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Throne of Glass 0.5
Sarah J. Maas
Summary from Fandom: Throne of Glass Wiki
THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD
Following the deaths of two fellow assassins in Rifthold, Celaena Sardothien and Sam Cortland are sent by Arobynn Hamel to Skull's Bay in order to exact retribution from the Lord of Pirates, Captain Rolfe, for three assassins killed by his fellow pirates. Upon arrival, Celaena and Sam soon discover that Arobynn is using the assassins' deaths to broker a slave trade agreement with Captain Rolfe. Celaena doesn’t like the idea of being a part of slave trading. She decides to meet with Rolfe to see what she can do to disrupt the trade. She insists on inspecting the slaves when they arrive. Rolfe says they will stay on the boat for the inspection. When shown the slaves, Sam squeezes Celaena’s hand to let her know she knows what she is going to do. She realizes just upsetting the deal wasn’t enough to free the slaves. Both Disgusted by the inhumane conditions that the slaves are in and the immorality of it all, they plot in secret to free all the slaves in Skull's Bay before they are shipped off to sale.
The night before the slaves' departure, Celaena and Sam sneak aboard the two slave ships, the Loveless and the Golden Wolf, disabling the guards aboard. Speaking through a multi-lingual slave, Celaena informs them of her plan and their impending freedom should they follow her instructions. Instigating a bar fight that evolves to include the entire city, Sam and Celaena attempt to sneak away to destroy the Ship-Breaker, a large chain that prevents entrance to and exit from the bay, but is confronted by Rolfe. Distracting him by showing her usually-masked face, Celaena allows Sam to escape while she duels with Rolfe, narrowly defeating him. She watches in horror as Sam destroys the Ship-Breaker, the watchtower, and seemingly himself in the process. The slaves, who had been rowing the ships since dawn broke, manage to escape as the other ships were disabled the night before.
Miraculously, Sam survives the destruction of the watchtower, much to Celaena's relief, and the two begin a more amiable, if slightly awkward, friendship. With a contractual agreement that Rolfe will never again enter the slave trade and will harbor escaped slaves, they return home to Rifthold.
THE ASSASSIN AND THE HEALER
After being viciously beaten by Arobynn Hamel for her escapades in Skull's Bay, Celaena Sardothien is being sent to the Red Desert to train with The Silent Assassins as further punishment. Awaiting a ship to Yerpa, Celaena stays at the White Pig Inn, a vile establishment in the small port town of Innish in Melisande where she meets barmaid, Yrene Towers.
Itching for a fight, Celaena slips out in the night to find four mercenaries attacking Yrene in the hopes of robbing her of the night's earnings. After killing three of the four men, Celaena teaches her basic self-defense to protect herself in the future. However, they are soon confronted by the fourth mercenary, who returned with comrades in tail. When one of the men threatens Yrene's life if Celaena does not lower her weapons, Yrene uses her newly taught skills to incapacitate her captor while Celaena dispatches the others. It is revealed that Celaena was merely using the men and their attack as training for Yrene.
With Celaena leaving in the morning for the Red Desert, she feels a tug of fate towards Yrene, prompting her to leave a pouch of money and jewelry for the young woman so that she can afford to travel to the Southern Continent to train as a healer. The two women go their separate ways.
THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT
After the debacle in Skull's Bay, Celaena Sardothien is sent to train with The Silent Assassins as punishment by the King of Assassins, Arobynn Hamel. With only a month to gain the approval of The Mute Master, she trains vigorously with the other acolytes including her new friend, Ansel of Briarcliff, but still has yet to train with the Mute Master himself.
Growing frustrated with the Mute Master's inattention, Celaena decides to accompany Ansel to Xandria in order to negotiate a treaty with its ruler, Lord Berick. Seemingly unhappy with the negotiation, Ansel steals one of his prized Asterion Horses, forcing Celaena to steal the other horse in their escape. Confronted by the Mute Master for their theft, [lCelaena takes the blame so as not to jeopardize Ansel's place at the Keep. With the truth evident in her eyes, the Mute Master decides to finally train Celaena himself, which creates tension between her and Ansel.
