THE ASSASSIN'S BLADE BY SARAH J MAAS 

I tried guarding myself against Sam and Celaena's relationship. It didn't work.

Even though I knew about Sam, his death still killed me.

Maas confirmed, 100 times, that Sam is officially dead. Lettuce cry together :'(

I loved how in The Assassin and the Underworld, Chaol and Dorian show up at the party. I think I died.

Did anyone else think it was Dorian who approached Celeana at the party and Chaol the guy who had a sword and didn't want to be there? I was like o0o!!!!!

Even though I knew Sam died, I still shipped them SO FRICKIN HARD😂. I still died when I got to that part though...

Am I the only one who loves the Mute master's character?

Reasons I'm subscribing: 1) You're a guy who loves books 2) You pronounced Celaena's name correctly :D (FINALLY SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T MAKE ME CRINGE BY MISPRONOUNCING CHARACTER NAMES) 3) You're a guy who loves books 4) You love the ToG Series 5) You're a guy who loves books 6) You love the Red Queen 7) YOU'RE A GUY WHO LOVES BOOKS.

I really, really hope Ansel returns. She was such an interesting character!

Sarah confirmed that Sam is in fact dead. She has no plans on bringing him back. Loved the review! Also the character that appears in QoS is Lysandra.

Nothing would make me happier in this series than Sam being a character in the last book somehow.

I get why Celaena didn't kill Ansel because to Celaena that was the only real friend she's had(even though Ansel was faking it) and by letting her go she's got a chance at redemption. And I loved the Master and him offering Celaena a home if she wants it was just fantastic, Arobynn needs to learn a lesson from the Master.

I tried to protect myself for Sam, but it just didn't work.

The Assassin's Blade is one of my absolute favorites!!! It's so incredible and amazing beyond words. Even though Sam's character was developed in only one book I feel like I love him even more than Dorian or Chaol. Team Sam!!!!

Hey Jesse! You make a point around 5:00 about Celaena not really kicking as much ass in Throne of Glass as in the Assassin's Blade, but I think that is what I love. I read Throne of Glass before the Assassin's Blade and I found that in Throne of Glass we got a really honest representation of how trauma changes who you are, particularly in the multiple references she make's to being Celaena Sardothian and these things shouldn't bother her. In the Assassin's Blade we got to see the kick ass mask that she had plastered on to not be hurt by her childhood, but then when her world falls apart we see that she is no longer able to run from it all. I really enjoyed it, as a lot of the time YA authors in particular will act as if trauma has not changed a character, when it truly does. That is one of the reasons I love Sara J. Maas so much. Sorry for the long comment!

I sobbed when Sam died even tho I knew it was going to happen 😢

I knew Sam was going to die but I was literally so heartbroken!!!!! Also it killed me at the end when she thought of Sam and said “ my name is Celaena Sardothian and I will not be afraid.” And part of me it hoping Sam will come back but I also love Chaoleana so..... idk

INCLUDES SPOILERS!!!!.... I think Yrene will come back in the next book... Because Yrene went to Torre Cesme to become a healer, and that was a few years ago (in the book), so now Yrene must be a professional healer, and now Chaol needs a healer to fix his paralysed legs, so I think that Yrene will be the one who heals him (:

If Aelin saw Sam again by using the wyrd keys he would still technically be "dead" *winkwinknudgenudge*

one year later, did you know that Dorian and Chaol appeared in this book !!!

UGH SAM, I actually like him more than Dorian (BUT NOT MORE THAN CHAOL NOPE NOPE). I'm reading Crown of Midnight right now and I'm SO glad I read Assassin's Blade first because I feel like I understand Celaena so much more now. Loved the video!

