Crown of Midnight is the third book chronologically in the eight-book Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Picking up a few weeks after the events of Throne of Glass, Celaena Sardothien is now the official royal assassin to the King of Adarlan, carrying out his dirty tasks while concealing secrets of her own. Her missions take her deeper into the heart of the Adarlan empire, where whispers of rebellion, hidden magic, and ancient forces begin to stir. Amidst this backdrop, a budding romance with Chaol Westfall begins to blossom, which complicates her missions and her sense of duty. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Dorian Havilliard grapples with changes of his own, as unexpected latent abilities awaken within him. As Celaena goes further down into the hidden depths of Rifthold and the Glass Palace, she uncovers clues that challenge everything she thought she knew and must tread a dangerous line between loyalty and truth.
NOTE: This post assumes you have read the previous book in the series. Major spoilers ahead for earlier installments and minor spoilers ahead for the current book.
Table of Contents
What is the world in Crown of Midnight?
The Throne of Glass series takes place in Erilea, a land rich in history and magic. To the far east of Erilea and beyond the Great Ocean lies the continent Wendlyn and to the south lies the Southern Continent. Over time, Erilea has seen the rise and fall of powerful kingdoms alongside the ebb and flow of magic. Originally, the first inhabitants were the immortal Fae and they coexisted peacefully with lesser faeries and humans for centuries. However, ten years ago magic disappeared. No one knows how, but folks whisper that the gods must have cursed them. Regardless, the King of Adarlan capitalized on the disappearance of magic and began a campaign to conquer Erilea. He initiated a campaign of destruction unlike anything the continent had ever seen, destroying and burning ancient texts, sacred sites, and anyone associated with magic, including magical beings and mortals with Fae heritage. Many Fae and magical creatures alike were forced to suppress their powers or flee and go into hiding as the continent fell under the oppressive rule of the King of Adarlan. The fall of magic in Erilea was a catastrophic and devastating tragedy with the loss of countless lives and priceless knowledge.
Who are the main characters in Crown of Midnight?
Celaena Sardothien/"Lillian Gordaina"
The King of Adarlan’s personal assassin, Celaena must do his bidding under the moniker "Lillian Gordaina." As she investigates a rebel plot, she stumbles upon an ancient secret within the castle that has far reaching implications for her world.
Dorian Havilliard II
Faced with Celaena and Chaol’s relationship, Crown Prince Dorian’s jealousy is quickly overshadowed by a personal discovery; one that causes deep internal conflict and could set him on a path at direct odds with his own father, the King of Adarlan.
Chaol Westfall
Captain of the Royal Adarlan Guard, Chaol struggles with divided loyalties between his duty to the Crown and his growing feelings for Celaena. He begins to question the King’s rule and faces the consequences of political and personal choices.
Who are the minor characters in Crown of Midnight?
Philippa Spindlehead
A sharp, practical servant in the royal palace assigned to help Celaena adjust to life at court. She’s refreshingly blunt and shows compassion without fuss or fanfare.
Nehemia Ytger
Princess of Eyllwe, Nehemia comes to the royal court under the pretense of strengthening political relations between her kingdom and Adarlan. Known for her intelligence, dignity, and fierce loyalty to her homeland, she carries herself with grace and authority.
Fleetfoot
Celaena’s loyal and protective dog, who often provides comfort and companionship. Gifted to her by Dorian.
Hollin Havilliard
Back from boarding school, Prince Hollin terrorizes the servants and continues being a petulant child and a nuisance to all those around him.
Georgina Havilliard
With Hollin back, Queen Georgina spends most of her time arranging entertainment for her younger, spoiled child and overlooking his terrible behavior.
Roland Havilliard
Second cousin to Prince Dorian and Prince Hollin, Roland is a charming and notorious womanizer with little care for court politics. He returns to court and is given a position of power by the King, much to the surprise of the other court members.
Minister Mullison
One of the King’s ministers and a high-ranking member of the court at the Glass Palace.
Lord Nirall
The lord of Bellhaven, a port city on the eastern coast of Fenharrow, a kingdom in eastern Erilea.
Lady Nirall
Lord Nirall’s wife, a beautiful but unremarkable noble woman.
Ress
One of Chaol’s most trusted men and a member of the Royal Guard.
Cain
A former competitor in the King’s Champion Tournament sponsored by Duke Perrington, he was sadistic and brutal. Unbeknownst to the other competitors, he was using dark magic.
Sam Cortland
A skilled assassin and Celaena’s first love. Loyal, brave, and deeply caring, he was killed during their time with the Assassin’s Guild. His memory continues to shape Celaena’s emotional journey.
