Review: *sniff* *sniff* SAAAAMMMM!!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 25, 2013
Celaena is now living in her own home, along with Sam, away from the Assassin’s Keep and Arobynn Hamel. However, not being able to leave in good terms with their old master, Celaena and Sam are struggling to get food on the table and their money is diminishing each day. They haven’t gotten a single contract ever since they left the Keep. Even though they have already bought their freedom, they are not free of Arobynn’s reigns unless they leave Rifthold. Anxious to be free from this man, Sam gets hold of a contract that could finally get him and Celaena away from all this, but this contract is dangerous; way more dangerous than they can ever imagine. But as the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures...The Assassin and the Empire, the last of the Throne of Glass novellas, is probably the most emotional and most heartbreaking book among the four.I loved Celaena’s moments with Sam and that finally they were free of Arobynn but at the same time, I was annoyed with Celaena. She got so used to living luxuriously in the Keep that even though they’re struggling for food, she goes about buying expensive products, clothes and everything. Another thing that annoyed me about her was the fact that she couldn’t let go of Rifthold. She knows as long as Arobynn is the leader of the Assassins in the area, she can never be truly free of his hold. The way I see it, she only has one option and one option alone: Just kill the son of a bitch! Okay, so maybe not the sanest solution but, you know *shrug* it was worth a shot...Anyway, Sam suggested they moved away from Rifthold (even though I think my idea was better), not a town away but a whole ocean away from Arobynn. But since they can’t escape Arobynn that easily, they need to pay a parting fee first or they’ll be hunted down by other assassins. Seeming to have no other choice, it had to be done. Luckily, they got a hold of a contract that can get them out. And here is where the pieces of the puzzle come into place.If you’ve read the synopsis of Throne of Glass, it takes place after Celaena served a year in the salt mines of Endovier which is actually the ending of this novella. Before I read the Assassin and the Empire, I always wondered, how exactly did Celaena end up there? I mean she was such a tough chick in the first three novellas so it was hard for me to imagine her getting caught up in that kind of situation. Now knowing how it all happened, I couldn’t help but have mixed feelings towards her. If she hadn’t been such the stubborn, spoiled girl that she was, this wouldn’t have happened. Sadly, even though Arobynn had mistreated Celaena, she still held on some faith and loyalty to the man; a noble devotion to a fault. And knowing what happened to Sam... *sniff* okay, just let me get a hold of myself for a minute here... *sob*... Oh, dear Sam. That was probably the most emotional part of this book; I haven’t cried that much over a fictional character since the Iron Queen (by Julie Kagawa).Still, I admire Celaena for her strength and willpower. This event seemed to be a wakeup call for her to realize how her impulsiveness and stuck-up persona got her in a lot of mess and when the time comes for her to rise again; she’ll be more vigilant and wiser when it comes to taking matters in her own hands.I can’t wait to see how Celaena would bounce back and find out who betrayed her. From all this, you have to think, you shouldn’t mess with a girl like Celaena Sardothien. I’m really looking forward to Throne of Glass!