• The Assassin's Blade

  • The Throne of Glass Novellas
  • By: Sarah J. Maas
  • Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
  • Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (73 ratings)

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The Assassin's Blade  By  cover art

The Assassin's Blade

By: Sarah J. Maas
Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans
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Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas, read by Elizabeth Evans.

The twist of a knife. The birth of a legend.

Step into the world of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas with this collection of prequel novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful Assassin’s Guild and its scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, she yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. But when Arobynn dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, Celaena finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her own allegiance.

If she hopes to escape Arobynn’s clutches, Celaena will have to put her faith in her wits and her blade ... knowing that if she fails, she’ll lose not just a chance at freedom but her life.

A prequel to the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas explores the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling — and deadly — world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

The Assassin and the Healer

The Assassin and the Desert

The Assassin and the Underworld

The Assassin and the Empire

©2014 Sarah J. Maas (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"One of the best fantasy book series of the past decade." (Time Magazine on the Throne of Glass series)

"Celaena is as much an epic hero as Frodo or Jon Snow!" (New York Times best-selling author Tamora Pierce on the Throne of Glass series)

"Epic fantasy gold." (USA Today on the Throne of Glass series)

What listeners love about The Assassin's Blade

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Awesome book and awesome writer

I’ve listened to this book series so many times I can’t remember. I have these books at home and I’ve read them all 3 times but I listen to them on audible when I’m just chilling!!

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Worth the read!

Some sections seemed a bit slow for my liking but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I cried my eyes out, I laughed out loud and I was truly shocked by the twists at the end. I went from hating the main characters, to having a deep understanding for her, I care for her deeply and am very keen to find out more. Very well written!

Excited to listen to the rest of the book series.

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Brilliant

The story was so well written. Kept me on the edge of my seat all the time. Could not wait to finish it.

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  • Pola
  • 01-20-22

Best start of ToG series

I really recommend starting the Throne of Glass series from this book. I know most people suggest reading it after Heir of Fire, but by then, you would want to continue to Queen of Shadows, not stop to read prequel.
I got the impression that it spoils some plot twists, but it does not! And it is far better than the first book, Throne of Glass. Which made me drop the series for 2 months. I would not abandon it if I had started here. It deepens the entire experience and helps connect with Celena faster.

8 people found this helpful

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  • Jarek
  • 04-16-22

A pleasant experience, as long as you turn off your brain

The book is well written and mostly pleasant to hear. Initially, the story is rather superficial, what makes it somewhat believable. Unfortunately, as it develops, the author tries to add depth to it’s characters, what backfires, in my opinion. I don’t claim I know how a teen-killer would think in the real life but the version depicted in the book went from slightly naive at the beginning, to completely unbelievable and irritating at the end.

4 people found this helpful

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  • Marko Kozjak
  • 01-26-22

Nice short story

This is a nice short story to the intro of a great book series. Highly recommend it

3 people found this helpful

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  • Loupi
  • 08-30-21

Excellent Narrative

I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. makes me want to listen on which I am about to do now and but the next audio book.

3 people found this helpful

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  • Dawn eaton
  • 04-26-22

a book of many beginnings

i finished here with book 1 it sends evry emotion, bone chilling shocks in the quest of survival changing fast in its plotting, betrayal ang revenge, with friendships stretched to the limits and love creeps in. ive read The whole series twice sit back and immurse?your selfe in a mesmerising lives, lands unbelievable beasts and people and more

2 people found this helpful

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  • Johnny Wolfbrandt
  • 03-13-22

Can’t stop reading/listen

A real suprice, hade no clue of what I would hear but when started I was stucked.
Will start the forth book in the series now, started with first less then two weeks ago!
Same feeling I had when 10-15 years ago I went into Robin Hobb’s world!
Soo very good!

1 person found this helpful

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  • mazaraza
  • 02-22-22

Brilliant!!

I was a bit skeptical going in as Ive not read any of Sarah books but I loved it. I am going on now to buy the next one in the series.

Fantastic characters, story line and beware of the sad bit at the end where I had a little cry.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 02-06-22

what a start to the series

brilliant prequel and was preformed really well I really enjoyed it on tk the next

1 person found this helpful

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  • John Heaps
  • 02-01-22

Finally

After reading TOG, it has taken me a while to read this. 100% worth it.

1 person found this helpful

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  • bookishcharli
  • 01-29-22

Love it

Oh Celaena, oh Sam… my heart. I’ll never get over this betrayal. What an absolutely amazing book, I love rereading and relistening to this series. The narrator is absolutely amazing.

1 person found this helpful

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  • Anonymous User
  • 09-14-23

So… thAT was fun.

Ok so, I highly, hIGHly recommend reading this if you are reading the throne of glass series, it adds so much to the storyline, so try to read/listen to it before Queen of Shadows.
The narration is really good, and I think it captures all of the characters really well, no complaints there.

Also, I love how it sets up the ‘I am Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid’ for the rest of the books, and I’m really sad I only read this after I finished the series, because it honestly adds so much context and life to the bigger story.

I have nothing else to say atm. Adios. And good luck.

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  • Crossing Jordan
  • 09-07-23

Captivating!

I absolutely adored listening to this series! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Celaena started off as this vein character but I ended up weeping for her by the end of the last book. My heart shattered in to a million pieces! The narrator was AMAZING at Celaena, Sam's & Ancel's characters. I'm glad I was told to read this book first as it has context to the characters Celaena bumps in to, in the future....if she has one. Please let Celaena have a future, Sarah!!😭🤧

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  • Taitem Hilder
  • 07-21-23

Great intro to the series

I loved the back story it gave on Celaena and how the short stories all added up to the bigger picture. It sets up the next book perfectly

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  • Keyanu
  • 07-13-23

loved it

loved it, sold me on the rest of the series. . . . .

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  • Heath
  • 06-22-23

great read

a bit faster paced than other books I liked the novell style, glad I read before the rest of the throne of glass

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  • Catherine
  • 06-04-23

Great back story

The novellas were great at revealing the backstory and explaining why things were the way they were…but feel like the story with Sam did not get proper closure 😔
Great narrating.

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  • Jody
  • 04-24-23

loved it

really enjoyed this book! cannot wait to start the next one in the series 🤗🌸

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  • Anonymous User
  • 01-19-23

Novellas form my favourite series

The narrator was good, the story was great! I really enjoyed exploring Celaena’s history and learning more about the character Sam :(

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  • Anonymous User
  • 01-03-23

Great but confusing if you are new to the series

I enjoyed it, but while this is a prequel to ToG it really was confusing to start with as you don't know who anyone is and it gave no back story to them. Looking forward to ToG now though.

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  • Bek B
  • 12-28-22

Speechless

I just finished the book yesterday and I’m still shook. Incredible writing, narration and I love how things in this prequel tie into things in ToG . Oh Sam Sam Sam