Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)
By Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Facing impossible odds in their battle against Erawen and the Valg, Aelin and her friends set out to rally any allies they can. Along the way, Aelin finds out a devastating truth about her destiny, but she’ll accept whatever cost if it means ridding her world of the Valg and restoring prosperity to her homeland of Terrasen.

Review: Reading a new Throne of Glass novel has truly turned into an epic event, especially considering the increasing page counts. Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, Heir of Fire, Fireheart (all these titles make me think of another queen from another fantasy series with “throne” in the title) has certainly come a long way from when we first met her as assassin Celaena Sardothien. The series as a whole has come a long way, expanding the world, the story, and the characters with each successive book. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that we’re already five books in.

At this point in the series, I really do think there are quite a few parallels between Throne of Glass and Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, even down to the ice and fire. ToG isn’t only just about Aelin/Celaena anymore, either. Aelin’s companions have steadily moved toward the forefront, often making the more recent books feel like they feature an ensemble cast of characters, again à la GoT/ASoIaF. You always know, however, who indisputably owns ToG; that would be Aelin, of course.

I’m on a roll with the ToG/GoT parallels now, and I might not be able to quit. Like GoT’s fiery dragon queen Daenerys Targaryen, Aelin finds herself fighting to regain her throne. Unfortunately for Aelin, she runs up against some unyielding opposition from the lords of Terrasen. Determined to breathe life back into her kingdom, Aelin resolves to do whatever must be done, emphasis on whatever, to defeat Erawen and the Valg. Denied the backing of Terrasen’s lords, Aelin must look elsewhere for allies, even if a huge question mark hovers around their trustworthiness, and that’s putting it mildly.

Much of Empire of Storms focuses on Aelin and her cohorts attempting to build an army and hunting for a possible way to send the Valg back to the hell they spawned from. While there was no shortage of intense action scenes, the book occasionally felt a tad too much like a buildup to the series finale. Something about the pacing of Empire of Storms just felt slightly off compared to the other installments. I also found myself really wishing that I’d read The Assassin’s Blade before reading this. I wasn’t exactly lost, but I definitely got the impression that familiarity with the novellas provided the optimal Empire of Storms reading experience. And while I’m mentioning the couple of quibbles I ran across, I cannot overlook the complete absence of a certain character. It’s just that I LOVE said character, and to only see a handful of passing references in about 700 pages? Ouch—that hurt.

Overall, though, Empire of Storms commanded every spare second of time I could devote to it. I loved Manon so much in this book; her plotline has become one of my favorites. Maas continues to demonstrate her insanely formidable fantasy writing chops with this novel as well. Reading ToG is such a fully immersive experience thanks to its richly detailed world and equally deep lore. Maas also ups the series’ heat factor. Way up. It’s not quite as steamy as her other 2016 release, A Court of Mist and Fury, but there were still moments when I feared that my copy of Empire of Storms would spontaneously combust.

All I have to say about the ending was that it was crueler than cruel. I have to try not to dwell on it because I only get all upset anew over having to wait for the next book. Delaying reading new releases certainly has the advantage of not having to endure long waits for the sequels, but this is Aelin Galathynius we’re talking about here; she demands that you read her latest adventure immediately!

All in All: As much as I love Aelin and her friends, I think some pages could have been shaved off here. Empire of Storms was still one hell of a read, though, and Sarah J. Maas reigns supreme as the queen of YA fantasy.

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

* This review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the Throne of Glass series.

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)
By Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: At last, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius of Terrasen is ready to say goodbye to her life as Celaena Sardothien and reclaim her kingdom. But her battle for her throne still requires some of Celaena’s unparalleled, deadly skills as an assassin to outmaneuver the King of Adarlan—and to settle some old debts along the way. Every second that passes brings the king one step closer to engulfing the world in unimaginable evil, and only Aelin’s fire stands a chance of stopping him.

Review: I am speechless.

My mind is still reeling from this book, still trying to grasp, futilely, I might add, everything about Queen of Shadows. EVERYTHING. I could have reread the first three Throne of Glass books one hundred times each; that still would not have been adequate preparation for what takes place in Queen of Shadows.

