Initial Impressions 7/20/14:Closer to 4.5 stars. And it's times like this I hate Goodreads for no half stars. Sigh. 
 I FINALLY READ THRONE OF GLASS, YOU GUYS! Woooo! 
 Okay, so. The blurb on the front says for fans of Game of Thrones and the Hunger Games and I usually think blurbs are ridiculous and they mean nothing to me but this I actually 100% agree with! I say... plot of Harry Potter and The Hunger Games meets the fantasy world of Game of Thrones and the characters of Shadow and Bone. 
 Of course, the book stands on its own. This is one of those books where I have similar feelings to other books and that's what makes it greater and in fact does NOT take away from my reading experience. (Also, that "As you wish" line...? Princess Bride reference intended or pure coincidence?) 
 Anyway, I really, really enjoyed it. The only thing that didn't bowl me over was that it wasn't like OMG TWISTS and I didn't totally get lost in the fantasy world... And I read the novellas before Throne of Glass and felt a BIT more connected to those. But yes, I mean, solid. Strong. Such a pleasure to read. 
 Full review posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 8/25/14: I first tried to read Throne of Glass almost two years ago when it first came out and for whatever reason, I just couldn't get into it. I wasn't a big fantasy reader back then so maybe it was just the wrong time for me, but I eventually let it go back to the library unfinished, knowing I wanted to give it another shot someday. When Bloomsbury introduced their Throne of Glass series read along, I knew that was the perfect time to dive back in and hope I would enjoy it this time around! 
 As I said in my review for the novellas, I owe Nikki from There Were Books Involved a huge thanks for encouraging me to read the novellas first. Since I was hesitant to get back to THRONE OF GLASS due to my less than exciting first attempt, I really wanted to get to know the world and characters better and I felt like I had a good grip on what this world was really all about when I started THRONE OF GLASS. The only downside to reading the novellas first, I think, was that... well, I actually enjoyed the atmosphere of them a bit more. Well, don't get me wrong -- I really did enjoy ToG too, but there was definitely a different feel, and rightly so. Celaena went through hell and back before ToG even started so when we first see her in the beginning of the novel, she's already quite a different person in some ways than she was before. 
 I couldn't help but make comparisons to THE HUNGER GAMES for some reason. In the novel, Celaena is entered into the competition to become the king's champion and for whatever reason, I got a real Katniss vibe from her, though I think this easily happens with several strong female characters in similar situations. But this wasn't a bad thing! I really admired Celaena's dedication to her friends, her determination to win the competition to better her life, and her flat out talent. The aspect of the whole competition thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was that it seemed fairly predictable. I guess it can't really end any other way, but I was hoping for a bigger twist or two, I think. 
 I think what I enjoyed most is that while this was an enjoyable first book and I felt like it could have used a little more "oomph" here and there, Sarah J. Maas doesn't rush into cramming all of the twists and surprises and plot elements all at once. It's a longer series (six books instead of the common trilogy nowadays) so there's plenty of time to allow plot to develop and for characters to grow. It had a very specific story line that wrapped up nicely for book one and at the same time led in perfectly to book two, and the best part about all of that is that it got me excited for the rest of the series. 
 THRONE OF GLASS was definitely an interesting read for me and thank goodness it held my attention this time! I think it was just right book but wrong time when I first attempted it and the novellas really did ground me in this world so I didn't have to discover what it was all about all at once. The book didn't totally knock me over but I really, really enjoyed it and I'm so excited to continue on with the series. I totally understand why so many people are in love with Sarah J. Maas' books!