The Assassin and the Underworld

Before the events of Throne of Glass, Celaena Sardothien is given what seems like a worthy assignment: strike at slavery by carrying out a mission for the King of the Assassins. But The Assassin and the Underworld quickly makes clear that nothing about the job is clean. What begins as a chance to hit at something cruel turns darker as Celaena moves through the city’s hidden corners and starts to realize that the truth behind the mission is more troubling than she expected.

This novella has a grimmer, more claustrophobic feel than some of the other early stories. Its world is built out of rooftops, sewers, danger, and moral compromise, and the tension comes from Celaena being forced to see the uglier workings of the life she has been trained to serve. It is a short prequel, but it adds important shape to her character, showing her not just as skilled and defiant, but increasingly unwilling to accept corruption simply because someone powerful gave the order.

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