Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas: Book Review

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.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Describing this novel in one decent sized review will never ever be enough to express how much I love Sarah J. Maas and her books. Having just met her only a couple of weeks ago when she visited Auckland, New Zealand for her Queen of Shadows book tour I am obviously still shaken up by the experience and how much more amazing she is (and totally gorgeous!) in person. Not to mention that she said to me as soon as I walked up to her, "You're so beautiful, oh my gosh!". If you don't believe me I will have a video up on my channel to prove it which I will link here on this post once it is up *flips hair confidently*.

Basically everything that I had dreamed of about this series had come true in this wonderous six hundred page novel. That doesn't make sense now really but when you read it, you'll totally find yourself agreeing with that bold statement. More blood, more sass, more vengeance and more romance. This book is literally the best one out of all four (not including the novella of which I haven't read yet so I'm hoping Allen & Unwin will be nice to me one day and send me a copy). Thinking of what could happen next is a total mystery to me as there are no clues that I noticed while reading Queen of Shadows to hint very much about what will happen next apart from the obvious when you get to the end. SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS YET!: Celaena Sardothien now goes by the name Aelin Galathynius and she makes a hell of an appearance when she returns from Doranelle. A lot of things are at stake, including family and friends and little does she realise what her sudden outburst in Heir of Fire convinces the King of Adarlan to do in spite of the Queen of Terrasen's actions.

Aelin and Chaol finally see one another again although things are still tense and Chaol has more struggles of his own. Trying to find his way after having sent Aelin to the safety of Wendlyn did not go as planned once he realised what the King was fully capable of and decided to take the risk of becoming a rebel. There is a lot of tension and catty arguments which might break you into laughter as it did to me. This novel definitely has all the right sass, love and heartbreak that every other ToG book had, just times that by a thousand.

Things I absolutely LOVED about Queen of Shadows:

* Lysandra is basically Aelin's soul twin and I love her! She is introduced as an old friend from when they were in the hands of Arobynn Hamel, King of the Assassins. At first she isn't welcomed to easily but the differences of her personality are noticable to Aelin and therefore begins to trust her a bit more. She's just the friend Aelin needed after being so torn from Nehemia's death.

* Aedion is the best cousin ever and he's so loyal to Aelin! Obviously Chaol's plan to save Aedion is somewhat of an event in this novel so it was quite interesting to see Aedion's reaction to Aelin saving him and Aelin's reaction to his cousin. In four words I would describe it as - It warms my heart!
* Manon is a serious badass and may even have a soft side! Elide is a new character introduced in QoS and Manon seems to notice something different and special about this new young girl. Having much more trouble with her second, Asterin, than usual, Manon takes the time to figure out Elide and develop a little sense of empathy towards her. This is definitely something I wanted to see and everything that develops from that is simply so awesome!

* If you thought Heir of Fire was dreamy and made you swoon over Rowan Whitethorn, wait until you read Queen of Shadows! Only Sarah J. Maas knows how the story ends up but I just always felt like Rowan was exactly the type of mate that Aelin needed. They are very close through spending so much time together in Wendlyn and finding out that they were each other's carranum, but in the fourth installment they begin to realise that the way they feel together is much more than that and a blood oath. The answer to how that goes down is basically in this novel and that's just the thousandth reason why you have to read it!

Overall, I have rated this book (yup, you guessed it) a five out of five stars. It could not have gotten any better and the way Sarah is able to use descriptive words in such a delicate way that it melts your brain into an overload of amazingness and inspiration (how else could I explain it? Her writing is beyond words really!). As much as I tried to stall reading this so it could last longer I didn't managed to savour it well because I could just not put the book down. If you would like to be completely blown away into a whole differet dimension of fantasy and romance then pick up this book, retreat to your happy place and do not leave until you have devourered it with your body, mind and soul. Okay not the first one but you get what I mean. Sarah J. Maas is a literature Goddess and I will never ever take that back.

Go add Queen of Shadows to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

How I Imagine Places/Characters In Books: Throne of Glass

Every time I read a book for the first time my mind automatically begins to construct and create a complex architectural image in my mind which is most likely to stick with me the whole series. If I end up reading something wrong by accident and realising later on, it is very hard for me to redirect my mind and make myself imagine the original idea. Here I want to show you all an idea of how I visualised certain parts of Throne of Glass and I want you guys to let me know whether you think similarly or completely different in the comments below. I will try and go in chronological order by as much as I can remember so if the timeline is a little off, please don't pull a Celaena on me! Thanks!

