Review - Empire of Storms

Original Title: Empire of Storms
Series: Throne of Glass, #5
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: September 6th, 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Oh, my God. That was one intense read. 

I’m so very happy that I read The Assassin’s Blade before this, because it’s essential to understand more deeply many of the situations and characters that come out to play in this one. But, where do I start? So much happened in this book, that I can’t cover everything here. And I won’t. You need to read it to understand how captivating it is, in its writing, in the little details, and its characters… Sarah J. Maas’ writing is incredible. It can be powerful and sharp like a blade, and poetic and beautiful when it needs to be so. It has the perfect balance to both have you gasping and sweating, and also slap you in the face, the way it hurts. Although not everything was perfect, and I guess I should have seen it coming. Yes, Sarah J. Maas definitely is a good writer. But this book, although epic, wasn’t perfect for me, which doesn’t mean it can’t be so for other readers. Many things were off-putting, or just plain weird. I have both good and bad things to say about it, and a simple star rating doesn’t cover it.

Let’s go step by step.

First of all, Dorian. What a change. He’s unrecognizable from the boy that started the series in Throne of Glass. He’s gone cold, and calculating, and after everything he went through, he’s completely broken. He’s slowly getting on hold of his power, and I feel like his ice is a reflection of the state of his soul. All that suffering at the demon’s hands made him numb, and although he has now reasons to become the King of Adarlan, with all that it entails, he’s definitely not whole. Something is amiss. As for his relationship with Manon… I just… I don’t know what to tell you, guys. It’s cringy, at the most. They are constantly in this tug-of-war kind of scenes, being sarcastic with each other, calling each other “princeling” and “witchling” as a mockery… If they are supposed to fall in love, I didn’t get that, and mostly because of the lust that constantly coats their scenes together. In my opinion, they didn’t have enough moments for them to want to rip each other’s clothes like that. And when it finally happened, well… It went too far, too soon, and too detailed. He didn’t treat her differently than a whore, and then it says:

“And it was the purely male promise that made her bare her teeth.”

If that’s a male promise, I don’t know what a female promise entails. What a hell does this is even mean? Promises have genders now? No. Just… no, thanks.

But still, leaving that aside, I really like Manon. She’s a badass, and in this one she earned my respect. Asterin’s execution scene, after what happened in Rifthold, had me in tears, because I didn’t want Asterin gone. I like her, I like that she knows the witches aren’t heartless, and because she was there. She loved and lost, and was marked in her own body for daring to defy the “nature” of her kind. The revelations about Manon being the next Crochan Queen were just amazing, it’s so well written, that I had all kinds of emotions as I read. Definitely, Manon’s grandmother makes one hell of a villain, and I’m glad that Manon decided to defy her. That is what makes someone a hero. Breaking the rules and standing up for your beliefs, and Manon did both. I can’t wait to know how that story will continue. The scene in which she escaped after ordering her Thirteen to fly, and then flew on Abraxos with her exposed wound, through the canyons and the mountains… It was epic. Amazingly done. As I have said before, everything did explode on the king’s face, as I was hoping for. But not on the one I thought it would, but Erawan. The Blackbeaks are no longer with him, and are loyal to death to Manon, their leader and rightful Queen. I love it. 

Ok, Elide… What a character. She doesn’t do much besides traveling around with Lorcan in this one, but still, I loved how she proved her worth. Nobody gave a penny for her skills, but she’s smart, and resourceful. And although she went through a lot, she still had enough willpower to survive and keep going, to find Aelin and deliver both the Wyrdkey, and Kaltain’s message. I like that, even with everything she went through with her uncle, the abuse, the insults, the pain… she still considers herself Lady of Perranth; she defends what’s rightfully hers and nothing can make her yield. Nor her body, nor her lands. Elide has inner strength, and is capable of fighting back. Not in Aelin’s style, but still. The only thing I just have to mention regarding Elide is that, yes, granted, I didn’t see the romance with Lorcan coming, but I don’t really care about it a lot, mostly because it is very cliché-like. Elide is that girl that always gets lost in the crowd, the one dismissed as weak, and unimportant, having spent most of her life serving others and bearing everyone else’s abuse. But when she’s finally free and in command of her own will, she’s suddenly this beautiful woman, and Lorcan starts lusting after her even before realizing it. Don’t tell me this is not an overused plot point. I honestly don’t know what writers have against a plain girl being the hero and falling in love with a handsome guy that will love her back, instead of making her a hidden beauty with big breasts and the body of a deity, that were always there but no one cared enough to notice. She can be plain, and still fall in love. She can be plain, and still be loved back by someone who will see and value her true personality and bravery, and all the virtues she has. Don’t get me wrong, it’s ok to choose this path, and every writer can do as they please. I just don’t know why they never choose the other option. 

