** spoiler alert ** 
 Let me be clear before I start, I really enjoyed this book and I'm loving the series. That being said, I'm about to say some critical things of the book because they just irritated me beyond words. Major Spoilers Ahead! 
 Celaena's personality alternates between that of a cold blooded assassin and an irritating 18 year old girl (Okay, let's be honest, more like a 15 year old girl). The whining is so annoying I want to grab her by ornate clothing (that she's buying instead of, I don't know, investing in a future, or using to set up a rebellion?) and just SHAKE HER. I don't WANNA go a quest; I don't WANNA be involved, I don't WANNA investigate the big bad evil thing lurking in the shadows. *cue temper tantrum* 
 Besides being disgustingly irritating, it's just not BELIEVABLE. Especially when it's "revealed" who she really is. Even without that information, though, who honestly believes that the Celaena who *snaps* and kills her captors for murdering a fellow slave wouldn't do everything in her power to take down the king and kingdom who murdered her parents and family and way of life. 
 Maas' attempt at foreshadowing is also clumsy and sometimes distracting. You know the second after the rebels mention the lost princess followed by Dorian looking up lineage that there's a giant "dundundun" moment coming on where Celaena is going to be some big important person. There were times where I felt like the author was surprised where the book was heading and that it wasn't what she had planned which is why it felt so clumsy and thrown together. 
 To be clear, less of this: 
 "She didn't want to know. She didn't want to know what the king was doing, what he imagined for the empire. She'd use this month to figure out what to do with Archer and pretend she'd never heard the horrible word: plans." 
 And this: 
 "...part of her wondered whether whatever truth she uncovered about this rebel movement and the king's plans would destroy her, too. And not just destroy her - but also everything she'd grown to care about." 
 And more of this: 
 "She stepped aside, dodging him with maddening ease. Grave lunged again. But faster than he could follow she ducked and slashed her sword across his shins." 
 And: 
 "But Celaena was smiling as her eyes locked onto one the ministers at the table, and she walked right toward him. And no one, not even Dorian's father, said anything as she set the severed head atop the minister's stack of papers." 
 I'm looking forward to the next book, and I hope Maas can stay on target and Celaena can kick some butt and find the Wyrdkeys.