Endovier

I think we can all agree of how much Endovier would look like the biggest shit hole in the world, if not the same as Calaculla. I imagined it as this big, black, hell-hole of a place mainly because of the mining and I think it's safe to assume that it would be underground as just as dark and musty as it looks in the pictures above. As horrible as Endovier seemed, I truly don't think that the true vision of Endovier could even fully be imagined until you have experienced it. And hearing from Celaena's experience and what people across Erilea seem to think of it, I don't think we'd ever want to know!

The King of Adarlan's Throne Room

Personally I originally found the King's Throne Room a little hard to envision at first, but this picture threw it all in place for me. This gives enough room for a large audience to fit in, including multiple members of the kings council to be present at all times. I know that part of the castle is created of glass but where on earth would you find a picture of that, let alone imagine that? I don't even think a glass castle exists in this time and age unless someone can prove me wrong! This is just a basis of what it would be like and it's intimidating enough to look like it suits a King such as the bastard himself.

Dorian's Personal Library

At first I thought the library Celaena stumbled upon to be quite a small, homely kind of library which would consist of a few random books that the family had collected over the years and ones that hand been handed down generation after generation. After reading more and more of Crown of Midnight, it became a little more obvious that it was larger than I had realised and actually had a lot more books too, rather to be the size of an actual library. What more would you expect from a King and one who lives in a castle as large as his which is partially made of glass? I find this picture to be rather satisfying to look at as personally I wouldn't mind having a home library this large; in fact I one day plan to do this in my home when I get one large enough (as you might already know, I'm not that rich yet! YET!).

Celaena's Four-Poster Bed

Could you even imagine a more comfortable and classy way to sleep? The first picture has a great feel of crimson red to it in which I feel is symbolic to her job as an assassin so it seems like it would fit her almost perfectly. The second picture I chose plainly because of the books sitting in a pile on the floor next to the couch simply because Celaena loves to read and it would be something that she would do. I love both of these as they both seem quite eloquent and dashing, though the crimson theme is definitely my favourite and I think Celaena would care to agree.

Glass part of the Castle

I found it hard to imagine what the glass part of the castle would look like but I found this and thought, if it were to look like anything it would look similar to this. It can't all be made out of glass right? It has almost a modern look to it but I feel like this book isn't as Victorian sounding as I originally thought it was (I mean it is a fantasy and she could have set this in a completely different dimension with magic and all). I think that possibly the King of Adarlan would have a room much like this in this section of the castle, just drastically larger.

Secret Passageway, Elena's Tomb and Mort

These three pictures show a lot in terms of how Elena's tomb would look. The first is basically the only thing close enough I could find to looking something like what was described in ToG. The second is obviously an Egyptian tomb but that is how I pictured Elena's tomb to look like, just with grey stone walls, Damaris and a bunch of gold and gems stored in the corner, and a carving of Elena and Brannon in the back wall. The third picture is literally everything I pictured Mort to be, and I feel like if it were him, his eyes would glow a deathly black or even something lighter like a sapphire blue. It's quite creepy but then his humor would make up for his butt-ugliness.

That was everything for now! I hope you all enjoyed delving into my mind for five minutes. I enjoyed looking at these probably more than you did to be honest! I will try post more stuff like this because I enjoy it and it's just another reason to spend more time making my blog look a little more sexy than others (thanks to the Throne of Glass series)!

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas: Book Review

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

Celaena Sardothien 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. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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As if Sarah J. Maas wasn't one of the best upcoming authors of all time! Heir of Fire truly proved her worthiness and amazingness (if that is even a word). The third instalment of the Throne of Glass series promises new adventures, magic and swooning, tasteful chemistry between Celaena and a lustfully romantic new ally. Celaena is now in the land of Wendlyn, the land where magic and fae still seem to exist. A long lost aunt seems to be the answer to stopping the King of Adarlan and the wyrdkeys, but how can she trust her when her mother, Evalin did not dare even eighteen years ago. This novel has got to be my favourite so far out of all three in the ToG series and I feel like it's Maas' best work of art to date. Since Chaol found out about Celaena's past, being a Fae of royalty and carrying the bloodline of a lasting legacy which let's her wield unexplainable powers, she must decide how much it will cost to bring back the ghost stories of Aelin Galathynius and also rise to the reputation, power and hope of which that name brings.

