I really love this author, but this particular book just didn't work for me. The whole thing was tedious, the writing meandered in circles, and I didnI really love this author, but this particular book just didn't work for me. The whole thing was tedious, the writing meandered in circles, and I didn't really like any of the characters (especially the super naive lovesick prince). The mysterious fae guy who offered the deal was intriguing and I did like the Irish-type setting... but otherwise nothing much held my interest and I was more irritated than entertained. I definitely won't be reading the sequels because this was just boring at best....more
There's a cocky fae prince of the autumn court who can shapeshift into a raven.
This book seriously had every element I was looking for and just makesThere's a cocky fae prince of the autumn court who can shapeshift into a raven.
This book seriously had every element I was looking for and just makes me SO happy. I wish it was September now so I could read this with pretty autumn colors outside!
Basic plot: Isobel is a painter who's kidnapped by the faerie prince of the autumn court to stand trial for painting him with an emotion on his face. They narrowly avoid the Wild Hunt and end up taking refuge in the spring court due to all sorts of politics and reasons. I don't want to say much about the actual plot and ruin the way it unfolds, but the Good Law says that if a mortal and faerie fall in love, they both must die...
First of all, the main character totally made the story. She's wonderfully self-aware, capable, and sarcastic. The whole book was way funnier than I expected, actually. The prince was arrogant enough that he reminded me of Nikolai or Thorne... so I obviously loved him. Their moments on their journey (through TOTALLY GORGEOUS SCENERY btw) made me laugh out loud. And he can turn into a raven, so that just won everything.
A lot of this story was the typical stuff you'd expect from any story with fae: they can't lie, can't touch iron, have power over you if they know your name, there's a masked ball, their kingdoms are split into courts named after seasons, there's some kind of blight, etc. And I can get really picky over how these elements are depicted, but thought it all worked really well here!!
The world was beautiful and I just wish we could have seen more of it... the story was a little brief. At first I wanted it to be longer because this is definitely one of the better faerie worlds I've found, but at the same time I suppose it's nice to not have to wait another year for the next part.
Basically, this whole thing was a delight. It's well written and a fast read, so anyone who loves autumn or faeries should have fun with it!
(Also, pretty sure everything Charlie Bowater creates is the new most gorgeous thing I've ever seen... just look at that cover)....more
I am so glad I found this wonderful trilogy :) The first two books were on the slower side, but I gave them 4 stars because I had a feeling they wereI am so glad I found this wonderful trilogy :) The first two books were on the slower side, but I gave them 4 stars because I had a feeling they were building up to an awesome ending!
I think what made this book so much stronger for me than the previous two was how much page time was devoted to Flint's POV. (He still totally reminds me of Aragon btw. I was waiting for him to walk out at the end like I'M SECRETLY THE HEIR even though that idea was nowhere in the plot). I didn't really have a strong sense of his character before and thought the romance didn't have much to go on. So being able to thoroughly see the situation he's in as a spy strengthened the threat of the king and just created a lot more tension. I cared about everything in this book waaaay more.
AND I LOVE ROHAN SO MUCH. He needs his own book.
Anyways, this might not be the most intense or fast-paced trilogy, but it's just so... wholesome haha. The worldbuilding is great!! I guess I'd recommend these books to anyone who loves Aragorn, Scotland, and/or Sarah J Maas....more
This plot definitely has more potential than is currently being used, but I still enjoyed this book! It's so well written and the characters have theThis plot definitely has more potential than is currently being used, but I still enjoyed this book! It's so well written and the characters have the most realistic accents I've ever seen.
If you like fantasy worlds with a Celtic or medieval feeling, fae, and rebels who live in caves then you'll probably like this story too! The pacing is REALLY slow (think Frodo walking one step across Middle Earth at a time) but everything is so pretty that it never bothered me.
Neryn is building her skills as a Caller to summon the Good Folk in a battle against the evil king (whom Flint is still serving as a double agent). Most of this book is Neryn traveling to wake two of the four Guardians who obviously were not considerate enough to live ANYWHERE near each other. It's just a lot of walking through pretty landscapes. She does get to see Flint, but the romance was pretty much a side comment.
So there could definitely be a more engaging story going on with the world and conflicts that have been set up so far... like a few more tense scenes with Flint and the king, with Flint and his soldiers, or with the rebels could have made me a bit more invested in something besides the pretty forests and snow-capped mountains. I was ready to give this book 3 stars but the awesome Gathering scene changed everything. I just need characters to be put in difficult situations or something more pressing besides general impending doom if they don't eventually overthrow the king. The next book is set up to have a lot of awesome battles, though!...more
I definitely see how this story was too slow for a lot of people, but I thought it was all rather peaceful because I loved the setting so much! I wasI definitely see how this story was too slow for a lot of people, but I thought it was all rather peaceful because I loved the setting so much! I was mostly looking for another book with Celtic roots and/or fae elements.
The basic plot is that Neryn's drunk father gambles her away to a stranger at the start of the story. She's secretly a Caller and is able to talk to/attract the Good Folk, but it's a rare talent the king could use in his evil plans. The first half of the book is mostly Neryn walking through a LOT of pretty scenery and hiding... the guy who took her from her father comes and goes. His name's Flint and he reminded me a lot of Aragorn as Strider.
Flint has his secrets. Neryn has her secrets. They don't tell each other anything. The book would have been over in like 100 pages if they had just been open with each other. Basically, most of the story can be summed up as everyone telling Neryn not to do something... and then she turns around and does it. She makes some questionable decisions, but I still liked her as a character! And the story gets going more once she meets up with the rebel group and learns what Flint is.
So I ended up really enjoying this despite the SUPER slow pace. It reminded me a bit of Ever the Hunted or The Lord of the Rings with how I didn't mind all of the walking through forests. I guess there's something about medieval Irish type settings that make slow plots lovely instead of boring for me....more
2.5 stars. I mostly just liked seeing how Queen Mabh, Fennrys Wolf, the fae lord of the Spring Court, and all of the other typical mythological figure2.5 stars. I mostly just liked seeing how Queen Mabh, Fennrys Wolf, the fae lord of the Spring Court, and all of the other typical mythological figures + the characters from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream would fit into the story.
Kelley gets thrown into the role of Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream and is wandering around Central Park practicing her lines when she runs into a Sonny. He's one of the Janus Guard who protects the mortal realm from escaped fae and there's a portal in the park that's set to open soon. Then most of the characters from Shakespeare's play turn out to be real and Kelley finds out she's (view spoiler)[more or less a faerie princess (hide spoiler)].
I had a hard time getting into the whole story, though. And the names were a bit cringeworthy... I'm sorry but "Sonny" is not going to sound like an awesome male lead no matter what he does. And "Tyffanwy" just made me laugh.
I think I would have liked this book a lot more in middle school because it's not bad!! Just definitely a "younger" YA book. ...more
3.5 stars overall. If you've been following my reviews you probably know how much I LOVE anything related to Ireland. This story had so, so many eleme3.5 stars overall. If you've been following my reviews you probably know how much I LOVE anything related to Ireland. This story had so, so many elements I absolutely adore. It's set in Ireland and has all of this magical/mystical stuff like fairies, druids, and curses woven into an absolutely gorgeous setting.
I thought this would be more YA, but it was a refreshing change to see a similar style story with adults in their mid-twenties! The prologue starts with Catherine visiting her uncle in Ireland with her brother and twin sister. The uncle tells her he thinks she has a tinge of magic in her or is connected more to Ireland. He's murdered shortly after.
Then the story picks up two years later when Catherine's living in Ireland and working at a museum. Her twin sister Kathleen is getting a divorce and is still a bit materialistic and annoying. While she's wearing Catherine's jacket and glasses, some random guy grabs her and tells her that she has to "just get out of here, out of Ireland... because if you don't, you'll unleash them." And then he's gone. His name's Bowen and he proceeds to keep showing up and angrily telling Catherine to get out of Ireland, but not filling her in. Catherine is attracted to him.