Apologies in advance for all of the vagueness that’s about to follow, but it’s almost impossible to go too far in depth discussing this book without running into spoilers. Every page, every paragraph, every sentence, every word is so deliberate, so carefully plotted. There is not a single ounce of throwaway in this 600-plus page tome. Every move that Aelin Galathynius, formerly known as Celaena Sardothien, makes is a piece of her intricately constructed master plan to take down the King of Adarlan and reclaim her rightful place on the throne of Terrasen. It’s one hell of a journey home for our queen, whom I bow before because of her infinite strength and bravery and resolve. All hail Queen Aelin!

I’m a rip-off-the-band-aid type of person, so I’ll cut straight to admitting that although foreshadowing in Heir of Fire led me to expect a certain turn of events in Queen of Shadows, I struggled with how they played out. I’m fine with the outcome, really, but the path that the story took to get there—it was tough to watch. I’ll also say, though, that a pivotal scene toward the end of the book helped me to view what happened before in a different light and as a prime illustration of one of the novel’s dominant themes: irrevocable change.

Aelin more than makes good on her vow to rattle the stars; her sheer force of will alone is enough to cause the stars, the earth, and the entire universe to quake. Add some characters with formidable powers of their own (I’m looking at you, Rowan), some characters with suspect motives and loyalties, and some utterly reprehensible characters, and there’s no way that the world, as is, escapes unaltered. Story arcs that have been simmering in the previous books converge and combust here. The action and the confrontations are explosive. I actually put the book down a few times because I couldn’t handle the tension and needed a moment to collect myself before reading further. By the time that I reached the book’s final sentence, I was completely dazed by the magnitude of it all.

I absolutely loved all of the nuances of gray to a lot of the characters in Queen of Shadows. Clear-cut heroes/villains aren’t nearly as intriguing to me as characters who walk a fine line between being both. I love their unpredictability and how they can upend the story in an instant. Much love and adoration go to Sarah J. Maas for also writing some of the toughest, most badass female characters in fantasy, and I’m not just talking about Aelin here.

I’ve read some truly brilliant books this year, but only this one has thus far stirred such a spectrum of emotions. I burst out laughing at Aelin’s smartass remarks. I almost burst into tears over one of my beloved characters. I became seriously scared quite a few times because the novel ventures into some very dark places. This series has matured so much since Throne of Glass, and just when I think that it can’t possibly impress me any more, the newest installment blows me away into oblivion. I’m still picking up the shards of my heart in the aftermath of the relentless hammering that this book delivered. But of course I’m ready to endure the pain all over again when the next novel arrives.

All in All: Make sure that you eat, drink, sleep, use the bathroom, whatever—before sitting down to read Queen of Shadows because you will NOT want to be parted from it for long. You will want to keep reading and reading without pausing. EVER. And then you’ll need some additional time once you’re finished reading to recover from the trauma that you’ve just experienced. My advice: seek out a post-QoS support group beforehand because you will need it.

Bloggy Friends' Reviews of Queen of Shadows:

• Braine @ Talk Supe
• Charlene @ Bookish Whimsy
• Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven
• Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

* This review contains spoilers for the previous books in the Throne of Glass series.

Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)
By Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased

To Sum It Up: Celaena has departed Adarlan for Wendlyn, where her secret mission is to gain any knowledge that can help her stop Adarlan’s king from plunging the world into darkness. This information won’t be easy to obtain, of course, and Celaena is also battling her grief over her dear friend’s death as well as a shattered heart. She can no longer hide from the past that she’s been trying to bury, either, not if she hopes to save everyone from the evil that is on the brink of invasion.

Review: I could sit here for . . . forever, really, and still never cobble together the right words to capture the brilliance of Heir of Fire. Because how do you describe perfection? Five hundred plus pages of perfection that have left me unable to focus on anything but this book.

Everything about Sarah J. Maas’s writing in Heir of Fire is nothing short of phenomenal. From the breadth of the world-building to the seamless introduction of some amazing new characters to the awe-inspiring development of the series’ returning characters—all of it will blow you away, nuclear blast-like. Maas not only addresses the fallout from the earth-shaking ending of Crown of Midnight; she also lays a solid-as-granite foundation for the future direction of the series. That’s not to say that Heir of Fire is a bridge book that merely serves to set up the next one. No, no, no. Most certainly not. Rather, the world that we were first drawn into in Throne of Glass just explodes outward, and it’s a world filled with Fae, witches, wyverns, and magic. The fantasy elements here ascend to dizzying heights that I’m still trying to wrap my head around.