And speaking of relationships… Everyone in this book gets someone to lust after. Not love. Lust. Lorcan and Elide, Aedion and Lysandra, Aelin and Rowan, Dorian and Manon… And that is why this isn’t the best book for me. The sexual content went over the top of what I can consider ok. Horniness is all over the place. It’s everywhere. And I repeat, it may be fine for other readers, but for me, it’s exhausting. Not every great love story has to have the couple continually thinking about ripping each other’s clothes right there on the spot. It gets repetitive, and I couldn’t help yelling at my book “For the love of God, calm down!”. After all, I’ve seen and read excellent romances that managed to be deep, complex and beautiful, without getting to the point in which you just beg the characters to take a shower, so they can focus. I already talked about this, but again, take Dorian and Manon. They don’t really know each other that much before going directly at it in the ship’s cabin, and perhaps I misread something, but I don’t see this making them happy, but rather… Like they are trying to see if their connection can grow, perhaps? I don’t know. 

As for Aelin and Rowan, their sex scenes are so uncomfortable to read, honestly. Cringy at the utmost. They love each other and that’s wonderful, yes. But I don’t need to know the particulars of their lust in the most inappropriate times and places, and their intimate encounters. I just don’t. There’s no point in getting that many details about how they do it, and perhaps that’s ok for other readers, but I’m not among them. Sorry. I’m happy they are happy, but I don’t need to know everything.

But besides that, the males in this book are in which I can only define as a snarling contest. They are like animals, constantly baring their teeth, and being territorial, and jealous, protecting their females… Because every single one of them has to have someone, and be drop-dead gorgeous. And if Sarah J. Maas is trying to make me see love in all this, I just don’t feel it that way. Do you want an example? You get it. After Aelin and Rowan do their thing, loud enough for the entire island to know it, they go back with the others; Rowan enters the room, and upon seeing Dorian and Aedion there, his first thought is this one:

“Rowan bit down against the rage at the sight of other males near his queen, reminding himself that they were his friends, but—”

See what I mean? He already has this instinct, this rage, to protect her, but there’s nothing to protect her from. Basically, because Aelin left very clear that she can protect herself since the beginning, but besides that, the other guys do literally nothing. Their presence alone bothers Rowan, and all I can think about is that I want to slap him and yell “would you calm down? Trust Aelin a little more, if you love her as you say you do, and please, focus!”

As for them being fated from the start, well… Thanks, but I think we already knew that. I honestly don’t need to be told that over and over again. I’m smart enough to figure that out on my own. Just stop.

As for Aelin, I understand she loves Rowan now, but there’s something that just baffles my mind. I don’t understand how, with everything she went through, she managed to have four different love interest in the span of… what? Four years? She’s beautiful, and very attractive, that’s true. One can understand why men are drawn to her. But… That doesn’t fully convince me. Sam, Dorian, Chaol, and Rowan. Obviously, there’s no turning back from Rowan now, but still. Four guys? Four love interests in such a short time…? She may have suffered a lot, and her first thought is to keep people at arm’s length to avoid the pain of losing them, like when she first met Rowan and wouldn’t ask him about his tattoos, because she had had enough of her friends dying. But, apparently, falling in love is not a problem for her. Dorian was her shortest infatuation, and it didn’t get far, but the other two did have her heart at one point, before Rowan, and in the only way she knows how to love, that is no less than fire itself. She recovers quickly, apparently.

The ending killed me. Maeve, oh my God, what a villain! Her work is subtle, she hasn’t lived and ruled for centuries for nothing. No one would suspect what she’s doing. Setting those fires in Eyllwe didn’t sound like something she would do, and the purpose was, apparently, to sow the seeds of Aelin’s bad reputation, as fire is her element and everyone knows that. Truth be told, setting villages on fire was a little basic for her, she was definitely preparing the stage for something bigger, and I did not see that coming. But neither did them, for that matter. As everyone fought at sea, and even when her own warriors betrayed her at Rowan’s pleading, she still won by placing her armada as a distraction, to buy herself time to go for the real prize. She’s a powerful weapon all on her own, and gloats about her victory, not only with words, but finding satisfaction in the punishment and humiliation of her victims. She knows exactly where to strike, as she is both powerful and smart. But I’m kind of glad that she understood that the only way to contain Aelin is an iron cage and chains, because she won’t go down without a fight, and without at least attempting to take her down with her. And honestly, I don’t know which of the villains is the worse. If Maeve, Erawan, or Manon’s grandmother. It’s up for debate. 

