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“Where do you think you’re going?” Darrow demanded.
She looked over her shoulder. “To call in old debts and promises. To raise an army of assassins and thieves and exiles and commoners. To finish what was started long, long ago.”

I have to say, though, I think Empire of Storms is far better plotted than the third and fourth book. It's a whopping 700 pages long and yet it moves much faster than the previous two. It drops us into the action and nastiness pretty much immediately and continues to deliver bloody drama and twists right up until that EVIL ending.

For me, Queen of Shadows was a 650-page book that contained only about 200 pages of plot development. The rest was filler in which Maas waxed on in melodramatic poetry about how amazing Aelin is and how sexy Rowan is. We get some of that here, of course, but if you can overlook some of the more nauseating moments between the two of them, then it's actually a really great, exciting book.

Yes, I had to push through all the scenes where Rowan's sexiness and utter maleness (WTF?) is described YET AGAIN. Yes, his erection is pressing against her perfect, magical ass when we first encounter them in chapter 2. Yes, he is constantly nibbling and nipping at her whenever he sees her. And, like, why is she okay with this?! Seriously, she's trying to save her kingdom with every douchebag in the continent on her tail and her bf won't control his penis for two bloody seconds! I'd be like "Dude, stop effin' nibbling me!"

I clearly just don't get this whole Rowan fangirl party everyone else seems to have going on.

That being said, there really are so many great things going on in this book. For a start, Manon just got a thousand times more interesting. I longed for any chapter with her in it and I was on the edge of my seat when she does that

If I'm honest, I think I'm starting to feel a shift in the way I view this series, which may also have made me enjoy it more. There are those books where we feel a very personal and close connection to one or two characters and their relationships (often true of 1st-person narratives); and there are those that have large casts of characters, each with their own stories, and we care about them all to varying degrees (think epic fantasy series like, say, A Song of Ice and Fire).

For me, this series started out as the first. I cared about Celaena and Chaol, and Dorian, but to a lesser extent. I felt close to them; I angsted about them; I really wanted Celaena and Chaol to be together. Now the novels have a wider scope - there's Aelin, Chaol and Dorian, but also Rowan, Lysandra, Aedion, Manon, Evangeline, Lorcan, and Elide. Perhaps even Gavriel and Fenrys. From Heir of Fire onwards, this has become a very different kind of series and I'm only just starting to accept it. I'm starting to enjoy the overall plot, the bigger picture, and perhaps loosen my more personal ties to Chaol.

I'm a little sad about it, but I also think Maas and her stories have grown in many ways. More richer, more clever, with lots of interlinking subplots. Something lost, something gained.

If you've been clinging to the hope that Maas will go full circle and return this series to how it was in the early installments, it's probably time to part ways with these books. But if you're just looking for some great storytelling, gruesome action, and lots of interesting characters (and can put up with the insufferable smirking and nibbling that is his royal gorgeousness - Rowan), then Empire of Storms has it all.

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These two girls said it all Simona’s review , Paige’s video

*sigh* I’m not sure where to start. I’ve pretty much loved all the previous books in this series but aghhh this one.

Welcome to Empire of Storms, the try not to cringe challenge book edition.

➨ The first thing that you notice while reading Empire of Storms is the similarities it has with ACOMAF. I think that in trying to release two HUGE books a year SJM doesn’t really have enough time to properly edit her books anymore. The two books ended up sounding exactly the same, except for the fact that ACOMAF was much, much better.

➨ The sex scenes situation: I have nothing against steamy scenes in YA books. I believe it makes the book more realistic and we all love seeing our OTP finally getting down to business. However, what I don’t like is seeing a YA book turn into straight up erotica.

There’s a scenes that combines my first two complaints about this book. Brace yourselves.

Remember the mountain situation is ACOMAF?

"Rhys roared as he came, slamming in to the hilt. Outside, the mountains trembled, the remaining snow rushing from them in a cascade of glittering white, only to be swallowed up by the waiting night below."

"Rowan’s own release barreled through him at the sight of it, lightning joining wind and ice over the water.
Aelin held him through it, sending the fire-opal of her magic to twine with his power. On and on, as he spilled himself in her, lightning and flame danced on the sea.
The lightning continued to strike, silent and lovely, even after he stilled."

Are you cringing yet ? Alright, moving on.

➨ I’m so done with Aelin trying to be sassy all the freaking time and bossing people around. Oh, and is it normal that she doesn’t share any of her plans with ANYONE?

➨ This book has no diversity whatsoever. Every single main character is straight and white af. SJM has like 50 pov characters between her two series, you’d think some of them would be a little different, right? Right? Wrong.

Also, every single character is blindingly beautiful.

Oh and let’s not forget that most characters are royalty for some reason.

➨ Chaol who?
Remember that main character we were in love with for three books?

➨ Characters acting out of character: Dorian felt really off in this book. He didn’t sound like Dorian just like Chaol didn’t sound like Chaol in the previous book but we already got rid of that problem, didn't we?

➨ Must every single character be in a relationship?

➨ For some reason the narrative is mostly third person limited but we randomly jump into other people’s minds here and there.

Ps: Thanks for everyone who pointed out that Aedion is actually bi-sexual I didn't omit this fact on purpose. It just slipped my mind when I was writing the review.

I hope I didn’t forget anything. Anyway, before you bite my head off, I just want to say that I do love SJM’s writing and I think the plot of this book and the series as a whole is great. This book could have been amazing if there wasn’t so many things annoying me about it.
This is just my honest opinion. Feel free to leave a comment so we can discuss.

I read the sex scene from this book out of context, and I was left with several questions. here is a sampling of these questions:

⭐are they fucking on the beach or in the water? it bothers me so much that I don’t know the answer to this? this should be incredibly clear?
⭐how does he keep touching her back scars when she’s lying down on her back, possibly submerged in the water?
⭐does Aelin have a hovercraft or really good abs or both?
⭐how does she gently place a necklace on a high up part of the beach, where the water can't touch it, from her position right next to the water?
⭐is Aelin Elastigirl?
⭐if she sucked his dick why did he not eat her out?
⭐does Fae culture not allow for reciprocation?
⭐is Rowan secretly DJ Khaled?
⭐why does he keep trying to bite her?
⭐why is she so accepting of his biting kink?
⭐does my confusion as to why he keeps trying to bite her qualify as "kinkshaming"?
⭐how can a kiss be described as "claiming"? why is possessiveness something both of these characters seem to be turned on by?
⭐has anyone ever written a Throne of Glass Fifty Shades of Grey au?
⭐why does he keep fucking her after she bursts into flames?
⭐how many “hot” puns did Sarah J. Maas think of while writing about a guy being turned on by his girlfriend bursting into flames?
⭐Rowan during sex: oh that's so hot baby
Aelin: is literally on fire
⭐why does she think about how she loves him so much she’d die without him while he’s literally just fucking her? what are Aelin's standards?
⭐has Aelin ever been played the song "No Scrubs" by TLC?
⭐do you think Aelin ever fakes it and just has to light herself on fire?
⭐why does he say he’s never done it with an equal before? is he aware that out of context, i.e. when I read it, that sounds incredibly creepy and rapey?
⭐was the word manhood used as a synonym for dick or did I hallucinate that?
⭐am I hallucinating right now?
⭐why is the phrase "velvet wrapped steel" sexier than the word "dick"?
⭐Aelin: is that a knife in your pocket or are you just happy to see me ;)
Rowan: *pulls out a sword wrapped in velvet* it's my velvet wrapped steel
⭐how many fish died while they fucked?
⭐what is the average sea turtle egg death count per fuck?
⭐in book seven are we going to meet any environmental activists who try to kill Aelin because she and her boyfriend have caused several species die-outs?
⭐why were two different sentences within this chapter simply the phrase “as he did x” and nothing else, making them literal incomplete sentences?
⭐does she have an editor?
⭐does this editor have an instagram on which she surreptitiously posts "help me"?
⭐how much kinkshaming can I do in one page?

more questions that have come to me in the last 24 hours include:
⭐did they get any more back scars [mentioned 4384838 times] from the glass they made all over that fucking beach?
⭐are women okay in what we expect from men, or do we live in an unequal world where men are the only ones allowed to have expectations?
⭐does Aelin have a WAP?
⭐are you all in the comments section okay? do you need some snacks? a glass of water? let me know
⭐what if his dick was - and hear me out - made of soap

“My name is Aelin Ashryver Galathynius …
And I will not be afraid.”

-
Why did I read Queen Of Shadows so fast?
Dammit, this happens every damn year.
I read the damn book way too fast and I don't think about the consequences.
The consequences being I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER EFFING YEAR AGAIN TO READ ABOUT ROWAN!

Full review to come.

Full review on my Blog: The Dacian She-Wolf 🐺

GIVE ME THAT BOSS-ASS GIRL POWER I NEED!

GIVE ME THOSE SUPERB SISTERHOOD AND BROTHERHOOD AND POSITIVE EMOTIONAL-PACKED SCENES!

GIVE ME MORE MANON, ELIDE AND LYSANDRA ACTION BECAUSE THEY ARE FUCKING SUPREME!

GIVE ME...Oh, wait, what’s that? Uhm...hello?? Is that GRIEF? And PAIN? And an unnecessary amount of PHYSICAL ACTION? OMG no. Stop it right there. I’m so here for this but stop.

Mates, I really want to say this: I feel like I’ve been too emotionally invested in this book only to find out it was cheating on me.

This is the exact and immediate feeling I had after finishing it (

Of course, Aelin is growing and growing and growing, becoming until the end of the book the truest form of the queen she has to be. I loved her development in Queen of Shadows more than I loved it here, even though she had some spot-on plans and schemes that had me a bit dazzled. But at the end of the book I really can say that I loved Aelin. She became the better version of herself and that is a wonderful thing. It made me forget every tiny „escapade” she had throughout the 700 pages of the book.