Very minor spoilers about the first half of the book:
There's a moment of really lovely character development for Kathleen, but then she's (view spoiler)[murdered (hide spoiler)] by some psycho guy who was trapped in a rock. It turns out Bowen is a druid over 2,000 years old and has been living in an ageless state until the woman he will truly love appears to unintentionally break the curse a high priest's daughter put on that psycho twin-killing guy and his followers (which is how those guys got trapped in the rocks). So now they're free and out to get Bowen and Catherine.
Bowen & Catherine go off on a quest to find the remnants of Bowen's people, which are cool items like the staff of a priest... and they're obviously hidden in gorgeous, hard-to-reach locations. A lot of action and answers unfold. Catherine's brother is kind of in the story sometimes, but then he disappears.
I loved the premise of the story and think the author has a super original and creative idea here. I would have liked to have seen more in each area though... it's a pretty fast/short read and kind of felt like it just breezed through the surface while covering a TON instead of letting the reader really connect with everything. Like I wasn't entirely sold on the attraction between Bowen and Catherine, even though I really liked the idea of it. And it did take me a while to get into the story with all of the weird warnings and no answers.
But I still liked the book and recommend it if you love Ireland! The author really knew her stuff about Irish history, myths, geography, culture, etc. I'm not sure if she lived there, but this definitely felt like one of the most authentic or better-researched stories about Ireland I've read.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book!...more
2.5 stars. I don't know if I can continue with this series... it's just getting too cheesy for me. I really do like the worldbuilding, though! The kin2.5 stars. I don't know if I can continue with this series... it's just getting too cheesy for me. I really do like the worldbuilding, though! The kingdoms, magic, politics, fae + elf stuff, and the Mage threat are really strong.
Most of this story was a bunch of obstacles to Rain and Ellysetta's marriage, so it wasn't as interesting as the first book. I really wasn't into the first half and thought a lot of it dragged. There were just too many POVs I didn't care about.
And I just can't take Rain seriously! Every time he shows up I start snickering. In case I didn't emphasize this enough in the first book: he's a fae lord who transforms into a fire-breathing flying cat that she rides with a saddle. The romance in the first book was hilariously weird at times, but it lost some of the humor in this story and was just... corny.
The part where they "burst through the cresting waves like dolphins leaping from the depths" and onto the beach after the underwater steamy scene was kind of where I was done. I cannot take this cheese seriously but it's also not as funny as the first book sooooo it ends up being rather cringeworthy. If the series would cut out most of the sex and focus on the WAR or something exciting I would care 200% more.
It IS a really well-developed fantasy world! And maybe the sequels focus on more interesting characters (like Bel) or have more plot going? So don't let me deter you if you're super into this story.
This book did feel like it could've been trimmed to a few chapters and just added onto the first or third books, though....more
Ok hear me out because the story idea is absolutely incredible and I was totally expecting to give this 5 stars.
A basic oRelease date: April 11, 2017
Ok hear me out because the story idea is absolutely incredible and I was totally expecting to give this 5 stars.
A basic overview of the first 20% -- Aurora is 16 and set to be married to Prince Phillip so she can have power through marriage. She has no sense of touch or voice. Her half sister Isbe is blind, so the two communicate through their own form of listening & sign language in Isbe's palm.
The fae Malfleur is building up an army in the kingdom of LaMorte after she killed her twin Belcoeur, otherwise known as the Night Faerie.
Isbe runs away after Prince Phillip is killed so she won't be sent to a convent for the rest of her life (a lot of random things just happen like some checklist). Aurora goes after her and finds a cottage in the woods, pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, and then ends up in some wraith-type borderlands place with a guy named Heath. And Isbe finds out everyone at the palace has some kind of sleeping sickness.
Ok so those bits SOUND like a really awesome plot, right?!? It's definitely a creative idea with a ton of potential.
But the writing and execution were so painfully bad that I had to call this a DNF. Every other chapter is told through a different character (none of whom were particularly strong), it's all in a stilted present tense, and it feels like someone is explaining the plot to me rather than there being an actual story. It was just impossible to get into or connect with.
The book felt like it was trying to have a badass YA fantasy plot while still talking down to the reader through characters who were either cliches or overly simplified figures from a children's story. The worldbuilding was one of the biggest infodumps of choppy facts I've ever seen, too. But I still want some of my Goodreads friends to check this out just to have a stronger appreciation for other YA fantasy worlds that work!
I really wanted to find a reason to recommend this story because I ADORE fairy tale retellings and fantasy worlds with strong female MCs, but that's pretty much what's saving this from getting 1 star. And the general concept of Isbe's connection with night & darkness had potential. Otherwise I hope others like this more than I did.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC!...more
2.5 stars. I never really got that into this book, but still thought it had a really creative take on fae lore!
There are Blue Fae that can "manipulat2.5 stars. I never really got that into this book, but still thought it had a really creative take on fae lore!
There are Blue Fae that can "manipulate physical things. Calm the waters, heal your skin," etc. Their hands talk to atoms. Then there are Green Fae who talk to feelings, Red Fae who manipulate the mind, and Clear Fae who can channel all of the others' gifts.
The main character Noa is super attracted to Callum, a new guy at her fancy west coast boarding school. He turns out to be a Blue Fae and gives her a talisman to protect her from his touch, but then he also can't heal her. His younger brother Judah enters the scene (along with a whole lot of family drama) and things get complicated. There were a lot of fun plot twists and the writing was decent! Even though I never really connected with any of the characters, they were still believable teens.
I thought the end was kind of weird and wasn't too huge on the love triangle, but the second book still seems like it's set up to be pretty interesting. The best part of the whole book was definitely the poetry woven throughout. I wish there had been even more of that.
I think fans of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, and The Iron King by Julie Kagawa would love this.
Thank you to the author for sending me a review copy!...more
3.5 stars. Well, that was highly entertaining. This book is basically like the budget soap opera version of ACOMAF...
The story starts with this super3.5 stars. Well, that was highly entertaining. This book is basically like the budget soap opera version of ACOMAF...
The story starts with this super powerful ancient Fey lord named Rain swooping into a town because he felt his truemate's emotions. Ellie is 25, adopted, and has some kind of magic powers she is afraid of. Rain has black hair, lavender eyes, and makes the "territorial fae bullshit" in Throne of Glass seem like nothing. Anyways, Rain is in town for some ceremony for Prince Dorian, so he swoops down and claims Ellie as his mate. She's the first truemate to be claimed in a thousand years and the first ever by the Fey king. He's the Tairen Soul, which means he can shift into a super hot fire-breathing flying... cat. (I kid you not. Ellie even rides him with a saddle and everything).
Some local guy had manipulated Ellie into being stuck in a marriage agreement and continues to be a pain by helping the evil guys just so he can get her back (basically he's a total Tamlin). Everything gets pretty complex with the threats from the Elden Mages who are trying to destroy both the Fey and human kingdoms. There are a lot of characters and side stories to the point where the romance isn't always the main focus.
Other things that might make ACOMAF fans smile: Rhys Rain has a friend who is basically Mor and an awesome cadre of Fey warriors (one is named Rowan). They all wear what sounds like Illyrian fighting leathers and have super cool magic. The leader of the cadre blood-swears himself to Ellie and I'm pretty sure I shipped him with her more than Rain...
The medieval-type fantasy worldbuilding was strong and I was honestly pretty into this world! Even the characters were all well developed. I thought I was going to give it 4 stars for sure, but kind of lost interest towards the end. Everything that happened with the Fey was treated like A Very Big Deal and the intense weight attached to every situation just got old. I wasn't taking the story that seriously. Rain is SO serious & on high alert 24/7 to protect Ellie. I mean, he was nice and not a bad character, but he spent most of the story trying to either rip everyone's head off or control his inner cat from mating with Ellie... and some stuff with Invisible Spirit limbs ensues?
So I was definitely laughing out loud in parts that were NOT meant to be comedy, but that was a huge part of why I liked this book so much. It's hilarious. There are some serious "wtf am I even reading" moments -- it gets SO weird and is just generally fun all around.
Like the romance parts could be cheesy if you take the book seriously, but I was just cracking up... Rain spends the first 3/4 of the book talking TOTALLY NORMALLY and then suddenly starts sounding like some Shakespeare guy with "whilst thou" and "wouldst thou." I don't even know what's happening there but I love it.
