Review: “Empire of Storms” (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas

GUYS. WHAT. EVEN. HAPPENED.

How can I wait until next year for the final book? THE. FINAL. BOOK.

I suppose I’ll just sit and rock in a corner.

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release date: September 6, 2016
Genre: Young adult, fantasy, romance
Length: 693 pages (hardcover)
Synopsis: (from Goodreads) “The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

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, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin’s journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?”

My rating: 4/5 stars

One of the most anticipated sequels and books for 2016 and it did not disappoint! Of course, there were some moments that made me roll my eyes (“velvet-wrapped steel”, I’m just sayin’) but wow! Maas has done it again! I am continually amazed at the transformation of this series and everything going on!

AHHHHHHHH.

Okay, I will try to write a comprehensive review for you guys but forgive me if I just go off on a tangent or cease to function because seriously.

I love nearly everything about this book. I love all the characters and hey, I don’t even mind Rowan one bit (which is saying a lot because I haven’t cared much for it him since I met him in Heir of Fire) and I’ve come to appreciate him overall in terms of his connection to Aelin. One thing’s for sure, Maas does not let her fans down. This books jumps right into the action, battle after battle, blood, darkness, and violence! And how can we not forget the magic that is just amazingly awesome in this series! I love how it’s developed and grown over time and how everyone is freakin’ awesome. Seriously. Need I say it again?

“And Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen, knew the time would soon come to prove just how much she’d bleed for Erilea.”

Maas works wonders with the lore and world-building which is so important to a fantasy world and this has that and so much more. What’s great is that we aren’t given any clues of a prophecy or a foretelling throughout the series until here and then Maas includes an incredible amount of backstory and brings such life to the world. One might complain of the notorious “info-dumping” but I think Maas did a great job incorporating it into the storyline, not to bog it down, but to bring to light how important Aelin is to her kingdom as Terrasen and the world.

“The world will be saved and remade by the dreamers…”

Her characters are fierce and badass. And, for once, I don’t mind the multiple POVs, the switching from Elide to Lorcan and the exploration of their characters. (Truthfully, I was rooting for Lorcan and Elide the whole time but now I’m kind of afraid). Maas truly set up every single aspect of this book with all the other previous books. Aelin as Celaena made friends and enemies throughout the series and we see how important they are to this book especially since STUFF IS GOING DOWN. My favorite is still Lysandra, though I wish she’d (view spoiler). I wanted more character development from her. Although I’m okay with her and Aedion, I’m a little sad that Maas somehow feels to need to make everyone be together or have someone in the end. (If you’ve read the book, you know what I mean.) Because of that, I’m not even sure where to start with (view spoiler).

“You do not face this alone; you do not decide that you are unloveable because you have powers that can save and destroy.”

The revelation about Manon too! I’m so glad Manon as become one of my favorite characters because I did not like her at all in HoF. I was confused at all the chapters with her and while I liked her enough in QoS, EoS is really where her role is given more backstory and WOMEN ARE GONNA RULE THE WORLD. Well, maybe except Dorian because he’s king and all~

While I would love to rate this as 5 stars… I did have a few problems.

I think I’ve come to have a love/hate relationship with Aelin. I love her because she’s fiercely loyal to her friends and sassy but she’s incredibly cocky. I know that’s part of her character and while I’m sure I wouldn’t mind her as my queen, she might just be overall annoying due to her cockiness. I see, now, that it’s really a defense mechanism for her.

The more I read this book, the more I realized how much it mirrors Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. While I’m not complaining about this at all, the parallels are a bit too obvious to overlook. I suppose this isn’t the only book out there that mirrors several of the great classics so… What can you do? XD

I can’t even believe I have to wait FOREVER for the final (!!!!) book. How will I survive? Guess I better go to read A Court of Mist and Fury!