„A queen of legends indeed.”

Rowan and Aelin truly love each other by now. Rowan proved his love and devotion to her in this book so fiercely that sometimes I felt a beautiful warmth in my heart. But other times...bruh, what’s too much is too much. I understand you love each other but keep it under control. Please. Too much touching and unnecessary details for my liking.

Moving on.

I love the independence Lysandra gets to have. And I love the faith she has in Aelin’s plan. She’s becoming better and better, trying to find out who she truly is and prove to everyone (including herself) that she is more than a pretty face. Even though Aedion is being a regular douche with everyone, including her, he actually manifests a soft spot for her and wants to grant her the world, even though he doesn’t know how to do it or when. And I think that’s sweet.

Whom I really come to love in this book (truly) is Elide. She is such a sweet and witty thing, I love her and the enormous heart of hers. She’s proving her skills in this book, outsmarting everyone and taming the feral and lonely beast that Lorcan is. She’s truly a goddess, able to bring him to his knees and making him understand that he’s not alone. He becomes the planet in her gravitational system. And, again, that is sweet.

Now, I want to talk about my absolute favourite character of the whole series. She’s my number one, she’s my spirit animal and she can go eat my heart out and I’d thank her for that.

MANON.

She’s come to realise that she’s more than she was raised to be. She faces an unbearable truth about her and she discovers she’s more important in this big game of war-chess than she’d initially thought. She's getting stripped from her Pawn duties and given the power the Queen has to offer. But she’s alone. She’s hurt. She’s suffering. She’s the persona non grata of the book. And an underdog.

Everywhere she goes, she doesn’t fit in. She’s not welcome. She is not getting recognised. She’s not getting listened to. Though she changed. She wants to change. But even so, she really is alone and struggling.

„And Manon understood in that moment that there were forces greater than obedience, and discipline and brutality. Understood that she had not been born soulless; she had not been born without a heart.”

What really makes my heart melt with joy is the fact that despite all of this, the other underdog of the book, Dorian, is there to ease her loneliness and pain as well as she does for his own.

They are my favourites to be completely honest. Even though somehow they seemed a bit stiff around each other at first, their relationship comes to a fluidity until the end. They began as a refuge from each other's storms and now they ended up being the rocks that keep their anchors steady.

I really love their energy around each other and I declare them mates now and until the end of time.

In conclusion: I want my favourite couple of underdogs to rule the world and give me goose bumps as they do it because I love them. Full stop.

Also, I want to take a bit of space here to praise my flower-smelling baby boy, Abraxos, who’s the goodest boy and the smartest and just a marvel in general and he reminds me of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. They both exude joy, come on now!

This is a book that wrecked me as few do. I don’t know how but it got to me and made me sensitive AF. I wanted to cry and I wanted to throw it away and I felt betrayed and sad and powerless at the end. My sadness went deep. I don’t know how...

„It was all borrowed time anyway.”

(x)

It was unexpectedly relieving to slip back into this world. Initially, I was dreading this sequel because there was just so much that could go completely wrong, but Sarah J. Maas seriously knows her stuff. She handled the situations she put my favorite witches through with excellence.

Right from the start, we get to hear from Elena Galathynius, which, finally. She’s one of my favorites from this series and getting to read more about her after all this time was just a truly epic beginning.

“Because for Terrasen, for Erilea, Elena would walk into the eternal darkness lurking across the valley to buy them all a chance.”

And speaking of incredible females, I love this piece of fanart:

Part One: The Fire-Bringer starts out with Elide Lochan’s pov.

We follow her weeks after the events of the last book: Elide's on her way north to find her lost queen—and to also find Celaena Sardothien (she does not know yet that her two quests were one and the same) so that Elide might repay the life debt she owed to Kaltain Rompier. Speaking of, Kaltain Rompier at the end of QOS was more badass than anybody I've read about before.

On her way through the hills in the forest (where Manon Blackbeak and the Thirteen had left her), Elide’s completely ravenous since she doesn't know how to hunt or kill.

“She wouldn’t last long without food but couldn’t risk venturing into a village with the money Manon had given her, or toward any of the hunters’ fires she’d spotted these past few weeks.
No—she had seen enough of the kindness and mercy of men. She would never forget how those guards had leered at her naked body, why her uncle had sold her to Duke Perrington.”

The more I read about her, the more I realized how much I liked her character growth, which I truly don’t remember feeling previously but, as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Meanwhile, Aelin Ashryver ‘cloak-and-dagger’ Galathynius and her crew crossed into Terrasen three days ago. And at least another week lay between them and the city—"the once-glorious heart of her kingdom."

For the time being, they're all patiently waiting for the meeting Aedion has arranged between the fiery queen and the few lords he trusts.

When they arrive at the tavern for the meeting, Aelin has to remind herself to feel grateful for Lord Darrow (her late uncle's, Orlon, lover). He had after all sacrificed for her kingdom; he had men and money to offer in the upcoming battle with Erawan.

And I was definitely not expecting this, but Lord Darrow was such an interesting addition to this sequel. He gave Rowan and Aelin the reality check they needed i.e. not everyone is crazy in love with you, which, finally.

I mean, it was truly hilarious seeing Aelin get off her high horse after he was done with the shading:

“As for why my court and I wished to meet with you today—”
“Court?” Lord Darrow raised his silver brows. Then he slowly raked his stare over Lysandra, then Aedion, and finally Rowan. Ren was gaping at them all, something like longing—and dismay—on his face. “This is what you consider a court?”
“Obviously, the court will be expanded once we’re in Orynth—”
“And for that matter, I do not see how there can even be a court, as you are not yet queen.”
She kept her chin high. “I’m not sure I catch your meaning.”
Darrow sipped from his tankard of ale. The plunk as he set it down echoed through the room. Beside him, Murtaugh had gone still as death. “Any ruler of Terrasen must be approved by the ruling families of each territory.”

This kind of stuff wakes me right up... where were you when I needed you in Queen of Shadows??

“Oh, yes, we’ve heard of you. What an interesting turn of events, that when our kingdom is weakest and its heir so young, one of Maeve’s most trusted warriors manages to gain a foothold, after so many years of gazing at our kingdom with such longing. Or perhaps the better question is, why serve at Maeve’s feet when you could rule beside Princess Aelin?”

I've waited 84 years for this moment to come.

But after Darrow's done with insulting her court, he informs Aelin that he doesn't recognize her right to rule as the rightful Queen of Terrasen. And neither do the Lords Sloane, Ironwood, and Gunnar, who make up the remaining surviving majority of what was once her uncle’s court.
This leaves Aelin shocked to her core because after all she went through she remains a princess by blood—but not queen.

And, of course, Rowan-rutting-Whitethorn has to intervene because "I AM THE MAN." Every time he inserted himself in conversations, I was just like:

One of the main goals I was working towards was for him to get killed off or, at the very least, break up with Aelin. That would've been the only time Rowan left me satisfied...

And speaking of satisfied, the Ironteeth (including Manon Blackbeak and her Thirteen) were on their way to sack Rifthold before either sides could even blink. Dorian Havilliard would be their target. Dead or alive.

But unknown to the others, Manon has her eyes set on a different goal when she comes in at the exact right time to rescue Dorian's ass.

“He knew her face before he remembered her name.
Knew the white hair, like moonlight on water, that spilled over her dark, scalelike armor; knew the burnt-gold eyes.
Knew that impossibly beautiful face, full of cold bloodlust and wicked cunning.
“Get up,” Manon Blackbeak snarled.”

A century of training and instinct had barreled into Manon, so when she comes out her haze she realizes just who she killed to save the boy-king. Beheading one of Iskra’s sentinel was some hardcore shit.

“She didn’t have a heartbeat to spare to marvel that Abraxos had not balked at the fight, that he had not yielded. Her warrior-hearted wyvern. She’d give him an extra ration of meat.”

Amongst everything, Manon feeling like a proud mother was a definite highlight.

But on a more bleak note, Rifthold, the city that had forged and broken and sheltered Aelin, was officially torn down. The walls of the stone castle were bathed in blood.

And everything after that had gone to shit.
Everything.

• Asterin is to die at sunrise as punishment for Manon's blood-shedding of a witch.
• Rifthold had fallen, its king vanished and the city sacked by witches.
• Aelin, now traveling with Aedion and Lysandra for the coast, plans to raise hell and reclaim her rightful throne
• We get to see that the war had taken its toll on Dorian, he's tired of feeling as a failure to both his city and people.
And as a result, Dorian makes his way with Rowan to the Dead Islands to secure an advantageous ally with the Pirate Lord (Rolfe).
Also, since we're on the topic, when Dorian asked Rowan this next question, it made my blood boil.

“The first time you met Aelin, did you know … ?”
A snort. “No. Gods, no. We wanted to kill each other.” The amusement flickered. “She was … in a very dark place. We both were. But we led each other out of it. Found a way—together.”

What?! You were literally abusing her physically and emotionally!! “Dark place” my ass... this stone-cold bastard crawled out of the pits of hell and is here to drag everyone down with him.

But circling back to the main plot... one of the most EPIC scenes in this series happens then with the Thirteen. Manon Blackbeak became my absolute favorite after reading just how incredibly cunning and clever and fierce she is.

We had last left her with the knowledge that her Second is to be killed at dawn, so I was truly anticipating what would happen but never - NEVER - would I have guessed what actually went down.

At the start of this chapter, I was in literal tears for both Asterin and Manon, and some passages felt like they were purposely rubbing salt into my wounds:

“Never again would Asterin ride the winds; never again would Asterin soar on the back of her sky-blue mare. Manon’s eyes slid to the wyvern across the aerie—shifting on her two legs, awake when the others were not.
As if she could sense her mistress’s doom beckoning with each passing moment.”

Tears welted in my eyes after this.

