More like 2.5 stars. Throne of Glass reminded me a bit of the Graceling trilogy, though the characters were far less lovable and the plot far more predictable than Graceling. I mean, the clues that you assume are red herrings are actually just pointing smack dab at the correct answer. After reading, I feel like I already know the jist of where the entire series is headed. 
 As far as MCs go, Celaena is...meh. I didn't hate her, and I appreciate a female character who can kick butt and still enjoy dresses and frills. That being said, she felt more like a collection of traits and hobbies than a real person. Plus, she's a sneaky Mary Sue; sure she has a temper and is an occasional egomaniac, but these qualities just make everyone swooooon because they're so obviously fronts for all the emotional turmoil roiling beneath her (obnoxiously stunning) surface. In addition to being pretty enough for everyone to fall in love with (don't get me started on the dumb love triangle), she just, like, loves eating, and reading, and is a master piano player, and is also the greatest assassin in the entire world, literally. And she's eighteen. That should be enough, but I haven't even mentioned that Celaena is also super nice, super smart, a friend to conquered peoples, an orphan, and clearly has some latent magical ability. 
 In spite of all this, she comes off as a terrible assassin; she consistently fails to pick up on obvious clues, cannot hit a stationary target with a flower pot, blabs left and right about what she's thinking and feeling, and is reduced to terror by the king. I did like Nehemia and Chaol, though, so there are certainly redeeming characters to balance out Celaena's extreme specialness. 
 As with Maas's other series, ACOTAR, I though the strength of this book was in the world-building. Maas has given us a glimpse of a compelling landscape for the characters to explore and set of problems to resolve. I will definitely keep reading, if only to continue seeing more of Erilea and learning more about the role magic plays in its fabric. Even though I found much to criticize, I can't deny how much I enjoyed reading it and being immersed in a new fantasy world. Plus, I'm always a huge sucker for fairies. I'm hoping the rest of the series is stronger, and I'm definitely looking forward to the TV show that's apparently being optioned now!!!