If you’ve spent more than five minutes in the Sarah J. Maas fandom, you know the drill. Someone asks when to read The Assassin's Blade the Throne of Glass novellas, and suddenly the comment section looks like a digital battlefield. Some fans scream "publication order!" while others swear that reading it fourth—right after Heir of Fire—is the only way to feel the emotional impact. It's a mess. Honestly, the confusion is understandable because these five stories aren't just "extra" content; they are the literal foundation of everything Celaena Sardothien becomes.
Most people treat novellas as optional. Don't do that here.
What Actually Happens in The Assassin's Blade
This collection isn't a single narrative but five distinct stories: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Healer, The Assassin and the Desert, The Assassin and the Underworld, and The Assassin and the Empire. They follow sixteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien during the year leading up to her imprisonment in the salt mines of Endovier.
You meet Sam Cortland. That’s the big one.
Before Rowan or Chaol or Dorian, there was Sam. He’s Celaena’s rival-turned-lover, and his presence looms over the entire main series like a ghost. If you haven't read these stories, certain lines in the later books—especially the ones about "not being afraid"—just don't hit the same way. You're basically watching a high-stakes tragedy in slow motion. You know where she ends up (in a slave camp), so every moment of happiness she finds with Sam or the Silent Assassins feels incredibly fragile.
The Red Desert and the Silent Assassins
One of the most underrated parts of The Assassin's Blade the Throne of Glass novellas is the journey to the Red Desert. This is where we meet the Silent Assassins and the Mute Master. It’s also where we meet Ansel of Briarcliff. For years, fans thought Ansel was just a cool side character in a short story. Then Empire of Storms happened, and suddenly, those few chapters in the desert became the most important setup in the entire franchise.
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It’s about world-building that actually matters. Maas doesn't just throw in locations for flavor; she's planting seeds. The healer Yrene Towers, who appears in a tiny tavern in one novella, ends up being the protagonist of an entire 800-page novel later on (Tower of Dawn). If you skip the novellas, Yrene’s "reappearance" feels like a coincidence rather than a masterfully woven thread.
The Great Reading Order War
Let's get into the weeds. There are three main ways people tackle this.
The Romantic Way (Fourth)
This is the "Emotional Damage" route. You read Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire. Then, you jump back in time to the novellas. Why? Because by the end of Heir of Fire, you are deeply invested in Celaena’s true identity. Reading about her past right before she enters the next phase of her journey makes the revelations in Queen of Shadows feel explosive.
The Chronological Way (First)
This is for the purists. You start at the beginning of the timeline. You see Celaena at her most arrogant, her most vulnerable, and her most broken before you ever see her step foot in the glass castle. The benefit? You understand her motivations from page one of the first book. The downside? Throne of Glass can feel a bit slow after the high-octane ending of The Assassin and the Empire.
The Publication Way
Some people just read them as they came out, which was scattered throughout the early years of the series. I wouldn't recommend this. It’s jarring. It breaks the flow. Basically, pick a side and stick to it, but don't just wing it.
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Why Sam Cortland Still Matters in 2026
It has been over a decade since these stories were first released, yet the fandom's obsession with Sam Cortland hasn't faded. Why? Because he represents the life Celaena could have had. He wasn't a prince or a powerful Fae warrior; he was just a boy who loved her enough to want to quit the life of an assassin.
His death isn't just a plot point. It’s the catalyst for her entire character arc. When you read The Assassin's Blade the Throne of Glass novellas, you see the exact moment her heart hardens. You see the betrayal by Arobynn Hamel—a villain who is arguably more loathsome than the King of Adarlan because his cruelty was personal. Arobynn groomed her, loved her in a twisted way, and then destroyed the one thing that made her happy. It's dark. It’s messy. It’s exactly why people are still talking about it.
The Connection to the Wider Maasverse
With the way Sarah J. Maas is currently connecting her series—A Court of Thorns and Roses, Crescent City, and Throne of Glass—nothing is "filler" anymore. There are theories floating around that the techniques used by the Silent Assassins or the specific types of magic glimpsed in the novellas might have ties to other worlds.
Take the "Warding" magic or the physical combat styles. In Crescent City, we see characters with similar skill sets. Is it a reach? Maybe. But SJM is known for the "long game." If you’re a lore hunter, the details in these novellas are gold mines. You’re looking for mentions of specific gods, rare metals, or ancient lineages that might seem insignificant but actually hold the key to the multi-verse.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that these are just "bonus scenes."
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They aren't.
If you go into Queen of Shadows without knowing who Rolfe is, or why the city of Skull's Bay matters, you're going to be confused. You'll understand the plot, sure, but you won't understand the weight. When a character from the novellas shows up in the later books, the narrative expects you to gasp. If you haven't read The Assassin's Blade the Throne of Glass novellas, you're just staring at a page wondering who this random pirate is.
How to Approach the Collection
If you're a first-time reader, I genuinely suggest reading it third or fourth.
Wait until you actually care about Celaena. If you start with the novellas, she can come across as a bit bratty and insufferable. She’s sixteen, after all, and she thinks she’s invincible. But if you already know the woman she becomes, her teenage arrogance feels tragic rather than annoying. You know the world is about to crush her, and that makes her swagger feel like a shield.
Also, pay attention to the letters. Maas loves a good epistolary hint. The correspondence between Arobynn and the other masters of the world tells you everything you need to know about the political climate of Erilea before the "magic disappeared."
Actionable Steps for Your Read-Through
- Check the Map: The novellas take you to places the main books barely touch, like the Dead Islands and the Red Desert. Keep a map of Erilea handy to visualize the sheer distance she travels.
- Track the Names: Write down the names of every minor character Celaena helps. Trust me. They come back. All of them.
- Don't Rush The Assassin and the Empire: It’s the last story in the collection and it’s a doozy. Give yourself a day to process it before jumping into Throne of Glass or Queen of Shadows. The emotional hangover is real.
- Compare the Healers: Read the interaction between Celaena and Yrene very carefully. Then, when you eventually get to Tower of Dawn, look at how their roles have swapped. It’s one of the most satisfying "full circle" moments in fantasy literature.
Ultimately, The Assassin's Blade the Throne of Glass novellas serve as the soul of the series. They transform a standard YA fantasy into a sprawling epic about grief, survival, and the long road to redemption. Whether you read it first or fourth, just make sure you read it.
Next Steps for Your Collection:
To truly appreciate the evolution of the series, look for the anniversary editions of the novellas which often include updated maps or author notes regarding the timeline. If you have already finished the series, re-reading The Assassin's Blade provides a staggering amount of foreshadowing that is impossible to catch on a first pass.