You've probably heard the debate. It’s the one that tears the Throne of Glass fandom apart more than a Valg prince in a glass castle. Do you start with the prequel? Or do you wait until you’re three books deep? Honestly, it’s kind of a mess. The Assassin's Blade isn't just a collection of "extra" stories. It is the literal foundation of everything Aelin Galathynius becomes, and yet, people treat it like an optional side quest.
That is a huge mistake.
If you jump into Throne of Glass without reading about the Red Desert or the Pirate Lord, you're meeting a protagonist who is, frankly, a bit of a brat. You don't know why she’s so arrogant. You don't know why she flinches at certain names. Without this book, she’s just a girl in a salt mine with a mysterious past. With it? She’s a shattered legend trying to glue herself back together.
The Reading Order Chaos: When Should You Actually Read It?
There are basically three camps here. You have the "Chronological" purists, the "Publication" traditionalists, and the "Romantic" emotional masochists.
- The Romantic/Emotional Order: Read it after Heir of Fire. This is the one that will actually destroy you. By this point, you know the "new" Aelin. You’ve met Rowan. Then, you go back and meet Sam Cortland. You fall in love with a dead man. It makes the transition into Queen of Shadows feel like a personal vendetta.
- The Publication Order: Read it after Crown of Midnight. This is what Sarah J. Maas herself has suggested on her website. It fills the gap between the "assassin" era and the "fae" era.
- The Chronological Order: Read it first. Period. No spoilers, just the straight story.
Personally? I think reading it first is the only way to truly appreciate the growth. When Celaena tells Chaol in the first book that she "will not be afraid," that line carries the weight of a hundred lashes and a dead lover if you’ve read the prequel. Without it, it’s just a cool-sounding mantra.
What Really Happened in Skull’s Bay
The first novella, The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, sets the tone for everything. It’s 100% the moment Celaena stops being a mindless tool for Arobynn Hamel. She’s sent to deal with Captain Rolfe—a man who basically owns the slave trade in that region.
Arobynn wants a cut. Celaena, being... well, herself... decides she’s not okay with that.
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She and Sam Cortland (the only person who ever truly saw her) decide to sabotage the whole operation. They free the slaves. They humiliate Rolfe. It’s a victory, right? Wrong. In the SJM universe, no good deed goes unpunished. This act of defiance is what starts the downward spiral. It leads to her being sent to the Red Desert, which is where the real training begins.
The Mute Master and the Red Desert
Most people forget that Celaena’s fighting style isn't just "brute force." She was trained by the Silent Assassins. In The Assassin and the Desert, we see her at her lowest—beaten by Arobynn and sent away in disgrace.
Here’s where we meet Ansel of Briarcliff. She’s a mirror to Celaena. A girl with a lost kingdom and a heart full of fire. Their friendship is one of the most underrated dynamics in the whole series. It’s also where we see the first major betrayal that wasn't Arobynn’s doing. It hardens her. It teaches her that even those we love can have agendas that don't include us.
Why Yrene Towers Matters More Than You Think
If you haven't read The Assassin's Blade, the beginning of Tower of Dawn is going to feel very random. In the second novella, The Assassin and the Healer, Celaena meets a barmaid named Yrene.
Yrene is struggling. She’s stuck in a dead-end town, getting harassed by mercenaries.
Celaena doesn't just save her; she gives her the money and the training to get to the Southern Continent. She gives her a future. This isn't just a "feel-good" side story. This single interaction changes the fate of Erilea. If you skip this, you miss the emotional payoff of one of the greatest "full circle" moments in literary history.
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The Tragedy of Sam Cortland
We have to talk about Sam. We have to.
Sam Cortland is the "what if" of the series. He is the boy who loved the girl, not the legend. Their relationship in The Assassin and the Underworld and The Assassin and the Empire is painfully sweet because you know what’s coming. Or you think you do.
The betrayal by Arobynn Hamel is more sinister than just a "tip-off" to the guards. Arobynn didn't just want Sam dead; he wanted Celaena broken so she would never leave him. The way Sam dies—tortured, alone, used as a message—is the catalyst for everything that follows. It’s why she ends up in Endovier. It’s why she loses her name.
Fact-Checking the "Bonus Content" Myth
Some people will tell you that you can skip this because it’s a "novella collection."
That is factually incorrect.
Characters introduced here include:
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- Lysandra: The shapeshifter who becomes Aelin’s "sister."
- Rolfe: The Pirate Lord who returns with a debt to pay.
- Ansel: The Queen of the Western Wastes.
- Yrene Towers: The healer who literally [SPOILER REDACTED].
If you haven't read their origins, their reappearance in Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms feels like the author is just pulling characters out of a hat. When you’ve read the prequel, their return feels like a triumphal assembly of the people she’s impacted.
Real Insights for Your Next Reread
If you’ve already read the series, go back and read The Assassin's Blade as a standalone tragedy. It reads differently when you know that every "win" they have is just another brick in the wall of their tomb.
The prose in this collection is also noticeably different. SJM was younger when she wrote these (many were originally published as individual e-novellas before the first book even came out). You can see her finding her voice. There’s a raw, jagged edge to the writing that matches Celaena’s teenage volatility.
Actionable Steps for New Readers
- Choose your pain: If you want to understand the character, read it first. If you want a massive emotional gut-punch, read it after book three (Heir of Fire).
- Don't skip "The Assassin and the Healer": It might seem small, but it is the most important 30 pages for the endgame of the series.
- Pay attention to the Spidersilk: The mention of the Stygian spiders in the Red Desert isn't just world-building; it’s a setup for things that happen thousands of pages later.
- Watch Arobynn’s hands: Seriously. The way SJM describes his physical presence in this book makes his eventual fate in the main series so much more satisfying.
This book isn't a prequel. It’s the prologue to a war that lasts seven volumes. Don't treat it like an afterthought.
Go get a copy. Start at the beginning. Watch how a spoiled assassin becomes the woman who can move mountains.