Celaena's character development in this novel was beyond believable due to the things she sacrificed, the abilities she accomplished with her new-found comrade, Rowan, and how she managed to deal with the pain and fear of her past life which was installed into her brain by her previous master, Arobynn Hamel. We think we really got to know Celaena throughout the first two books of the series. Well that my friend is a complete lie. In Heir of Fire, you will discover how much she really resents her life, the kills she had been forced to carry out has left a massive emotional burden on this girl and she has somehow still managed to get by without dying or killing herself for that matter. Celaena is a much stronger and smarter chick than we had all realised and I feel like this really came through for her in this book. Rowan is a key support in this, no matter how tough and ignorant he seems to be at the start. He will eventually melt your heart from the ice that had formed during Crown of Midnight and let it transform into tiny little butterflies until you decide that you have to sit down and read for the rest of the day, no matter how many chores need doing that day. You are going to find out what happens after Rowan sheds that one little smile which you know has been locked away in his heart for a few hundred years at least (you will find out why). Celaena shows truly selflessness in this novel for the first time, a generous amount which helps prove that she really hasn't been faking been nice but really was a psycho killer this whole time. Of course she was a psycho killer before but meeting Dorian, Chaol and Nehemia helped her find her heart and regain a tad of her original sanity.

For me this novel did not help me like Chaol any more than what the first couple did and it makes me sad because I know that he is a good guy and he means well for Celaena and Dorian, but he has difficulty deciding where his true loyalties lie for a while so it makes him look a little selfish, if not like a young boy who can't make up his mind about which sweet he wants at the store. He eventually decides but by that time my hope for him was ruined as he just took way too long. I feel like if he had of really cared about his friends then he would have just known straight away and done something better to help everyone out - this also may have helped him not look like such an outcast.

Three new characters were introduced in this novel: Rowan, of course as I mentioned before, is a Fae warrior of Celaena's aunt Maeve who is sent to retrieve her in Wendlyn a few days after she arrives. The second is Aedion who is described to look exactly like Celaena with his turquoise blue eyes and light hair, and seeing as Celaena is Aelin and Aedion was her cousin, it seemed like a good character to fit in around this time. She had to have at least one person who survived that horrible night ten years ago when her parents were killed. I noted down while reading that if you were to use the books as symbolism using Celaena's relationships, Throne of Glass would be a crush/fling (Dorian), Crown of Midnight would be a first relationship (Chaol), and this novel would symbolise a serious and mature relationship that bonded through a tough love/hate friendship first before they realised what they really meant to each other. I'm not going to mention who, at this point, it could be as it could be one of a few people she meets in this book that you will figure out yourself easily enough, but I feel like that is a real major development in Celaena's love life and in a way symbolises her evolution from a child to a woman. Last but not least, Manon was the most intriguing character of all three in terms of species. She is introduced as a witch of the Blackbeak clan and is the heir of her grandmother. Like Baba Yellowlegs was described, Manon had iron teeth and nails and seemed to love killing for blood. As we first see her, she seems quite vicious and heartless but develops greatly throughout the novel. She never ran into any of the main characters in HoF but it is quite obvious that she has some major part in the King's plans and I cannot wait to read more about her and see her grow as a woman.

This book definitely had much wittier lines and had me laughing to the point where I had tears in my eyes. Heir of Fire is an unforgettable tale full of companionship, hardship and truth which has not failed to impress me, as has Sarah J. Maas and her skills as an author as I always seem to say though I cannot express that fact enough. I give this truly wonderful novel a 5 out of 5 stars because how else do you rate an impressive book such as this one? A definite must-buy, especially for fantasy book lovers. I would be highly surprised to meet someone on Booktube and find out that they had not yet read the Throne of Glass series. Here's to another two years of amazing books in the series to be released (I already have Queen of Shadows and I am aching mentally and physically just having to write this when all I want to do is go continue to read about Aelin Galathynius' magical journey to save her kingdom)!