Even when i knew that Sam died but still i couldn't help myself falling in love with him 😭 i mean really why was he the one who should had to die, reading the assasins blade ended at making me crying hard

12:27 all the Sam and Celaena shippers in denial be like

The Assassin and The Empire is my favorite story, even though it destroyed me. 😪

I loved the part in The Assassin and The Desert at the end where the master was all like “When you give your master his letter, also give him this. And tell him that in the Red Desert, we do not abuse our disciples” What 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 savage 👏🏼 Edit: I’ve been pronouncing Yrene’s name wrong. I-Rene not Yer-nae. Lol

My favorite novella was definitely The Assassin and the Desert 🌵🐪☀️

I loved this book! So far it is my favorite book that Sarah has written, it was super fast paced, beautifully written and made me cry multiple times :(

I wish that Maas will surprise all of us and bring Sam to life in the next books! Fingers crossed

its so sad knowing that we don't know much about Ben and that breaks my heart so much and the fact that Sam died I thought that he would be with her in all the books and the fact that I read assassins blade before throne of glass makes me more sad knowing who Sam is and how much he meant to Celaena

I think you should read The Throne of Glass first and following that the Assassin's Blade. This way you don't get too attached to Sam before you are introduced to Chaol and Dorian.

You thought Arobyn was a good guy at first? Hmm. Interesting. You are also Team Chaol. Maybs you are just not the best judge of character? XD And I had the same theory about Sam! Like, how do we know FOR SURE that body was his? Was it actually recognizable? It seemed pretty vague in the book... and yeah yeah, I know Sarah has "confirmed" that Sam is definitely dead, but I wouldn't put it past her to be totally trolling us. If he shows up in QoS... oh man... though I actually think Ansel is going to be the one to return. You just know she's gonna come back at some point! I'm loving your discussion vids lately! Are you gonna do one for ACOTAR? I NEED TO HEAR YOUR STANCE ON THINGS :D

Can i just say how much i hated Lysandra? She literally made me cringe

I just finished, I can't stop crying and..

Your excitement is contagious!

I just finished this last night and I'm so so so happy you have a book talk up just in time

Yay! I'm glad you're doing a review on the novellas bc nobody else seems to be

I just started Throne of Glass last night because of your videos about and with Sarah J. Maas. Thank you sm for shining light on it Jesse!!

For me Sam is number 1, then Rowan, then Dorian.... then Chaol. Sorry Chaol. PROUD TEAM DORIAN OVER HERE.

Just wanted to tell you how much I love your reviews. I've read books you've read and then as soon as that book is finished i find you on RU-vid immediately. I agree with your reviews and it's nice knowing someone else feels the same way. :) thank you!

Ah I have been waiting for another book talk from you! (You have the best book-talks ever)

So glad you made a review on this book!! Been looking for a good one for a long time!! So obsessed with this series!!

Love this video! Awesome job Jesse!

Jesse,you crack me up!! (i'm watching this in a public place and i'm having a hard time containing my laughter) Also, I really love your review and thoughts

Years later, there’s only one book left, and yet I still want a big Sam return. I mean, HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE????!?!?

It wasnt that Sam died that made me cry and think about it all day, it was the way it happened that messed me up 😭 i just kept thinking about everything that happened to him and finding someone u love in the state that he was in😭

I absolutely loved this novella bind up, I wasn't a big fan of Throne of Glass, it was extremely underwhelming to me and Crown of Midnight I thought was okay but I had a hard time relating to Celaena. But this bind up made me fall in love with Celaena because she was awesome, she was so complex and heartfelt and she had more depth than I saw in the canon Throne of Glass books. This bind up is what convinced me to continue on with the series. I love Arobynn, I mean I love to hate him but he was an awesome villain, I wish he was the main villain in Throne of Glass because he's more threatening to me than the King. Plus I'm oping that they'll like resurrect Sam because I love him and Celaena together. He needs to be alive again.

I cried sooo much for Sam...😢😭💔

I didnt guard myself, I got so attached to Sam😩😩😭😭😭😭😭

Omg. Same with Sam everytime I was like, this is cute BUT I JUST CANNOT GO THERE! lolz

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH YOU ARE MY FAVORITE BOOKTUBER EVERRRRR

I don't know why I am torturing myself watching this video. The feelings burn ;-;

YES JESSE YES. You're looking especially rad today

JESSEEE I LOVE U SOOO MUCH BRUH!!! ♡♡

55 seconds into the video, and this is soooo helpful! Thanks!

