Celaena is now the King's Champion. She survived the epic competition that almost killed her. But even now, the battle to stay safe and alive is far from over. Celaena senses something dark inside the castle, an evil that might have something to do with the king, and something brewing outside it, a potential rebellion that the king wants eliminated by her hands. Celaena must do whatever is necessary to keep herself, and those she loves, safe, even if she can't trust them.

Sarah Maas did it again with this sequel to Throne of Glass. she left me speechless. CROWN OF MIDNIGHT is nothing like I was expecting. If any book can shake up a plot and defy protagonist stereotypes, this book is it.

Celaena was a phenome in the first book, but her character absolutely astounded me in the sequel. As per usual with heroines, they are faced with decisions that give them the option of being selfish or the option of being self-sacrificing. Celaena is selfish. Is she a bad person? No, she frequently tries to defend those she loves like her friend, Princess Nehemia, from harm, and she is always one to attack any threat head first with swords blazing. But does she always choose the option that goes against what her selfish trait wants? No, she most certainly does not. Because of that, her character is original and refreshing on a level that is hard to describe.

Many of us claim we can relate to the noble heroes and heroines of great novels and say we would sacrifice anything we have for a stranger in need. That may very well be true. However, I think most of us, whether we would admit it or not, can find far more ease empathizing with Celaena in her quest to watch out for the one person who has always had her back: herself.

Another favorite character, as well as a major player in this book, is Chaol, also known as the losing point in a severely non-equilateral love triangle in the first book. In CROWN OF MIDNIGHT, Celaena is now unattached since she broke up with the prince at the end of the first. Though the prince is not forgotten from the story (he actually takes on more life as a character on his own now), Celaena isn't caught up with him or their romance. Since she is not a moping character, she continues on with her life, a life that starts to involve more and more of Chaol. Intense and realistic sparks light up between them, and the scenes involving him and his growing ease around Celaena are breathtaking. There interactions play a heavy part in the plot that involves more mysterious and ancient symbols and political intrigue than the last did.

My final thoughts, I thought the writing was well-done with powerful dialogue, and the pacing kept me staying up at night to finish this book. I found the relationship between the characters believable and true and different. If you crave those diverse characters that differ from the norm, I highly recommend this wonderful series by Sarah Maas.