Go add Heir of Fire to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas: Book Review

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Crown of Midnight just did it for me. It sealed the deal. I officially don't love any other author as much as I love Sarah J. Maas and her books. This second book in the Throne of Glass series was so good, especially towards the end, that I am literally going to die if I don't either have Queen of Shadows or Assassin's Blade by the time I am done reading Heir of Fire. To say that I absolutely loved this book is a massive understatement; the books just keep getting better and better! Not to mention that knowing this work of pure talent is just more reason for me to want to buy every version of the books in the future - paperback and hardback, normal covers and white covers. I don't doubt for a second that I will be one of Maas' biggest fans yet! With that, I might as well throw in that I also plan on buying Chaol's ring, the Eye of Elena necklace and the Damaris necklace as well from an awesome online store I discovered called Cadsawan. If you would like to as well, check it out here!:

CADSAWAN

This novel in particular had more in store for me than what the first did. Of course I absolutely loved Throne of Glass but the sequel held so much more in terms of betrayal, heartbreak and definitely magic! Nehemia has a bigger part in this instalment, where you will find out the truth about why she's really visiting the castle from Eyllwe and what she really knows about the wyrdmarks. Aside from the fact that the first novel was based on a violent competition, I feel like this book was more gruesome and violent than ToG and that makes it all the more interesting and gripping. At points I found myself mentally gasping over what had happened and wondering about what Celaena really went through while in the care of Arobynn Hamel; which pushes the fact that I still need to read Assassin's Blade with all the stories of Celaena's past. Even so, all the event's of which occurred in Crown of Midnight just made me love her more, no matter how messed up, lethal, or even feral she seemed to be.

In terms of relationship developments, there was a lot for Celaena to gain and a lot to lose, depending on who you're talking about. I feel sad about the fact that she decided not to be with Dorian from Throne of Glass as she felt it was a dangerous game to play whilst in the midst of the King of Adarlan, Celaena having any type of close relationship with the Crown Prince was doubtably something that the King would have any appreciation for. In the light of this, obviously Chaol felt the pressure lift a little and even though he knew he had major respect for Dorian, he couldn't help but feel drawn to Celaena's charming ways. Personally I don't feel like Celaena and Chaol match even though many of my Booktube friends seem to ship them together. I however feel like Celaena and Dorian are a better match, especially in light of the events which happen towards the end of this highly acclaimed novel. This book made me realise how much I love the theme of Faeries and magic. Originally I had first read ACOTAR so I didn't know yet that it was one of Maas' favourite things to write about. I had watched an interview with her and a Booktuber where she spoke of this love of hers for fairytales and writing her own versions, but I didn't realise how passionate she was about this particular subject until reading this novel. This is definitely one of the novels worth looking forward to reading ToG.

I feel like the development of Celaena's character and her personal preferences of what it will take to save Adarlan from the king and the whole of Erilea takes a turn for the best and she eventually realises what is right and who is the one to save it from destruction. Celaena really has come a long way in her eighteen years of life and I feel like she will never suffer enough with the King alive. The emotional destruction that she goes through moulds her and helps her realise what is most important in her life. With Queen Elena to occasionally appear and guide her in the right direction makes my heart warm. It wasn't until this novel that I realised the fact that Celaena never had a mother figure in her life (as far as I know - she could have had one while training with Arobynn but I highly doubt it) and I feel like Queen Elena, even being a spirit that can't be there 24/7 as it drains her power, is the best mother figure to Celaena and I really hope that she has more of a part in the following books - no matter whether she is spirit or not. If she was somehow resurrected from the dead, that would make my day and I bet it would make Celaena's too! Celaena needs more female figures in her life, and I'm sure there will be soon but I honestly wish that Elena could be more of a mother to her because if she deserves anything, it's the love of a mother who understands her pain, her struggle and her history.

Overall I have given this book a 5 out of 5 because it's too good not to read! I would read this over and over and never get bored (I would because I read Breaking Dawn eight times over and was still obsessed with it). I can't wait to get into Heir of Fire because I really want to find out what happens next in the rollercoaster of Celaena Sardothian's life and career as Adarlan's Assassin!

Go add Crown Of Midnight to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith