Tag: Throne-of-Glass

Book Reviews · re-read

Kingdom of Ash // Sarah J. Maas – Re-Read Fest

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“To whatever end,” he whispered. Silver lined her eyes. “To whatever end.”

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas is the final instalment in the loooong, looong, loong, long storyline of Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius and her band of pals all trying to get her on the throne. Basically. It was, in so many ways, the conclusion we all wanted. In other ways, it was not. This is an absolute mammoth of a book. It is so, so long. Now, I don’t mind that, usually. When I do mind it, is when a book could have been a bit shorter with a bit more critical editing. And as much as I love the world S. J. Maas has built and the narrative she has grown here, it needed that critical editing. For starters – there were definitely some typos in my copy of the book…

All that being said, I did cry multiple times reading this, had a wee giggle and numerous gazing out the windows trying to imagine certain conversations/dialogue/moments between the characters. Don’t trick yourself, we all do it. As with the other S J Maas books, this one lacked some major diversity and ‘shaking things up’ in the way of romantic interests. WHY is everyone getting married at 18/19/20/21?! WHY can anyone who is not portrayed as heterosexual only be bisexual, rather than homosexual? Weird.

But, again, all that being said, I don’t think this actually requires a long review. If you have started the Throne of Glass series, it is well worth persevering and reading the entire thing. And you wouldn’t be picking up this book unless you had already come that far. Every loose end is tied up within this. The pages are teeming with emotion, tensions are high and expectations both built and shattered. Every hinted story throughout the previous books has lead somewhere, and the majority of those ‘somewheres’ are very satisfying.

Aelin/Celaena is a fantastic heroine and arguably my favourite of all time (YES – even better than Feyre… if you know, you know). Her coined ‘motto’ of “will not yield” is really just all-encompassing of the characterisation, and as a now 24 year old, I wish wish WISH I had discovered her earlier so my younger self could have looked to her and used her as inspiration for how I should be living my life. Although, 24 year old Annabelle also learned a major thing or two and I will probably carry them with me forever. The other female characters within this also make a very worthy statement in terms of powerful protagonists and heroines, and for that, I would highly recommend this book to any young women, or men, who are looking to feel inspired, challenged and empowered by a series.

Also – this. This is the quote.

Aelin walked forward. Took Yrene Westfall by the hand to guide her to the front. Then Manon Blackbeak. Elide Lochan. Lysandra. Evangeline. Nesryn Faliq. Borte and Hasar and Ansel of Briarcliff. All the women who had fought by her side, or from afar. Who had bled and sacrificed and never given up hope that this day might come. “Walk with me,” Aelin said to them, the men and males falling into step behind. “My friends.”

Again, a wee PSA for you all though – this final book, and the past 3 probably are not YA anymore. No shockers there, this has a lot of romance in it and all the other parts of relationships that come with that. Tastefully done.

A definite 4 out of 5. The only thing that would have made this stronger is, yep. You guessed it! A near 1000 page book does not excuse bad editing!

Belle xo

Book Reviews · re-read

Empire of Storms // Sarah J. Maas – Re-Read Fest

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**PRE-REVIEW NOTE**

So I have fallen off the face of the earth for about 10 months. But. I am back! I had to take some time to myself to accomodate house moving, job commitments and family things. Alongside those, we also had the whole Covid-19 thing going on too….. Fun times. Love it. This is an extremely review of the 5th instalment in the ToG series. It was in my drafts and I don’t want it to go to waste! The final two book reviews will also be published and then we have some new content for you! Still Young Adult, still fantasy, still romance. With some other bits and bobs thrown into the mix too. Missed ya’s.

“It is not such a hard thing, is it – to die for your friends.” 

Review – Spoiler Free

With intricate world-building, character and relationship development, Empire of Storms follows on from the previous 4 books in the series and gives and gives and GIVES. Now, am I right in thinking when originally released this was set to be the penultimate book but then SJMaas threw a curve ball and released a Chaol perspective-led read before the finale? You can tell that. Many of the plot lines within this book start to round up in a way that suggests the answers will be coming soon (as this is a re-read we all know, that is NOT the case!).

