Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass) by Sarah J. Maas

Celaena Sardothien is the king's Champion-yet she is far from loyal to the crown, for the man she serves is bent on evil. But working against her master in secret is no easy task. As Celaena tries to untangle the mysteries buried within the glass castle, she can trust no one, not even her supposed allies Crown Prince Dorian, Captain of the Guard Chaol, and foreign princess Nehemia.
Then, an unspeakable tragedy shatters Celaena's world. She must decide once and for all where her loyalties lie . . . and whom she will fight for.
An action-packed and romantic adventure that readers “will never want to leave” (Kirkus Reviews), the next chapter in this smash hit New York Times best-selling series is sure to please Sarah Maas's enormous and ever-growing fan-base–and to set the stage for an explosive third book.

Admittedly I put the book down a few times because I just couldn't become enraptured by it the way I desired.  I'm not sure if it were my mood in particular or that I kept waiting for something to happen for nearly a hundred pages. There were some things that started my intrigue: the very beginning of the book and the way Celaena put her life on the line for very noble reasons, the secrets she kept from her friends, and the tension surrounding the love triangle.
    I picked the book up again about a month later and decided to pick up where I left off. Suddenly, I was falling for Chaol, intrigued by mysterious, dark passageways throughout the castle, and heart broken for Dorian. I was entranced, relaxed, and at peace with the storyline and caring deeply for the characters, rooting for them, while utterly loathing the formidable King.
    Before I continue I need to get this off of my chest. I found Book 1entertaining, but was left wondering what more I could expect from the series. Crown of Midnight completely wiped the floor with my emotions. After the initial setup back of not being able to concentrate on the storyline I was taken on a very unexpected whirlwind of bliss and agony.  I couldn't put this book down again.  I actually felt some mommy guilt because I have two children to wake up early in the mornings, but the guilt wasn't nearly enough to break me from my trance. At times I can admittedly be overly picky about the books I read and I can honestly say that the books I pass on via "word of mouth" aren't many.  It just hit my top ten list. One of my favorite authors actually recommended this series to me and I cannot thank her enough.

5 Stars