Is there an audiobook of Throne of Glass?

Yes. Throne of Glass has an Audible audiobook edition, narrated by Elizabeth Evans.

How long is the Throne of Glass audiobook?

The Throne of Glass audiobook runs 13 hr 3 min.

Is Throne of Glass on Kindle Unlimited?

No. Throne of Glass was not included with Kindle Unlimited when we last checked on August 11, 2026.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas book cover for the Book of the Day young adult book review

Our score

4.5/ 5

Outstanding

Listen to Throne of Glass free with an Audible trial Narrator, runtime & our audio review

Buy on Amazon

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EDITION PUBLISHEDFebruary 2023

Genres

Fiction Young Adult Fantasy

Themes

Freedom and self-determinationIdentity behind a fearsome reputationBuried magic and buried historyFriendship as a counterweight to violence

Throne of Glass

Name: Throne of Glass
Price: 10.16 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas

Sarah J. Maas pulls an eighteen-year-old assassin out of a salt mine, dresses her in court finery, and sets her loose in a deadly competition to win her own freedom. It's the launch of a sprawling fantasy series, and it knows exactly what it wants to be: fast, romantic, and unapologetically fun.

The Review

Our take

Celaena Sardothien is the most feared assassin in the kingdom, which makes it all the more galling that she's spent a year breaking rocks in a death-camp mine when the story opens. The crown prince offers a way out: serve as his champion in a contest to become the King's Assassin, beat two dozen thieves and killers and warriors, and earn her freedom at the end of it. Maas wastes little time getting her to the glittering, rotten capital, and the early chapters move with the brisk confidence of a writer who trusts her hook. This is a competition fantasy with a charismatic, vain, deadly heroine at its center, and the book draws much of its energy from how much Celaena enjoys being good at what she does.

The pleasures here are sturdy and well-deployed. Celaena is a genuinely entertaining narrator, equally interested in murder and in beautiful gowns and library books, and Maas lets her be skilled without making her cold. The court is a nest of secrets, the contest supplies a steady drumbeat of trials and eliminations, and a thread of something older and darker, a creeping magic the kingdom has tried to bury, seeps into the margins and slowly takes over the plot. The romance is woven in early and deliberately: a prince and a captain of the guard both orbit Celaena, and the love triangle is handled with more charm than torment, more banter than anguish.

It's worth knowing what kind of book this is. The worldbuilding is functional rather than dense; Maas is building a stage for character and momentum, not a fully mapped cosmology, and the deeper lore arrives in later volumes. Readers who want their epic fantasy front-loaded with intricate systems and political granularity may find this lighter than expected. The prose favors propulsion over lyricism, and the competition occasionally tells us Celaena is the deadliest in the room more than it shows her earning it. These are the trade-offs of a book built for speed and feeling.

What it does well, it does with real conviction. The friendships, especially between Celaena and a foreign princess at court, give the book warmth beyond the romance. The mystery underneath the competition supplies genuine stakes and a few sharp turns. And Maas has a gift for the swoony, satisfying beat, the kind of scene readers reread and screenshot, that makes the emotional payoffs land even when the plot mechanics are familiar. The pacing rarely sags, and the ending opens the door to a much larger story without cheating the one in front of you.

Why you should read

Readers who want a confident, stylish assassin heroine to follow
Fans of competition-driven fantasy with rising dark stakes
Anyone who enjoys a charming love triangle over a tortured one
Readers starting a long, beloved series from the ground floor

What to expect

A brisk, momentum-first opener, not dense epic worldbuilding
A vain, deadly, genuinely fun narrator
Romance and court intrigue braided in from the start
Lighter lore here that deepens considerably in later books

This is the first step into one of fantasy's most beloved sprawling series, and it reads like exactly that: an inviting, confident opener that prioritizes a heroine you want to follow over a world you need a glossary for. For readers who want their fantasy with a strong, stylish lead, a competition to win, a romance to argue about, and a darkness rising at the edges, it's an easy, generous yes, and the rare series starter that genuinely improves on the promise it makes.

Reviewed by Rowan · How our reviews are written

Our verdict

4.5/ 5

Outstanding

Listen to Throne of Glass free with an Audible trial Narrator, runtime & our audio review

Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices may vary.

Where to read or listen

Is there an audiobook of Throne of Glass?: Yes. Throne of Glass has an Audible audiobook edition, narrated by Elizabeth Evans.
Listen to Throne of Glass free with an Audible trial
We earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.
How long is the Throne of Glass audiobook?: The Throne of Glass audiobook runs 13 hr 3 min.
Is Throne of Glass on Kindle Unlimited?: No. Throne of Glass was not included with Kindle Unlimited when we last checked on August 11, 2026.
How much does Throne of Glass cost?: On Amazon: Kindle $10.16, Paperback $9.99, Hardcover $16.88. Prices as of August 25, 2026 at 3:45 AM EDT and may change.

Filed underYoung Adult Fantasy Browse the archive →

More by Sarah J. MaasSee every Sarah J. Maas book we've reviewed, with our scores.All Sarah J. Maas books →

Common questions

What is Throne of Glass about?: Celaena Sardothien is the most feared assassin in the kingdom, which makes it all the more galling that she's spent a year breaking rocks in a death-camp mine when the story opens. The crown prince offers a way out: serve as his champion in a contest to become the King's Assassin, beat two dozen…
Is Throne of Glass worth reading?: We scored Throne of Glass 4.5 out of 5. Sarah J. Maas pulls an eighteen-year-old assassin out of a salt mine, dresses her in court finery, and sets her loose in a deadly competition to win her own freedom. It's the launch of a sprawling fantasy series, and it knows exactly what it wants to be: fast, romantic, and…