We get to see more of Rowan’s perspective at the forefront within this and understand how his and Aelin’s partnership is growing. We also spend more time with some new characters and delve deeper into the backstory of those we have been introduced to before. Alliances form in areas that are unexpected. New and old fuse together to propel the story and begin the final stages of Aelin’s quest to be queen.

Every character within this has experienced and explores trauma in different ways. All are relevant to the story line and fuse to create a well-rounded ‘court’ for Aelin as she gets closer and closer to taking back the throne. Dorian, as I’m sure many of you will know and will be happy about, progresses as a man and as a protagonist, witnessing his own setbacks and trauma but this is poised n such a way that it will also help him achieve and successfully continue his role as King/his journey to become one!

I know there has always been much discussion surrounding SJMaas’ writing and whether it is New Adult or Young Adult. I would argue that ToG is her closest to YA series she has written, however there is a heavy slice of smut in this that you should be wary of if you are not after sex.

If you have stuck around this far for Maas’ novels, then this book is a must and crucial to the Throne of Glass journey. I would argue this is my favourite book in the series so far.

Let me know your thoughts!

Belle xo

Re-Read

Queen of Shadows // Sarah J. Maas – Re-Read Fest

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“When you shatter the chains of this world and forge the next, remember that art is as vital as food to a kingdom. Without it, a kingdom is nothing, and will be forgotten by time. I have amassed enough money in my miserable life to not need any more—so you will understand me clearly when I say that wherever you set your throne, no matter how long it takes, I will come to you, and I will bring music and dancing.”

Queen of Shadows, the fourth instalment in the Throne of Glass series, is a bit of a whirlwind (final 50% of it, anyway). This sees our main protagonists back in Ardalan, conspiring and orchestrating a rebellion for for a king – literally. New characters are once again introduced, existing ones are tested to the limit (I swear that happens like, every book?!) and there is much more emotional turmoil experience by both readers and protagonists. It ends up being a bit like a big old party in Ardalan of a rag-tag band of mates but it is effective and propels the storyline forward so, I;m not really complaining.

Aelin has officially shed her Celaena namesake, and goes only by Aelin now (keep up!) It’s all a bit confusing. From here on out, the shifting perspectives are back and more mind-boggling than ever. Although I fully respect and appreciate the reasoning behind it, I find it tricky to read. Rowan and Aelin’s relationship develops romantically in this book and it is very cutesy if not slightly slow.

Elide and Manon have moved on somewhat from their Morath days and these storylines were probably my most favourite. Manon is still relatively new to the TOG universe in this book but I do find myself being drawn to her slightly more than Aelin… Anyone else find this? She is the opposite but also epitome of Aelin, dark to light, and this shines in a blend of characterisation; development and female empowerment.

I am always invested for that.

Again, a solid 3 (3 and a half?) stars out of 5. At no point did I feel like putting this book away and not picking it up again, no skim-reading, and definitely devoured it in about 4 days? Seeing as I was working full-time alongside that, I’d say that’s a solid effort really.

On a side note – I highly recommend looking up the artworks of Throne of Glass characters there are online. I’ve found this really helps me have a much more connected experience with a story, and can sometimes struggle to envision what characters look like beneath the flouncy description words.

Re-Read

Heir of Fire // Sarah J. Maas – Re-Read Fest

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“She would light up the darkness, so brightly that all who were lost or wounded or broken would find their way to it, a beacon for those who still dwelled in that abyss. It would not take a monster to destroy a monster—but light, light to drive out darkness.”

Heir of Fire presented us with the magical world of Wendlyn, Doranelle and Rowan Whitethorn’s angst. What a dreamboat. It’s pretty obvious, following the events of Crown of Midnight, that Rowan has been brought into the mix as Celaena’s complete mirror reflection. He’s the new male protagonist (although there are many) and matches her word for word, strength for strength, weakness for weakness.