Am I saying this book is really good? I don't know... but it's super entertaining. Sometimes I just like silly stories when the writing is solid and the characters don't irritate me and that's totally what this is. Ellie is a strong, kind, and actually likable MC who never annoyed me. The writing was good enough that it never took me out of the story. So even though it's absolutely nowhere near the level of ACOMAF, it's still a funny read for people who like that kind of fantasy world!...more
Forgive the length of this review but guess what else looks like this cover and perfectly summarizes how I feel:
This book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL and IForgive the length of this review but guess what else looks like this cover and perfectly summarizes how I feel:
This book had SO MUCH POTENTIAL and I was absolutely thrilled with what felt like a certain 5 star read for the first half. But then it turned into 4 stars and I kept staring at it with sad confusion as it slowly dwindled down to a 1 star that I didn't even want to finish at the very end. Like I could see the star meter just slowly dying...
The story starts with Henrietta living on the English moors at a miserable school with her best friend Rook. Henrietta has the ability to burst into flames (but her clothes don't burn off of her) and she's discovered by a sorcerer, who tells her she's the prophesied one to save them all. Henrietta is taken to London to train with six other sorcerer boys, but she demands that Rook come with so her love triangle/square can function. Rook is stuck as a servant and is "Unclean" because he was marked by one of the seven Ancients attacking England.
Meanwhile Henrietta needs to train to pass a test to be allowed to train as a sorcerer so that she can pass a test from Queen Victoria in order to... be a sorcerer.
The Ancients are part of a potentially interesting history about the divide that resulted between sorcerers and magicians when they summoned those monster things (basically magicians are despised now and sorcerers are awesome). Plot twist in the middle: (view spoiler)[Henrietta is actually a magician (hide spoiler)]. The Ancients were explained as:
Seven are the Ancients, seven are the days, Monday for R'hlem, the Skinless Man, On-Tez on Tuesday, the old Vulture Lady, Callax is Wednesday, the Child Eater, Zem the Great Serpent crisps Thursday with his breath, On Friday fear Korozoth, the Shadow and Fog, Never sail on Saturday says Nemneris the Water Spider, and rain on Sunday brings Molochoron the Pale Destroyer."
But everything with these Ancients (and most major plot points) felt like it was casually dropped sideways into the story to the point where the story played it too safe. I wanted MORE. The plot danced around instead of going somewhere clear and the weak execution made everything awesome hover just out of reach. Plus, every time someone would be about to reveal their feelings or a crucial piece of information, there would be a knock on the door. Or someone would interrupt. Or the person would straight up vanish. This would've increased tension if I actually had something to care about or if it didn't happen every other freaking chapter.
Anyways, back to the worldbuilding. It's set in Victorian England where there's a magical ward around London that protects some, but leaves others in squalor to be attacked by the Ancients. There were casual mentions throughout the story of faerie kings, a hobgoblin who serves Queen Mab, and some random fun creatures with multiple arms and pointy ears, but they stuck out like a sore thumb and seemed thrown in just to emphasize that this is not the world you know.
I absolutely love stories about magicians/sorcerers set in Victorian England (like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, The Amulet of Samarkand, The Infernal Devices, etc) and this story really reminded me of those books plus Harry Potter. But that's the issue... it only vaguely reminded me of them and didn't really contribute anything original. The author had some interesting ideas, but was SO incredibly cautious about the whole thing that it was like those fun parts of the story hid in the background and timidly poked their head in every few chapters to politely apologize for existing. Hence my frustration.
Henrietta herself was a very likable character, but about halfway through she lost the strong personality she had at the start. When a father figure she trusts tries to kill her because he says women can't be trusted to do magic and that he prefers that she "died tomorrow, innocent and pure, than be called into the service of the Ancients" there's not a ton of reaction from her (but to be fair, the writing was almost entirely dialogue at times). I get that she lives at the mercy of the men in her life or however it was phrased. But most of the story focused on the men in Henrietta's life telling her that women couldn't be sorcerers, that she'd never belong, and that it's not Biblical for women to have pride or power. And it got to the point where I was like "I get that you're trailblazing here. I get that you're a girl and up against tons of odds... SO GO DO IT or stop being the main character."
If you're totally new to YA fantasy or haven't read many YA books published in the past decade, this could be a fun story. But I feel like pretty much every YA fantasy book these days is about a super tough girl assassin/magic princess... we do not need to be told over and over that girls can do things. I excused this for the first half of the book because maybe this story needed to establish the time period's social norms. But seriously, it got so old. Just have the girl kick ass instead of spending 90% of the story telling her she can't in order to build some obstacle for her to overcome. So much of the sexist theme was completely unnecessary and nothing I wanted to read about. I get that that fits the time period, but the story almost took a backseat to this monotonous tirade of "girls can't do this." Which was boring when the story had so many other directions to go in.
Ok and I need to talk about that Magnus guy because WHAT WAS THAT. He starts out the story as a cocky guy who reminded me a bit too much of Carswell Thorne or Will Herondale. Then Henrietta's good friend Magnus gets her drunk and tries to sleep with her, reveals he's actually engaged to someone else, and turns into a total ass. Then he confronts her later to say she was basically asking for it and can't say she didn't like it etc. He turns into a totally different person and frames a horrible story to everyone else that makes her apologize to him. BUT then a few chapters later Henrietta's kissing him on the cheek and telling him what a true friend he is and he's back to his cocky alternate personality?? And everything's good again? Is this supposed to be a character I like because NO. I was not moved at the end when he accepts her as one of them.
Honestly, most of this book felt like a series of disjointed scenes to the point where I was completely detached and just watching it fall apart like "what next." Without a clear direction, even relevant info felt like filler. I rolled with it in the first half because the world & idea of the story were so much fun, but the story was still trying to find its footing at 75%.
This book mainly felt like it was setting up a bunch of sequels with all of these leads and hints about how Lord Blackwell's home at Sorrow-fell seemed familiar, the identity of the guy who's training Henrietta and his connection with her dead parents, the evil sorcerer and his minions, the Ancients visiting Henrietta in her dreams, the identity of the daughter of the main sorcerer guy, and all of the other stuff that didn't matter in this story. Basically, the author introduced a lot of cool things, but never fully used any of it. And there's a point where failing to give an explanation or follow through just loses my interest completely instead of creating suspense.
So in the end this book borrowed elements from every other popular fantasy book, but didn't really weave them together into a cohesive story.
I'm still giving it 2.5 stars because ENGLAND. MAGIC. MOORS. All of the elements I love. And I might still check out the sequel because there IS a ton of potential in this storyline and the author's writing style is good!...more
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is still my favorite retelling of the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin, but this one followed the original prettA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is still my favorite retelling of the Scottish ballad of Tam Lin, but this one followed the original pretty well and had some creative additions!
The premise of the original ballad: There are a lot of different versions, but basically this girl (her name is usually like Janet or Margaret) goes into a forbidden forest and picks a rose, so the elf Tam Lin shows up and is all “why are you here without my permission killing my stuff” and takes her virginity as payment. She goes back to her father’s house, but then returns to Tam Lin and learns that he was captured by the queen of Faeries and will be sacrificed as a tithe on Halloween night. The girl goes through a trial to save Tam Lin from the evil fairy queen that includes a bunch of stuff like Tam Lin turning into a beast. The girl completes the trial and the queen of fairies gets mad. The end. (Ok, fine, a lot more happens. Deal with my summary skills).
This is still of the better retellings I've read (because there are some seriously weird ones). It expands to form a solid story while still following the ballad's outline. There were a lot of creative bits, like Tamlin being mortal once, the fairy queen's whole speech at the end, and her consort the Rhymer. The actual material from the ballad doesn't really factor in until around 30%, though, so the first bit was kind of slow.
Part of my original review: I love every single character SO much and was paranoid about what 600+ pagesUpdated review before I read Empire of Storms!