Aelin is a heroine in every sense of the word. She works in silence, preparing the ground before her, selflessly, and always thinking what’s best for others. But she never reveals her plans, and that is where the shock always lies. She plans and plots, but out of our sight, so secretly that not even us, the readers, get a glimpse of what she’s going to do next. She’s more than fire and blades. She’s also a smart mind and a neat strategist, and if she makes a decision, it’s the world the one that needs to be careful, because she’s going to make it happen. And it’s not that she is ignorant of the things happening around her when she makes her choice. She knows what she has to lose, and it breaks her heart, but she does it anyway, because she understands that it is all bigger than her. Through her actions, and her unyielding in despite of her humiliation, she wants to tell people that Terrasen is more than its Queen, and it’s worth the fight. That they can still win, even if she’s not there with them. No matter what happens to her, they have to keep fighting with everything they have, because if they don’t, no one will. Even down and caged, she managed to make one last stand for Terrasen by sending reinforcements and collecting life debts, so her army would still be strong enough to hold on. Her people and her land are more important than anything that happens to her, and although she’s powerful, she let her followers clear that they still can win without her. That they fight for Terrasen, and not for her. And that, my friends, is what makes a hero.

“Aelin Galathynius had raised an army not just to challenge Morath… but to rattle the stars.”

And that is the only way she knows how to do things.

Another thing I really like about Aelin, is how she doesn’t beat around the bush. She’s practical and goes straight to the point, like when she asks Brannon how Maeve can be killed:

“Brannon’s mouth tightened. 'Specify what you need to know.'
'Can she be killed?'
[...]

'She is old, Heir of Terrasen. She was old when I was a child. Her plans are far-reaching—'
'I know, I know. But will she die if I shove a blade into her heart? Cut off her head?'”

See? That’s what I mean! She goes straight to the point, and I love her for that. She makes her ancestors leave aside the cryptic messages to, for once, tell her the truth in plain language. And it’s the first heroine I’ve read that does it. She questions everything, and makes people be clear so she can fulfil her goal without unnecessary confusions, because they mostly end up being catastrophic. And later on, when she has to stop Gavriel and Fenrys from fulfilling Maeve’s orders, and protect Elide and Lorcan, she simply says: 

“You touch them, you die. You so much as breathe wrong in their direction, and you’re dead.”

And you know she will do it. She’s such a badass, and a queen in every sense of the word.

Oh, my God, the battle in Skull’s Bay! I literally had to close my book to catch my breath. I’m not even joking. I was heavily breathing during the whole thing, as it was so intense, and well… AMAZING. Epic like nothing I’ve ever read before, and perhaps I’m exaggerating, but that is how it felt like. The pirate ships, the chain, the blood, the sea dragon, the wyverns, the screaming… Everything is described so well that gave me chills. Lysandra outdid herself with her shapeshifting, and her battle skills! No one messes with her! And Aelin’s power…

“She was a stone plunked into the sea of her power—their power.”

This sentence really impacted me, short and simple as it is. It’s a perfect visual image of how much power lies in her, and how deeper it gets when she joins it with Rowan’s, who is incredibly powerful already. This is all in Sarah J. Maas’ writing, that is incredible, and well put in the places that need to have this effect on readers. Everything was so great and so well done in that scene, that I can’t believe a book had such effect on me. That was purely epic. I can’t explain it, you need to read it.

As for Elena’s revelation in the pool of memories… I’ve seen that kind of plot twist before, it had like a Harry Potter flavour in it, but it didn’t make it any less painful, because it was a mistake that could have been avoided. But there’s something I value on this, and that it’s not always in other stories. Both Aelin and Elena must face the consequences of what happened. The price is both of theirs to pay. Because although Aelin’s fate was sealed even before she was born, Elena also has to face the consequences for what she did. 

“I go, too. For the time I bought you, when this game is finished, my soul will be melted back into the darkness. I will not see Gavin, or my children, or my friends… I will be gone. Forever.”

Elena condemned Aelin, but she’s not getting away with it just like that. The burden goes both ways. 

Finally, I’m glad we could at least see a little of Nehemia in this one. Apparently, everyone forgot she ever existed. And I stand by what I said the last time: such a waste of character! Her death had a point, but don’t tell me she wouldn’t have led to amazing things, had she stayed alive. And also, I loved to see Ansel back. I liked her in the novella she appeared in, and although she’s questionable in many ways, she’s still a badass, and will fight to the very end to repay the life debt she owes. I hope to read more about her in the next books.