A running theme in S. J. Maas’ characterisation – Rowan has his own demons and these dictate and guide his actions. As the audience, we are also all still reeling after THAT plot twist/name reveal at the end of the previous book, and this novel provides clarity and closure to that. Celaena’s development throughout the entire series so far is pretty impressive but this is the most personal and defining we have seen so far.

We receive continuous perspective changes throughout this which is effective but slightly confusing. You really need to focus for this one. New characters are introduced (Manon Blackbeak; Elide Lochan; Aedion Ashryver) and their movements in both Ardalan and a shiny (or should I say, bleak) new setting, Morath, are smattered throughout Celaena’s progressive transformation alongside Rowan in Wendlyn. Dorian and Chaol also have altered perspectives throughout this and you can really feel the tension beginning to build up in preparation for what is bound to be a big finale.

All in all, really enjoyable and a solid 3 stars (in comparison to the other books within the Throne of Glass series). My appetite has been wetted and I’m excited to see where these lot go next!

Once again, READ THIS SERIES.

Re-Read

Crown of Midnight // Sarah J. Maas – Re-Read Fest

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“When you do, I want you to remember that it wouldn’t have made any difference to me. It’s never made any difference to me when it came to you. I’d still pick you. I’ll always pick you.”

I’m going to keep this quick, because if I’m honest, this is my least favourite Throne of Glass book. That is for 2 reasons mainly. 1) The events of this are heartbreaking and painful, I cry every time I read it. That is testament to S. J. Maas’ writing, and the plot of this story. It is remarkable when you find a book that makes you feel so deeply that you cry, the emotions connecting with you on that level to result in a physical reaction. But, I digress. 2) In hindsight, it does contain many plot-moving elements but it’s also a little bit dull. We’re within a setting we have experienced already, with characters we have also experienced already, and each and every one is slightly… stale? They don’t seem to DO much, apart from live it up in the castle.

For that reason, this gets 2 stars. Celaena undertakes her role as The King’s Assasin with all the fervour you would imagine of a trained assassin, which was one of my favourite elements of this book. She develops further with her relationships and there is a sense of comraderie built up which you can definitely see forming into strong undercurrents throughout the rest of the series. We are also introduced to the initial foundations of a rebellion looking for a certain long-lost queen. Little do we know, as readers, that this long-lost queen reveals herself at the end of this book (not a spoiler as it’s pretty intrinsic to the whole franchise). Dorian is depicted as the ever-galavanting Prince but a discovery of flaws fleshing out his own storyline begins to form, alongside that of Chaol. I already know what happens, but this did spark excitement inside me and I can’t wait to see how this plays out (and who with…).

Ultimately, this final 20% were the most interesting moment of the whole book (sorry!) for me. Definitely got filler vibes and second-book syndrome from this, however not enough to totally nullify my interest and I will be picking up the third in the series.

Re-Read

Throne of Glass // Sarah J. Maas – Re-Read Fest

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“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if you only dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

Hello! Okay, I admit it. I caved. With the current circumstances and international pandemic we are experiencing, I made a decision over the Easter Weekend. It had been coming for a while; with the release of Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood, my Maas appetite had been teased out. I first read the Throne of Glass series in early 2019 (so late to the game – I know?!) and soon after got through A Court of Thorns and Roses also. I think I got through all 10 books in about a month and a half? They were that good. I couldn’t believe I had gone so long having not discovered S. J. Maas or reading her work – however was also chuffed to bits that I had managed to wait long enough to binge all 7 books and then all 3 of ACOTAR. My confession here is this, though. I have a terrible habit of skim-reading books. I think it’s a skill I picked up throughout university and have unfortunately transferred it to my reading of books I actually enjoy!!!