When Sam died I couldn't stopped crying, even I knew he will gonna die. But I loved him so dame much! I thought he was the saddest dead in the hole series. And I loved him the most with Celaena. I was also angry with her, that she hasn't kill Arobynn when she became King's Champion

My favorite book novella was the assassin and the desert.

I loved this collection of novellas. My favorite was The Assassin and the Desert. I didn't know one of the characters from this book was coming back in QOS so that's cool! Great discussion!

I'm just going to ignore Sarah n hope that she was lying about Sam I still like him more than Rowan

I finished this last night it tore me apart it's the first novella bind up I've ever finished/ liked at all usually I buy then and either never read them or read like 5 pages and put it down ugh love Sarah j Maas

OMG,that's one of the best books ever

I just started reading Throne of Glass! And I'm so tempted to watch this! I think I'm just going to review them when they are complete.

I'm so glad you liked it!

The first 3 novellas are my favourite. Especially, when Celaena was remembering Terrasen in a desert. It almost made me cry. P. S. Somebody help! Now I'm shipping Samlaena and I can't help it!

I loooooved this book!!!! I have not read the Throne of Glass series yet though.

I think the character that's going to appear in QoS is Ansel. We got several drops in HoF about this queen with wine coloured hair on the throne in the west, in the land of the witches so I reckon she's gonna show up. I loved the part where Celaena and Sam are at the party and we get the brief appearance of Dorian and Chaol. Oh Dori, so smooth. And also the part where Celaena's leaving the Assassins den and throws the knife right next to Lysandra's head. Good times.

i read TAB before reading TOG so can you just imagine the depression i went through when Sam died, i was rooting for him......

I also thought that Sam wouldn't really be dead and he'd come back, but like others have said, SJM once tweeted that he was in fact dead when someone asked her about it. Nope, not believing it until we've seen the body for longer than like 1 second! He could have just been passed out! I'm holding out hope just because it would be twistedly awesome if she's fooling us all about him really being dead. I've heard that Ansel is coming back at some point and I'm looking forward to that little reunion.

I had the exact same thoughts! I just didn't want to believe Sam was dead! Let's be forever in denial together!

I'm a bit late to the party, but I had just finished this book this morning and I am extremely upset. Like, I just can't believe Aorobynn and what happened to Sam ....beautifully written. Besides the emotional wreck I have become since completing this novella bind-up, it was absolutely WONDERFUL. Seriously though, I like plowed through the last 200 pages of the book, and after reading what happened to Sam I don't even want to speak to anyone. Just heartbreaking

i read this after reading empire of storms. the last 80 pages of this book took me 3 days to finish. i dreaded reading it. i just couldn't deal with it. now i'm contemplating rereading the whole series again. but i have such a long TBR as it is right now

Loved this book

very insightful, thank you! I was wondering if I should read this before throne of glass. I might just pick it up and read it before continuing with the series!

I wrote a throne of glass fanfic in Wattpad called "Throne of glass fanfic: Sam's alive" 😊

DENIAL. DENIAL. DENIAL. SAM MUST LIVE ON😂

for a moment I thought Yrene was Sorscha

I think the series is pretty complex as it is, and bringing Sam back into it would make a whole dramatic scenario that I'm not sure would really ... fit, alongside everything else. I'd like to bet that it's Ansel who is making a return in the series, though, but that's just what I think :') also, I think The Pirate Lord was my favourite in terms of one-shot villains, he was creepy but very well written, and I'd like to hear of him again if not see him make some kind of return!

At first I read Throne of Glass I also thought maybe Sam isn't really dead. But when I read how she hug his body and still smell the last of his odor, it was clear it has to be him

I was Team Ilias for awhile! Might still be but also love Dorian :) Plus SPOILER~~~~ Mute Master will make a great dad 😍😍

Great review!