Celaena is utterly magnificent in this book, as is the way Maas has written her. Celaena is also utterly heartbreaking to behold in this book. A decade’s accumulation of anger and grief, freshly added to by Nehemia’s death and that business with Chaol that cut my heart like one of Celaena’s daggers, sends her to a breaking point of sorts. Compounding her anguish is the realization that she absolutely must confront her past and her true identity. Celaena has fought so many battles and emerged victorious, but the weight of her former life is as formidable as any opponent she’s ever faced. Do not, however, underestimate badass Celaena, because dear gods, whenever she appears, anyone or anything in her path of wrath had better run like hell or welcome certain death.

Back in Adarlan, my beloved Chaol is going through a pretty tough time, unable to even discuss his troubles with Dorian because of the growing distance between the two. That saddened me just as much, and probably more, than the Chaol/Celaena split. Believe me, I totally, totally, totally want Chaol and Celaena to get back together, but I also need Chaol and Dorian to be brothers again. Did I mention that this book killed me repeatedly? Because it did.

Adding multiple new characters with very prominent roles in the middle of a series is no small feat, but Maas pulls it off flawlessly. Rowan, Aedion, and Manon are all compelling, richly imagined characters with mesmerizing stories to tell. At first Manon seemed an unlikely character to warm up to. She herself says that she literally has no heart, but the fact that she’s such a unique, badass character makes it impossible not to love her. She makes the number thirteen the most badass number, too. The Game of Thrones fan in me knew that I was going to love Aedion when he was referred to as the Wolf of the North. That instinct proved to be resoundingly correct. And Rowan? Oh my God. That’s all I have to say because you have to meet him yourself to truly appreciate him. Obviously, Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian are first in my heart (especially Captain Westfall), but I am psyched to continue following the exploits of these three new characters as well.

It’s been a while since I struggled this much to write a review, and I’m feeling very, very meh about what I have managed to write. Sometimes a book is so thoroughly amazing that no words of mine will ever be adequate to convey the pure joy of reading it. That’s how I feel about Heir of Fire in a nutshell, and now I must attempt to resume the life I knew before reading this.

All in All: There are not enough stars in this universe or any others to give to this book.

Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
By Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

To Sum It Up: Now officially the King of Adarlan’s Champion, Celaena is sent on mission after mission to eliminate his enemies. Every one she completes brings her closer to her freedom from his service, or so she hopes. Celaena’s latest target is possibly involved in a rumored rebel movement against the king, and her investigation into the matter leads to some shocking discoveries not only about his foes but about the king himself as well as those closest to her. Most alarmingly of all, though, is the danger that an uprising poses to revealing a secret about Celaena that no one must ever find out.

Review: Oh. My. God. I have no clue where to start with this review of this absolutely PHENOMENAL sequel to Throne of Glass. I’ve had an amazing run of fantasy reads lately, and Crown of Midnight is the pinnacle of them. I cannot profess my love for this book enough. After I finished it, I couldn’t put it back on my bookshelf because I kept feeling the need to reread my favorite passages (many of which featured Chaol!) over and over again, then over and over again some more. I had a severe addiction to this book that I still find myself battling.

As much as I enjoyed Throne of Glass, I couldn’t quite give it five stars because I felt that Celaena did much more talking about how badass she was than actually showing how badass she was. Well, that is most certainly not a problem in Crown of Midnight. I LOVED Celaena in this book; she unequivocally demonstrates throughout the novel that she is, in fact, one hell of a heroine. I am in awe of this young woman, not only for her unrivaled, formidable fighting skills but also because she’s not afraid to embrace the side of her that loves shopping and devouring the entire contents of a buffet table. I myself am very fond of both of those activities and now feel a certain kinship with Miss Sardothien. Celaena has grown tremendously as a character since Throne of Glass; there are no words to fully capture how much she impressed me this time around.

The dark magic that was seen in the previous book (remember creepy Cain?) returns in an even more chilling and intense form here. I was both rather scared while reading some parts late at night and thrilled by all of the suspense and action. Fortunately, there’s also some comic relief thanks to a new character named Mort. To avoid spoilers, I’ll simply say that Mort is a very unique . . . personality and possesses a knack for igniting Celaena’s temper. Those two have some sidesplitting conversations.

