Kingdoms collide as Aelin continues her epic journey from assassin to queen in this instalment of the global #1 bestselling series.The long path to the throne has just begun for Aelin Galathynius. As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, … horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?Contains mature content. Not suitable for younger readers.
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I’ve so many tears that want to burst out! So many moments of despair and joy that this saga keeps you glued to it. I’m absolutely one hundred percent invested in these characters! They all have tugged upon my heart and I’ve cried alongside of them and for them. My heart is broken by those ending events even though I am fairly certain that in the end all will be well. I’m dreadfully fearful about who we will be forced to say goodbye to in the coming books. I think that Ms. Mass is just so blindly brilliant! All of these details set in motion to keep the plot wheels turning that make this world settle deeply into your bones. I refuse to pick favorite characters, they are all each so deeply complicated and marvelously detailed. They each have such vivid dreams and pasts that haunt them. I want all the things for them… all the wishes to come true! I can’t wait to begin the next book! I’m both anxious and eager and then hesitant to begin…
Wow… the ending of this book had me on the edge of my seat. That was INTENSE. This book was really hot ;), had crazy amount of action, and hits you right in the feels. Everything from the beginning is coming back and unveiling. Things that you thought didn’t matter at the beginning are now important. This story is NUTS.
Prepare your Kleenex because you’ll need it. The ending of this book ruined me. I still cry when I read this even though I’ve read the entire series and know the endings. But I’m so attached this this world and the people who live in it. This book is awesome and I did not want to put it down. But those last few chapters will rip out your heart and stomp ALL over it. Beware and mentally prepare because it’s so rough.
Loved the heroine. Read all 7 books and could read an 8th if she would write it.
Exceptional fight scenes, heart-gripping twists, steamy scenes, and more! Although it is my least favorite books because of what happens… but this book has convinced me that I want to be a shifter! Can wait to start on tower of dawn!
It’s Sarah J Maas…. what’s not to love?
“Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will always love you.”
Gods, what a story! I can honestly say that this one is my favourite so far. And that ending…
Beutiful! Poetic. And heart-breaking.
Gut-wrenching and emotional roller-coaster that leaves you in tears. Just amazing <3
So I want to start off by saying that this whole series is amazing. There are fantastic world-building and good characters. However, there isn’t much character building for the main character celena/aelin (i spelled her name wrong sorry). I really hate to speak ill of a writer’s work and the main reason why I don’t really leave reviews but as a consumer/reader I think my minor 2 cent opinion should be said because I’ve read these books more than once since they came out and this is the 1st time I am giving my honest opinion in a constructive way.
My main issue with the main character is the way her personality is written. Which other characters like rowan and Rolfe have commented on. she truly acts like a spoiled self-entitled brat. A CHILD, who if she does not get her way throws a temper tantrum or manipulates people so that she eventually gets what she wants or simply kills people like archer finn. For example, she needs a naval fleet so she goes to skull bay to demand that the pirate lord Rolfe join her in her cause. There is a mutual hate between them due to the fact that aelin destroyed his business.
With that being said, once Rolfe says no to alines demands she concocts this scheme by manipulating Rolfe into joining her by endangering innocent lives which she does not seem to care that she endangered and killed due to her choices and actions.
She also inadvertently causes a lot of problems because she does not trust other people who are on hse side, gets defensive when people question her decisions and choices which people should do and not follow blindly. For example, the end of this book. Everything happened because she revealed that it was Ansel of Briarcliffe and not the ilken that were sailing toward them. Had she not kept that secret (for it’s shock value), then Lorcan would not have signaled to Maeve. And yet, she still keeps secrets. Like a stubborn child who ultimately thinks that she knows best, even when she is surrounded by people who are years older and more experienced (the Fae), have better experienced leading battles (the Fae, Aedion, and everyone else), and yet here she is, a 19-year-old thinking that she knows best. When in reality other people’s opinions like Dorian (who is just as much as a monarch as she is) are just as valid and she should at least listen to them with an open mind instead of disregarding anyone whose opinion does not align with hers.
Again I want to stress that I really do like the series however, I thought this was one of those unpleasant personality traits that the author would write out of the character in order for her to grow and mature and develop and the author just hasn’t done that. And this is book 5 which makes this pretty disappointing
Love this series, and Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
Only thing to watch out for: both series contain explicit sexual scenes. For me, they don’t need them because the books are really great on their own. I buy the hard copies and use White Out (sorry Sarah J Maas ) to cover the scenes so I can read the books over and over without it bogging down the story.
Truly entertaining stories!!!
While I absolutely adore this series and this book, the book had such a tragic ending and made you want to read the next immediately.
