The Assassin's Blade (2014)

This collection consists of five prequel novellas—The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, The Assassin and the Healer, The Assassin and the Underworld, The Assassin and the Empire, and The Assassin and the Healer. These stories delve into Celaena Sardothien's life as a teenage assassin in the service of the Assassin's Guild. Readers witness her fierce loyalty and her struggles against betrayal and manipulation by her mentor, Arobynn Hamel. Each novella explores her personal growth, her relationships, and her decisions that lead her to the trials she faces in Throne of Glass. The themes of friendship, love, and the consequences of one's actions are woven throughout the stories, setting the emotional foundation for Celaena's journey in the main series.