Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

QUEEN OF SHADOWS BY SARAH J MAAS
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Paperback
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Pages: 648
Date Finished: 01.09.15
Rating: 5/5
Summary: Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

“She was a whirling cloud of death, a queen of shadows, and these men were already carrion.”    

Yesterday, after months and months of waiting, speculating, and Tumblr-ing (?), at 11:30 AM the postman knocked on my door. And in his hands was a box containing Queen of Shadows, in all its beautiful, wonderful glory. After a lot of jumping up and down, fangirling and taking awkward selfies with said book in my Throne of Glass shirt (this was the only one that didn't put too much emphasis on the massive pimple on my nose which, lets face it, is still the first thing you notice), I finally sat down to read. And I read right into the night, finishing the book at three minutes to midnight.

AND OH MY GOD IT WAS BLOODY BRILLIANG ASDFGHJKL I'M SO HAPPY AND MOVED AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINED AAAAHHHHHH

*ahem*

To put it simply, I think this book is better than Heir of Fire. Even though the story is far from over, Queen of Shadows feels like the final transition from the arrogant, hot-headed Celaena Sardothien to the brave and queenly Aelin Galathynius. It's not without tension, failure, mystery and heartbreak, but this book is so much more than a story about an assassin fighting for her freedom. Whilst the word I would have used to describe the first two books would be badass, I would pick epic to describe the wonder that is Queen of Shadows (and believe me, it's more bad-ass, bloody and gritty than the first two books combined).

“What a shame that the current owner of the Vaults, a former underling of Rourke Farran and a dealer of flesh and opiates, had accidentally run into her knives. Repeatedly.”    

First of all, I'm going to say that this review probably won't be any good, considering it's a really long book to talk about and 99% of my notes are things such as 'YES OMG I AM TOTALLY SHIPPING IT NOW', 'lol lol Rowan oil' (don't ask), and 'OH HOLY SHIT PLOT TWIIISST'. I'm not ashamed to admit that they're direct quotes.

Queen of Shadows introduces a bunch of new characters. I'm not going to go over them all, but my favourite is definitely Lysandra (yes, the courtesan from The Assassin and the Underworld) who alongside Rowan and Aelin is one of my favourites in the entire series. All the characters felt so much more mature, especially Aelin. I don't want to outright spoil anything, but there were three distinct moments that really showed how far she's come and I just loved it.

"To her surprise, the woman obeyed--but then said, "Or you'll threaten to kill me again?"

"I don't make threats. Only promises."  

Arobynn Hamel also makes an appearance, and whilst he's a dreadful bastard the complexity of his relationship with Aelin is... interesting to say the least. You can see why he had a hold on her for so many years.

Another thing I loved was the friendship between Lysandra and Aelin, as well as the bromance between Aedion and Rowan. They have their territorial, testosterone filled moments, but their scenes were just hilarious. The fact that Aedion, like me, is a bit of a Rowan Whitethorn fangirl made me smile.

"Rowan Whitethorn is a legend. And so is his--what do you call them?"  

"Cadre," she said glumly.  

"The six of them..." Aedion loosed a breath. "We used to tell stories about them around fires. Their battles and exploits and adventures."  

 She sighed through her nose. "Please, please don't ever tell him that. I'll never hear the end of it." 

Speaking of Rowan, I absolutely love him. Although I was a little sad to find out that he'd cut his hair, he feels like one of the most developed characters in the series (aside from our wonderful Aelin, of course). We get to see another member of his cadre who is kind of a bastard, but everything he does makes sense, as if there's a method to his madness.

Chaol annoyed me a teensy bit in the beginning (I'm in mourning because I just don't love him anymore) but he really came around in the end and I'm so happy about that. I've been defending Chaol for so long (and I still will... to an extent) but when he said a certain thing to a certain fire-breathing bitch-queen I refused to tolerate it. I just want to say that even though he had his dickish moments (as did Aelin), they were all completely rational considering the hell he'd been through. Some people seem to forget that Chaol has literally lost everything that he once believed in. Everything. Still, he definitely redeemed himself with a great character arc.

I still absolutely adore Manon, but a teensy bit less than I did in Heir of Fire. Her character arc is wonderful but there weren't as many characters who were worse than she was (remember Iskra--the Yellowlegs heir--in book three) to make her more sympathetic. Still, I really do love her. Can I be the first to say that even if it'll probably never be canon, I'm really starting to ship Manon and Elide. Sorry, not sorry. That aside, it's becoming increasingly clearer where her story is going and I'm so damn excited to see what happens to her in book five.

"You make me want to live. Not survive; not exist. Live.

Aelin does make her choice in this book regarding romance, but I won't say who to avoid spoilers. To be honest at first I thought that romantic feelings between these two characters were being developed too quickly, but by the end I had totally jumped ship and was behind it completely. For the first two books there was one couple I shipped hardcore, but all of that was forgotten after a certain scene in chapter fifty two. 

 

Sarah J Maas manages to be such a tease whilst still writing (in my own humble opinion) one of the best examples of chemistry I've read in a long while. There is no one more deserving of Aelin Galathynius than the person she ends up with, and to be honest I'm just terrified to see how our hearts can be broken in books five and six. Saying all of this, the romantic plotline didn't begin to take over from the rest of the story which I loved.

Heir of Fire really extended the scope of the world but that's nothing compared to Queen of Shadows. We learnt more about its history, its monsters and magic, and everything came together for That Ending which was, just so you know, perfect. Every titbit of information tied together as seemingly irrelevant characters/scenes from earlier books contributed to the complex web of a plot. I commend Sarah for how well paced Queen of Shadows was, and for how she managed to weave in a lot of POV's so seamlessly. Whilst some had more page time than others, I think we got to see into the heads of at least seven characters, possibly more.

"What do I do?" She had to swallow before she said,  

"You light up the darkness."

Everything was just so epic and the tension was so high from page one right to the last sentence (which was PERFECT, by the way). Whilst we don't have that much to go on, book five was set up quite nicely and I already think the wait has been too long (at the time of writing this, I finished QoS about thirteen hours ago). I have no idea how everything is going to unfold, and I can't wait to see it.

Lots of people (aka Tumblr) have been hating on certain aspects of the book. People on Tumblr have defended it a lot better than I could, but I just want to say that if you're disrespecting a book just because your ship isn't canon, or because you think someone out of character for having character development, please don't. I trust that Sarah knows her characters and how to write a novel, considering everything I've read of hers has been a five star read.

To summarise, Queen of Shadows was a six hundred and forty eight page long example of badassery, fantastic storytelling and wonderful characters. It's practically impossible for me to find any flaws in this wonderful, wonderful book.

“What if we go on,' he said, 'only to more pain and despair? What if we go on, only to find a horrible friend waiting for us?' 

Aelin looked northward, as if she could see all the way to Terrasen. 'Then it is not the end.”  

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

HEIR OF FIRE BY SARAH J MAAS
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Audiobook/Hardcover
Series: Throne of Glass #3
Pages: 565
Date Finished: 30.08.15
Rating: 5/5
Summary: Celaena Sardothien, heroine of the New York Times bestselling series, rises from the ashes to burn even brighter than before.

Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth…a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

In this USA Today bestselling third book in the New York Times bestselling series, Sarah J. Maas again delivers the epic fantasy, heart-stopping pace, and heady romance that have won her readers the world over.

"Once upon a time," she said to him, to the world, to herself, "in a land that has long since been buried to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom... very much."

If, for whatever reason, my house was set alight (maybe Aelin did it) there would be three things that I would want to make sure didn't go up in the flames. The first would be the ring I always wear that I inherited from my late grandma, the second would be my laptop (because it contains all my writing), and the third would be my signed and personalised copy of Heir of Fire. Now, I understand how stupid that sounds. It's just a book, and even signatures can be written again.

Heir of Fire is my favourite book, but that isn't really the reason.

I don't know if I'm just weird, but have you ever read a book that just speaks to you on an emotional level? Which makes you strangely proud when the characters overcome hurdles that have been stuck in their way for years, or that can reduce you to tears in the good moments as well as the bad? Heir of Fire is that book for me.

Brace yourselves for a really, really long review. I just have so many feelings, okay?

“It was a long story, and sometimes she grew quiet and cried - and during those times he leaned over to wipe away her tears.”  

Starting where Crown of Midnight left off, Celaena's story turns from a dark and gritty fantasy to a tale of epic scope. A ton of new characters are introduced, and three plotlines are weaved together seamlessly. I'm in awe of how perfectly the different POV's worked together.

The first--and of course my favourite--story is Celaena's, who goes to the land of the Fae to make a bargain with Queen Maeve so she can find out more about the Wyrdkeys. Maeve, being a conniving bugger, won't give Celaena that information until she completes magical training with one of her warriors. Enter Prince Rowan Whitethorn, who may just be my favourite character aside from our heroine.

“Because she is dead!" She screamed the last word so loudly it burned in her throat. "Because she is dead, and I am left with my worthless life!”    

Celaena's chapters don't just introduce Rowan but give us a glimpse at the huge world that Maas has created. Despite all of that, Celaena is completely and utterly broken. Not just about Nehemia's death, but about everything that has happened over the past few books (as well as more backstory that unfolds over the course of the book). Her plotline were great, but that alone isn't the reason why Celaena's story just resonates with me. I don't know why--it's not like I've gone through any of the things she has, or like I understand what she's going through. Maybe it's just down to beautiful writing.