I have such mixed feelings about this book! For about 90% of it, I was sure I was going to have to just give up on the series. Everything I loved about these books in Crown of Midnight and Queen of Shadows was totally missing from this installment. The vulnerability and complexity I’d loved in Aelin as she evolved over the first four books had gone mysteriously flat, and I found myself disliking her just as much as I had in book one. The romances were cookie-cutter, and I felt like I kept reading the same scene over and over again (seriously, if SJM uses the phrase “wicked tongue” one more time, I’m going to lose it). The plot itself really dragged along, with all the exciting parts happening off the page and suddenly revealing themselves to both the reader and most of the characters in one fell sweep. It took me nearly two weeks to read this book, which, if you know me, is crazy long – I just never wanted to pick it up. But, all that being said, I did really enjoyed the last 100 pages and thought they both redeemed Aelin and set the stage for a grand finale. I think this is a good example of series that should not have been dragged out into 6 (or really, 7) 600+ page books!
The last half was epic!
The first half, not-so-much. It was kind of boring. A whole lot of talk and no action. The second half though was something else, and the ending…
So it was pretty intense. Picture a fighting scene with such magnificent magical forces, dragons, witches, fae, shapeshifters… really this series has it all. When they come together though, holy crap. Page turn after page turn.
The ending was so intriguing and so intense. I have to wonder how the heck they will get Aelin. It’s consuming my thoughts as I type. Yeah, I probably should go buy Tower of Dawn now.
Let me tell you what I didn’t like about this book, and only this book in this series so far. I didn’t like the vivid sex scenes, even though I wanted these two to hook up and do it like animals, I didn’t really wanna read about it. Could’ve told us, but I guess not in such detail. It almost felt erotic,and that is a little much from a YA series….
Still, if you haven’t read this series, please do. It’s a fantasy series like no other.
As I get further into the series, I find myself asking with each book, how could Sarah possibly still have this many pages to fill!? And with each book, I am surprised at the twists, the turns, and the freshness/uniqueness that I find. As with the entire series, this book has it’s own life. A new light to shed on the story we’ve been devouring and the characters we’ve come to know. I can’t wait to see where book six takes me. Tower of Dawn, here i come!
Okay, first of all, THE SHIPS. Dang does Sarah J. Maas know how get me on a bandwagon. I am so here for all these ships and I loooooooved seeing them all develop!! Aelin and Rowan are FREAKING ADORABLE. Aedion and Lysandra are adorable. Manon and Dorian are… Well, not adorable, but definitely badass. And heck, I don’t even like Lorcan and I was still shipping him and Elide together. All these relationships are giving me LIFE and I can’t wait to see where they go in the next one. *Bites nails nervously because everyone probably won’t make it*
It was also suuuuuuper cool seeing so many little things in the past books come back around full circle. Stuff from The Assassin’s Blade and Throne of Glass came into play once more and I love how it’s all connecting together! I already want to reread the books when this is all over to try and catch things I missed.
I’ve discovered that Fenrys is actually a sarcastic marshmallow and I LOVE HIM. That ending on the beach absolutely WRECKED ME and my amazing Queen Aelin and my Fenrys BETTER BE OKAY. Seriously guys, I was reading the ending of this at 3am the other night and crying like a baby.
The only sort-of negative comment I have is that it kind of felt like this story floundered a little?? In the past books there was a clear character arc for Aelin and I didn’t get that as much this time. It seemed like she ended where she began. HOWEVER—before you all throw vegetables at me—I know that SJM did this on purpose. There’s a big reveal at the end where everything comes together and Aelin had her secrets that she couldn’t tell anyone else, which means the reader couldn’t know either. So there WAS an arc, but it was hidden??? I have conflicting feelings about this now because I understand why it was necessary. I just wish there had been a way to let the reader in on what was going on a little.
↬ FINAL WORD
THIS. BOOK. WRECKED. ME. I love seeing all these amazing characters come together and now I’m DYING to know what happens in the next book. I’M SO STRESSED Y’ALL. I NEED EVERYONE TO BE OKAY.
I just finished Empire of Storms and I don’t remember it being this heart wrenching the first time around. My heart was in my throat and I had tears threatening to spill down my face when I was reading Aelin’s sacrifice for her friends and her land. On her knees in the sand, whipped with a smile on her face. Only Aelin would have that kind of strength knowing she’d done what she could to ensure the safety of her friends. Next I will be reading Tower of Dawn. I can’t wait to see how the entire team of Warriors and Misfits moves forward.
What the hell just happened? :O
Emotional overload. But seriously. Grab those tissues, or if you haven’t read this book/series, totally recommend.
My favorite so far!
Couldn’t put it down!
Aelin Galathynius and her court head north to reclaim her throne, but it doesn’t go as planned. It seems she is not wanted there. From there she heads south to look for the Lock to the Wyrdkeys. There is so much going on in this book that I don’t know where to start. Sarah J. Maas knows how to weave a story. Aelin is a very clever person and the reader is as shocked as the characters in the book when Aelin’s plans unfold. Only she know what is needed for the Lock to work and she keeps it to herself to protect the others. The reader learns more about Nehemia and her part in everything and some of Aelin’s old allies are back. I did miss Chaol though. Hoping he’ll be back in the next book.
You’ll be impatient for the next one to come out 🙂