Arobynn Hamel
King of the Assassins and head of the Assassin’s Guild, he is ambitious and willing to take advantage of every situation. He found Celaena near death on the banks of a frozen river and trained her as an assassin according to his brutal methods.
Davis
A corrupt businessman and one of Archer Finn’s clients. He is said to have the best pastry chef in all of Rifthold.
Archer Finn
A well-known courtesan and a former acquaintance of Celaena from her time in the Assassin’s Keep. She notes he is one of the most beautiful men she’s ever seen.
Ioan Jayne
At one time the biggest Crime Lord in Rifthold. He was immensely wealthy and well connected with a vast network of spies throughout the city.
Rourke Farran
A sadistic Crime Lord from Celaena’s past, he served as Ioan Jayne’s second-in-command and gained notoriety for his brutal torture methods.
Wesley
Lysandra’s deceased lover and former personal body guard to Arobynn Hamel. He was close friends with Sam Cortland.
The Ridderak
A type of Valg monster used by Cain to eliminate the other contestants in the King’s Champion Tournament.
Madame Clarisse DuVency
The madame of a prestigious brothel in Rifthold, known for her control over the women she "owns" and her influence in the city’s elite circles.
Lysandra
A courtesan under Madame Clarisse DuVency’s employment, she and Celaena did not get along in the past.
Mort
The sarcastic, talking door knocker to Elena Galathynius’ tomb, he offers cryptic wisdom with a sharp tongue. He is made from ancient magic, and was thus unaffected by the King of Adarlan’s recent magical ban.
Kaltain Rompier
Once a beautiful and calculating noblewoman, she is imprisoned after the accusations from the King’s Champion Tournament.
Aedion Ashryver
A brilliant general in the Adarlan army and the fiercest warrior in the north.
Lithaen
A former maid in the Glass Castle and Chaol’s former lover. She cheated on him with Roland Havilliard and left with him to Meah.
Lord Westfall
Chaol Westfall’s father, he is the current ruler of Anielle.
Grave
A ruthless assassin who also competed in the King’s Champion Tournament. He was sponsored by Minister Mullison.
Brannon Galathynius
The founder of Terrasen, he was a Fae King and father to Elena Galathynius. He established Terrasen over 2,000 years ago and was a mighty warrior.
Elena Galathynius Havilliard
The first Queen of Adarlan and mate to Gavin Havilliard. She was the daughter of the Fae King Brannon and played a vital role in banishing the dark forces of the past.
Gavin Havilliard
The first King and founder of Adarlan and mate to Elena Galathynius. He was a legendary warrior, famed for defeating the Dark Lord Erawan.
Orlon Galathynius
The former King of Terrasen, his lover was Weylan Darrow. They had no children.
Evalin Ashryver
Originally a Princess of Wendlyn, she later became the Princess of Terrasen when she married Rhoe Galathynius.
Rhoe Galathynius
The former Crown Prince of Terrasen, he was nephew to Orlon Galathynius.
Lord of the North
The spirit of Terrasen, often depicted as a white sun stag with flames between its antlers, lives in the Oakwald Forest. Sun stags were sacred to Mala Fire-Bringer and were later brought to Terrasen by Brannon Galathynius. The name also refers to a stag constellation that always points toward Terrasen.
The Kingsflame
A small flame-like flower that symbolizes Brannon Galathynius and Terrasen. It is said to only bloom when the realm is at peace and under the reign of a good king. When Orlon Galathynius became king, a single kingsflame bloomed, which he plucked and preserved in crystal.
Aelin Galathynius
The heir of the Terrasen Kingdom before its downfall at the hands of the King of Adarlan. She was daughter to Rhoe Galathynius and Evalin Ashryver. She disappeared after the Conquest of Terrasen.
Who are the gods and goddesses in Crown of Midnight?
“Beings of a higher, different existence. For whom time was fluid, and bodies were things to be shifted and molded. Who could exist in multiple places, spread themselves wide like nets being thrown. They were as mighty and vast and eternal as a human was to a mayfly. They had not been born in this world.” – Elena Galathynius in Empire of Storms
Deanna
Goddess of the Moon and sister to Mala Fire-Bringer, she is associated with hunting, maidenhood, and protection of the young.
Mab
Youngest of the three Fae sister-queens, along with Mora and Maeve. She could transform into a white swan and was progenitor of the Ashryver family and Kingdom of Wendlyn. She gave up her immortality to be with a mortal.
