Aelin Galathynius

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Lore & Background

Aelin Galathynius, also known as Celaena Sardothien, is the main protagonist of the Throne of Glass series. When she was eight years old, her parents were murdered, and she was later taken in by the assassin lord Arobynn Hamel, becoming his indentured servant and ward rather than a slave. She was trained as an assassin under his tutelage. She is characterized as skilled, arrogant, and witty. Author Sarah J. Maas was inspired by the heroism of Éowyn from The Lord of the Rings and by the characterization of Velma Kelly from Chicago, stating that the latter's 'arrogance and fierceness made me want to write about a woman like her—about a woman who never once said sorry for being talented and determined and utterly in love with herself.' Maas designed Celaena as a highly capable character whose talents also form a basis for numerous faults, including issues with 'impatience' and 'vanity.' Maas also gave the character traits and hobbies befitting her age, including a fondness for 'shopping, books, and fine dining,' as well as a 'penchant for getting into trouble.' In creating the friendship between Celaena and Chaol, Maas gave the characters a number of differences: Chaol is introduced as a strict and ethical captain, while Celaena is presented as a morally ambiguous assassin. According to Maas, this contrast contributes to Chaol's character development as his bond with Celaena grows, and he eventually comes to view her not just as a captive criminal, but also 'as a human being.' Prince Dorian is presented as a suitor for Celaena, though their relationship is complicated by his status as the crown prince.

In Their Own Story

Aelin Galathynius, also known as Celaena Sardothien, begins the series as an 18-year-old assassin in the Kingdom of Adarlan. After a year of suffering for her crimes in a slave camp called Endovier, she accepts the offer of Crown Prince Dorian Haviliard, the King of Adarlan's son, to compete with other assassins and thieves for a chance to serve as the King's Champion, and eventually gain her freedom after six years in the King's service. This leads her to form unexpected bonds with both Dorian and Chaol, the Captain of the Guard. Over time, Celaena is drawn into a conspiracy and a series of battles, leading to discoveries surrounding both the Kingdom and herself. The series concluded with the eighth book in October 2018. The series appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, and was optioned by Hulu and Disney-ABC Domestic Television for a television series adaptation by Mark Gordon in 2016, but nothing came forward and the rights went back to the author.

Reader's Guide

Aelin Galathynius, also known as Celaena Sardothien, is the main protagonist of the Throne of Glass series. She is introduced in the first book, Throne of Glass, released on August 2, 2012. The series consists of eight books, concluding in October 2018. The reading order is discussed within the community due to the publication date of Assassin's Blade differing from when it occurs chronologically within the story. While the book's events are a prequel to the rest of the series, its publication occurred in 2014, after the publication of Crown of Midnight in 2013. Bloomsbury Publishing and Sarah J. Maas's publication site suggest reading in order of publication date, with Assassin's Blade listed after Crown of Midnight. Additionally, Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn overlap in their chronological events, which has sparked several 'tandem read' guides, which suggest the order in which to read each chapter of each book, concurrently. A companion game, Embers of Memory, a two-person card game based on the Throne of Glass book series, was released in October 2019 by Osprey Games. It is set during the events of the final book in the series, Kingdom of Ash. The players are tasked with helping Aelin survive her imprisonment and ordeal at the hands of Maeve, diving with her into her memories and helping her find the way back out.

Did You Know?

• Sarah J. Maas began writing the Throne of Glass series in 2002 when she was 16 years old.
• The series was originally known as Queen of Glass and initially appeared on FictionPress.com.
• Throne of Glass became the first Bloomsbury children's novel to be featured on Netgalley.com, attracting requests 'from all over the world.'
• Maas cited Disney's Cinderella as an inspiration for writing Throne of Glass, re-imagining the scene where the heroine flees the ball as an assassin fleeing the palace.
• The series was optioned by Hulu and Disney-ABC Domestic Television for a television series adaptation by Mark Gordon in 2016, but the rights eventually went back to the author.