I've said it before, but I've never cared so much about a character than I have Celaena. Whilst it was utterly heartbreaking to see her at her lowest point, watching her get back up again is definitely the most inspiring thing I've ever read. Her strength, as well as her friendship with Rowan, was the most wonderful and inspiring part of this book. I don't want to spoil it, but there were moments where I had to pause my audiobook and just take it in for a second.

I can honestly say that Celaena's (and Rowan's) character arc is the most beautiful thing I have read in a long, long time. Possibly ever.

The other part of the narrative followed a new character, Manon Blackbeak. Manon is the heir to the Backbeat witch coven, and the King of Adarlan has asked the witches to train with wyverns to be his aerial army. Manon is ruthless and heartless--she kills people for the fun of it and doesn't think twice. It's no surprise that I absolutely love her.

“Witches didn't need blood to survive, but humans didn't need wine, either.”  

The Ironteeth society is one of the most interesting and terrifying things I've read about in a while. It's full of interesting, beautiful and brutal characters, women that would gut you if you said one wrong word. Whilst it isn't perfectly clear to how Manon's story will weave in with Celaena's, I'm so excited to see where it's going. There was one line towards the end of the book that was completely and utterly harrowing, and I hope it's set up for a plotline that Queen of Shadows will explore.

I may be wrong (or just a massive nerd), but I'm pretty certain that the witches 'three faced goddess' is a not to Hecate, the Greek goddess of witchcraft. The detail of the worldbuilding is incredible. I alsolove how big the scope of Heir of Fire is, and it's pretty clear that Maas did her research when worldbuilding the witch society, as well as the rest of the world.

"Somehow, that regret made her feel incredibly, heavily mortal."

The third part of the story is about Chaol and Dorian. Both characters have their own separate storylines. I'll start with Chaol's. In Heir of Fire, Chaol is struggling to come to terms with the truth about Celaena, and with what his part will be in the oncoming war. He ends up aligning himself with Aedion Ashryver, Celaena's cousin.

I've read Heir of Fire three times now, and to be honest I've never really cared about Aedion that much. Don't kill me. But with this reread I like him a lot more than I did before and think his character is fantastic. Aedion has been forced to work for the king of Adarlan in shopping rebels in Terrasen, but really he's aligned with rebels. His one wish is to see his Queen, Aelin, alive one more time.

Even though Chaol works with Aedion, a lot of people don't like where his character goes in Heir of Fire because he's struggling to pick a side. Yes, Chaol acts like a twit for most of the book. I know that. I know he hasn't gone through as much, but I don't understand how people are hating on Chaol for taking a while to get his shit together whilst Celaena took much longer and did far worse things.

"He looked to his friend and said what he had always know, from the moment they'd met, when he'd understood the prince was his brother in soul. "I love you."

Now I've got that off my chest, I'll talk about Dorian. In Heir of Fire, Dorian is learning to deal with his magic, as well as starting a new romance with a healer called Sorscha. So many people don't like her and I simply can't understand why. She's brave and defiant and strong, even if she isn't as loud or hot-headed as Celaena. You can probably tell I ship her with Dorian. Sorian? Dorscha?

The last quarter of Heir of Fire reduced me to tears at multiple points. It's a book about worldbuilding, yeah, but really its a story of characters arcs. It sounds silly, being proud for a cast of fictional characters. But I am. For each and every one of them. Excuse me whilst I get laughed off the internet. But still, the last quarter was completely heartbreaking and amazing in so many ways. I can't even express how good it is.

I mentioned this briefly when I was talking about Manon, but Heir of Fire was filled with imagery that was just completely harrowing. I listened to the audiobook and read the physical copy at the same time (which was really weird, but something I'd recommend doing) and that really made me appreciate how wonderful the writing was. I'm still in awe. There were some scenes that effected me in a way I can't really explain.

"As one, they looked to the boxes, to all those jewels bought with the blood of a continent. And without a word, without a bow or another gesture, they walked off the stage."

If you want an answer to why this book, and Celaena, means so much to me it's probably because of that. It just effects (or affects? I never know) me on a level I struggle to comprehend.

Reading this review back, I can see it's kind of a mess. To be honest, I don't think it's possible for me to write a Throne of Glass review that's even remotely coherent. I should stop babbling before this turns into a ridiculously long example of misuse of the English language.

I guess all I want to say is that you should probably read this series.

“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.”  