When Ansel drugs Celaena and leaves her in the desert, she quickly realizes that something is amiss and races back to the assassin's fortress, only to find herself amid a battle, many of her fellow assassins injured or dead. Hoping to save the Mute Master, she arrives at his chambers just in time to see Ansel preparing to execute him. In their ensuing battle, Celaena uses her newly acquired techniques learned from the Master and disarms Ansel. Deciding to spare her, Ansel flees the Keep of the Silent Assassins to reclaim Briarcliff while Celaena returns to Rifthold, gifted with the Mute Master's seal of approval and trove of gold as payment for his life debt.
THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD
Celaena Sardothien intends to pay off Arobynn Hamel. She has already purchased an apartment. When she arrives at the Assassin's Keep, Arobynn is very apologetic. He showers her with gifts, including impressive and expensive new armor. He asks her to take on their new high profile client, a wealthy woman who wants her ex-husband assassinated. Celaena agrees and lets Sam Cortland help when he asks to.
At a party, a group of men show up wearing masquerade outfits. These men are clearly Dorian Havilliard and Chaol Westfall. Dorian and Celaena lock eyes from across the room and flirt for a while before Sam comes over.
Celaena pays off her debt to Arobynn the next morning. She says she still wants to work with him, though. During some surveillance, she is discovered and taken to the city sewers to die when they’re flooded. Sam rescues her at the last moment. She kills the ex-husband and discovers he was the good guy. But the deed is already done, and afterward, Celaena decides to tell Arobynn about moving out. She sells her Asterion Horse[1] to buy Sam’s freedom. Sam tells her he’s been in love with her for a long time, and she realizes she has similar feelings for him.
THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE
Celaena Sardothien sneaks into the Royal Theater to watch the symphony. She watches from the rafters and sees Arobynn Hamel has brought Lysandra with him this year. She leaves early but discovers Sam Cortland’s not home. Celaena’s mad because she assumes he’s fighting at the Vaults to win money. They argue. He says they need money; Celaena doesn’t want him to earn it that way. Sam wants to move away.
They go to Arobynn’s house to tell him they’re leaving. She offers to pay their way out of the Assassin's Guild, and Arobynn counteroffers asking for an insane amount of money. She agrees. They need a big contract to have enough money to leave. Sam finds one...a nearly impossible kill, local Crime Lord Ioan Jayne and his ruthless right-hand man Rourke Farran. Celaena reluctantly agrees to help. They decide to take Farran out first, and Sam wants to make this kill. They argue, but eventually, Celaena gives in.
One night, Celaena finds Arobynn in her living room. He tells her he knows who they’re trying to take out. He says it’s a dumb move. He tells her he loves her and asks her to stay in Rifthold with him. She refuses.
As they plot this kill, Sam books passage to the southern continent for them. He decided to do this after seeing Arobynn, who told him to ask Celaena about her life before Rifthold.
Celaena is restless and watching the clock while waiting for Sam to get home from the Farran kill. She heads out to look for him but doesn’t find him. She barely sleeps. She searches again the next morning and then finds Arobynn in her apartment. He tells her Sam is dead.
She is numb with grief and wants to see Sam’s body. Arobynn refuses, but she leaves to do just that. Arobynn leads her to Sam when they arrive at the Assassin's Keep. She doesn’t believe it until she sees him, and then it’s overwhelming, and she won’t leave.
Celaena wakes up in her old bed. She hears Arobynn discussing retaliation in the hall outside her room. She wants to go but finds that Arobynn has locked her in this room. She escapes through the window.
Celaena breaks into Jayne’s house. She easily takes down Jayne and his guards. As she makes her way to Farran, a strange smoke enters the room. It paralyzes her, and she passes out. She knows someone at the Keep betrayed her. Farran will turn Celaena over to the King of Adarlan in exchange for his approval as the new Crime Lord.
Celaena is brought before the king and other officials for a private trial. She won’t utter one word until he’s ready to announce the sentence. She asks him to make it quick, and he decides to give her nine life sentences at the salt mines of Endovier instead of death.
Arobynn and his secret ally Farran are watching as Celaena’s wagon rolls away. They conspired together to kill Sam and Jayne. Farran asks why Arobynn did this to Celaena, and he says because he doesn’t like to share his belongings.
Celaena is worried because she knows Endovier is a death camp. On the journey there, Celaena spots a rare White Stag, a symbol from her long lost kingdom of Terrasen. This restores a little hope. She’s ready to face and conquer Endovier.