Throne of Glass: How has the Character changed since introduction?

       I am more than halfway through reading Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, and so far I seriously love this book. The suspense Maas creates throughout the book has left me increasing my reading pace so I can find out how it ends. Throne of Glass is about a competition between 24 criminals to see  who can serve as the King's Champion and after four years receive their freedom. Celaena is an assassin who spent a year in prison for her crimes. During the competition the competitors begin to be found killed, and Celaena has to destroy the evil in the castle before she's killed as well.

The Introduction: Celaena Sardothien
In the beginning of the novel Celaena wears filthy, torn clothes and is described as "frightfully pale beneath the dirt." Working in Endovier has made Celaena thin, pale and dirty due to the condition of the mines and the cruel treatment by the prison's guards. Celaena is cold, violent and dangerous.

Chaol orders a group of guards to watch her constantly to ensure that she doesn't kill anyone within the castle. Celaena is annoyed, and somewhat amused, by the guards because she knows it would take her minimal time and energy to injure or kill them. Celaena hates that the other criminals  are allowed to do as they please while she is forced to stay under supervision in her room and the training center.  When the tailors begin to measure Celaena for new clothes she's annoyed and "considered jabbing one of the tailor's pearl headed pins through his eye." Celaena doesn't care about any of the people living within the castle whether it's her competitors, the prince, Chaol or the staff.

The Transformation: Celaena Sardothien
Throughout the competition Celaena has become a more caring person. Although she's still supervised by guards, they respect her and let her explore the castle more freely. Celaena has become friends with both Chaol and the prince, opening up to them about her sad past. One of the most surprising friendships Celaena has made was with Nehemia, the princess of Eyllwe. Nehemia and Celaena meet regularly to talk, comfort each other or just for fun. Celaena used to be closed to friends and trusting people but she's beginning to value Nehemia's trust and friendship.

One event that illustrates the changes when Celaena tells Nehemia the truth about her past. Throughout the novel Celaena has been posing as Lillian Gordaina, noble woman, and only the King, Prince, Chaol and her guards knew the truth. Nehemia begins to question Celaena after she finds Celaena injured in her room (this is due to an encounter with evil killer). Celaena realizes that having Nehemia as a friend means more to her than keeping her secret, so she tells Nehemia everything.
"The truth was the least she owed her friend."
After she tells Nehemia the truth Celaena feared that Nehemia wouldn't remain her friend. After all, Celaena was an assassin who had lied about her identity. Nehemia doesn't care, surprising Celaena who thinks, "Friends like this did not exist. Why was she so fortunate as to have found one?"

The Transformation: How has my opinion changed?
Wow.
I thought Celaena was awful, I thought she was a despicable person who only cared about her freedom. I didn't like Celaena at the beginning of the novel and questioned Maas' choice of character. I wanted to know how I was supposed to like this book if the main character was a violent assassin who didn't care about how she effected other people.

Now though, I am completely amazed by the transformation Celaena went through. I won't spoil anything but her past was full of pain and suffering, some caused by the King, some caused by her friends and some caused by her choices. I think her part of her past led her to be the cold assassin that she used to be. Celaena's still dangerous but she also has a soft side and cares about her friends.

Throne of Glass: Setting

I have recently begun reading Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, one of the few recommended books I've actually started to read. As I am only thirty pages in, I can't speak for the whole book, but thus far I really enjoy reading it.

Throne of Glass is set in fantasy land that was once filled with magical creatures and people with strange abilities. Unfortunately the King of Adarlan began to hunt down and imprison magical creatures, burning most of the forests they occupied. The magical creatures that were 'lucky' enough to be imprisoned rather than killed, were sent to Endovier to work in the mines. This is where main character Celaena Sardothien has spent the last year of her life, working in the salt mines with no hope of freedom.

What is Endovier?
Endovier is a slave-labor city that uses the prisoners' labor in the salt mines to profit King Adarlan.  Endovier's salt mines are found within a bone colored mountain on the far side of a prison compound. The walls surrounding all four sides of the compound and the sentries stationed near the wall eliminate the possibility escape.

Celaena is allowed to leave Endovier, she has been chosen to compete to be the King's champion and win her freedom. This gives her the opportunity to leave for a training camp in Rifthold, accompanied by the prince and his royal guard. While traveling, the group stops in the Oakwood Forest, one of the few remaining forests that the King hasn't destroyed.
Oakwood Forest is different from the other forests.
Magic remains within the forest.
The royal guards are unnerved by how peaceful and quiet the forest is, and hope the King will burn the forest soon.
Celaena sees the beauty of the forest.
Celaena describes the forest saying, "leaves dangled like jewels-tiny droplets of ruby, pearl, topaz, amethyst, emerald and garnet; and a carpet of such riches coated the forest floor around them." Oakwood forest has a unique beauty created by the magic that dwelt within the forest. Oakwood is one of the few places that still possess this type of beauty, most of this has been destroyed by the same men who fear it. The forest inhabitants are magical creatures, most have vanished but the old inhabitants were "gnomes, sprites, nymphs, goblins, more names than anyone could count or remember."

While I have only begun Throne of Glass I already have a good understanding of the setting due to the detailed imagery Sarah J. Maas uses.