Part of my original review: I love every single character SO much and was paranoid about what 600+ pages could possibly do to all of them. I've heard that I would either hate the direction the characters went in this book or love it, so let me say that I LOVE where this plot is heading.
New thoughts/random feels: Oh man, this book was long. I honestly had a hard time getting through it the third time. The first time I sped through in a panic that someone would die, but this time I was like nope I am not here to watch Nesryn or Chaol walk around a bunch of sewers.
But I absolutely adore Manon in this book! She is 100% my favorite character and all of her scenes were awesome. (Her fight with Aelin is epic). I could live with the witches all getting out of that Morath situation, though. I just NEED Manon to have more page time in EoS. And am I the only one who ships her with Elide??
This book felt more like a patchwork of fun scenes instead of a tighter plot arc like Crown of Midnight, but it still works. It's more like this bridge between Celaena's past and Aelin's present as both of her lives come together and she makes a new future. There are a lot of characters who all have different stories going at this point, too. And everything with Arobynn came to a perfect resolution!
One of my favorite parts is definitely (view spoiler)[Aedion's rescue (hide spoiler)]. It read like something out of the Black Swan ballet and was SO wonderfully vivid! I loved every scene with Aedion even though there weren't nearly enough. I really hope he survives EoS... and maybe meets Gavriel? (And I'm super intrigued by Galan. Bring that guy back).
I like Rowan as a character, but am not here for the ships. I'm here for the awesome world and Aelin's journey. And, yes, Aelin was a bit different in this book, but at least her mood swings and struggles are complex/realistic and she hasn't gone the direction of Mare in Glass Sword or shut down. And hooray for Lysandra + female friendships that past the Bechdel test.
And I know I say this in like every ToG rant but: someone give Dorian a hug. That poor guy is having a rough year...
Also, THE ACTION SCENES HERE ARE SO WELL DONE. I tend to skim action scenes in a lot of books, but these are really great. The whole last 15% was so intense! I love how these books don't end with total cliffhangers, either. Like they lead into awesome plots for the next book, but wrap everything up all nicely at the same time so you're not a complete mess. (Except I am right now... can you be in a reading slump out of excitement for a new release)?
PLEASE do not post Empire of Storms spoilers in the comments below. Play nice, kids....more
THIS BOOK TOTALLY WRECKED ME. In the best possible way (because I’m thrilled to cry for a day straight? Idk). First of all, the scope of this story isTHIS BOOK TOTALLY WRECKED ME. In the best possible way (because I’m thrilled to cry for a day straight? Idk). First of all, the scope of this story is extraordinary. Events from the first half that seemed so important at the time now feel like minuscule details in the face of this EPIC PLOT.
I love how Maas writes such complex characters who have had their lives shattered in a variety of ways, yet still keep fighting for each other and work to create a new life with the family they chose. Feyre’s growth from the first book where she had such low self-worth is beyond inspirational as she finds the ability to completely forgive & love herself and everything she’s been. She’s still a flawed character who makes some sketchy calls and is continually healing. And that's what I love most about this book: every single character is broken and healing. Lucien, Elain, Nesta, Cassian, Azriel, Mor, Rhys, Amren, even Tamlin. EVERYONE. And the amount they care about each other is just
Maas manages to juggle a wide range of characters in this book, add in even more, and find really creative ways to show what’s happening with other ships besides Rhys & Feyre. I think if you look at this as just a conclusion to the trilogy then a lot of storylines are kind of underwhelming because it's mostly setting up potential for future books with a lot of the side characters. But I was just excited for any page time for Cassian, Nesta, Elain, and Azriel!
I also loved how everyone finds a different way to be strong (like in ways besides brute strength) and the story actually shows the horrors of war without glorifying killing. There’s a theme of the choices & consequences of war and how one life can change the world:
”what we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength. And… the most unlikely person can alter the course of history.”
I was curious to see how Feyre would wield her new power as High Lady on her own rather than through Rhys. A lot of stories find ways to keep couples separated until the very end so you never really see them figure out how they work together, so I thought the scenes with Rhys & Feyre just talking strengthened their characters so much. There’s a running thread throughout the story that Rhys would rather sacrifice himself than let others be hurt and EVERYTHING GETS SO EMOTIONAL.
And I'm not against healthy/positive portrayals of sex in YA by any means (so this isn't a complaint), but something about that just didn't work for me. I was personally mostly snickering or rolling my eyes at Rhys & Feyre in this book like
Other random parts I loved: - CASSIAN. My phone now autocorrects his name to caps lock if that’s any indication of my love. His entrance was epic. - Finally getting to see so many details of the other Courts! I NEED FAN ART - the Winter Court has armored polar bears and wee fox messengers with vests omg - Characters who have the ability to be more than the bad decisions they made in the past (while still not excusing those actions) - References like the Myrmidons, Ouroboros, the Illyrians, Stryga, Koschei, Thesan, Eris, Lord Thanatos, Madja, the Firebird + Vassa, Andromache, and so many others! Maas wove in Russian folk tales, Bible stories, elements of Greek mythology, and various myths from around the world in such clever ways. - so many plot points came full circle or were repeated in such neat ways - Lucien’s story - ALL OF THE SASS AND BANTER - I never thought I’d be this emotional about the Weaver, the Bone Carver, or the Suriel… - seeing Cassian in action commanding troops as the general - the absolutely amazing world - Serious LOTR vibes with their Council of Elrond drama & hobbit-like Autumn Court - Elain really reminded me of Eowyn in the Houses of Healing (and… other moments). Her character arc also kind of reminded me of Elide from TOG at times? yay - Rhys shows Feyre the library he turned into a refuge for women recovering from abuse and it’s more than a side comment — like Mor and Rhys genuinely care for their mental health and also seek refuge there themselves - Actual healthy relationships. Rhys treats Feyre as an equal: ”the male who had always presented me with a choice not as a gift, but as my own gods-given right.” - THAT WHOLE BATTLE AT THE END. I am still not ok.
I wasn’t too sure about the first 10% though… Feyre had to explain every single action she took at the Spring Court so the reader couldn’t misconstrue her actions, which got to be a little drawn out. Another minor problem for me was that we're constantly told how awesomely powerful Rhysand is and I wanted to SEE more of him misting giant chunks of armies. Sure, it was a clever plot device to have everyone's powers limited for most of the story... but all of that stuff in ACOMAF about how powerful everyone is and how "Mor is who I'll call in when the armies fail and Cassian and Azriel are both dead" and didn't totally come through here.
And I was nervous about how this story would end since we’ve never seen Maas finish a storyline before, but I feel like she wrapped up everything really well while still making it clear where the following companion books could continue! And I'm so excited about a ship I never thought would sail but totally might now. Basically, this world means SO much to me and I’m really happy with how everything ended.
____________________________________
Now for some points that I really do want to hear some input on:
I think Maas listened to her readers and made a serious effort to make this book more diverse overall. There are fae of every race in every rank now, there are several gay couples with new characters (one of whom is a High Lord), another High Lord who’s either bisexual or pansexual, and a major character is gay. Maas also clarifies that Amren, the Illyrians, and a lot of other characters are definitely not white or simply “tan.” And I know Mor’s story didn’t work for some readers, but I’ve also seen others who are absolutely thrilled. So I guess I’m hoping to hear more discussion about what did or didn’t work for everyone.
I'll point out a few parts I have seen criticism on so far: in the beginning, the niece and nephew of Hybern appear and aren’t interested in Ianthe’s advances so Feyre observes that “perhaps any sort of physical passion had long ago been drained away, alongside their souls.” That sentence really angered a lot of people in the book community and was seen as a comment against asexuality. There’s another part later where Feyre thinks “the two of them perhaps preferred no one’s company but each other’s. In whatever unholy capacity.” And I guess I thought she meant incest instead of shaming asexuals, but will still mention it since it’s the center of a lot of discussion right now. So hopefully people can be aware of this going into the story, read critically, and use this as grounds for discussion and learning.
