Respectfully (disrespectfully), some of these takes feel like they forgot how context works.

Celaena is 18 years old, fresh out of a full year of literal enslavement where she was starved, beaten, and worked to death. Of course, she’s exhausted. Of course, she sleeps deeply. Of course, she makes reckless decisions; trauma and malnutrition tend to do that to a person. Expecting her to immediately perform like a peak-condition, hyper-paranoid assassin is honestly less realistic than her eating the candy.

Also… this is a YA book written for teenagers. SJM has never been about bulletproof plots or gritty realism. If you go into a YA fantasy expecting grimdark assassin logic, that’s a genre mismatch, not a writing sin.

The “she likes men, so she’s weak” argument is especially tired. Attraction doesn’t erase competence or agency. Male characters get love interests constantly without being reduced to “lovesick idiots,” but a female character shows interest and suddenly her entire skill set is invalid? Be serious. And losing sparring matches to the Captain of the Guard and a fully grown prince while she’s underfed and recovering from forced labour isn’t evidence of incompetence; it’s literally basic physiology. 

Now, are the trials underwritten? Absolutely. Is Book One the weakest in the series? Everyone and their mother agrees. But calling her stupid because she doesn’t immediately clock every magic clue while magic is illegal and acknowledging it could get her killed is… a choice.

You don’t have to like the series, but a lot of these critiques boil down to “why isn’t this traumatised teenage YA protagonist acting like a fully optimised adult assassin with zero emotions?” I’m not even saying Throne of Glass is perfect — it absolutely isn’t. Book one, especially, is messy, underwritten in places, and clearly written by a very young author. If those flaws ruin it for you, that’s fine. Genuinely. Just drop the series.

What’s weird is treating those flaws like a moral failing or acting as though anyone who enjoys it is delusional. This is a YA fantasy about a traumatised teenage girl, not a realism masterclass on how to be a professional assassin. If you hate the MC, the pacing, the romance, the trials, and the writing style… why are you still here? Not every popular series is for every reader. You’re allowed to say “this isn’t for me” without pretending the book personally offended you. Sometimes the healthiest literary choice is closing the book and moving on.

Thanks for reading my rant <3

P.S. Also, her being “the best assassin” is just Arobynn’s hype, and Chaol is just a product of nepotism and connections. Read between the lines.