Krystal's Reviews > The Assassin's Blade

Individual Ratings:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord 3 Stars
The Assassin and the Healer 3.5 Stars
The Assassin and the Desert 4 Stars
The Assassin and the Underworld 4.5 Stars
The Assassin and the Empire. 4.5 Stars

I read these prequels without reading the Throne of Glass series first. So, this served as a true introduction to the world and its characters. While some of the stories are significantly stronger than others, they fit together successfully to introduce the young heroine Celaena. She has a lot to learn, but more important is her incredibly brave heart. It’s clear that Celaena will prove to have a bit of steel in her spine, sometimes that’s almost immediately evident with certain characters. She glows with inner strength.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

This story sets the plot in motion for the rest of the short stories that follow in the collection. It’s a big catalyst just shaking up everything, making it a critical selection to read. However, I found myself trudging through it. It’s common among intricate worlds to find the first glimpse either a bit dull or chaotic.

Two teenage assassins are introduced Celaena and Sam. Despite their age, the duo are already professionals within their deadly trade. They are sent to collect a debt, but upon discovering the debt is a cargo of slaves, they turn everything upside down.

Sam is doggedly devoted to Celaena and it’s evident to everyone except her. This is a tactic often used to make a character endearing to readers. It’s so easy to love those wholeheartedly devoted guys. Isn’t it?

Celaena is a brazen character. She’s presented here in a way that it’s obvious the world hasn’t humbled her yet. She struts around like she’s ten feet tall and bullet proof. It becomes noticeable that her attitude has been conditioned by The King of Assassins, her boss, who also raised her. He has told her repeatedly that she’s the best of the best and she’s let this praise go straight to her head and heart. What happens when the person who’s been giving you all that praise gets angry? Wrathful even?

The Assassin and the Healer

On the surface this story reads like a filler, but I found it an enjoyable, engaging read. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a thread from this short story picked up later on, it would make for a brilliant tie in. It showcased Celaena’s compassion and generosity.

While Celaena is waiting for a ship to take her to Yerpa, she stays at the White Pig Inn, which also boasts a disgusting tavern. There she meets Yrene Towers who’s employed there. Towers longs to train as a healer and has been struggling to save enough earnings to move on from this dead end job. After thwarting an attack on Towers one night, Celaena begins instructing her in self-defense. She later takes steps in ensure Towers can flee her awful job and study to become a healer at last.

The Assassin and the Desert

As punishment for her actions in Skull’s Bay Arobynn, The King of Assassins, sends Celaena to train with the Silent Assassins in the desert amid the stifling heat. She only has a month to earn The Mute Master’s approval.

Talk about reading something in a single sitting! I was engrossed, entranced, engaged all the “en”s! The desert setting, Celaena struggling with new surroundings, people, and expectations and The Mute Master was brilliant. He was giving me ‘80’s Karate Kid vibes. I loved it. Some cloak and dagger moments sped up the momentum and kept things interesting.

The Assassin and the Underworld

Celaena returns from the desert to the Assassin’s Keep intent upon buying her freedom from Arobynn, but she lacks the kind of experience it takes to understand a person like Arobynn’s motives and machinations. Especially, having been raised under his thumb as his favorite, making her more gullible.

He knows she loathes slavery so he offers her a job. An opportunity to assassinate a prominent figure in the world of slave trade. She accepts and Sam Cortland, offers his services to assist her in her goal. Their task takes them from dank sewers to soaring rooftops and what they discover is more disturbing than either imagined. It changes everything.

High stakes from beginning to end this one had its hooks in me. Excellent!

The Assassin and the Empire

Celaena and Sam need the cash from a big job. They are two of the best assassins around so what gives? Arobynn and the guild have cut them out of being hired. They’ve basically been blacklisted.

Do they realize how far the King of Assassin’s reach extends?

Sam manages to find a contract against all odds. It’s dangerous, a near impossible task even. They are to take out a well-guarded crime lord and his deadly right hand man. Celaena and Sam are talented assassins, but even so they expect this to be a difficult challenge.


When Arobynn showed his hand a little in this story I wasn’t surprised, but it’s interesting to see how different characters inspire a following. He’s at the helm of ruthless deadly assassins, but so is The Mute Master and yet, their leadership techniques are night/day. Arobynn is calculating, manipulative and views people as possessions existing solely to suit his whims. Reminiscent many times of pawns on a chess board or a puppeteer wielding strings. His mind games were at play in multiple characters’ actions including much of their personal behavior. The amount of dysfunction he leveled subtly and aggressively sets the stage for all kinds of future possibilities.

Ultimately, there are great tragedies dealt out in this brief tale, but there’s also a fleeting glimpse of hope.

Heartache and hardship have a way of trimming away the fluff and nonsense to show the steel beneath. Celaena is just coming into own and she’s a survivor.

I am certain she will rise from the ashes of unfair circumstance. And her badassery will become the stuff of legend.