If there is something harmful in a book, I do think the author should be held accountable and people shouldn't excuse it. So, yes, I will acknowledge some problematic aspects of this series and I am in no way attempting to overlook them or blindly excuse whatever Maas does. But I am still giving this book 5 stars, largely because of the extremely positive rep for PTSD, surviving trauma & abuse, and rebuilding yourself. I have never seen an author write such realistic, relatable, and inspirational character arcs in this area as Maas – I’ve heard from over 100 readers throughout the past year who say that her books quite literally saved their lives. The positive impact her books have had on so many young women is incredible (even if it’s just making them think critically about how men treat them). Sometimes it seems like people scrutinize every single sentence Maas writes on a much more vindictive level with the sole aim of pointing out her faults, so I want to clarify that there is an actual, important reason why I gave this 5 stars besides general fangirling squeals.
I really don’t feel the need to explain why I relate so strongly to these broken characters, but I did at least cover some of my current physical health situation in my review of Empire of Storms. I’m still struggling to survive day to day, contrary to whatever illusion social media + photoshop creates. I can't even try to explain the exhausting physical battle, but will say that the mental endurance for years of isolation is a whole other challenge. So to find this family of characters who have been through hell physically and mentally, yet still manage to find hope, love, and fight to survive is more powerful than I can say. These books and characters have been a total lifeline for me (and so many others) and I will always be grateful to Maas for them. So maybe pause before you judge me as a white girl with an easy life who blindly supports anything Maas writes out of clueless privilege.
I’ve never denied the faults in her books. But I AM asking that people stop dismissing any positive representation for others as not only unimportant, but something to viciously attack those readers for finding. Most of the bloggers I follow who are strong diversity advocates gave Everything, Everything 5 stars for its diversity despite what I found to be hurtful ableism. It never once crossed my mind to disown them as “wrong” because I know rating books is complex and reflects our own individual experience with a story.
And just because I identified so strongly with the positive rep doesn’t mean I’m ok with the rep that didn’t work as well. (Ex: I personally wasn't huge on how yet another bisexual character wants to sleep with literally everyone they see). My 5 star rating is not trying to brush those parts aside, imply that the problems in this book weren’t as important as the parts I liked, or to overlook any issues. I struggled with this rating, but in the end the amount that this book has helped me and so many readers I know is overwhelming.
And I genuinely do hope that there can be a respectful discussion in the comments because I’m curious how others experienced the same story. If I missed some problems that really stood out to you, I genuinely want to hear about it. Plus, my rating is definitely not written in stone and will probably change as I reflect more on the book (like how my ACOTAR rating has fluctuated anywhere between 2-4 stars).
Thank you to the wonderful Brittney for texting me nonstop while reading and surviving this with me – here's her review....more
Update from a reread: this story was way more powerful the second time through once I knew where it was going. All the subtleALL SPOILERS ARE HIDDEN.
Update from a reread: this story was way more powerful the second time through once I knew where it was going. All the subtle lines about time just broke my heart.
4.5 stars. This series means SO much to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to blindly love it or treat it any differently than other book I review. I really enjoyed the story, but still thought I was only going to give it 4 stars until the ending + the exclusive short stories.
First off, I would absolutely recommend reading The Assassin's Blade before this book if you haven't already! Most characters and locations from those novellas appear here.
The story starts out with Aelin and her court heading north to Terrasen where they meet with a few potential supporters at an inn before trying to waltz into Orynth. Aelin is told that the Lords of Terrasen don't recognize her as queen and it’s all very infuriating. She swears that "no matter how far I go, no matter the cost, when you call for my aid, I will come. I'm going to call in old debts and promises. To raise an army of assassins and thieves and exiles and commoners.” Because war/annihilation is coming and Erawan is not messing around.
So it's kind of like the breaking of the Fellowship in Lord of the Rings with how characters gets scattered around on various missions and eventually come back together. And speaking of LOTR... you know how while everyone freaking walked across Middle Earth the story kind of meandered but wasn't necessarily boring because the locations sounded pretty, little bits of action popped up here and there, and the characters were so wonderful that you'd be fine reading about them watching paint dry? The middle of this book reminded me of that.
I was surprised by how much of this story is carried by the POVs of other characters instead of Aelin. That decision makes total sense in the end, but I was initially wondering why I wasn't connecting with her as much as I had in previous books. She spends most of the story making her own secret plans behind the scenes while everyone calls her out on not clueing them in until the continual big reveals. Seeing her through other characters often made her seem a bit distant, callous, not focused on the bigger picture, and pretty much back to her Celaena persona. But by the end it all makes sense and she was still the incredibly brave, determined, selfless character we love. She gets even more complex and mature in this story and her whole journey is wonderful.
So that decision to make the development of so many crucial plot points happen off-screen (off-page??) made the reveal at the end more emotional, but also made me kind of frustrated in the middle with how I couldn't get a strong sense of where on earth Aelin’s head was or where the plot was even going. And because we didn't get such a strong look into Aelin's mind, her relationship with Rowan didn't have much emotional impact for me. I love them both as individual characters and do care about them together, but I'm just not very invested. (view spoiler)[And I do not like these secret surprise weddings that ACOMAF and ToG are throwing out there... yes the shock value works, but I want to SEE them aaaahh. At first I was disappointed that everything was coming out in an infodump monologue at the end, but I suppose finding out at the moment when it’s all potentially doomed forever worked well too. (hide spoiler)]. So I did enjoy this book overall, but wasn’t super emotionally attached like I was in Heir or Fire or flipping through the pages like I was in Queen of Shadows.
BUT THE CHARACTERS ARE SO AMAZING. They’ve all grown so much since the first book!!! I said in my reviews of previous books that I wanted to see more of Manon, Aedion, and Elide and I was not let down. The amount of character development that secondary characters got here makes me SO HAPPY. It's so, so, so wonderful. I have no clue how Maas juggles all of these characters so well, but this series is starting to feel a bit like Game of Thrones meets The Lord of the Rings meets... some celtic Avengers? I don't know. But my point is there's now a badass range of characters who are all equally important.
And if you thought my love for Manon was intense before, get ready for a whole new level. Her scenes had some of the best action and emotions in the entire book. I loved it all. (“She hated Death. And Death could go to hell, too”). I need some fan art of her armor because her awesome helmet sounded so much like the Witchking (this is the last LOTR reference, promise).
I still ship Manon & Elide, but am also fine with where the characters went in this book. Whatever... it's not my story. And I liked Elide in Queen of Shadows, but can we talk about how she becomes the most amazing character ever here?!! “She had been forgotten – by everyone and everything. And still she had hoped. And still she had been kind.” Her POV and everything that happened in it was the most unexpected part of the book (and also maybe the best).
This book felt a lot like a chess board with how it strengthened every player and moved them into the right position before the final battle of the next book. So it might not be the most gripping story as a whole, but it did an amazing job of building an impressive lineup of characters. Like I NEVER expected to care this much about Lorcan?! I loved how the most unexpected characters paired up for different missions or whatever and how everyone’s different stories wove together at the end!
So yeah, I just love Manon, Elide, Aedion, Lysandra, Dorian… oh my goodness HOW HAVE I NOT TALKED ABOUT DORIAN YET. He's still one of my favorites and is still adorable despite all of the crap he's been through. He doesn't play a particularly strong role in this book, though, because Aelin's running the show and Dorian just needs time to recover.
Other random things I loved: - MANON. Manon and her Thirteen. Manon and Abraxos. Manon and hope. - Lysandra!! I adored her scenes with Aedion in the first 95% (let's just ignore the last bit for now) - Maeve just got bumped up past Umbridge level of loathing - All of the foreshadowing - All of the ACOMAF similarities - The Rowan + Dorian bonding scenes - How amazing Maas is with her mythology references (like how Fenrys is a wolf haha) - Aelin’s court. How much they’ve done for her and are willing to do for the bigger picture. - One of the more central characters is bisexual - Aelin calling Rolfe “his Pirateness” and wanting Rowan to call her “milady” - Elide adopting characteristics from Manon & Asterin and working with what she has - the sheer scope of the phenomenal worldbuilding - How the big reveal gave the previous books WAY more depth - Seeing Dorian and Aelin referred to as the King of Adarlan and Queen of Terrasen - Dorian still eats like a fine lady
Now I know that a ton of people were losing their minds over the sex scenes in this book before it was even released, so let me just take a minute to weigh in on that. The main thing I heard was that they were graphic and unnecessary. I’m pretty sure the people calling it graphic didn’t read ACOMAF. The scenes in this book were a bit tamer and felt like Maas tried to be descriptive, yet still vague with a younger audience in mind? So it mostly ended up being awkward… which brings me to the unnecessary claim. I’m not against these scenes, but also really didn’t need them. They didn’t really fit the tone and even felt a bit forced into the story in several places. (view spoiler)[Especially Manon & Dorian. I can admit that ship works after everything Dorian’s been through. But that scene really didn’t do anything for the characters or plot (hide spoiler)]. I defended ACOMAF because the plot built up to those scenes and it meant something in the context of the story, buuuuut I’m really not feeling that here. I wish the page time had been spent elsewhere. (So basically, YES, you can skip them and it won’t affect anything).
If the sexual content is what's stopping you from reading this story, the pages in the US hardcover to skip are: - 350 to the top of 359 - 422 to the scene break on 423 - 573 - 576
Anyways, there are a lot of things I wanted to see happen that didn’t, but I was equally thrilled with where the story ended up going in the end. I think a lot of fans need to acknowledge that even though we’re super wrapped up in this world, it’s not our story to direct. I really don't understand some of the intensity... like if you really need it to go in an alternate direction, maybe go write some fanfiction.
And I adore Chaol, but honestly think cutting him out of this particular book was a really smart move. The tone of his POV would’ve been seriously disconnected from the rest of this story with where he is mentally (and physically... like he’s in an entirely different part of the world that wouldn’t have worked into the larger plot). I think it’s enough for the sake of pacing to know what he’s doing without actually needing to see it. Aaaaand hey, look at that – he got his own book now.
Also, I don’t know why Maas said fans would hate her after this book because that ending was AMAZING. (Not amazing in that I particularly enjoy what’s happening, but amazing in that this takes the story to a whole new level of intense). I don’t know if I’d go back and reread this whole book like I usually want to do right after I finish a ToG book, but I’m totally going back to that last 15%. And the Elide scenes. And Manon. Ok fine… I’ll skim it all.
I thought the end wasn’t so much sad as it was inspirational, but it’s quite possible I’m just in a different mindset. This series has meant a ton to me on a personal level because Aelin is dealt a tough hand, yet makes the decision to keep fighting. Doctors told me I wouldn’t live to see 2013, but I’ve been hanging in there one day at a time. I read books so that I have something to keep holding on for… kind of like some weird version of 1,001 Nights. (I know I get overly excited on social media about Empire of Storms, but I just never thought I’d make it to read this book and can’t explain how amazing it is to even hold it). I thought I resonated with Aelin’s journey in Heir of Fire, but the quote towards the end of this book was like someone put my mind on paper: (view spoiler)[”Time – she was grateful Elena had given her that stolen time. Grateful she had met them all, that she had seen some small part of the world, had heard such lovely music, had danced and laughed and known true friendship. Grateful that she had found Rowan. She was grateful. So Aelin Galathynius dried her tears.”
Like I know my situation is far less dramatic, BUT I still really connected with her perspective even if all I’ve done with stolen time is read books. Actually no, can I just give a shoutout to the whole online book community because just posting pictures and talking about books has let me actually feel normal and like I’m living. I haven’t really seen another human besides my parents & sister in over 1.5 years but I’ve still met a ton of amazing people through book blogging. Soooo you’re all wonderful and sorry this turned into personal story time (hide spoiler)].
So even though I connected more with other books in this series, I’d still give this one 4.5 stars overall for all of the strong characters and how brilliantly it set up everything. It's possible I was a bit tired or just had too many expectations while reading because the longer that I spend typing this, the more I love the book. There were SO many amazing scenes. And the ending was emotional, but I’m really not sad because I’m mostly too excited at how awesome the next book could be now!
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Update about the three exclusive short stories: (because these stories honestly added another star to my rating)
WHY are these stories not in the books?! This just strengthened Aelin & Rowan's relationship 10000% and was EVERYTHING I was looking for in terms of character development for Rowan. I'm changing my rating to 5 stars after reading these.
The B&N story would have easily been one of my favorite scenes because it shows Aelin with her people and what an amazing, caring leader she'll be. And just a few pages here made me connect more with Rowan & Aelin than hundreds of pages in the main story did! I loved hearing more about Rowan's ancient life before they met. And all of the stuff with Lysandra looking at Aedion after he's being adorable with Evangeline and just everyone interacting in general helped the main story SO much.
The Target one takes place during Heir of Fire and starts out with Aelin and Rowan just being normal while they make crowns of fire and ice for each other. Then the whole meal with Rowan's ex who dubs Aelin the "fire-breathing bitch queen" happens. Aelin is awesome. But it also brings in another character who analyzes Aelin's motivation to claim Rowan aaaaand THE BOOK NEEDS THIS SCENE. Even just the observation that "you are training with the most dangerous pure-blooded Fae male in the world, and yet he treats you as an equal. He presented you as his equal." And then Rowan kind of realizes (view spoiler)[they're mates (hide spoiler)] and Aelin makes him a chocolate hazlenut cake that's so gross he vomits it up when she's not looking. The end.
And I just had to include this Chaol quote from his short story, though, because it supports everything I've said in other reviews:
“Would I have loved her if I had known from the start what she is?” He shook his head. “If I had met her now… my first instinct would be to protect Dorian from her. Celaena was a fraction of Aelin – both good and bad. But Aelin… she is Celaena, and she is queen, and she is the Fire-Bringer. I fell in love with a facet, and I panicked when I realized it was a fraction of the whole – when I saw that power, that heritage, and… it was not a part of my plans. 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.”
I had linked to Tumblr pictures of the short stories, but those posts were removed... so if anyone knows of another place to find them for international readers who don't have access then please comment below!...more
"My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid."
Well, that quote just got a whole lot more meaning to it.
I SURVIVED THIS BOOK! I was expecti"My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid."
Well, that quote just got a whole lot more meaning to it.
I SURVIVED THIS BOOK! I was expecting a lot worse, honestly. I initially checked it out to see Sam since you hear so much about him in later books, but there really wasn't as much about him as I thought there would be. Or maybe I just braced for the worst. It's more about Celaena's twisted relationship with Arobynn than anything else. And THAT was enough to permanently mess anyone up. Her reactions and dependency on him were so sad, but really show how strong she becomes later.
This book brought SO much insight to Celaena's character overall and I loved all of the stories (despite the sad). The second and third novellas were a bit slower, but I'm really hoping we see more of those random characters in Empire of Storms!
This was my second time reading it and I'm not sure I got too much more out of it this time, but I do totally recommend reading it at least once! Maybe even before Throne of Glass or Crown of Midnight if you're just starting the series because it really does add a TON of depth to everything....more
Fireheart – why do you cry? “Because I am lost,” she whispered onto the earth. “And I do not know the way.”
This seriously might be the most emotionalFireheart – why do you cry? “Because I am lost,” she whispered onto the earth. “And I do not know the way.”
This seriously might be the most emotional book I've ever read. I'm going through this series for the fourth time and need to rewrite this whole fangirling review in some attempt to explain how amazing Maas is…
(There might be a minor spoiler with how I refer to Celaena in the next sentence, buuuut I'm not sure how anyone's avoided that by this point). This is the book where it’s kind of confusing whether I should call her Celaena or Aelin because she’s both, yet neither...
The series has always been about Celaena’s journey for me, so this is definitely my favorite Throne of Glass book. This is the point where she faces her past, tries to forgive herself, and finally accepts herself as Aelin. She completely breaks apart, finds herself at rock bottom, and rebuilds herself into a new person. Her character growth is brutally raw and just incredibly & painfully realistic. Like my personality is COMPLETELY different from hers, yet I have never connected with a character this much. You can actually feel her despair, isolation, grief, and survivor's guilt. The whole story is an emotional rollercoaster and is still one of the few books that can make me legitimately tear up (that whole "get up" scene towards the end... omg).
