Book · 2012
Throne of Glass
by Sarah J. Maas
A teenage assassin is pulled out of a slave-labor camp and entered in a kingdom's brutal death-match tournament to win her freedom.
What does Reddit think of Throne of Glass?
Every quote r/Fantasy volunteers about Throne of Glass is really about sorting it into the right category. The ↑479 comment corrects the record that this one, not ACOTAR, was originally marketed as YA and isn't the smut-heavy series; the ↑554 comment sends readers here specifically because it has more plot than romance compared to the rest of Sarah J. Maas's catalogue. That's the throughline: this is the entry point people defend, even while admitting the writing has problems. A self-described SJM fan (↑382) says flatly the prose isn't very good, then compares the whole experience to reality TV, and clearly means it as praise anyway. The running joke, repeated across two separate top comments (↑447, ↑238), is that its assassin protagonist barely assassinates anyone. One reader (↑320) says they forgot the book existed entirely.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · A protagonist billed as an assassin who rarely assassinates
- · Used to distinguish Maas's YA start from ACOTAR's romance-heavy turn
- · A reality TV defense from readers who admit the prose is weak
- · Cited as shorthand alongside Fourth Wing for accessible fantasy
Common praise
- + The ↑554 comment steers readers here specifically because it has more plot than romance, unlike the rest of Maas's catalogue.
- + A self-described SJM fan (↑382) keeps reading despite calling the prose not very good, comparing it to reality TV instead of literature.
- + The ↑479 comment defends it against getting lumped in with ACOTAR's reputation, pointing out it started life as YA, not the smut-heavy one.
Common criticism
- − Two separate commenters (↑447, ↑238) land on the same joke: the assassin protagonist barely assassinates anyone.
- − The ↑320 reader says they've forgotten the book existed entirely, filing it next to a Ready Player One they also couldn't finish.
- − The ↑382 fan admits outright the writing isn't very good, which is a harder critique coming from inside the fandom.
Who it's for
Try this before ACOTAR if the romance-first reputation is what's stopping you; the ↑554 and ↑479 comments both draw that exact line. Want confirmation that Maas can't really write, from someone who still likes her anyway? The ↑382 fan will hand it to you directly. Readers who lump this in with Fourth Wing as accessible, low-effort fantasy (↑297) aren't wrong about the shelf it sits on. It isn't a pick for anyone who wants the title's premise to hold up; the assassin joke shows up twice in these threads for a reason.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Throne of Glass?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“Throne of Glass isn’t the book series people equate to smut and nothing more, as Throne of Glass was originally marketed as YA. The one that’s very smut heavy is the ACOTAR series.
“I feel like farseer is the least assassin-y assassin book I’ve ever read besides maybe throne of glass lol
“as a SJM fan who loves throne of glass and ACOTAR, i can confirm her writing is not very good but her books are like reality TV to me
“Big agree on Throne of Glass. I can't even remember a single thing about it, it was that bad. Forgot about it's existence entirely. Ready Player One... my dad sent it to me in the mail because he loved it. I forced my way through the first chapter in the break room at work. Refused to read any more…
“I'm really tempted to write a pastiche of Throne of Glass, starting with the same premise. (Prisoner-Assassin kidnapped to become unwilling bride by a bunch of douchebag dudes) Except instead of Stockholm-Syndrome toxic romance... just have the protagonist escape and brutally murder every single …
“I’m gonna copy what I posted on the previous discussion about Maas: Her writing is lackluster with misuses of grammar like em dashes and making her books larger than needed with a lack of editing, especially with crescent city. Her writing also includes the repetition of so many uses of mate, fem…
“Not so much in this sub, but any of the romantic fantasy subs. Throne of Glass. My standards are not high when it comes to YA, but lord these books are bad. The bestest assassin in the whole land that everyone knows of is a dumb 18 year old girl, who had like maybe a 2 year long assassin career befo…
“Yeah, I don't really care if there is or isn't sex in fantasy personally, but Sarah J Maas does tend to overdo it. I haven't read the two you mentioned, but I read the Throne of Glass series. I actually really enjoyed it, but she didn't really incorporate sex until the last few books, and when sh…
“Let’s be honest, there’s nothing good enough to actually adapt. This series is fun and all, but it lacks a lot of substance and most of the characters are one dimensional as f***, so getting a script greenlit would already be hard. On top of rumors going around for YEARS about SJM being ‘hard to wor…
“Sarah J. Maas. Tried Throne of Glass and Court of Thornes and Roses and I kinda found her writing lacking. I wanted to like Throne of Glass, because I really liked the plot, but it shouldn't be...
“I completely and utterly despise the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass. *Especially* after book 3. The main character is extremely unlikeable to me, and I can't stand her point or view. Unfortunately, I feel like SJM only knows how to WRITE in her POV since the others eventually seem to blend …
“Oh gosh, Throne of Glass was absolutely awful. Couldn't make it more than a few chapters in. How Sarah J. Maas has become a bestselling author proves just how little society expects of creatives or entertainment these days. If I wanted to read a book that reads like it was written by a 14 year-old…
“Going to get downvoted probably, buuut…Personally I think people see too much and force themselves to see racism and other types of discrimination in the books. The books are good and entertaining. I loved them so far, except the first book which was a tad bit boring. The writing isn’t the most top…
“When Feyre started literally glowing I f****** lost it. Rolled out of bed laughing. Also in Throne of glass. Firepowers + sand+sex=another hilarious sex scene
“Maybe unpopular opinion but Throne of Glass. The writing has a lot of problems- author was 16 when she started the series and it starts as a YA and gets much more mature as you go. There are insane plot holes, the timeline is bananas… but…. I LOVED this series so much. Not sure I have ever cried ove…
Convinced? Pick up Throne of Glass
What else does r/suggestmeabook read?
Other books mentioned in the same sub, ranked. Shared-sub overlap with this title breaks ties.
Guides featuring Throne of Glass
Ranked best-of lists and editorial guides where this book's tracked mentions place it.
Throne of Glass — frequently asked
Is Throne of Glass the smutty Sarah J. Maas series?+
No, that's ACOTAR. The ↑479 r/Fantasy comment makes the distinction directly: Throne of Glass was originally marketed as YA, and the reputation for heavy romantic content belongs to the other series. Readers here treat conflating the two as a basic error.
Is Throne of Glass well written?+
Not by its own fans' account. A self-identified SJM fan (↑382) calls the prose not very good in the same comment where they admit to loving the books anyway, comparing the experience to reality TV. Reddit isn't defending the sentences; it's defending the entertainment value.
Does the assassin in Throne of Glass actually do any assassinating?+
Barely, according to r/Fantasy. Two separate top comments (↑447, ↑238) make the same joke independently: it's one of the least assassin-like assassin books either commenter has read, alongside The Farseer Trilogy and RJ Barker's Age of Assassins.
Should I read Throne of Glass before Fourth Wing?+
If you're choosing between them for the same reading mood, r/Fantasy already lumps them together (↑297) as the same kind of book, so order matters less than whether you're in the mood for that lane at all. Throne of Glass gets picked over ACOTAR (↑554) when you want more plot and less romance.