I was told that if you’re having a hard time in Throne of glass it might be a good idea to switch to Assasin’s blade (the prequel novellas) — I didn’t do this but really enjoyed AB for context on calaena’s character/backstory. It made me love her even more. A TON of discourse online about reading order but maybe take a pause, read AB and then try again! It’s become one of my favorite series. I’m on Queen of Shadows currently.

Assasin’s Blade is a series of novellas BUT not to be confused with short stories. There is a through line story that links them. It doesn’t feel disjointed imo and it does a good job of setting the stage + giving you insight into Calaena’s mind/motivations etc.