Celaena spends most of the book training with Rowan, who’s also trying to heal in his own way. (And the way that Feyre & Rhys helped each other recover from Under the Mountain really reminded me of Celaena & Rowan’s journey the first time I read ACOMAF). They're both broken but figure it out together:
”Someone who might – who did understand what it was like to be crippled at your very core, someone who was still climbing inch by inch out of that abyss. Perhaps they would never get out of it, perhaps they would never be whole again, but… “Together she said, and took his outstretched hand. And somewhere far and deep inside her, an ember began to glow.
All of her character growth in this book is beyond impressive and SO well executed. The last 20% of this book is intense, but the rest of it moves at a slightly slower pace (which still totally works). So the second and fourth books are a lot more action-packed, but I think this third book REALLY gives the series the character growth and substance it needs in order to be so powerful.
(I really do try to not turn every Maas review into a rant but then I hear from other people and get frustrated so here we go): people usually need to break and seriously remake themselves in order to be as strong as Aelin ends up being. Otherwise it's just some hollow facade and the characters don't work. (Like "badass assassin" is NOT Celaena's identity or personality. It's a persona she adopted in order to survive. She is more than that front... complex characters are ok).
Everyone else’s storylines here really pale in contrast to Celaena/Aelin's, though. Like I seriously have the hardest time getting through the witch scenes in this book. I absolutely adore Manon in the following books, but really didn’t care about much except for her scenes with Abraxos. Her wyvern is basically Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon and they're just straight up adorable together.
And then the characters I initially thought I wanted to see more of, like Chaol and Dorian, weren’t terribly interesting in this book either. Dorian mostly tried to find ways to hide his magic and wound up in increasingly worse situations. Chaol sat in a lot of different chairs in different locations. Aedion walked a lot… they pondered stuff. Their stories were mostly a lot of preparing for the next book.
Things I want to see more of in Empire of Storms: - Luca randomly mentions that they “did have a female wander in with raw magic two years ago — she could do anything she wanted, summon any element, and she was here a week before Maeve called her to Doranelle and we never heard from her again.” TELL ME MORE. - Dorian's magic - Rowan’s cadre. - AEDION.
And can someone please give Dorian a hug?!? That poor, lovable guy is so alone and ignored (even in Celaena’s flashbacks to when she met him as a kid). I adore his friendship with Celaena and how they can both see and accept each other as they are. And he knows Chaol loved a very narrow image of her:
”[Celaena] was not becoming anything different from what she always was and always had the capacity to be. You just finally saw everything. And once you saw that other part of her… you cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love.” “As for Celaena, you do not have the right to wish she were not what she is. The only thing you have a right to do is decide whether you are her enemy or her friend.”
Oh, and I really don't think Chaol's out of character in this book at all. He's just in a confusing place and his entire identity is in question since he can no longer stand by everything he swore to defend. I actually don't think anyone's out of character here because people grow and change with life’s events. Especially Aelin:
"She didn't know what she needed... If she felt like admitting it, she actually didn't have the faintest clue who the hell she was anymore. All she knew was that whatever and whoever climbed out of that abyss of despair and grief would not be the same person who had plummeted in. And maybe that was a good thing."
AND ughhh that last line was so emotional (especially after reading The Assassin’s Blade): ”She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius – and she would not be afraid."...more
I ended up skimming the last half of this book since I never really got that into it. The writing is very unique and more of a flowery prose that's noI ended up skimming the last half of this book since I never really got that into it. The writing is very unique and more of a flowery prose that's not going to be everyone's cup of tea. The story itself is quite slow and rather odd... but not necessarily in a bad way, either.
The basic premise is that Claire & her father move back to Ireland and she learns that she's a guardian of the gate to the faerie world that's in the yew tree in her childhood home. (Yes, the tree is in her home. That was easily the coolest part of the book).
I absolutely love anything to do with Ireland, but Claire's character kind of ruined the story for me. Everything about her felt like she was 10 instead of 15 -- like how her dad was super worried about leaving her alone for a day even though she had a phone. And I couldn't get much of a sense for her at all, aside from her being a bit sheltered, naive, and really not that smart.
But I'm still giving this 2.5 stars because of the faeries, Ireland, and cliffs....more
Updated thoughts from my re-read before Empire of Storms are all below!
Original review: HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!
You win. All of you. You were right.Updated thoughts from my re-read before Empire of Storms are all below!
Original review: HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!
You win. All of you. You were right. This series is everything.
I read Throne of Glass last year and was pretty unimpressed. I shoved the series in a corner of my bookshelf and tried to ignore the massive hype around these books in the book community. I don't even know how I ended up giving this series another shot, but pretty sure I'm chalking that up to one of the best life choices I've ever made.
Let me just say -- I get the hype now. I think I just got a new favorite series/obsession. And everything that annoyed me in the first book is completely gone! Celaena or whatever I'm supposed to call her dropped the high school mean girl act and is legitimately badass now. This book was totally everything I wanted from Throne of Glass but didn't get. The writing is a million times better, the execution is amazing, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. It took me forever to read because I kept staring at it in shock like how is every single page this good?!?! Whyyyy did it take me so long to read this?! I knew most of the plot points already because there is just no avoiding this fandom, but that actually didn't ruin anything.
This seriously might be one of my top 10 favorite books of all time. Absolutely every part of the plot was perfect. There is NOTHING that I didn't like about it... like I seriously have nothing bad to say. I want to pick up the next book, but will probably just sit here in stunned silence for a bit. ____________________________________
Updates: Seriously read The Assassin's Blade before this book! It is a million times more emotional after that and Celaena's reactions make WAY more sense. And totally broke my heart. But I'm still not even going to try to summarize the plot here because the way it all gets unveiled is perfect.
But seriously, HOW IS THIS BOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE?!! Oh my goodness. I was fangirling the whole way through because the character development in this is AMAZING. And the plot arc and pacing are incredible... everything comes together so well. It's like the perfect balance of romance, action, suspense, mystery, awesome fantasy stuff, and drama.
The part that totally sold me on this series was that scene under the (view spoiler)[library/clocktower (hide spoiler)] that ends with the line "There was a scrape of nail against stone, and then the sound of breathing. It was not her own."
I love that Celaena becomes so much stronger in this book, yet also feels like she's at a weaker/more vulnerable point because she's trying so hard to fight for a good future without acknowledging the inevitable path she'll have to take. I cannot stand her in the first book but love her SO much in the sequels. Maas just does such an amazing job of writing complex characters with traumatic pasts who are completely broken, yet who still force themselves to keep going.
Ughh so many feels. Dorian seriously is the most underrated character in this series. Someone give the guy a hug and a friend asap :(
AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT CHAOL FOR A MINTUE?! He is so wonderful in this book and I love him so much. But I think fans can acknowledge that this series is about Celaena's journey. It's not about her love interest. But let me just go on a tangent about Chaol so I never have to talk about this stuff again:
(view spoiler)[I wouldn't go for a love triangle or changing love interest that didn't feel 100% authentic... but this is so incredibly well done. The characters are all complex, flawed, multi-dimensional, and don't stay static. They change with life's events, which is probably going to mean that sometimes old relationships are no longer the best situation for them... it happens.
If you read it again after knowing who Aelin is, their relationship is still beyond adorable but has some serious long-term obstacles. Chaol loved the very narrow image of Celaena that he wanted to see. Even while he loved her, he still worried about what she would do and was never completely comfortable with the other sides of her. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING, nor does it make him a bad person. Like you do not need to demonize Chaol in order to support Rowan or whatever. Chaol was perfect for Celaena at this point in her life. It's impossible for them to go back to how they were before, but that doesn't mean what they had was bad (so stop trying to turn Chaol into a Tamlin). I think both of their reactions are completely believable, it's all handled perfectly, and it adds so much to both characters and the story. Aaaaand guess what... it's fictional.