“And in the east, slipping over the mountains like molten gold, the sun began to rise.
A hundred years she’d had with Asterin. She’d always thought they’d have a hundred more.”

By then, I was close to weeping. From both rage and bone-deep fear.

... But we were so close to knowing whether Asterin will get executed or not (I even put my hand on the page so as to not accidentally spoil myself). And damn, I'm still in utter awe.

“Hand trembling, Asterin pressed her fingers to her brow and extended them. “Bring our people home, Manon,” she breathed.
Manon angled Wind-Cleaver, readying for the strike.
The Blackbeak Matron snapped, “Be done with it, Manon.”
Manon met Sorrel’s eyes, then Asterin’s. And Manon gave the Thirteen her final order.
“Run.”
Then Manon Blackbeak whirled and brought Wind-Cleaver down upon her grandmother.”

I was too stunned, I literally had to bite down my tongue to hold off a scream. She's a force of nature, a warrior equal to none. And best of all, she fucking cares for her Thirteen.

“You are a Crochan. The last of their royal bloodline with the death of your sister at your own hand. You are a Crochan Queen.”

I needed a minute after that... which was impossible to get when Manon decides to jump off the stone ledge of the balcony to escape her grandmother's wrath. She rolls off it into the open air where Abraxos, her gentle, warrior-hearted mount, flew.

#And that's what you missed on Glee.

I seriously never thought I'd say this, but I want the next book to focus more heavily on the witches. All my favorite chapters were the ones where Manon or Elide were the lead. Hence why part two - Fireheart - was my favorite part.

I was especially interested to see where Elide and Lorcan would end up. I’m always weak for couples in stories that start out as fake-married/ dating, but I was hesitant with this one because of Lorcan's past and loyalty to his blood-sworn queen, Maeve.

But, at the start, Lorcan proved himself time and again—he perfectly teamed up with Elide to slay the world and everyone standing in their way. Their togetherness made me the happiest I’d been in awhile. But... they parted ways towards the end, which made my heart break a bit.
Though, I'm still holding on to the promise they made to one another: that no matter what, they'll always find each other...

Also, I feel like Lorcan's character was the perfect way for Maas to hold Rowan accountable for his destructive behavior towards Aelin in Heir of Fire:

“Lorcan had trained enough warriors to know when not to push. He’d tortured enough enemies to know when they were one slice or snap away from breaking in ways that would make them useless.
So Marion, when her scent had changed, when he’d felt even the strange, otherworldly power hidden in her blood shift to sorrow … worse, to hopelessness…”

Lorcan knew when to not push Marion (aka Elide) for more information, he knew when to stop. So according to that, Rowan should and could have known when to not push Aelin further down in Wendlyn, but did he? Nope... and was he held accountable for his abuse? Nope.

And since I'm on a roll about the negatives of this sequel, there's one last thing that I simply cannot leave out:

She said quietly to Ren, “Thank you—for helping Captain Westfall this spring.”
A muscle flickered in Ren’s jaw, but he said, “How does he fare? Aedion mentioned his injuries in his letter.”
“Last I heard, he was on his way to the healers in Antica. To the Torre Cesme.”
“Good.”

I could not believe it when they removed Chaol from this sequel... I'm still shocked. Does Sarah J. Maas truly hate his character that much???

I needed to see how Chaol was faring being away from everyone? How was he feeling? What's going on with him and Nesryn? What's going on with him and his father? So many question left unanswered... what happened!!! I mean, the ten times he was mentioned (mainly by Dorian) were such weak attempts at trying to make it sound like he's better off being away from his true friends, which, no.

“You know,” he said, “sometimes I wish Chaol were here—to help me. And then sometimes I’m glad he’s not, so he wouldn’t be at risk again. I’m glad he’s in Antica with Nesryn.”

“And the Queen of Terrasen is your friend?”
“There is no one else I’d want guarding my back.” Other than Chaol, but … it was no use even thinking about him, missing him.”

So in honor of all that, here's a list of the things I want in the last book:

• Chaol's presence.
• More Manon and Elide.
• More Lorcan with Elide (this is a necessity for my calm and peace).
• Ansel of Briarcliff friending it up with Manon Blackbeak.
• More flashbacks featuring my favorite princess, Nehemia. I seriously still have chills from that memory we saw of her, young and strong and wise, speaking and working together with Elena.
• Read about Manon's journey to find the Crochans.
• Have some fucking peace in the finale.

But despite its flaws, Empire of Storms had one of the most epic and enthralling endings that made my heart soar, strain and crash all at once.

As you might've guessed, for the majority of this sequel I didn't really care for Aelin—until I reached that gods-damned ending she got.

“Nameless is my price. To buy them a future, she’d pay it.
She’d done as much as she could to set things in motion to ensure that once she was gone, help would still come. It was the only thing she could give them, her last gift to Terrasen. To those she loved with her heart of wildfire.”

The Queen of Terrasen had sacrificed so much and here she was willing to do it all over again so as to not bring someone else in harm's way. I had so much love and respect in my heart in that moment.

And Sarah J. Maas truly knows how to end her books in such a way that, after reading close to 700 pages, I was left wanting more and more.

“Aelin Galathynius had raised an army not just to challenge Morath … but to rattle the stars.”

Also, this song was the greatest to listen to. Sia never fails to impress me.

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This review and more can be found on my blog.

I may hate her right now, I may be cursing her name and shaking and screaming, but deep down I love her with an unprecedented reverence. She can't be human, no, she is a terrible, brilliant and cruel deity that messes with us mortals. For the past 48 hours I've been fighting and bleeding in Erilea. Now, I'm in a daze. Powerful gusts of wind scattered my mind. Bright fire reduced my sanity to cinders. And icicles have pierced my heart. Because this book, because Empire of Storms, was stunningly, absolutely, mindblowingly, breathtakingly, terrifyingly EPIC.

“Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, knew the time would soon come to prove just how much she'd bleed for Erilea.”

“Aelin Galathynius had raised an army not just to challenge Morath, but to rattle the stars.”

“He was hers and she was his and they had found each other across centuries of bloodshed and loss, across oceans and kingdoms and war.”

“For Terrasen. For them. For a better world.”

She was a slayer. A monster. She bathed in blood and she relished it. But then she started feeling something more. It was Abraxos, and Asterin, and Elide, that made her show a vulnerable side, that made her seperate right from wrong and fight against injustice, fight against the part of her that was forged in war and gore. And Dorian knew exactly who and what she was. I didn't expect to become such Dorian/Manon trash, but I am. And I also loved the Lorcan/Elide storyline, I looked forward to their chapters and swooned at the way they started falling in love. And let's not forget the slowly blooming romance between Aedion and Lysandra, which gave me all the feels. Same way as Aelin and Rowan.

We're talking about a freaking armada. All these couples, with their sweet and scorching scenes (because there was a decent amount of smut I thoroughly enjoyed), were definitely one of the reasons that made Empire of Storms so special.

“I'd walk into the burning heart of hell itself to find you.”

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Some jumbled thoughts:

I don't care about any of the characters that I'm supposed to care about anymore. The longer you spend with SJM's characters, the more it seems like she's completely incapable of keeping character's consistent or giving them realistic development. Not caring about these characters has a significant impact on one's ability to enjoy this book, as so much of it hinges on characters and their relationships with one another.

The plot in this was a staggering and derivative mess, on the whole. We spend a lot of time watching people with more knowledge than our protagonist trying to tell her what she needs to do, and her promptly telling them SORRY Y'ALL, I HAVE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO. The sense of what is and isn't a priority in this book is astounding. Of this ~700 page book, I would say the vast majority doesn't contribute to the plot. Most of it is romance and sexual tension because clearly all of the characters need to be in relationships or working on it, right?? Of the bits of plot we get, it feels like a mix of a Harry Potter rip off and a copy of her own book, A Court of Mist and Fury. The ending of this book is pretty much the same as ACOMAF.

The writing in this is lazy af. I honestly wish SJM wasn't contracted to release two books a year because it's obvious she could afford more time to polish these books. We have an unwieldy amount of POV characters in this, and even with "distinct" POVs, we bounce between different character's thoughts instead of focusing on who we're meant to be focused on in each scene. If you're going to have multiple POVs with a focus on their individual thoughts, you can't randomly go omniscient as you see fit. You can't have omniscient and limited POVs. Pick one.

(Also, even if we have an unwieldy amount of POVs... it's a little fucked up that one of the main characters isn't in this book. Astounding that you can just cut someone out like that.)

Once again, as with ACOMAF, I'm struck by how GODDAMN HETEROSEXUAL THIS BOOK IS. Every character is in a pairing of some sort, and so much of this book is characters thinking about how hot their love interest is... and a lot of times the attraction comes down to proximity. These two characters of the opposite sex are spending time together? Clearly they're eventually gonna wanna fuck each other if they spend enough time together. The majority of this book seems to be trying to build romantic and/or sexual tension between characters... some of which feels really off. We have characters that say things that make them sound like they may be asexual drooling over a bead of sweat rolling down a dude's ~oily and hairy chest~. We have characters who are straight up misandrists with a love of women hooking up with men. SJM hints that maybe there are characters in her ensemble cast that aren't straight, and then reminds us that ALL FEMALES GOTTA HAVE THE D - it's a rule of life, don't you know?

I will say that the LGBT+ rep in this is better than her previous books, but that doesn't mean it's good representation. I could do a whole video on queer characters in this book. I might. We'll see.

I don't know, man. This book was boring for the most part. I have 18 minutes of footage of me ranting to Snapchat because I had to stop every few pages to rant about this book. It's not good, and I'm now convinced that this series has no hopes of redemption. I was willing to give SJM a chance after the mess that was QOS, but this was no better.

- shock and awe that this surpasses ‘queen of shadows’ in terms of creativity, foresight, and complexity.

