One of my 2023 reading goals was to tackle some of the series on my TBR, particularly those that I had started and never finished. With approximately one month remaining in 2023, I saw the perfect opportunity to challenge myself to read a series in its entirety in the new year. But a duology or trilogy didn’t sound challenging enough, so I set my sights on some of the longer series on my TBR and eventually landed on the Throne of Glass series.
Here are a few statistics to put this challenge into perspective:
- Number of books: 8 (including The Assassin’s Blade)
- Number of pages: 4,810
- Number of words: 1,452,542
- Estimated reading time (at 400 words per minute): 63 hours and 55 minutes
Will I regret this decision? Possibly. But there’s only one way to find out!
To date, I’ve read the first three books in the series. However, I haven’t touched the series in years and remember little to nothing about the plot, characters, and world building. I don’t even think I could name three characters from the series off the top of my head. To rectify this, I’ll be restarting the series from book 1 and proceeding in publication order until I’ve completed the series in its entirety. Surprisingly, I’ve managed to avoid any and all spoilers for this series to date, so I’m excited to jump into it with no preconceived notions or expectations for plot and character development!
I’ve conducted my fair share of research into the optimal reading order for the series. Ultimately, I’ve decided to follow the publication order for the series, reading the first two books, followed by the novellas, and concluding with the final five books in the series. While looking into the recommended reading order for the books, I stumbled across some very divided opinions about how to read Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn. From what I understand, the two books follow the same timeline but take place in two different locations with an entirely separate cast of characters. Some readers suggested reading the entirety of Empire of Storms, then transitioning to reading Tower of Dawn. Others, however, were adamant that it was most beneficial to read the two books in tandem – reading a few chapters in Empire of Storms, then a few chapters in Tower of Dawn, and flip-flopping back and forth between the two. There are several reading guides for this approach that line up the two timelines in the books, making it easy to identify when you should switch to reading the other installment. I haven’t decided which reading method I’m going to use for these books, but let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations!
Throughout the readathon, I will be posting real-time updates on my Instagram account – Brewing Up Books. Make sure to follow for frequent updates in my stories and feed! Additionally, I’ll be publishing a blog post after I have completed each book in the series with my review, thoughts on the series overall, and updates on how the readathon is progressing. See the individual book details below for my posting schedule throughout the readathon!
Throne of Glass (#1)
Number of Pages: 406
Number of Words: 121,394
Estimated Reading Time: 5 hours, 19 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 3/3/2024
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
Crown of Midnight (#2)
Number of Pages: 418
Number of Words: 125,580
Estimated Reading Time: 4 hours, 52 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 3/24/2024
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
The Assassin’s Blade (#0.1-0.5)
Number of Pages: 438
Number of Words: 134,849
Estimated Reading Time: 7 hours, 21 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 3/31/2024
Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin’s Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.
When Celaena’s scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .
Heir of Fire (#3)
Number of Pages: 562
Number of Words: 172,224
Estimated Reading Time: 6 hours, 48 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 4/7/2024
Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?
Queen of Shadows (#4)
Number of Pages: 645
Number of Words: 193,752
Estimated Reading Time: 8 hours, 37 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 4/14/2024
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
Empire of Storms (#5)
Number of Pages: 689
Number of Words: 206,011
Estimated Reading Time: 8 hours, 57 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 4/21/2024
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.
With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.
Tower of Dawn (#6)
Number of Pages: 660
Number of Words: 205,712
Estimated Reading Time: 9 hours, 5 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 4/28/2024
Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea’s last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.
After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need—and will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries shadows from his own past, and Yrene soon comes to realize they could engulf them both.
In this sweeping parallel novel to the New York Times bestselling Empire of Storms, Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience if they wish to save their friends. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, deep in the shadows of mighty mountains where warriors soar on legendary ruks, long-awaited answers slumber. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival—or doom them all . . .
Kingdom of Ash (#7)
Number of Pages: 992
Number of Words: 293,020
Estimated Reading Time: 12 hours, 56 minutes
Date of Blog Post: 5/5/2024
Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people ― but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing day…
With Aelin captured, friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.
Have you read the Throne of Glass series? Were there any books in the series that stood out as favorites for you? Will you be joining along in this crazy idea for a readathon?
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