Friday 17 June 2016

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

By Sarah J. Maas

 
Synopsis:

The queen has returned.

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 has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. 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.

The fourth volume in the
New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.


Publication date: September 1st 2015

Source: Goodreads

My rating: 5 / 5 !!!
My Thoughts:

What a fantabulous read! Based on the three previous books in the Throne of Glass series, I knew Maas would not disappoint but there's always that niggling doubt. Needless to say, that doubt has been squashed, squished and blown far, far away!

Aelin is magnificent in this read. I could clearly see her transition from all her previous personas to Queen. That fear she had of running from her past, her ancestry, is no longer there. Aelin is full on, fire-breathing-bitch-queen mode.
"This city still needs protecting," Chaol snapped.
Aelin shrugged, heading for the roof door. "Or maybe this city should burn," she murmured. A chill went down Aedion's spine, even though he knew she'd said it to piss off the captain. "Maybe the world should burn," she added, and stalked off the roof.
As you can guess, there is a LOT of action, but the romance and wit is all there too. I feel rather fickle in admitting that Chaol has been replaced by Rowas as Aelin's ultimate partner! Chaol was perfect for her at the time, but he only saw what he wanted to see, which was a damn shame. Reading how Aelin had fallen out of love with Chaol gave me definite feels....
There were perhaps only three feet between them now--three feet and months and months of missing and hating him. Months of crawling out of that abyss he'd shoved her into. But now that she was here... Everything was an effort not to say she was sorry. Sorry not for what she'd done to his face, but for the fact that her heart was healed- still fractured in spots, but healed- and he... he was not in it. Not as he'd once been.
In comes Rowan and, like Aelin says, they helped each other out of the darkness and despair. They argue and swear and fight so much but it's clear that they both have that fae wildness. They're not a cutesy, sweet couple, but they're awesome and fiery together, which is just what this story needs.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, trying to push her back far enough to read her face again.
But she held on to him, so fiercely she could feel the weapons beneath his clothes. It would still be fine, even if it went to hell, so long as he was here with her. "I'm crying," she sniffled, "because you smell so rutting bad my eyes are watering."
At the end of the last book, we see that Dorian's body is now inhabited by a Valg Prince. Although Dorian is still there, slowly he is succumbing to the evilness of the Valg and forgetting who he is. It was heartbreaking see him semi-disappear and scary to think that Dorian could be gone forever. 

Aedion is awesomeness defined. He and Lysandra bring the humour to the story and I daresay that there may be a potential romance between them going forwards?
"This one," she said, pointing to a jagged scar by her elbow. Aedion came around the couch to sit beside her. He took up nearly half of the damn thing. "The Pirate Lord of Skull's Bay gave that to me after I trashed his entire city, freed his slaves, and looked damn good while doing it."
Aedion took the bottle of wine and drank from it. "Has anyone ever taught you humility?"
"You didn't learn it, so why should I?"
It's hard to discuss this book without revealing major spoilers so I shall stop for now. Unlike the previous books, this had a more fulfilling ending and I think the wait for Empire of Storms is release later this year won't be as bad as I had expected. Meanwhile, I shall begin reading Maas's other books, starting with A Court of Thorns and Roses! 

Favourite Quotes (beware of spoiler-ish ones!):
"I miss you," she said. "Every day, I miss you. And I wonder what you would have made of all this. Made of me. I think- I think you would have been a wonderful king. I think they would have liked you more than me, actually." Her throat tightened. "I never told you-how I felt. But I loved you, and I think a part of me might always love you. Maybe you were my mate, and I never knew it. Maybe I'll spend the rest of my life wandering about that. Maybe I'll see you again in the Afterworld, and then I'll know for sure. But until then... until then I'll miss you, and I'll wish you were here."
"Apparently," he said, walking toward her and offering an arm, "we both clean up well."
She gave him a sly grin as she took his elbow, the scent of almonds wrapping around her again. "Don't forget your cloak. You'd feel rather guilty when all those poor mortal women combust at the sight of you."
"I'd say likewise, but I think you'd enjoy seeing men bursting into flames as you strutted by."
She winked at him, and his chuckle echoed through her bones and blood.
"I missed you," he said quietly, his gaze darting between her mouth and eyes. "When I was in Wendlyn. I lied when I said I didn't. From the moment you left, I missed you so much I went out of my mind. I was glad for the excuse to track Lorcan here, just to see you again. And tonight, when he had that knife at your throat..." The warmth of his callused finger bloomed through her as he traced a path over the cut on her neck. "I kept thinking about how you might never know that I missed you with only an ocean between us. But if it was death separating us... I would find you. I don't care how many rules it would break. Even if I had to get all three keys myself and open a gate. I would find you again. Always."
She said softly, "You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive; not exist. Live."

No comments:

Post a Comment