I loved how Sarah J. Maas took the development of all of her characters to spectacular new heights in this novel, Dorian being no exception. What he goes through in this book—it’s such a brilliant plot twist, but I also felt so sorry for him because he couldn’t tell anyone what was going on. It’s amazing what a good soul Dorian is considering how evil is father is. And Dorian’s friendship with Chaol—there’s a certain someone who could come between them, but the two young men don’t allow that to happen. Maas masterfully avoids love triangle clichés here, for which I am extremely grateful.

As for Captain Westfall, he absolutely made me swoon all through Crown of Midnight. SWOON, I say! Chaol won my heart at the end of Throne of Glass, and in this book . . . he made my heart melt. I can’t even string together a coherent paragraph about this man; he’s just—AAAAHHHHH . . . . LOVE. HIM.

Crown of Midnight represents everything you could hope for in a sequel plus so, so much more. Action, romance, magic, and a stunningly realized fantasy world—they’re all here, and oh how they make this book impossible to put down. If you’ve read Throne of Glass but haven’t gotten to this yet, you need to. Right now.

All in All: You will not be disappointed by this sequel in any way. It’s sheer perfection.

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)
By Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

To Sum It Up: Renowned and feared as Adarlan’s greatest assassin, Celaena Sardothien’s luck finally ran out. Sentenced to hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, she’s been there for a year when she’s offered an unusual bargain for her release. All she needs to do is win the upcoming competition to become the King of Ardalan’s next Champion, i.e. the person who does all of his dirty work for him. The stakes are high for Celaena, as she’ll not only be vying for her freedom, but she’ll also be representing Ardalan’s Crown Prince, Dorian Havilliard, in the contest. Although not entirely pleased with the terms, Celaena cannot let this opportunity escape, but winning won’t be easy, especially when someone begins killing the competitors.

Review: So, after my usual routine of adding a much buzzed about book to my TBR list then waiting months and months to read it, I finally picked up Throne of Glass. In a way, I’m happy that I waited, because I really dig the cover of the paperback. Celaena, the heroine, looks pretty badass, and this is one pretty badass book.

I’ll say off the bat that I’d expected Celaena to show off more of her self-proclaimed super awesome assassinating skills than she did. Celaena devotes a healthy percentage of her thoughts to detailing how easily she can kill someone or escape from the palace, but that’s all they are—thoughts. Sometimes I couldn’t help but laugh at how gargantuan her ego was, while at other times it made me roll my eyes. If it weren’t for other characters like Prince Dorian and Chaol Westfall, the Captain of the Guard, calling her on her bluster and telling her to back up her bragging with an actual display of what she was capable of, I would have become weary of her high opinion of herself. But Celaena also possesses a vulnerable side of which there’s a glimpse here and there, and that, too, went a long way in helping me look past her self-admiration. By the conclusion of Throne of Glass, I liked the character she’d grown into, flaws and all.

Chaol and Dorian. Dorian and Chaol. I kept wavering over whom I loved more: Dorian, with his irrepressible charm and wit, or Chaol, the quintessential Captain of the Guard who’s equally adept at returning Celaena’s verbal jabs. Chaol gained a slight edge over Dorian toward the end of the novel, but I seriously love both characters. Lucky, lucky Celaena.

This book had a compulsively readable quality to it. While not everything that happened came as a surprise, that didn’t hinder me from becoming immersed in this world. It’s a richly drawn fantasy world, too, rife with court drama and topped off with a coating of magic. In other words, this is everything a fantasy novel should be.

The competition to determine the King’s Champion provides quite a bit of action, not to mention a multi-victim murder mystery. What most absorbed my interest, though, was watching Celaena grow to care for Dorian, Chaol, and Princess Nehemia of Eyllwe, and them for her. Celaena’s friendship with Nehemia, an outsider who’s viewed with suspicion by Ardalan’s courtiers, is particularly sweet; here are these two smart, strong young women who don’t exactly fit in with everyone else at court, and they find a kindred spirit in one another. All four of these characters spring off the page with their depth and realness. I really enjoyed the story, but it was the characters who made this book for me—yes, even Celaena, in all her haughty glory.

All in All: Celaena is kind of the wildcard here with her personality. Some may find it exhilarating, some may find it grating, and still others’ opinions may fall between the two. I wasn’t always her biggest fan, but in the end, she was a heroine I could totally root for.