I think I covered everything I wanted to say. All I know is that I’m close to the ending and it promises to be amazing, even with all the things I didn’t like in this book. Can’t wait to get to see how everything turns out! 

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Review - The Assassin's Blade

Original Title: The Assassin's Blade
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.1 - #0.5
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: March 4th, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

Let me be clear. I was not going to review this novella bind-up. But since the characters and the stories struck me so hard, and I kept thinking about them long after finishing, I feel like I have to do something about it. As I read them separately to meet my reading challenge (otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible), I’ll analyse each novella the same way, as I have more to say about some of them, and less about others. 

Just so you know, this will contain spoilers from many books from the series. If you haven’t read the series, go and read it. Just do it. Don’t think it. Do it.

Let’s go.

If you read my review of Queen of Shadows, you know I said that I had got a little tired of how many times Sam was mentioned, when I myself didn’t really know him, and couldn’t share Celaena’s pain. Well, in this novella, we can see how they started to work together, and what they were really made of. I really like the fact that, even with all their training and learning to sell their services to the highest bidder, they very clearly draw the line in regards of their job. They are assassins, not murderers. And that added a lot of depth to both Celaena and Sam, given that they are not naturally inclined to kill people, nor they enjoy it. It is what they do for a living, they are not naturally inclined to evil.

I like Celaena’s attitude and wit. She’s always one step ahead, and never yields, all the time with the sarcasm and defiance that rule her life. I like how deep her character is, because she’s both selfish and selfless, and knows when something is bigger than herself, or her master. When she found out Arobynn and Rolfe’s deal was about slavery and human traffic, she didn’t think it twice, and immediately started to plan their freedom, perfectly knowing that she would pay a steep price for it. Even then, her attitude is that of a queen.

I loved to get to know Sam Cortland, his sad past, and the fact that, even from the very first book in the series he appears as Celaena’s first love, here we get to see how they started their relationships butting heads, not always agreeing with each other, but finally finding common ground, to work together, and set the slaves free. Obviously, nothing stopped Celaena from being herself:

“Sam,” […]

“Hmm?”

[…]

“If you ever tell anyone about me embracing you … I’ll gut you.”

Celaena Sardothien, ladies and gentlemen. I don’t expect less from her. Even when she started warming up to Sam and thinking that she may have a true friend in him, instead of a colleague, it didn’t stop her from threatening him. She’s always been a bone hard to crack, and this is not exception. But one thing is true: she feels everything deeply and fiercely. Love, hate, anger… And if someone messes with them, her blades will answer for it. 

This is the second story in the bind-up. Not a lot happens in it, but I hope Yrene Towers appears again in the later books. And now that magic is free (as it happened in Queen of Shadows), her healing gift can truly bloom and be used in the war effort. 

This takes place right after what happened in Skull’s Bay, in the previous novella, and wee meet Celaena facing its consequences. Arobynn didn’t take the ruining of his business lightly, and punished her and Sam mercilessly, subjecting her to a terrible beating, and forcing Sam to watch it. But even that didn’t break Celaena, because she didn’t regret freeing the slaves. I really like how deeply her character is developed, how you can truly feel her inner struggle with both her thoughts and her actions, and her attitude worthy of a queen. She had to go through the punishment, but doesn’t apologize for what she thinks is right, and I love her for that.

And, honestly, I’ve never read about a heroine that kicks butt the way Celaena does. I have had my share of badass protagonists, but Celaena is in a whole other level. She has no qualms about gutting people, beating them, and torturing them, if she has a clear goal in mind, although it is true that her feelings cloud her judgement, more often than not. I liked how she instinctively jumped in Yrene’s defense (partly because she was bored and still reeling from the beating, true). But still, she even taught her a move or two, so she could defend herself, in case she needed it, and gave away her own brooch to pay for her education in the Torre Cesme.

Not much to add, except I hope to see Yrene back.

This one was, no doubt, my favourite. It was incredible, and mostly because of the extended worldbuilding. It’s amazing to keep knowing this land, knowing that other places still exist and buzz with life outside the places the characters visit in the series. It deepens the complexity and the layers of this world, and for a moment I stopped thinking this was fictional. It truly feels like it is alive.

