being.

[B]

Like, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh, oh, my gosh. And see, I. And that just goes to show that it can be different. And like, I. I personally enjoyed it more as a surprise, but I don't know. I didn't have it the other way, so who knows?

[A]

I very much cannot even imagine that. And I preferred my way.

[B]

That's great, Lexi. I'm thrilled that you preferred your way. We are being not biased. We have to discuss the first mention of Nameless is my price. It is Baba Yellow Legs. What a title. Who says in response to Celaena asking her what her price is for fortune telling. And Baba Yellowlegs says, quote, nameless is my price. But gold will do for now. In Assassin's Blade, when Dorian is flirting with a master, asks Celaena, he asks her for her name. And she says, quote, I have no name. I am whoever the keeper of my fate tells me to be. Just such a good, like, literary symbolism of she being nameless. The nameless reference is going to be a through line for the whole series, and it has multiple meanings. First and most prominently is the tie in with Brannon, who, because he was born a bastard in Wenland, he bears the bastard mark AKA the Mark of the Name. The first time we see this Mark of the Nameless is actually in book one, when Celaena is fighting Cain and a mark on her brow begins to light up. What is this price? It's not until the end of Empire of Storms that we know it means a descendant of the Nameless. A descendant of Brannon has to pay the price of their life for Elena's mistake to complete the lock and thus close the word gate for good. So this is what Elena and Nehemia were talking about. A descendant of this line, either Aelin or Dorian will have to sacrifice their life, and it is on Aelin's shoulders in order for the world to be vogless. But it's the end of Kingdom of Ash that we learn the hidden second meaning. It's not just the mark of the bastard. Brannon, who is Nameless in this series. The King of Otterlin, Dorian's father. His name was taken from him when he was possessed by the Valk. And the only time he even slightly remembered his name was when he was naming his son, because Dorian was the only name he could think of, his own name. But as a Nameless, it is him who sacrifices himself for the lock. And the gate closes and completes. I just. Sarah J. Fucking Mass. Oh my God. This is beautiful butterfly effect storytelling. The fact that this happens in not even book one, in Assassin's Blade, and then suddenly has greater meaning later on in the series. Like, not even greater meaning. The meaning it is the meaning. Like that is just brilliant. Oh, my God.

[A]

I have another favorite that's just like a blanket character here. Mort.

[B]

Mort.

[A]

What unexpected delight Mort is.

[B]

And a quick call out for the audiobook because Mort has, like, this Brooklyn accent and it's so good. I was so, like, jarring.

[A]

I was like, wait, what?

[B]

So Rhett and I read this series and we loved Mort so much that when we got our like, doorbell camera, you have to name it in your app. And we named it Mort. Love that so much.

[A]

While Assassin's Blade really is just one big foreshadowing. And we'll pull out more of those chunks as we progress in these episodes. I just want to call out running on horseback in the desert as somebody who grew up riding horses. And when you are running and you just feel the sense of freedom and just like you're on top of the world kind of feeling, and Celaena feeling that, and she's just urging her horse to go faster. It's just, ah, it's so beautiful. And with Ansel and their complicated friendship I'll call it. And I just love that experience that Celaena got to have. And I just love it so much. I love it. And last, but certainly not least, of our top 10ish moments from these first three books, I honestly didn't keep counting. I just lumped some together there. My name is Sam Courtland and I will not be afraid. Chills every single time he tells Elena that this phrase might be ridiculous, but it helps him when he's scared and he's been doing it for years. And this phrase will be what Celaena and Aelin cling to in her darkest moments throughout the whole series. At the end of Assassin's Blade, when she is being taken to Endovir. My name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid. When she is in Endovir just trying to survive every day through the horror, she would remind herself every morning, My name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid. It is the only thing that kept her from breaking, the only thing she could cling to to keep the fear from swallowing her whole. And then during the final Duels of the Champions competition, my name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid. Sam taught her that phrase, and it becomes a source of comfort and stability even when the words don't ring true in the moment, but it becomes her own internal battle cry to keep going throughout the whole series. My name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid. Until it turns into My name is Aelin Ashriver Galathenius and I will not be afraid. And that right there just makes me.

[B]

Tear up every single time.

[A]

And there we have it, friends. Throne of Glass Fan Guide Episode one is in the books. Huzzah.

[B]

I can't believe we did it.

[A]

Thank you so much for listening and tuning into this Throne of Glass fan guide.

[B]

Friendly reminder, next Monday will be episode two covering Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. Erebin Hamel, you bastard, here we come. Remember, part one will be spoiler free for Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows and beyond. But we will be discussing spoilers from Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight and Assassin's Blade. We literally could not discuss those two books. Everything you need to know without discussing Aylin Reveals. Sorry about it. Then part two will be just like this one. Spoiler for all Todd books. Thank you to our Throne of Glass content researcher, guest researcher Sammy, who came in to help with these fan guides. And of course our executive producer, AKA our sanity manager, AKA co host of Fantasy fanfellas Hayden.

[A]

Please be sure to give us a follow on Instagram and slash our TikTok at Fantasy Fangirls Pod and Fantasy fanfellas.

[B]

And last but not least, don't forget to share this episode with your fellow Throne of Glass friends. If you have been having a campaign for two and a half years for Fantasy fangirls to cover Throne of Glass, this is the perfect episode to share with them. Congratulations.

[A]

Or if your friend has not started Throne of Glass and you've been trying to convince them and they're like, no, no, no, that seems way too intimidating. This is the episode to give them to be like, see, you can do this.

[B]

You can do this. Thank you so much everyone.

[A]

Bye bye.

[B]

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