- i only like manon if she is with other main characters, so everyone finally meeting is a big win for her character.

- i miss choal. i know why and im excited to see him again in the next book, but man. only two mentions in 600+ pages is rough.

- i know how the whole series ends now, so i wasnt really bothered that so many things kept going wrong for the characters (especially the ending).

- ELIDE AND LORCAN. like, wow. how could i have slept on them my first time reading this?? honestly, they are amazing characters and i cant believe it took a reread to fully appreciate them.

- is it just me or is everyone underestimating dorian, myself included?

i really thought this series was going to peak with ‘queen of shadows’ because it was so bloody brilliant, but ive never been happier to be proven wrong. the level of planning and cunning in this story and the way it was told is on another level. usually, i prefer it when the reader is fully informed and given more knowledge than the characters, but man. every time a secret plan was revealed, i could not help but admire SJM and her sly writing.

also, can we appreciate that all of the different story points have FINALLY converged and everyone was reunited?! i cant tell you how long i have been waiting for that to happen.

and if i could air one tiny little grievance, it would be that the whole ‘nothing goes to plan’ occurrence happened wayyyy too often. it kinda got old fast and sometimes made the story very frustrating, in my opinion. but i understand that without opposition, the book would be boring. because holy crap. THAT. ENDING. i just wish something would go in their favour for once - maybe they will catch a break in the next book, but i doubt it. lol.

OH! and how on earth could chaol not get an appearance?! yeah, he was a total jerk in the last book, but that doesnt mean he needs to be completely forgotten. :(

↠ 5 stars

Had to give myself some time after reading this epic book, to gather my thoughts, and pull myself off the floor. I think I've had some time to get it together and am finally ready to right a review for this book.

We're pretty deep into the Throne of Glass Series so writing reviews for it are getting harder and harder. It's getting harder to talk about events going on and where are characters stand without spoiling anything. I'm go to try my damnedest not to spoil anything! This will also be a shorter probably super listy reviw (is listy a word??). Also, if you're reading this review pre-picking up EOS and haven't read The Assassin's Blade I would suggest doing so. There are a lot of things and characters brought up in this book that are only in TAB.

This series holds such a special place for so many, and I am one of those people. I love everything about this series and where it's headed. Can't believe this series is almost over.

Everything I liked:
-Manon. I know everyone and their mom has been a fan of Manon since she first appeared, but I wasn't. I didn't not like her, but I wasn't in love with her. I am now! I was waiting for her POVS and events involving her. And there is a lot of Manon in this book.
-Dorian-Rowan Bromance going on. I like all their precious broments. Loved that these two finally got to do some bonding. Dorian is one of the sweetest characters in this series, and Rowan is Bae is I love getting to see these two hang.
-Celaena (Aelin) calling Rolfe “his Pirateness” and wanting Rowan to call her “milady”.
-Celaena's sarcasm hasn't gotten old. If anything it's gotten even better.
-How Rowan is opening up so much! I love Rowan! I love mysterious, powerful men, and with this book I feel like were actually starting to know the real him... and I can't get enough of it.
-The Smut!!!! This book is so hot I think it left grill marks on my hands from holding it. The sexy scenes are..... God they are hot!
-Seeing Dorian and Aelin referred to as the King of Adarlan and Queen of Terrasen.
-The insane amount of world building. It's stunning and phenomenal.
-Chaol not being in the book. I don't think this is a spoiler. However, I think it was a very boold, and smart choice for Maas to do.
-The importance of Rowan treating and presenting Celaena as his equal. This makes me want to cry. Like eyes watering typing this because it makes me so happy. "Rowan Whitethorn saw everything. From the moment he met her, he saw all of Aelin. And he was not afraid. I don’t blame either of them for falling in love. I don’t blame her… I was what Celaena needed after Endovier. But Rowan is who Aelin needs – forever.”
-New love interest.
-SJM love for girl power.
-Epic fight scenes. Including but not limited to sea battles.
I want to talk about 992830980293 more things, but I'll only talk about one more.
-The ending. HOLY SWEET MOTHER OF GOD! WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO WITH THAT ENDING!!! HOW DOES SHE SUSPECT US TO LAST ANOTHER YEAR!!! The ending of this book... it BROKE me! I was gasping for air, I wanted to throw up, and I was sobbing all at the same time. I loved how it brought us back to the first book, while at the same time showing us how far this series has come. Just when I think Celaena can't get any stronger, more badass, or make me fall in love with her more she proves me wrong. Everything about this ending was perfect. It's everything I wanted. Seriously a sobbing mess! I ended up re-reading the last like 20 chapters a few days later, and still knowing what was going to happen didn't stop me from having another complete breakdown.

Everything I hated:
-

yeah you read that right. I have no cons for this book. Feel so many people are hating on it because of the hype. People love to hate on things. This series though, is outstanding. Sarah J. Maas never lets down.

(Old)Is it bad I'm hoping one of the main dude dies??? Also I have this gut feeling Sam isn't dead and that's the ending??? Is it bad that I'm team C be solo??? Proven queen rule better alone. Just saying *insert sassy girl emoji.*

*re read updated review*. Ok I still think someone important will die. Know sam is dead, but will never agree to it. Still kind of want her to be solo, but love Rowan so much. I also forgot how much this ending hurt. But how wonderful that pain is.*

So, it took me ages to start writing this review and truth be told I’m still not sure if I’m ready to do it. This book was the equivalent of a wild roller coaster, just with the minor and rather distinctive difference that there actually was no brake in the end. It felt like an amazing ride up until the moment the brakes failed and the entire waggon tumbled into nothingness!
And if you already think that my description is messed up: YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!! *lol* Because to read this book and especially the ending is even worse than any allegory I could come up with!! XD

I mean it! I’m still SO DAMN SHOOK and it will take me ages to recover from that book! Still, I really loved “Empire of Storms” and even though the ending killed me and left my mind reeling and my heart bleeding I probably enjoyed this way too much. Sarah can write and she proved it once again with an amazing book that left me gasping and wanting for more.

This time around not everything was sunny and nice though. There were some things I didn’t like because they were idk… just weird. *lol* I mean I get why love played a huge role in EoS and believe me when I say that I loved all the ships that developed throughout the series, in this fifth book some of the relationships seemed to be kind of dissonant though. Or should I rather say the timing for those relationships to develop was sort of improper?!

Or to put it even more bluntly: It’s abnormal how much time they spent with making love when the entire world around them is in chaos and war! *lol* Especially Aelin and Rowan. XD Just saying! Haha! You’d think they’d have more important matters on their mind but nope. Apparently horny fae males can do it everywhere. *lol* Ooops, did I just say that?! Young kids under 13 you forget that you ever read this, okay?! *smiles innocently*

So where were we? Oh yes, inappropriate timing and love. You all know me and know that I’m a sucker for things like that but this time around it all felt kind of forced. Like Sarah realized that this is the last book she can use to form proper ships and decided to do them all in one go! Don’t get me wrong, I loved those ships and I

The plot:

”Morath is unleashing its horrors,” Lysandra said. “Maeve stirs across the sea. Two goddesses walk hand in hand with Aelin. More than that, Mala and Deanna have watched over her the entirety of her life. But perhaps it wasn’t watching. Perhaps it was … shaping. So they might one day unleash her, too. And I wonder if the gods have weighed the costs of that storm. And deemed the casualties worth it.”

The characters:

I didn’t do one of my spoilery spoiler sections for quite a while so to all of you who just started to read my reviews: This is the part where I spoil the hell out of the book, everything I write about the characters is uncensored and pretty direct. So if you didn’t read the book and plan to do it: Don’t continue to read my review! This is a fair warning, you better don’t ignore it. I assume no liability. ;-P

Aelin:

”She looked over her shoulder. “To call in old debts and promises. To raise an army of assassins and thieves and exiles and commoners. To finish what was started long, long ago.”

OH GOSH!!! AELIN!!! That wonderful, stupid, brilliant and fire breathing bitch!!! I can’t even!! I don’t know where to start! I mean ARGH!!! I hated her so much for some of her actions!! I was angry because she didn’t tell anyone about her plans, because she was so egoistic and ordered them all around! I hated the way she treated Aedion and what she asked Lysandra to do and throughout the entire book I didn’t know whether I wanted to strangle or kiss her! Talk about A LOT of mixed feelings! *lol* But that ending?!! Oh gods! That ending was so heart-breaking! It all made perfect sense, all her scheming, plotting, lying and hiding things. Boy, did it hurt to read those last 50 pages… I don’t even want to know what is going to happen in the last book, it definitely won’t be pleasant for Aeling though. Poor girl, poor, poor, poor girl! *sobs* T_T

”I’m sorry,” Aelin said, shoulders curving inward, head dropping low as the tears slid down her flushed cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” How many years had those words been locked up?

Rowan:

”Even if Maeve had kept me enslaved, I would have fought her. Every day, every hour, every breath.”

I definitely liked Rowan in this one! After my slight disappointment of his portrayal in “Queen of Shadows” it seems like he found his way back to being an individual. I guess it might have helped that him and Aelin weren’t always together in Eos and this kind of gave him the opportunity to shine as the fierce fae warrior that he is. XD I’d have hated him to become just an accessory for Aelin because he’s actually a pretty cool character and I know that he can stand his ground. Yes, they love each other but that doesn’t mean he has to lose himself and everything that makes him him. So, yes, I admit it, I’m glad Sarah managed to get her act together. *lol*

”Sometimes I wish I knew every thought in that head, each scheme and plot. Then I remember how much it delights me when you reveal it – usually when it’s most likely to make my heart stop dead in my chest.”

Aedion:

”The fear of loss … it can destroy you as much as the loss itself.”