Every single time I watch one of our videos about ToG I can't help but fangirl about it because we have a lot of similar thought on this series ( I started to watch your videos because I was pissed of with Christine being Team Dorian and I saw that you were Team Chaol hahahah). I finished this book today and oh gosh I cried a lot because of Sam's death :'( I can't wait to read Queen of Shadows and watch your video about it :D

this book was everything to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I loved it so much

It would be so nice for Sam to just show up like why not

Ok so I found these books last August. I read the assassin's blade first and I'm so glad I did.

i wonder if the healer could come into play in the next books? like maybe they travel somewhere in need of some knowledge of healery things and celaena is like hold up let me hit up an old friend i got dis

I loved how Dorian and Chaol are at the party and Dorian wants to dance with Celaena. And I hated fucking Arobynn and when Celaena and Sam were kissing like they had all the time in the world and where in no rush it just broke my heart into a million tiny pieces 😭😭😭😭😭

I'm currently reading Assassins Blade and I'm really glad I read Throne of Glass first however. I'm not loving it as much right now but we shall see what happens:

my fave was the assassin and the empire

honestly I think reading this book after the Crown of Midnight is the best way to go

I loved this book. It might actually be my favorite so far (I've read up to Crown of Midnight in the normal series so far, though I kind of regret not reading this one before that). I think the Assassin and the Underworld was actually my favorite novella, though The Assassin and the Desert would be a close second. I totally got all wrapped up in the whole Sam/Celaena thing and just let this book destroy me. Ugh. I do think he's dead, though. She said he smelled like himself and like the soap at her house, and so far, Maas doesn't strike me as a fan of cheap tricks and death as a revolving door.

I absolutely LOVED the novellas! I think my favorite is the Assassin and the Desert. And if Sam is alive (because that knockout gas could have just made him paralyzed and asleep), that would really suck for him since his eyes were taken out of his skull :(

Great booktalk! I still enjoyed this bind up but it wasn't my fave. Loved seeing Celaena in action and all the connections that we've known and learned about! The "I am Celaena Sardothien, and I will not be afraid."....😭😭 I liked Sam and Celaena's relationship but I still ship Chaolaena more.. Can't wait for QoS!!

I just finished this book. It is now in time out.

years later: jesse still hasn't bought the new cover for throne of glass

OMG SOMEONE THINKS LIKE ME! I totally think Sam will be back later, I'm actually hoping for it. In QoS though, I think Ansel will be showing up, Sarah's pinterest board is featuring a lot of Ansel lately...

I was thinking the same about Sam. He was too sweet. Wishing your theory to be true.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT WAS SAD!!!! I READ THIS SIRES AFTER IT STARTED SO I READ THIS FIRST AND I GOT ATTACHED TO SAM RIGHT OF THE BAT AND THERE WAS OS MANY TWISTS AND TURNS AND I READ THIS AT SCHOOL AND I WAS LIKE TO MY FRIENDS "Haha look at this aww look at my this ooooo blah blah blah." AND THEN "LAYLA WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!?" Me " SAM DIED!!!! HIS EYES WHERE GOUGED OUT" 😭😭😭😭

Our friendly neighborhood Celeana... I love it (:

SO im watching tis in 2018 and i watched his qos and eos reviews and i love that he talks about yrene ans how bad it is that choal isnt in eos and it had me laughing bc he doesnt know that his fave caracter and this character he loves has a whole book.i idk i jsut find it hilarious and ironic

Dorian and Chaol were two of the asked youths at that one party, right? Really the only proof is that Maas has never described anyone else's eyes as bronze or sapphire blue. Those are the trademark words that mean Chaol and Dorian - like 'pine and snow' means Rowan or Terrasen and 'pine-green' means Rowan, and 'jasmine and lemon verbena' means Celaena. Anyway, I love that.

I knew in the very beginning of The Assassin and the Underworld that it was a trick. It felt obvious to me