Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of graphic violence.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The story contains many dramatic and emotional moments. For you, what was the most moving part of the novel?

2. World-building is an important part of fantasy novels, but it can sometimes slow the pace of the action and distract from character development. Were you happy with the balance of world-building and storytelling in this novel?

3. Crown of Midnight is the sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass. Have you read this earlier novel? Were you satisfied with the way Celaena’s story continues in this book? Is there anything you would have changed?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How did you feel about Celaena’s pretense of serving the king while secretly disobeying his commands? When is it morally acceptable to refuse to obey a governmental authority in this way?

2. Many of the characters keep important secrets from people they are supposed to be close to. Which characters’ dishonesty made you dislike them? Which characters told lies or kept secrets that seemed morally justified? What is the difference between the secrets that bothered you and the secrets that didn’t?