So I completely disagree with any hate that Chaol or Celaena or Maas get after this book. That might be an unpopular opinion, but I get to type whatever I want here. AND I LOVE IT ALL. (hide spoiler)]...more
It's like Elle Woods works for some kind of paranormal NSA? I absolutely love Kiersten White's writing so, so much. She has some of the wittiest, stroIt's like Elle Woods works for some kind of paranormal NSA? I absolutely love Kiersten White's writing so, so much. She has some of the wittiest, strongest female characters -- Evie's inner dialogue was hilariously real. This whole book was actually pretty great, especially in contrast to most of the YA paranormal stuff I've read. Nothing tries too hard to be dark or angsty, yet it's not super ridiculous either. Definitely recommend this one if you're into YA fantasy or paranormal books....more
THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. Seriously, I've never been this ridiculously happy throughout an entire story.
And I read this whole book on theTHIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. Seriously, I've never been this ridiculously happy throughout an entire story.
And I read this whole book on the day it was released, so I went into it without ANY hype or expectations... which might have helped a lot.
Anyways, Feyre's character growth is incredible and pretty much the central part of the story for me. I wasn't a huge fan of her in ACOTAR, but she reminds me of Aelin in Heir of Fire here with how she learns to respect herself, pieces herself back together, and starts to shape her own future. Feyre develops so much incredible self-awareness, honesty, and bravery (and Rhys supports her but she doesn't grow through him, which is so important). She becomes pretty badass by the end... and is now one of my favorite characters? Man, this book shocked the hell out of me so many times. Look at this character growth:
"I’m thinking that I was a lonely, hopeless person, and I might have fallen in love with the first thing that showed me a hint of kindness and safety. And I’m thinking maybe he knew that—maybe not actively, but maybe he wanted to be that person for someone. And maybe that worked for who I was before. Maybe it doesn’t work for who—what I am now."
I can't really summarize all these feels right now, so here's a list of the awesome: - The Court of Dreams/Rhysand's family and how well Maas can weave different myths & cultures together (like how the Morrigan and Azriel are part of the court of the Hades figure in this Persephone retelling) - every single detail of the Night Court -- I need fan art asap - answers & the insight into all of Rhysand's previous actions - how much Rhys supports and respects Feyre as an equal - actual healthy relationships with communication (friendships too) - the fact that this was never a love triangle - Rhys & Feyre form a solid friendship first (and she helps him tons) - Feyre leaves a toxic relationship for herself instead of another guy - I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR HADES/PERSEPHONE RETELLINGS - awesome action scenes and pacing that never got slow - not seeing Tamlin's name on the page for long periods of time - how Nesta & Elain worked into the plot - THAT ENDING.
I've seen some concerns that this book might be too steamy for teens, but I really don't think it's a bad thing for teens to read about consent in an empowering relationship for a change. I have seen SO many unhealthy relationships in YA books that romanticize abusive & controlling guys who are attractive because they're threatening (??). Rhys turns out to be the complete opposite of that here (and even if he does become too perfect, at least those positive traits are what's being romanticized). It was definitely more explicit than I thought was necessary, but I also think adults who shield teens from sex scenes have either forgotten what being a teen is like or truly don’t grasp the materials that teens see/read/live. Society has enough stuff that shames teen girls, so maybe ease up on this story about a strong female character going after the life & relationship that's healthiest for her.
Anyways, it's funny to look back at my review of ACOTAR last year where I said I'd be a way bigger fan of this series if the books dropped Tamlin and went to the Night Court. Hallelujah. I wasn't particularly huge on ACOTAR, but this just became one of my favorite books.
"Feyre is whoever she chooses to be." - YOU KNOW WHO.
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UPDATE from June 2016 My thoughts based on comments from others: - "Being in character" does not mean that you stay the exact same person forever and that life's events can't change you - Tamlin is still the same controlling character he was in ACOTAR. His behavior just stopped being romanticized by Feyre's POV. - I'm not sure if people who see Feyre as weak or got bored with her vomiting & fear at the start of this book really understand what it's like to be truly broken. - There seriously is no love triangle here at all. - Did everyone marry their first love or how/why is anyone upset when young characters change & grow and find someone new who fits the next stage of their life better?? - I totally respect everyone who wasn't a fan of this book. The awesome part of book reviews is we can all have our own opinions (so basically everyone chill with messaging me on why this book sucked).
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April 2017 update: I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I completely understand the issues a lot of people have with Maas, but am just so grateful for how well she writes women who pull themselves through PTSD. Feyre's growth in this book (and Aelin's in Heir of Fire) is so incredibly well done. I don't think I've ever connected with a character as much as I have with Mor, Feyre, and Aelin.
And unpopular opinion: I actually really hope this series never gets made into a movie because the world is just too perfect. Like I might actually pick Prythian over Middle Earth or Hogwarts......more
Let me first say the Throne of Glass series is one of my absolute FAVORITES of all time. But I cannot deny that this first book is pretty shaky. If yoLet me first say the Throne of Glass series is one of my absolute FAVORITES of all time. But I cannot deny that this first book is pretty shaky. If you're just starting this series, hang in there: it gets better.
The sheer scope of the worldbuilding in this series is phenomenal, so check it out if you like fantasy. I really can’t think of many other worlds I love this much… I mean, there are demon kings, Fae, witches & wyverns, pirate lords, princes, kingdoms & castles, magic, spirits with cryptic advice, swords & battles, ancient prophecies, politics, well-developed history & religion, multiple complex villains, and it spans multiple continents and cultures.
This book starts with Celaena being a prisoner in the death camp/salt mine of Endovier. The Crown Prince Dorian, Chaol (the Captain of the Guard), and a couple other characters who will matter later all arrive at Endovier to retrieve Celaena for a competition to be the King's Champion. It has a Hunger Games feel to it as all of the assassins train with various weapons and slowly get eliminated. But then tons of awesome stuff with Wyrdmarks and portals and Fae history gets woven in and the competition becomes even more threatening... but this stuff is explained way better in the sequels. Like the whole "evil" plot in this book is just a shadow of the amazing tangled mess it turns into eventually.
The rougher writing style in this book was a bit hard for me to get through (all of the exclamations!) and the plot is more simplistic. But I still like this story because it sets up the wonderful world & characters I grew to love!
So when I first read Throne of Glass a few years ago I gave it 2 stars because I was expecting some badass assassin but then thought I got a snarky immature mean girl who's obsessed with dresses and boys. I absolutely could not stand her. (But, that also kind of shows how amazing these books become if I could eventually come to connect so much with the same character)!
The reader is mostly told over and over that Celaena is this amazing assassin who could skin someone without a blade. But all I really saw was some arrogant girl whose main focus was how much she wanted to kiss the prince. And if she's the "world's greatest assassin," would she seriously eat several pounds of candy someone just left anonymously in her room?! I was so annoyed with her that I initially ended up skimming most of the first book. I threw it aside and didn't pick up the sequel for another few years (worst choice ever).
BUT I saw everything in this book waaaay differently after I read The Assassin's Blade and the rest of the series and saw everything Celaena went through before she went to Endovier. Now when I read this book I mostly want to hug instead of punch her now that I understand her better.
Things I liked both times I read this book: - Celaena has the confidence to know she's attractive and own it -- you don't see a lot of cocky, secure female MCs. - CHAOL. Chaol is totally the best part of this book. - The story actually addresses the fact that Celaena WILL get her period while going about her badass assassin life and that will complicate things. Thank you. - The love triangle in this book is kind of whatever... but I will go down defending what happened between the second and third books.
I know some people recommend reading the The Assassin's Blade first... I think I wouldn't have cared as much about the characters in those novellas if I hadn't read the main books first, but I also think the novellas might help with enduring Celaena in this book. So either way works.
Oh, and I totally love the parallels between all of SJM's characters and worlds. (Like Celaena in Heir of Fire and Feyre in ACOMAF are so wonderfully similar). Quotes like "Lady Lillian belongs to herself and no one else," "the stars who gazed back," and "if they tried to take her from him, he'd rip the world apart with his bare hands" made me smile.
Basically this first book is a fun story, but it could be better executed and absolutely pales in comparison with the sequels! This is a series people either love or hate... I really haven't seen any neutral opinions. Everyone seems to make up their mind at the end of the second book, so maybe give that a chance!...more
Cait • A Page with a View
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