The Assassin's Blade

From Goodreads:    Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives.

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling and deadly world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

My Thoughts:

-    Loved this! 

-    I cannot get enough of this world and its characters! 

-    Even though the book was five short stories. The stories read like one continuous story. I liked that. It wasn't disjointed or anything.

-    Oh the emotions! Celaena just can't get a break. Her life has never been a happy one. It is full of loss and betrayal. My heart bleeds for her!

-    It was so fun to get to know Sam! I loved watching Celaena's relationship with him grow. 

-    It was cool and awful to meet Arobynn. I hated the mind games he played. In the end, I just wanted Celaena to gut him like a fish! 

-    It was really interesting to read about Celaena's history. I hope her future is brighter. I have a feeling it is going to get worse before it gets better, but I hope she has a happy ending.

-    While this satisfied my crave for these books for now. I can't wait until the next book!! 

-    (Spoiler: Why didn't Sam and Celaena join the Silent Assassins!?!? They would have been happy there, and Sam would still be alive!!!!)