Mhmm… Aedion my precious bisexual Cupcake! *lol* I still love him so much and I still think he deserves the world and this even though he did a lot of stupid things I didn’t agree with! For instance treating Dorian like shit! I mean WTH?! Then again with a person like Aelin whose actions were always like some sort of punch it’s actually no wonder that he was always so grumpy! (Not to mention the thing with his father!!!) He would have deserved her trust and he didn’t get it, so I can’t blame him for being pissed. XD Especially after finding out about Aelin’s plans with Lysandra. Urgh! Still, given some time

”He couldn’t explain why, but he wanted her there. She got under his skin so damn easily, but … Lysandra steadied him. Perhaps because she was something new. Something he had not encountered, had not filled with hope and pain and wishes. Not too many of them, at least.”

Lysandra:

”He was enslaved; he was tortured for months. Not just by his father, but by that thing inside of him. He was violated, and even if you cannot draw up forgiveness for stabbing Aelin against his own will, then try to have some compassion for that.”

Lysandra, the voice of reason! <333 I swear sometimes it felt like she was the only level-headed person in Aelin’s entire court! I loved that she talked back to the guys and didn’t even bother to be nice about it. I just love her! She’s one hell of a woman and I swear if she doesn’t accept Aedion at her side I’ll try my luck with her! *lol* (and with Manon but that’s another matter. XD) Lysandra was just amazing in this book and the way she fought? Boy, that woman is brave and fierce! Some of the best fighting scenes were with Lysandra and that’s just awesome! Finally a woman that truly knows how to kick people’s asses! Physically and verbally of course! *lol* <333 Gosh, what a woman! *shakes head and sighs deeply*

”I never had friends – not as I do now. And today on that beach, when I saw that fleet and thought it belonged to our enemy … For a moment, I wished I’d never met any of you. Because the thought of any of you …” She sucked in a breath. “How do you do it? How have you learned to enter a battlefield with your Bane and not fall apart with the terror that not all of you might walk off it?” Lysandra

Manon:

”Her grandmother’s creature – that’s what Manon was. It had never seemed like a hateful thing.”

I am so proud of Manon!!! I can’t even! She finally decided to follow her heart and even though it cost her dearly I’m still so damn happy that she chose HER path! I always suspected that there was more to her and when I found out that she is the last Crochan Queen my jaw kind of dropped to the floor! OMG! What a mean twist of fate. Poor girl, she was so confused, wounded and alone but she still didn’t give into her despair and I loved her for it! This woman is

”And Manon understood in that moment that there were forces greater than obedience, and discipline, and brutality. Understood that she had not been born soulless; she had not been born without a heart. For there were both, begging her not to swing that blade.”

Dorian:

”The man fighting inside his father had kept the blow from being fatal. Dorian had possessed no such control, no such strength, when he watched the demon use his own body – when the demon had tortured and killed and taken what it wanted. Maybe his father had been the stronger man in the end. The better man.”

DORIAN!!! I’ll never get tired of loving this man!! Of all the guys that are part of this series he’s still my favourite and number one! Dorian is my precious cinnamon roll and nothing will change that! With every book I just love him more and more and I can’t wait to read “Kingdom of Ashes” because I know he’ll be great! There’s a dangerous and sexy edge to him now and boy, I’m living for it!!! <333 The only thing that worries me is that according to Elena it’s either Aelin or Dorian who has the strength to kill the Valg, because if that means one of them has to die in the end I’m going to be so pissed. Especially if it’s Dorian which is pretty likely since he has the keys now and is trying to finish what Aelin couldn’t. I mean damn! I swear if Dorian dies I’m going to cry for days. T_T He doesn’t deserve to die but Sarah always has her whipping boys (I’m still waiting for a happy end for Lucien!!! Dammit!!!) and I’m so afraid that Dorian will have to die in the end. =((( Please Sarah, don’t do it!!! Please!!! *sobs* #TeamDorian forever and for always

”I have seen death, and worse,” he said, those sapphire eyes frozen as he surveyed her from head to armored boot-tip and back again. “The death you’d offer is kind compared to that.”

Elide:

”Why?” And with all of Lorcan’s considerable focus honed in on her, with the way he’d glanced at her red-painted mouth, Elide wanted to tell him. About the tower, and Vernon, and her parents. About why, if she were to ever feel desire, it’d be a result of trusting someone so much that those horrors faded away, a result of knowing they would fight tooth and claw to keep her free and never lock her up or hurt her or leave her.

I finally got more of Elide and I have to say that I enjoyed every second of her POV. She’s such a clever, calculating and cunning woman! (The three C’s I love the most! *lol*) And I loved the moment she acted like Manon and actually managed to get rid of the Ilken! I mean how cool was that? This girl knows how to survive and I couldn’t help but love her for her strength. Still, I’m sorry for everything she had to go through and I really hope that she’ll find peace once the war is over. Deep down inside her she’s really broken and even though she and Lorcan are on bad terms right now I’m still pretty sure that he can give her what she craves the most. *sigh* Poor girl. =(

”Storms mean looking for shelter,” she murmured. “Shelter means being stuck inside with nothing to do but gossip. Gossip means news from merchants and sailors about the rest of the land.” Those eyes cut to him, dry humor dancing there. “That is what thunder means.”

Erawan & Maeve:

Those golden eyes simmered like hot coals. “Because destroying a symbol can break the spirits of men as much as bloodshed.”

I HATE THAT EVIL WITCH!!! If I’d have my way, I’d let her rot in hell! Next to Erawan of course! Gosh, I hate those two so much! They are horrible people and despicable and urgh I just want them to vanish! Someone has to stop them and they need to do it fast!! >_<

The relationships and ships:

She’d forgotten how much taller he was. Face-to-face, Dorian panted as he stared down at her and breathed, “Hello, witchling.”
Some ancient, predatory part of her awoke at the half smile. It sat up, cocking its ears toward him. Not a whiff of fear. Interesting. Manon purred back, “Hello, princeling.”

THIS SHIP IS MY OTP!!! Forget Aelin and Rowan! Dorian and Manon are the real deal! I love them soo much and I couldn’t get enough of them. Their conversations were so awesome and I loved the fact that they were equal. They treated each other like equals and there were no discussions or arguments! They know what they are capable of and they are so honest it hurts! *lol* Also can we appreciate the tension between those two! GOSH! It almost killed me! They are such a power couple and even though their relationship seems to be more rough than those of the other couples they are still gentle with each other. <333 There is respect, there is love, there is a mutual understanding about who they are! WHAT MORE CAN YOU ASK FOR!? I LOVE THIS SHIP AND I’LL GO DOWN WITH IT! Period! <3

”Not spared him. Rescued him.
He wasn’t a fool. He knew she’d done it for whatever reasons were useful to her. She was so alien to him as the warrior sitting at the other end of the boat – more so. And yet, that darkness, that violence and stark, honest way of looking at the world… There would be no secrets with her. No lies.”

”You could have made her suffer – you went for a clean blow instead. Why?”
“Because even with our enemies, there’s a line.”
“Then you have your answer.”
“I didn’t ask a question.”
Manon snorted. “You’ve had that look in your eyes all night – if you’re becoming a monster like the rest of us. The next time you kill, remind yourself of that line.”

Rowan considered for a moment, and then said,” I have known many kings in my life, Dorian Havilliard. And it was a rare man indeed who asked for help when he needed it, who would put aside pride.”

This is legit the best bromance of this entire series! I adore their friendship so much! They understand each other and Rowan knows exactly how Dorian feels! Plus I love that he doesn’t underestimate him and that he trusts him to make the right decisions! And they seem to have similar powers, which is great because Rowan was able to help my precious boy to learn how to control his abilities! <3 I really hope that friendship will last! =)

”Rowan knew most underestimated the sharp intelligence under that disarming smile. Knew that Dorian’s value wasn’t his godlike magic, but his mind.”

Aedion grinned. “Good to know I’m finally getting under your skin. Or is it skins?”
That staggeringly beautiful face turned positively wicked. “Careful, Aedion. I bite.”

They are definitely my second OTP! *lol* I still love their easy banter and I was so glad that this ship started to sail

”He hated Aelin for asking this of Lysandra, both to defend them and to secure the Mycenians to fight for Terrasen. Hated the people who had left such scars on the shifter that Lysandra was so willing to throw her life away.”

”The ghost leopard sat beside him, tail twitching, and met his eyes for a moment before she laid her enormous head on his thigh. In silence they watched the stars flicker over the calm waves, Lysandra nuzzling her head against his hip.”

”This was what drove her out of her mind – this fire between them. They could burn the entire world to ashes with it. He was hers and she was his, and they had found each other across centuries of bloodshed and loss, across oceans and kingdoms and war.”

Is it just me or were they actually too much in this book? Their relationship became so corny and perfect that it was more than just a little unrealistic. I noticed this in ACOTAR and I’m seeing it here too, it’s just too perfect. They are so perfect together, that they lose their ability to shine as individuals and call me crazy but I really dislike that in books. The love of Aelin and Rowan is just so all-consuming it leaves no room for other things. And it’s come to a point where it’s so kitschy that I almost puked because of the constant sweetness overload. I know many people love them and they are their OTP but seriously, for me they lacked zest. Rowan loves Aelin no matter what she does and that just feels wrong. In a real relationship you argue, you scream and this even though or especially BECAUSE you love each other. ;-) Those two? Nothing. It’s just my opinion though so if you feel differently that’s okay as well. =))

”I love you. There is no limit to what I can give you, no time I need. Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will love you.”

”I made a promise to protect you. I will not break it, Elide.”
She made to pull away, but he gripped her a little harder, keeping her eyes on him.
“I will always find you,” he swore to her. Her throat bobbed. Lorcan whispered, “I promise.”

