Crown of Redemption

Last year, I gave Throne of Glass one star. I irrevocably loathed Celaena, and I vowed to never continue the series. However, as my anger gradually faded and peer pressure started to kick in, I decided to make a bookish compromise by listening to a free Audible version of Crown of Midnight. And lo and behold, I found myself enjoying it!

In contrast to its predecessor, Crown of Midnight had a plot that kept me on my toes and outstanding character arcs. In this novel, Celaena finally proved her worth to me and thereby became less unrelatable and annoying. Furthermore, I no longer found any problematic tropes; I actually failed to predict all of the mind-blowing plot twists.

When I come to think of it, the character that really made me enjoy this book was Chaol. I know that many people think that he and Celaena don’t have any chemistry (or significant history), but I instantly became happy whenever he entered a scene. He just had this unique way of making Celaena more realistic and likable. In fact, I only got angry with Celaena whenever she hurt Chaol’s feelings (and body). As an independent character, Chaol was also admirable because of his loyalty, compassion, and wit.

Of course, I also enjoyed Dorian’s character arc. He became much more interesting because of his awakening. I also applauded his willingness to let go of Celaena. I myself would do the same thing if ever my best and I liked the same girl. Finally, I liked Dorian because Chaol would probably be dead without him. 😉

The last thing I liked about this audiobook was the narrator. I loved Elizabeth Evan’s voice, which had a brusque and arrogant tone that was perfect for Celaena’s and Chaol’s chapters. I only felt mildly detached whenever she narrated Dorian’s POV because I always imagined him to have a very sweet and calming cadence.

Overall, I would like to thank the people who encouraged me to give the Throne of Glass series a second chance. This audiobook would have warranted five stars if Celaena did not treat Chaol so badly. I promise to read (or listen to) Heir of Fire when my TBR pile becomes more manageable.