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J MAAS
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Audiobook
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Pages: 404
Date Finished: 01.08.15
Rating: 5/5
Summary: In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

“Libraries were full of ideas–perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”

I don't know where to start when writing this review. It's no secret that the Throne of Glass series is my absolute favourite (even above Harry Potter and Mistborn), yet I've always considered this first book the weakest in the series. As some of you may know, I'm rereading the books for the third time in the run up to Queen of Shadows being released in under a month (!!!) and I decided to listen to the audio book instead.

I'm completely and utterly enthralled.

Aside from the audio narration being amazing (the narrator is exactly how I always imagined Celaena to be), it completely swept me up into the book and I felt like I was experiencing it for the first time not the third. I can now say completely honestly that whilst I do prefer the sequels, Throne of Glass is not a weak book--it's fucking spectacular.

I mentioned it in my review of The Assassins Blade, but listening to the audio really showed off Sarah J Maas's wonderful prose. I'm in awe. I'm already running out of adjectives but her descriptions are just so beautiful. I was sucked up into Erilea from page one and I don't think I ever want to leave (even if it is kind of awful). Here's one of my favourite descriptions:

There was a darkness in his eyes that felt cold and foreign, like the gaps between the stars.

I don't want to spoil anything, but if you haven't already reread this series I would recommend it, especially because there are so many nods to events in the novellas/later books that you probably wouldn't pick up on the first time round. It's clear that Maas knew exactly what she was doing right from the beginning, leaving subtle hints to Celaena's past as well as her future.

There isn't a single character in this series that I don't love. When I say that I don't meant that I like them all per se, but that each and every one is developed, interesting and purposeful. There are some I just love to hate. Lady Kaltain is the perfect example. I didn't really feel this way the first or second time I read this, but now I absolutely love her. Granted I don't want her to succeed, but my heart may have broken for her a little at the end.

“No. I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material.”

Celaena Sardothien is so badass and incredible. She'll always be my favourite character, but right from the beginning I was reminded of why her story means so much to me. She's smart and witty but also very vulnerable and I found myself feeling proud every time she succeeded, and terrified when she was scared. If you're sceptical about this series, read it just for her. I love her to bits. Even if I'm not a badass assassin, I feel like I can relate to her. She loves books, chocolate, dresses, music, theatre, parties... the list goes on and on. Yes, she could probably kill you in less than a second, but that doesn't mean she can't have real hobbies too.

"She pictured his fingers, pushing against that line of chalk, reaching for her despite the barrier between them.”

Aside from Celaena, my favourite character is definitely Chaol. I don't know if I ship him with Celaena (I don't care who she ends up with as long as she's happy and it's not Dorian) but he is such a fantastic character. I love him. There is so much chemistry between him and Celaena, and most of my favourite scenes involved him in some way. I do like Dorian, but him and Celaena don't have the spark that she shares with Chaol.

Throne of Glass is extremely fast paced and action packed. Celaena has to fight in a competition to secure the position of Kings Champion (followed by four years of servitude and then freedom), and over the course of the book she competes in a series of tests against the other competitors. Whilst some are only mentioned in passing, they kept the excitement levels at a high and showed off our heroine's assassin skills. Lots of people say that they think this book is more pretty dresses than badassery and they do have a point, but I don't really care. Throne of Glass isn't as epic as its sequels, but the action scenes are still exhilarating and the stakes are always high.

“We all bear scars,... Mine just happen to be more visible than most.”

Keeping the tension throughout is the mystery regarding the sudden deaths of some of her competitors. This aspect of the book is the fantasy element, and although it isn't 'high' fantasy it sets up the magic and the mystery for the series perfectly. The Throne of Glass world is so detailed and it's clear that Maas knows exactly what she's talking about. The history and the world building is so developed even though the majority of the book takes place in one building.

This review is basically a love letter to the series. Sorry, but I'm not sorry.

One of my favourite scenes is the final duel at the end of the novel. Basically, shit goes down. The reason why I love it is that it shows Celaena's strength, as well as the depths of her relationship with the three other main characters (Chaol, Dorian and Nehemia). That scene in particular is actually quite empowering, giving a tiny glimmer of what is to come in later books.

“My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.”

The last thing that needs mentioning is that even though there are hugely emotional scenes, this book is fucking hilarious. I was listening to my audiobook in public so I had to resist the urge to laugh out loud like a crazy person on multiple occasions. The witty dialogue is great, as well as that one awkward scene when Chaol realises that Celaena is on her period.

Reading this review back, I still don't think that I can do this book justice, or express how much I love it. I understand that it isn't everyone's cup of tea, and that the first book doesn't show off the epic direction this series goes in, but if I had to recommend you one book it would be this one. I'm so, so in love with each and every page.

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