What can I say? I always knew they’d become a couple. *lol* But I really don’t like how things came to an end between them. I mean he almost died for her but she is ignoring him now? Come on, give that boy a break! I know Elide feels bound to Aelin’s court but if she truly loves Lorcan they should find a way, right? Poor Lorcan, I only feel sorry for him right now and I think he deserves to be loved as much as Elide does. So please can you just get together again and give each other the love you deserve? *looks hopeful*

”Lorcan’s onyx eyes were unreadable as he scanned her face. And then he said quietly, “ I wanted to go to Perranth with you.”

Considering it all I really enjoyed “Empire of Storms” and thanks to my precious Gem this was another wonderful buddy read! =) The only reason I’m giving this four stars is the simple fact that some things felt kind of forced and therefore left me wondering. *lol* It’s just my personal opinion though. Either way, EoS was still an amazing ride and I can’t wait to dive into “Tower of Dawn”. =)) Gem, are you ready for book 6?

I'll be filming a full video review for this so I'll keep my thoughts here brief.

I didn't have high expectations going into this because, as this series has gone on, I've increasingly lost interest in most of the characters and the plot.

But this took everything I didn't like in the series and multiplied it by 10000 and took everything I loved and shattered it to pieces.

For a while, I actually really enjoyed the direction of the plot. It seemed like the world would actually start expanding and some things would start to make sense. However, by the end, things just started to get ridiculous, plot lines were wrapped up in the most convoluted ways possible, and of course there had to be a little "fate" added into the mix to render everything else irrelevant.

The romance was insufferable and made up at least 70% of the book. It was just a bunch of brooding, "hot," Fae men, standing around being jealous of the other men when they spoke to their girlfriends. Speaking of which, EVERYONE in this book had to be in a relationship (a heterosexual one, of course), because you can't have a group of attractive royals in the same room unless they're all making out with each other.

Like the book did, let's just ignore the fact that one of the main characters of the series wasn't even in this, and talk about the characters that were. The characters, which had always been my favorite part of the books, were all intolerable. All the male characters are pretty much just carbon copies of one another with different color hair/eyes. They're all "walls of muscle" who have temperament issues and are way too territorial over the women they've "claimed." As for the female characters, they're mostly brushed aside to make more room for Aelin and her ego. By the end, Manon is the only one I still truly like, and I bet you I'll end up hating her too by the end of the next book.

The thing is, this isn't the same series as the first two Throne of Glass books. I'm all for a series progressing, changing, and growing. But when your characters are unrecognizable, when your new plot lines negate almost the entirety of some of your previous books, then there's a problem.

Did anyone else get the Barnes & Noble edition with he beautiful cover art on the inside front pages and the inside back pages? They are beautiful!

THIS BOOK IS FREAKING EPIC AND I LOVED IT AND I LOVE ALL OF EVERYONE IN THE BOOK AND I LOVE ROWAN AND ETC AND SO FORTH. THERE WILL BE "NO SPOILERS!"

The revelations that came out in the book just blew me away. I was not ready for it, the characters were not ready for it. But, that is Mrs. Maas for you :-)

Everyone in this book had a part to play in the epic ending. They all came together whether they wanted to or not and holy sh•t balls!

This book just burned right through me. I loved everyone accept the few arseholes. There were just so many people coming together and it's not over people. I'm afraid Sarah is going to kill everyone I love!

I thought all of the characters were played most excellently. I loved Lysandra and Aedion. Manon and Abraxos, Elide and Lochan, Dorian. There are so many more that came together and I want you to enjoy this without me telling certain things. I can't talk much on this review or I will end up giving out spoilers AND I REALLY WANT TO GIVE OUT SPOILERS!

The ending . . . .

The ending . . .

All I can say is

I really hope this series ends well, because that ending was messed up and painful. Aelin is a true hero and I really hope the final book doesn't kill me!

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

I FINALLY GODS-DAMNED DID IT
It was long and it was difficult but it was worth it. I have the hardest time getting through Sarah J. Maas books because they're so long and there's so much going on, so I complain A TON as I'm reading it, but I always end up loving it in the end.

Let's be honest - it could have been so much better. Makes me a bit anxious about the final book, to be honest.
_________________________
Before reading:
A year of waiting...

I'm going to properly review all of these books separately once I've finished Kingdom of Ash. So RTC, but the reviews will actually happen this time because I have A LOT of feelings.

Reread number 5.

———————————————

That bitch Maeve! 😤
I forgot how painful and intense that ending was. The revelations, the armies, plots coming together and falling apart at the same time... all traumatising.

ORIGINAL REVIEW!
“Nameless is my price.” 😩

Rereading this has affirmed that this instalment is definitely up there with Heir of Fire as my favourite in the series.

I still feel slightly sick. My heart is still heavy. Numb. I'm devoid of any emotion, since those last few chapters, or reading this book in general, has drained everything out of me. That ending was painful! And yet, I want to go revisit and reread it! The whole series, back to back!

I adore this woman! This series! They've completely consumed my heart! I think I stated this in one of my other ToG reviews, but I haven't fangirled this hard about a series since Potter and it feels SO good.

Every plot point came together seamlessly! There were so many moments that had me gasping, actually gasping out loud, moments that made me have an epiphany and I was astounded by how clever the whole plot was, moments that had me genuinely tear up, because it was so painful.

Sarah J Maas KNOWS what she's doing with this series. Listening to an interview she did she stated that she knew how she wanted this series to go, how this series was going to end before she got signed by Bloomsbury. So much admiration and love for her!

It also helped me majorly that I reread the series before starting Empire of Storms or else I doubt I would've picked up certain plot points or remembered characters and moments that appear in the other books.

Seriously, my heart is in agony at the moment. Resurrect myself when the final book is released.

*enters grave*

And oh my gracious god what did I just read.

Look, if I wanted fanfic I'd go to archiveofourown, not go and buy one in a bookstore. Honestly I'd also get better quality on ao3 than I got in this book.

Queen of Shadows was a bit of a disappointment but this

This was painful to read, this is an insult to the genre.

This is blasphemy.

(view spoiler)[

Look fanfic is the best way to describe this.

Rowan and Aelin are mates and I say "what?"

Oh please, that whole story of Maeve's? It was convenient author manipulation to suddenly make us realise that WAIT THEY ARE ACTUALLY MATES! ROWAN AND AELIN'S PAST LOVES HAVE ALL BEEN A LIE! THEY CAN ONLY LOVE EACH OTHER!

This is some fanfic writer level "technically it could happen so I'm gonna make it happen for my ship" of canon manipulation.

Look, I consider Heir of Fire to be the last book in the Throne of Glass series because that was the last book that actually felt like canon.

Rowan and Aelin should've remained platonic. I will scream this until the whole universe shakes with the sound of it and as it caves in on itself I shall shout it until the last of the air leaves my lips. In Heir of Fire they were platonic besties beating bitch-Queens and sharing cool powers while bantering.

Now it's just embarrassing.

"Sometimes you'd be sleeping beside me at Mistward, and it'd take all my concentration not to lean over and bite them. Bite you all over." - Empire of Storms

"There was noting romantic about sharing a bed with Rowan, and they kept to their own sides. Celaena reflected on how starved of affection she'd been when she'd come to Wendlyn, not just from a lover, but from a friend." - Heir of Fire

They're friends. THEY'RE FRIENDS.

How many times do I need to say that this series would've been 100% better if Sarah J. Maas had stuck to her original plan and just decided on either Dorian or Chaol being endgame instead of turning an obviously platonic relationship into a romantic one.

Now let's discuss Dorian and his role in this book.

Dorian Havilliard was not born for his character be mangled by Sarah J. Maas's fanfictions.

Manon Blackbeak wasn't born for her character to be forced into a straight relationship where she is the submissive partner.

And where the fuck is Chaol Westfall.

The Manon/Dorian smut scenes were so out of character I was screaming in pain and rage. Manon, what the fuck. "Never mind she was contemplating the opposite (of making Dorian beg for her)" The Manon Blackbeak I know would never kneel to anyone, not even in pleasure. (Oh, except she's not a Blackbeak, she's a Crochan, of fucking course. Sarah J. Maas's protagonists can't be problematic. They have to be born into greatness, not have to develop and make the choice to leave their darker pasts behind.)

Manon is not straight. I thought she was asexual, others thought she was lesbian. I could've rolled with her being bisexual, but she sure as hell is not straight. I was so convinced that Manon/Elide or Manon/Asterin was going to be a thing. I thought Manon and Dorian were going to be platonic, not-straight best buds. Bantering and kicking demon asses and defeating bitch-Queens (see: Rowan and Aelin platonic friendship ideals).

Now onto Dorian. Sure, Dorian's seen some shit and is going to be a darker character than he was in the first three books. BUT THIS SORT OF SHIT?
First of all, his appearance. He's described multiple times as having broad shoulders, and while we all know Sarah J. Maas's obsession with broad-shouldered shirtless male men. Dorian is slender read your own novels Sarah J. Maas.

Another thing is his attitude. Dorian is not aggressive, even after his possession. He only ever gets aggressive if a. his people or b. Chaol are in danger.

Then why the hell is he all dark towards Manon and the people around him. And what's with the whole BDSM thing? I know his namesake has the last name Gray but that's two degrees of separation plus American spelling vs. British spelling.

I've been saying since Heir of Fire and my belief was reinforced in Queen of Shadows (when Rowaelin happened) that endgame will be Chaol/Dorian because they are the definition of "no homo bro but I love you". They are willing to kill and betray as many people as it takes, even people who used to be their friends and family, to keep the other person alive.

"He looked at his friend, perhaps for the last time, and said what he had always known, from the moment they’d met, when he’d understood that the prince was his brother in soul. “I love you.”

Dorian merely nodded, eyes still blazing, and lifted his hands again toward his father. Brother. Friend. King."

Okay I'm all for platonic I love yous but

"He might have yielded to the exhaustion that threatened to drag him back into unconsciousness, but someone—a man—let out a rasping breath, and Chaol turned his head.