From this, we hit the re-read desperation. 1 year on – I realise that I can’t remember HALF of what went down in ToG and ACOTAR because I skimmed them and read through so quickly! And so, here we are. The review series you never asked for, and hopefully never realised you wanted. Until you see what I have to say. Kicking us off – Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

Throne of Glass

You know what? The first time I read this book – I gave it 3 stars. I have now bumped that up to 4. This is a fantastic debut novel for the Throne of Glass series. I didn’t realise it the first time, but I’m acknowledging it now.

Celeana is an absolute fiend, is she not?! Just, impeccable powerful female protagonist writing. I wish I was as forward, assertive, sassy and down-right no bullshit in character as her. Half her statements make me laugh out loud with a “Sheesh – slayed.” vibes. She is also intrinsically good, the Robin Hood of her series and utterly relatable (Not her assassin tendencies, obviously, but her emotions, relationships, desire for justification and righteousness!

Now, I’m not going to spoil this, but since I have read this series before I do know what the outcome of her relationships with Chaol and Dorian are. What this re-reading gave me was a different perspective on both characters and wanting a different outcome for them both. As Tower of Dawn (6th instalment in series) has such a frontal focus on Chaol, it was really Dorian who I saw in a different light and he is just dreamy. So sweet and I feel his story is going to be a great one. And one which, I’ll confess, I skimmed over the first time.

I think that’s the true beauty of S. J. Maas’ writing, with both Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, she introduces so many characters in depth, with enticing story-lines and traits that are both fundamentally flawed and desirable at the same time. As such, I want to read this story, and every other, over and over again to focus and hone in on different characters and portrayals.

So excited to read the next one again. Crown of Midnight coming up!

Book Reviews

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood // Sarah J. Maas

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Okay folks. It’s official. This is the best book of 2020. It was a close one between Crescent City HOEAB and Chain of Gold but I think this takes the ticket. First of all, that COVER. Stunning. It is easily the prettiest thing on my bookshelf right now.

There are a lot of things about this book that created its 5 star rating for me. AND I’ll try to make this review as spoiler free as possible as I’m aware this is still a new release! I will say this to note however, it is typical Sarah J. Maas style. What I mean by that is that, I love SJMaas. I think her writing is fantastic. It’s right up my street with the perfect balance of fiction series that are romantic, fantastical, humourous and dramatised. I’m aware that her writing isn’t for everyone, even though she does have a huge fanbase now. Although pitched as a new-adult book, I would say this is definitely on a par with ACOTAR. ToG is definitely a slightly lower level of maturity and developed writing, still fantastic storylines and plot but it doesn’t provide the same impression that I got from Crescent City and ACOTAR. I would therefore say that this novel is either still falling within the realms of YA fiction (definitely the more mature side) or that ACOTAR is in fact New-Adult also. What are your thoughts on this?

This book had so much going for it. SO MUCH! A well-developed, explained and heart-wrenching friendship duo. A brooding love interest with all the angst and baggage that makes him the perfect match for our equally angsty and bagged-laiden protagonist. Dual-perspectives from both love-interests to highlight their growing relationship from different angles and draw the reader in further. Fantasy world created (modernised) full of werewolves, mer people, fae, humans, demons and almost every creature you can think of. Who else hadn’t heard of a nokk before? Apparently it’s a real mythical creature! Also can I just put a shout-out to Maas for including humans AND fae in this – I love when real-life beings (us) are put into fantasy/sci-fi/dystopian novels.

Although I have rated this 5 stars, I have to admit that the beginning was a bit slow. There is a lot of world-building and it makes it so hard to stay engaged in the characters. If you are also experiencing this slow trawl through the first 100 pages – I beg of you to stick with it. Totally worth it – just for the absolute anarchy that is Chapter 80-81. WOAH. WOAH WOAH WOAH. If you’ve read it, you know.

The SJMaas cocktail strikes again and I can’t wait for the next installment in the series. Holy moly. I’m ready.