Mora
One of the three Fae sister-queens, along with Mab and Maeve. She could transform into a hawk and was progenitor of the Whitethorn family and the reason why their house sigil is a hawk. She relinquished her immortality to be with a mortal.
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Maeve
One of the three Fae sister-queens, along with Mora and Mab, and the only one who did not give up her immortality and remains Queen of Doranelle. She helped banish the dark and demonic Valg forces centuries ago.
Who are the antagonists in Crown of Midnight?
The King of Adarlan
The tyrannical ruler of the Adarlan empire, a man driven by a hunger for control and conquest. He is responsible for the brutal subjugation of both humans and Fae.
Duke Perrington
A cunning and manipulative nobleman, Duke Perrington is a key ally of the King of Adarlan and a ruthless political strategist. His calculated actions and hidden motives make him one of the most dangerous figures in the royal court.
Fortune Teller
An old carnival fortune teller calling herself Baba Yellowlegs and claiming to be 'the lastborn witch in the Witch Kingdom,' likely so she can upcharge for her services.
Where does Crown of Midnight take place?
Adarlan
Sharing a border with Terrasen to the north, Adarlan is the dominant empire on the continent of Erilea. It is a militaristic and expansionist kingdom ruled by House Havilliard.
Rifthold
The glittering capital of Adarlan, built on the banks of the Avery River and with a harbor opening into the Great Ocean to the East. Despite its beauty, the city is a center of oppression.
The Glass Palace
A dazzling, magical structure rising atop the original stone castle. Made of tempered glass and crystalline spires, it is home to House Havilliard and has 600 rooms, three gardens, a wildlife game park, and two stables.
Clock Tower
A clock tower made of black stone, likely obsidian, with eight gargoyles around the top perimeter. The King of Adarlan had it erected shortly after Prince Dorian’s birth. It makes a wretchedly loud booming noise.
Palace Dungeons
A dark, oppressive labyrinth beneath the Glass Palace, reeking of decay and despair. These shadowy depths conceal ancient secrets and house enemies of House Havilliard.
Royal Tombs
Beneath the castle are the royal tombs, solemn and grand, carved from ancient stone and shrouded in stillness. Hidden within their depths lies the tombs of Elena Galathynius Havilliard and Gavin Havilliard.
Masquerade Ball
Davis, a corrupt businessmen and one of Archer Finn’s clients, hosts a masquerade ball and shows off his exorbitant tastes. He apparently has the best pastry chef in all of Rifthold.
Secret Library
Hidden beneath the library of the Glass Palace, Celaena discovers a secret library in the catacombs and tunnels that houses banned magical books, secret relics, and ancient scrolls.
Royal Ball
A beautiful space within the Glass Palace reserved for large and royal celebrations. The royal staff must often spend weeks in advance to plan and decorate the ballroom to meet the King’s high demands.
Eyllwe
A kingdom in the southeast corner of Erilea and Nehemia’s homeland. It is a wealthy kingdom with many waterways and trade routes. Famous for its luscious Grasslands and Stone Marshes, a relic from a bygone civilization.
Endovier
A brutal slave camp and salt mine on the Adarlan and Terrasen border. Enemies of the state such as magic wielders, rebels, and criminals are sent to toil their lives away in the mines. Thousands of prisoners labor under harsh conditions and are monitored by cruel Overseers.
Calaculla
The sister camp to Endovier, Calaculla is a slave labor camp located in Eyllwe that houses enemies of the state. It lies in a scorching desert and is rumored to be harsher than Endovier. Princess Nehemia sought to get it shut down.
Wendlyn
Across the Great Ocean to the east of Erilea lies the continent Wendlyn. Its ruling house is House Ashryver, who opposes King Adarlan’s rule. Wendlyn has allowed magic to continue to grow and is home to the glorious Fae city Doranelle.
Anielle
Nestled between the White Fang Mountains and the Oakwald Forest, Anielle is a harsh, foreboding city ruled by the Westfalls. The current leader is Lord Westfall, Chaol’s father.
Terrasen
Once a powerful and noble kingdom in the North of Erilea founded by Brannon Galathynius. It was overthrown by the King of Adarlan, but its people remain proud and resilient. It was famous as a center of magic and learning.
Does Crown of Midnight have any bonus chapters?
Yes, there are 2 bonus chapters associated with the Crown of Midnight.
The Assassin and the Princess Bonus Chapter is a quick shopping trip and bonding experience between Celaena and Nehemia.
The Assassin and the Captain Bonus Chapter sees Celaena returning to the capital city after completing her first mission for the King.
Both are intended to be read after Throne of Glass and before Crown of Midnight.
Where to Buy Crown of Midnight
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