This series. How do I even begin to describe how amazing this series is. I honesty don't think there is enough time in my day to go into the awesomeness that is the Throne Of Glass books but, I'll do my best with this review of Queen Of Shadows.
I thought that Heir Of Fire was a phenomenal addition to this series but, then I read Queen Of Shadows and it just went and knocked all the other books out of the ball park. I was so excited for Celaena's, now completely referred to as Aelin, return to Adarlan and she totally kicked butt when she did. She has returned to Adarlan to try and save her cousin from execution, free magic, save her people, and hopefully Dorian as well. There was so much that happened in this book that I don't even know where to begin.
Despite some truly horrible things that happened, there were so many happy things that happened in Queen Of Shadows. First, Aelin, Chaol, and Arobynn, slimey bastard that he is, team up to save Aedion in an epic rescue mission. I have no idea how this plan went so well without a hitch but, was happy they succeeded nonetheless. Lysandra, thankfully took care of the Arobynn problem, which after what he tried to do to Aelin, was well deserved. Magic was finally set free. Kaltain took out a good portion of Morath. Dorian was set free from the Valg prince that possessed him. Fleetfoot is alive and well. Like I said, so many happy things.
Among some happy things was the development of Aelin and Rowan's relationship. I started liking Rowan more towards the end of Heir Of Fire and was definitely picking up on some vibes from them then, which only becam stronger in Queen Of Shadows. After their reunion in this book, I realized I was completely onboard with that ship and had no problem whatsoever with their relationship heading in a romantic direction. They are just so good together and you can tell how much they truly care for one another. Part of me even wonders if they're mates and if that is even possible. There were little bits and pieces that hint at the two being in love with each other but, it would be nice to see or hear some actual admission in Empire Of Storms.
One thing that kind of irritated me about this book, was how Chaol's character was being portrayed negatively and how he was acting like a real jerk throughout a lot of the book. It felt like this was solely being done to make him seem less appealing as a romantic interest for Aelin, and as much as I loved Nessryn, she also seemed like a random add-in to redirect the romantic relationship between Chaol and Aelin. I'm fine with Aelin and Chaol not being together, so long as his character doesn't have to get dragged through the dirt and thrown a random chick from his past in order to do so. I genuinely like Chaol's character and am curious to see how his story continues. I also hope that he and Aelin can repair their relationship and be able to be friends again, not just allies.
The revelation that Elide was alive was pretty cool and her character seemed very mysterious and interesting. I'm dying to know what really happened with her leg and in her past, like how she survived the attack on Terrasen. It was also a cool twist to have her be part witch and makes me curious as to how that will come into play later on.
I really like Manon, and despite the fact that she's working for the bad guys, I found myself rooting for her and the Thirteen. I really wish they would just say 'Screw it!' And take down Morath and go off on their own to live in peace. The dynamic between Manon and Dorian, even though he was possessed at the time, was very interesting and I've got a few theories on where that story could go. Asterin was a great second to Manon and you could see how truly dedicated to Manon she was and how much she cared for her, even though witches supposedly have no such feelings. Abraxos is a cute little puppy who better not be harmed....EVER!
The whole storyline in Morath was so grim and dark but, it was a good balance to the rest of the book. So often, you don't get to actually see the bad stuff that's happening in a story but, instead just hear about it and it added some edge and grittiness to the story by showing the really bad parts. It also made the partial destruction of Morath more satisfying, like part of the evil in the world was being conquered and good had a chance of winning. The 'experiments' that Duke Perrington was creating were vile and I would hate to have seen the horrors that those creatures would have created.
Now onto the friendships in this book. I adored the introduction of Lysandra and love that she has now become a member of Aelin's court and one of her most trusted friends. Considering they were sworn enemies, it was amazing to see the transformation their relationship went through in Queen Of Shadows. Aelin even used some of the money she got from Arobynn to rid Lysandra and Evangeline of their debts to Clarise when she could have just as easily used it to start recruiting an army. Not to mention, Lysandra is a fantastic character. She doesn't care about what she's had to do to survive and what others think of her and she clearly will do whatever it takes to protect those she cares about. Her relationship with Evangeline was super sweet. And how awesome is it that there is now an actual shapeshifter character? I loved that she often transformed into a ghost leopard.
Chaol and Dorian's friendship was very touching and they are more like brothers than friends. Chaol never gave up on the hope that Dorian could be saved and Chaol was the one factor that kept Dorian fighting against the Valg prince possessing him. I have no doubt these two would go to the ends of the world for one another and in many ways they already have.
I spent a good portion of this book thinking to myself, 'If Aelin and Manon were ever to meet, it would be catastrophic.' When this meeting actually did happen, it came very close to catastrophic. Aelin ended up saving Manon at one point but, despite this I feel like they may still consider each other enemies. However, it isn't crazy to think that they may eventually end up on the same side. If that ever happens, I feel terrified for the other guys.
It was a very interesting twist at the end of the book when we found out that the King of Adarlan had actually been possessed by the Valg this entire time. I really thought that he was just that much of an evil and sadistic jerk the entire time, and at the end I didn't really feel much sympathy for him despite his alleged innocence. Finding out that Perrington was actually Erawan made so many things make sense. For a while, I've thought it was strange how Perrington was all of a sudden this pure evil slimeball. He always seemed slimey but, when we see him again in this book, his sliminess has turned into horrible maliciousness. I only hope that he can be defeated because, I hate to imagine the havoc he could create and all that he could destroy.
At the end of this book, Aelin names Dorian as the rightful king of Adarlan and announces to all of Rifthold who she is. It'll be interesting to see where this takes the story in Empire Of Storms and I can't wait to how the next part of the story unfolds. There are so many little subplots now that make up one great story and I'm very curious as to how these subplots are going to intertwine and effect the story as a whole. One thing is certain; if it is even a fraction of the amazingness that is Queen Of Shadows, it will be a phenomenal read.
Rating: 5/5 stars