There were no sounds, no words in him as he found Dorian seated in a chair beside the bed. Bruised shadows were smudged beneath his eyes; his hair was unkempt, as if he’d been running his hands through it, but—but beyond his unbuttoned jacket, there was no collar. Only a pale line marring his golden skin.

And his eyes … Haunted, but clear. Alive.

Chaol’s vision burned and blurred.

"Dorian surged from the chair and dropped to his knees beside the bed. He grabbed Chaol’s hand, squeezing it as he pressed his brow against his. “You were dead,” the prince said, his voice breaking. “I thought you were dead.”"

Some denied romance is definitely happening here. Chaol is speechless seeing Dorian. Dorian is relieved beyond belief to see Chaol. I mean there's forehead touching (but no homo bro.)

“I’m not leaving you. Not again.”

Dorian’s mouth tightened. “You never left me, Chaol.” He shook his head once, sending tears slipping down his face. “You never left me.”

Chaol squeezed his friend’s hand.

Dorian glanced toward the door a moment before a hesitant knock sounded, and smiled faintly. Chaol wondered just what Dorian’s magic allowed him to detect, but then the king wiped away his tears and said, “Someone’s here to see you.”"

Sarah J. Maas constantly has to emphasise the word friend and then Nesryn interrupting is Sarah. J Maas's version of "no homo bro"

But I can recognise stubborn, pining idiots from a mile away, even through layers of "THEY'RE TOTALLY STRAIGHT I PROMISE YOU"

Hmmm, sure Ms. Maas, whatever helps you sleep at night.

While we're on the subject of LGBT representation let's talk about the lack of it in this book.

The forced straight relationships in this book kills me. Let's count down the characters that were definitely not straight that were forced into straight relationships.

Manon - look me in the eye and tell me she's straight. I dare you to.
Elide - she had a very obvious crush on Manon in QoS and while I would expect her to not end up with Manon. It still pains me that she was paired off so neatly. And with Lorcan at that.
Dorian - See: forehead touching
Aedion - while admitting he was bisexual (we all knew it) and while being in a straight relationship doesn't detract from the fact that he is bisexual and doesn't make him not a LGBT character, in the real world one out of seven (of the main POV crew) is too little a number. It would be three out of seven, at the very least.
Chaol - oh wait, he's not in this book.

Let's discuss Chaol's absence.

Chaol is the character who has been the most abused by Sarah J. Maas and her hot dominant male fantasies. Chaol simply didn't fit with that. Or he refused to. So Sarah J. Maas paralysed him and gave him a reason to be shipped off to a faraway continent with Convenient Replacement Straight Love Interest™ Nesryn Faliq (who, I will always say, deserved so much more).

Chaol is a main character. He is of equal importance to both Dorian and Celaena/Aelin. Ever since the beginning the story has revolved around these three characters. I still believe that these three are an integral part to this series. They're what the Golden Trio is to Harry Potter, what Jon, Daenerys and Tyrion are to A Song of Ice and Fire. They are the characters that people are the most attached to in the series. You can survive without one for a short period of time but begin to sideline any one of them and your entire series begins to unravel.

Look, I don't like Chaol. I have not liked Chaol since the beginning of Throne of Glass. I despised Chaolaena but you know what? I learnt to live with it. Because even good series can have their endgames predicted a little ahead of time and Chaolaena made the most sense endgame-wise. Chaol had to live as well. I understood this. Without him the series would fall apart. The same way it would without Dorian.

Chaol's sidelining and absence is the visible effect of this series slowly starting to lose its footing. Sarah J. Maas has said she writes organically instead of planning out everything ahead of time. There's nothing wrong with that. George RR Martin does it, JK Rowling does it, I do it when I can be bothered to write. But even writing organically you always have to have some sense of where a series is going, otherwise everything is long, drawn out and doesn't make sense.

Finally, don't you dare say that this is a feminist novel. All the females in this novel are happy to let themselves be dominated by their male love interests whenever it suits the male. We're told multiple times how the "sheer masculinity" makes all the females "purr" and want more. We're told that the "harshness" and "maleness" in the tones of the love interests make the females sit up and listen.

Don't you dare say this is a feminist novel. Don't you dare list it with the likes of The Lies of Locke Lamora series, with The Invisible Library series. Two lesser-known series that are wonders in feminist literature and magical originals in fantasy as a whole.

I better not hear you describe this series as a "literary wonder" and compare it with His Dark Materials, A Song of Ice and Fire, Stardust and other great achievements in literature.

It makes me burn with shame that this series has such a massive following while the wonderful likes of The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, The Invisible Library and other, deserving, new books barely get a single nod their way.
(hide spoiler)]

Q: Why are you reading these books if you don't like them?

A: So I can MST3K the hell out of them.

Q: Well, I like these books and I think you're an idiot for hating on books you don't like because I don't understand the concept of satire and therefore make it my business to police what and how other people read.

A: LOL, well just for that, I'm going to read and review all of the books in this series, so what do you think of that, Stan?

Q: ...I think you're a meanie loser with too much free time.

A: Your point being?

Q: ...

A: ...

Q: ...

A: ...

Q: I hate you.

A: Cram a book in it, Stan.

Well, the journey has been long and arduous but I'm finally caught up in the Chronicles of Mary Sue-ia, AKA Throne of Veggies, AKA The Little Special That Could. People were losing their collective shits over this book last year. Like, seriously. Friendships were tested and ended over this book, and people were accused of stanning too hard or not stanning hard enough. Meanwhile, I was just sitting there atop my hoard of bodice-rippers, squinting my eyes and thinking, "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

The books begin with THRONE OF GLASS, in which a candy-eating teenage assassin Hunger Games her way into being the "king's champion," and then has so much fun fucking and eating her way through victory that her criminal neglect ends up in the death of her best friend in CROWN OF MIDNIGHT. In HEIR OF FIRE, she takes her special levels from Charmander to Charmeleon with the help of Mr. Faeniverse, only to fall in love with him in QUEEN OF SHADOWS. Meanwhile, Sarah J. Maas takes shipping to next-level fangirl BS, creating entire armadas of forced-canon love interests, to the point of completely discounting previous characterization/relationship hierarchies. But in EMPIRE OF STORMS, Maas outdoes herself yet again as Celery Saltine-thin discovers her inner-holographic Charizard, and when Maas runs out of special powers to give her heroine, she starts creating new ones like "moonfire," which sounds like something cribbed from Sailor Moon. Oh, and the sex - let's not forget the sex. Violent, bitey sex where mountains shake and lightning flashes to the point that you'll probably need homeowner's insurance just to do it in your own bed.

🌟 Seriously, how many elements need to be present in the bedroom before Sarah J. Maas considers it "good" sex? Why is everything exploding and catching on fire? And if that's what sex looks like, what do sexual diseases look like? Active volcanoes? Cthulu? Condoms don't seem to exist in this world, so that's a valid concern.

🌟 While whining about affairs of state he's had to deal with, Durian casually mentions slavery. Does that mean he owns/has owned slaves? And we're still supposed to like him?

🌟 200-300 pages of this book could have been cut without loss. The writing takes a nose-dive from the previous books and gets seriously lazy. Where was the editor? Asleep at the desk?

🌟 Not that I blame them. This was 500+ pages of self-fanfic.

🌟 Seriously, the only character who is more special than this gal is Anita Blake. Sarah J. Maas frantically comes up with new powers to outdo her old ones, from moonfire to fire-breath, and of course she has weird freaky sex magic to go along with it. Then when that gets boring, Maas finds another couple to have weird freaky sex magic. I can only imagine how the sequel is going to go. Last I checked, it's 1000+ pages. Imagine all the sex magic she can pack in there with her armada of ships.

🌟 It's called KINGDOM OF ASHES, but we might as well just call it FIFTY SHADES OF FAE.

🌟 Everyone is obsessed with the heroine and won't shut up about her, whether they hate her or want to be her or just want her. I got really tired of hearing how Queen Special specialed her specials in order to proceed on her special quest to special to the land of Special to special the lost special.

🌟 Special.

🌟 Oh, and if I ever see another character in one of her books "purr," it will be too soon. Talk about a verbal tic! We all know the real reason why Sarah J. Maas was tasked with writing that Catwoman book; some scout saw the "purr" count of this book and thought, "YAS! Someone who can make a crazy cat lady look hawt!" The characters in these books are basically a pack of orgasming cats already, so why not officiate it and slap the DC label on it? Ergo, Catwoman.

🌟 "Kidnap the Celery, throw her in a box, bury her for 90 years, then see if she talks..."

Oh,I can't wait to see what happens with KINGDOM OF ASH. I've already written out a hypothetical ending in my pre-review of the series, and it made people REAL MAD. Don't @ me, though. Maas was baiting the hell out of Celery's demise in this book, but I just know that she's going to pull a Harry Potter and find some excuse for her to live with a fae-ex-machina. As much as I want her to stay locked up in that box forever, we all know that Celery is going to be best-woman at Dorian and Chaol's wedding, and they'll have fifty kids each and become gods on the moon, where they can leer down at us mortals here on earth while purring to their hearts' content.

1 star

It's utter chaos from start to end! The fifth book of TOG is by far the most eventful book in this series, which will not give a reader a moment's rest until the end. And given the ending, no one would probably be able to rest even afterwards. Maas sets a significantly faster pace here, and it'd be a miracle if she could maintain it in last two books.

"Awake and ready to rip out throats."

Here in Empire of Storms, the author finally brakes always from her usual 'first half build up and second half action' style. On one hand, I guess I shouldn't be surprised since the first four books have completed all the build-up necessary for the series. However when you consider there are two more books to go, it's a little alarming to see a pace like this before the last book. But enough ranting about the future... This book, in itself, was the most thrilling book of the series so far. All the major players (introduced so far) except for Chaol comes in to play, and finally, Team Aelin is assembled. I'm sure most would be delighted with the reunion at last. Manon and Rowan continue to hold my favorite spots, but Elide Lochan is becoming quite the contender a similar status.

