Alright...what can I say (apparently a lot). I loved this book and would rank it from a 4.5-5. I feel like fantasy is my new favorite and this book is definitely keeping me interested in the genre. Be warned...there may be spoilers below.

As always, the characters are super important for me and I don't think there were any that didn't add value to the story/book. First, Celaena is probably one of my most favorite female characters. She is tough, smart, sarcastic, and it is hard to remember sometimes that she is just 18 years old.

Second, Chaol and Dorian are lovely. I was worried it was going to be an obvious love triangle (based off the back blurb) and everyone was going to be in love with her but that was definitely not the case. Chaol fights his feelings the entire way

Spoiler

and he really hasn't even admitted his feelings by the end of the book despite being pretty happy that Celaena told Dorian she needed to stop seeing, kissing, etc him.

. Dorian pretty much says he never saw her coming. I still can't decide who I like better though I will say that
Chaol might be in the lead as he told Calaena she looked pretty and the way he tried to get her to get up during the last dual...that is all I will say about that. Dorian on the other hand always backed down but then came back and said he wished he did things differently...if that were the case he should have just done it.

Third, all of the other characters were just as great. From Nehemia to Cain to the King, they are all well developed and add a lot of color and value to the story.

The relationships within the book are also something that drew me in. It was great to see the evolution of Celaena's relationship with Chaol. I also loved seeing her friendship develop with Nehemia.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who appreciates a good story and great characters. There is more than just the characters here...within the competition for the position as the King's Champion is a mystery that includes magic, mystery and a lot of fighting. I really enjoyed the final dual between Calaena and Cain...and with Chaol kneeling by the line...*sigh*. I know I missed a number of the earlier ebooks and will definitely go back to read as I hope they go more into the earlier life of Celaena and leading up to her time in Endovier.

Overall, this was a great story with some wonderful characters that I am looking forward to learning more about and diving into the next adventure. I'm not going to lie...I also want to see what happens with Chaol, Dorian and Celaena...don't judge. I love it when there is romance involved.