The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of short stories that chronicle the early life of Celaena Sardothien, Adarlan’s Greatest Assassin before she became the King’s Champion in the first true novel in the Throne of Glass Series. I read The Assassin’s Blade after I read the first three books in the series and I think it was the perfect point to insert this prequel into the storyline because after the third book, Heir of Fire, Celaena is about to return to Adarlan to confront her former master the King of Assassins, Arobynn. Before reading The Assassin’s Blade the circumstances that led to Celaena’s enslavement in the Salt Mines of Endovier were not described in depth. I also did not understand her relationship with Arobynn, her benefactor, or Sam, her former rival turned first love.

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The Assassin’s Blade tells five stories that progress naturally from one to the next and starts with the story of The Assassin and the Pirate Lord. In this story, we find Celaena and Sam in Skull’s Bay on Arobynn’s behalf to secure a contract with the Lord of Pirates, Captain Rolfe. When Celaena finds out what the contract entails she is disgusted and teams up with Sam to sabotage the entire operation. While working with Sam, Celaena realizes that they have a lot more in common and is surprised when her rivalry with Sam turns into genuine respect and the beginning of something more.

The second story is called The Assassin and the Healer and continues the story of Celaena after she has returned from Skull’s Bay to accept her punishment for her role in ruining Arobynn’s plans and costing him huge amounts of money. After Celaena takes Arobynn’s violent punishment he sends her off to train with the Silent Assassins in the far-off Red Desert. Before she gets to the realm of the Silent Assassin she waits for a ship in Innish, a poor fishing village that she can’t wait to get away from. As she waits for her ship to set sail Celaena meets a down-and-out tavern girl named Yrene and they become unlikely friends. Celaena teaches her to stand up for herself and helps the girl escape the debt she has incurred and hopes that Yrene seeks her dream of becoming a great healer. This story is short but Yrene’s life acts as a kind of mirror of Celaena’s as it reflects her relationship with Arobynn. A relationship marked by debt and subservience.

In The Assassin and the Desert Celaena makes it to the Red Desert to train with the Mute Master and the Silent Assassins. This trip is meant to humble Celaena as her training would be difficult and as she was only given one month the impress the Mute Master she worries she will never be able to return to her home in Adarlan if she does not succeed. In the fortress of the Silent Assassins Celaena befriends another young female assassin named Ansel. They confide in each other and after a few adventures, they become bonded as kindred spirits. Unfortunately for Celaena, she isn’t allowed nice things and when her loyalties are tested she has to decide between her new friend and her life as Adarlan’s Greatest Assassin.

The fourth story is called The Assassin and the Underworld and continues Celaena’s story as she returns from her training in the Red Desert. Back to Arobynn and Sam. Sam, who she hadn’t seen since she was punished violently by Arobynn and he was made to watch. Celaena finds out that Sam was also punished and that he has spent a great deal of time with a pretty upstart of a courtesan. This annoys Celaena even though she won’t admit why until she and Sam finally confess their feelings for each other. Celaena’s relationship with Arobynn is also strained but for very different reasons. Mostly because she doesn’t trust him but he buys her fancy gifts in an attempt to apologize. He also gives her a juicy contract to kill a man who is working to create a new slave trade if he can get the King of Adarlan’s approval. Celaena completes her contract to kill the would-be slave trader but finds that the whole thing was yet another punishment from Arobynn and the details were not as she was told. She had already resolved to break ties with Arobynn after her time in the Red Desert but with yet another betrayal she can’t wait any longer. She pays off her debt to Arobynn along with Sam’s debt and they leave the Assassin’s Keep forever. Or do they?

In The Assassin and the Empire, the fifth short story, Celaena and Sam make plans to leave Rifthold and make a life away from Arobynn and the Assassin’s Guild but first, they have to pay their way out of the guild to make a clean break from all that has chained them to their previous lives. They live together in Celaena’s hidden apartment and eventually get a contract to kill the most notorious crime boss in Rifthold, Ioan Jayne, and his second-in-command Rourke Farran. This is the riskiest contract any assassin might take on and even after Arobynn specifically tries to dissuade her from taking it Celaena and Sam go forward with the task. Unfortunately, Celaena can’t have nice things. Sam falls victim to yet another nasty trap and in an attempt to avenge him, Celaena finds her way into a trap where she is knocked unconscious only to find herself face to face with Farran. When she is taken before the king for sentencing her heart is broken and she only wishes for death. But, as we know, this is not the end of Celaena Sordothien’s story. It has just begun.

This set of stories was another great entry in the Throne of Glass series and it is written wonderfully. It gives much-appreciated context to the life that led to the events that start with the Throne of Glass book and creates an immense amount of anticipation to read The Queen of Shadows, where Celaena will, hopefully, face those who took so much from her. I can’t wait to keep reading about the incredibly heroic life of Celaena Sardothein. I recommend this book and reading it after reading through the first three full novels starting with Throne of Glass book. It isn’t necessary to read it in that order but it worked well for me. In any case, these books are superbly written and very enjoyable.