"The seas are my haven-upon the waves, we will always be free."

I think this fifth book achieved a perfect balance among mystery, adventure, romance, character development, and excitement, while further improving the prose. There is almost nothing to complain about, which, for me, is a first in this series. I know many might miss Chaol, but given how long this is, I'm glad Maas decided to allocate a separate book for Chaols part instead of trying to squeeze everything in here. I loved all the turns the plot took, including the ending. I mean, I'm happy with all the relatively happy endings we've had in the first four books, but I believe that going for a disheartening ending like this would help a lot with the last book.

"Don't waste you energy worrying about what could have been."

BRING. IT. ON.

At these point I know my sweet Chaolaena ship is wrecked. So whatever else Sarah throws at me, I know I can survive it.

Some things I need:
-More bad*** fighting
-Chaol and Dorian bromance
-Aelin rebuilding her court
-Rowan and Aeduan camaraderie
-Ladies showing off their kick***ry
-Wyverns + Witches
-Manon and the Thirteen scenes
-Elide meeting Aelin
-Manorian scenes please because I SHIP IT
-BLOOD AND DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

CONTAINS A SHIT TON OF SPOILERS

LIKE HOW CAN ONE WRITE UP A DECENT REVIEW FOR THIS MASTERPIECE. OH WAIT....I KNOW THE ANSWER! YOU CAN'T.

So you probably know by now that I do not summarize the book's plot in my reviews because you guys already know what happened

Alrighty here we go...

We have just read the fifth installment of the Throne of Glass series. THE FIFTH INSTALLMENT. My optimistic side is all like "OMG GUYS LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME SJM YOU ARE QUEEN." and my overly pessimistic side is like "AH HELL NAH WE ONLY HAVE ONE BOOK LEFT AND IT'S ALL OVER SJM YOU SAVAGE.". Hey, emotions can be conflicting. Speaking of my emotions....

I SERIOUSLY CAN'T GUYS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD YET SO...DEVASTATING. I DON'T KNOW HOW ONE SINGLE PERSON *COUGH COUGH* SARAH *HACK COUGH* CAN BREAK THE HEARTS OF SO MANY. Ok ok, gotta calm myself down a bit....whew. As you guys can tell already, I'm in dire need of caps lock right now. It helps me get my point across while having the voice in your head shout it for me.

“You will find, Rolfe, that one does not deal with Celaena Sardothien. One survives her”

AELIN IS THE USUAL BADASS FIRE-BREATHING BITCH QUEEN THAT SHE USUALLY IS X100. And that SASS. NEVER GETS OLD. AND HER POWERS ARE SO AMAZING AND FRIGHTENING AT THE SAME TIME. (LIKE REALLY, SATAN EVEN HAS NIGHTMARES ABOUT AELIN.) AND WE ALL KNOW THIS TOTALLY TURNS ROWAN ON.

Speaking of Rowan... He was a waaaaaaaaay more enjoyable character this time around. And he's smokin. AND BEFORE I GO ON ANY FURTHER..... OH MAN HERE IT GOES......I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE ADMITTING THIS.....OH WELL HERE IT GOES....

I NO LONGER SHIP DORIAN AND AELIN ANYMORE. I know, I know it took me 5 whole books to finally figure this out. And when I still shipped them throughout the first 4 books it was like

*

Most of you are probably like "Wait you still shipped them?!". Yeah, yeah, I know, I get it now STOP.

But they still hold a special place in my heart. Like I ship Celaena and Dorian, but I ship Aelin with Rowan.

I don't know the right words to describe how perfect Rowan and Aelin are..... oh wait haha I know....they're PERFECT. Let's be real though, they were cockblocked so many times.

OMG AND NOW THEY'RE FUCKING MARRIED. THEY GOT MARRIED IN SECRET THOSE SNEAKY LITTLE SHITS (Remind you of a certain other couple of SJM's *clears throat*RhysandandFeyre*hacks*). KING ROWAN AND QUEEN AELIN OF TERRASEN. NOW THAT IS A DANGEROUS SEXY COUPLE RIGHT THERE. OH YEAH AND THEY TOTALLY BANGED ON THE BEACH.

“Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will always love you.”

YOU KNOW WHAT OTHER COUPLE IS DANGEROUS AND probably even sexier SEXY?!? YOU GUYS KNOW ALREADY YOU'RE SO SMART. DORIAN AND MANON. Yeah, watch out. They have the HOTTEST SCENES. Like there's so much SEXUAL TENSION. And then they do it guys. Dorian has sex with Manon Blackbeak. It's like a pekingese having sex with a fucking dragon. (Pekingese in the streets, Rottweiler in the sheets). I just like dogs guys. Sly dogs. Like Dorian Havilliard. What.

Okaaaay and Aedion and Lysandra were pretty cute but now that's ruined. Aedian, Aelin told her to impersinate her you dumbass. I'm sorry Aedion, you're not a dumbass that was rude.... but seriously though.

Aaaaaaand we got one more ship to add to the list (and my personal fav).... LORCAN AND ELIDE.

“Lorcan reached out, grasping her chin and forcing her to look at him. Hopeless, bleak eyes met his. He brushed away a stray tear with his thumb. “I made a promise to protect you. I will not break it, Elide.”

“I will always find you,” he swore to her.

Her throat bobbed.

Lorcan whispered, “I promise.”

OMG SO HOT. LORCAN IS SO HOT. ELIDE IS FUCKING AMAZING LIKE YOU GO GIRL. OH MAN AND WHEN ELIDE AND LORCAN REALIZED THEY HAD TO SHARE A TENT, I SIMPLY COULD NOT TAKE THIS SEXUAL TENSION ANY LONGER. BUT THIS BUDDING ROMANCE. LIKE HOW COULD YOU NOT SHIP THESE TWO. AND THEY MADE OUT...WE GOT MAKE OUT SCENE GUYS.....THAT WAS COCKBLOCKED. SARAH YOU GOTTA STOP COCKBLOCKING. BUT OMG NOW MY BABIES ARE ANGRY AT EACH OTHER, WELL MOSTLY ELIDE IS ANGRY AND LORCAN, BUT STILL. It's just a phase guys, just a phase. Everything will be alright....or will it?

NO I CANNOT LET MYSELF THINK THIS WAY.

WELL NOW THAT I'VE COVERED ALL THOSE SHIPS (LIKE SERIOUSLY THERE'S MORE SHIPS IN THIS BOOK THAN MAEVE'S ARMADA), LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ENDING.

WOW. WOOOOOOOOW. I AM STILL A MESS. ALRIGHT, LET ME JUST PUT THIS OUT THERE: MAEVE IS A FUCKING BITCH WHORE WHO WEARS TACKY WHORE LIPSTICK WHICH IS PROBABLY NOT LIPSTICK AT ALL BUT THE BLOOD OF CHILDREN. I SERIOUSLY HATE HER. AND THE MOMENT WHEN I HATED HER THE MOST WAS WHEN SHE PUT A HAND ON AELIN'S IRON COFFIN AS THE SHIP LEFT. THAT BITCH.

SPEAKING OF THAT. OMG. AELIN. I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE. SHE HAS GONE THROUGH TOO DAMN MUCH. AND THE FACT THAT SHE WAS WHIPPED AND REFUSED TO COUNT, I DON'T HAVE WORDS.

BUT WHEN YOU MESS UP AELIN'S TATTOO, THAT IS THE LAST STRAW.

AND THEN SHE WAS PUT IN THAT DREADED IRON COFFIN AND IRON MASK. EVERYTHING, MY HOPES AND DREAMS, HAD GONE TO COMPLETE SHIT. AND WHEN ROWAN FOUND OUT...OH MY GOD. I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR MY HEART TO BREAK MORE THAN IT ALREADY DID.

THANK GOD THAT AELIN DOESN'T HAVE THE WYRDKEYS. THAT WOULD BE BAD. MANON HAS THEM I LOVE HER. AND ROWAN IS GONNA FIND HIS WIFE "EVEN IF IT TAKES 1000 YEARS" OMG YES YOU GO ROWAN GO FIND HER AND BRING HER HOME.

“She was a force of nature. She was a calamity and a commander of immortal warriors of legend.”

IM CRYING HELP. I'M A MESS.

Ok Ok Ok... OH WAIT I'M NOT DONE. That whole battle scene against Maeve's armada was sooooo intense. I loved the fact that Lysandra was ripping out throats in her ghost leopard form like the badass she is. I loved how Dorian was using his powers that he now has control of. And I loved the fact that ROWAN IS A SNEAKY LITTLE BASTARD. HE TALKED TO HIS SEXY WHITETHORNE COUSINS ABOARD THEIR SHIPS TO TURN AGAINST THE REST OF MAEVE'S ARMADA. WHEN THOSE WHITETHORN FLAGS WERE UP....CHILLS MAN, CHILLS RAN DOWN MY SPINE. THAT PART WAS SO GOOD. THEY WERE JUST TAKING OUT THEIR OWN SHIPS. AMAZING.

Ok, now I'm calmed down a bit. I hope my constant use of caps lock and excessive gif use wasn't too annoying.....

After I finished Empire of Storms, I've just kind of been sitting there like

Need I say more.

Something that I keep questioning is "Nameless is my price". I need to know what that meeaaaannnssss.

Oh yeah, and Chaol wasn't in here, but I didn't notice until halfway through which is pretty sad, but whatever.

Alrighty so now Aelin has her GIGANTIC ASS army, all she needs to do is get out of that iron casket!!! Fuck you Maeve.

I'm out.

“Aelin Galathynius had raised an army not just to challenge Morath, but to rattle the stars.”