Sarah J. Maas’s writing shines in this one, and I love it even more with each story she tells me. Among other amazing things, she says that “Words could be just as deadly as steel.”, and I couldn’t agree more. The right words, said in the right moment, can mean the difference between life and death, between the rise and the fall of an entire empire, and hit as high as the destiny of a nation, or as deep as the heart and the feelings of one single person. And that is visible in the character Ansel. I really liked her, because she was deep and layered, and had very clear reasons to do what she did. Her story gave a glimpse of what later can be read as a part of Manon Blackbeak’s story and that of her fellow witches in Heir of Fire. Plus, I liked the fact that Sarah J. Maas is perfectly capable of writing female friendships that are true bonds of fondness, when literature nowadays (especially YA) is filled with cat fights and slut shaming, and girls are always rivals instead of friends, judging and hating each other non-stop. It’s a breath of fresh air, and I’m grateful for it.

I loved everything in this novella, and I like Celaena even more after this. She may be impatient and passionate, talking back and hardly restraining the fire inside of her, but, as I said before, she’s not a murderer. Being an assassin means shutting off her heart and doing what she is paid to do, but she knows when death is meaningless. And I’m sure she found a friend in Ansel beyond what they shared in the Red Desert, because, just like her, Ansel lost her family and her lands at the hands of invaders, and bores a terrible pain inside. Just like Celaena feels about Terrasen. That’s why I think their bond is even deeper, because it lies in understanding. Celaena can fully see why Ansel did what she did, because it’s not further away from what she herself would’ve done in the same situation. That is why she fired that arrow a minute later than she was supposed to, and this only helps me state my claim. Death may be Celaena’s profession, but it’s not her passion, nor her goal.

I really hope to see some of these characters again.

This one killed me. I hate Arobynn Hamel, I hate him! But I have to talk about him. It’s one of the best written characters I’ve ever read. He’s the epitome of everything that is rotten in Rifthold. Everything that happens in the Vaults, summed up in one person.

Arobynn Hamel is one of those villains that truly grow fear and hate in you. He’s everything that is wrong with the world, and that wouldn’t be so terrible, if he wasn’t the King of Assassins. I mean, he’s possessive, greedy, lustful, and is willing to do everything he can to get his way. The power he wields only makes everything worse, because the consequences are far greater. He uses everything in his favour. He knew exactly where to hit to get Celaena and Sam to cooperate and fulfil the mission, making them go to the party and see Doneval with those girls, to paint the picture of him as the bad guy, when in fact, he was the one who wanted to save the slaves. Look how well written Arobynn is, how smart he was there, acting as the puppeteer and pulling the right strings in the right moment. He doesn’t feel any love or empathy, and the world is his chessboard. He knew exactly when to exploit pain, weakness, and virtues. He knew Celaena, knew her passions, and her integrity, and used her virtues to his advantage, knowing that she wouldn’t spare any slavery supporter’s life, whoever he or she was. He used her as a weapon, using her light for darkness. And that, my friends, not only speaks of a great character, but also of an amazing writer behind it. 

Now that I know Sam better, I can understand Celaena’s pain. Their feelings for each other were real, and it’s sad to see that they could totally have been happy together, if they had had the chance. Finding someone to open up to, to be vulnerable with, and not get hurt in the process, was what made everything a lot more painful. As I said before, Celaena doesn’t know moderation when it comes to her feelings. She feels everything strongly, and has both light and darkness in her, and Sam is the ice to her fire. He knows how to calm her down and I even when I knew what would eventually happen to him, I couldn’t help but loving him, and that made the next novella so difficult to get into. 

It killed me, guys. I cried real tears as I read this one. I couldn’t help it.

But first things first. I really loved Celaena’s passion in this one. She may be an assassin, knowing how to handle poisons and blades, and fight like hell, but she’s also this girl who loves music and has an indescribable passion for dresses, make up, and everything beautiful, which, for me, it’s a good thing to see in fantasy. Normally, the heroine is not like that. If she is a badass and can wield a sword, she hates dresses, and dancing, and all girly things. But Celaena is both things. She kills because she has too, but she’s still is a lady on the inside, and doesn’t hide her taste for fine clothes, and expensive things. The balance is perfectly written. It can be seen how she can be both, and still stay a great character.

Sam and Celaena start planning their future in this novella, and it wouldn’t have been so difficult to read it if I didn’t know what would eventually happen to them. After being manipulated by Arobynn into doing the dirty work against her own principles, Celaena decides to leave Rifthold and start a new life somewhere else, with Sam by her side, finally free from his manipulations. But Arobynn and Celaena are more alike than they think. Nobody messes with them without facing the consequences. Although while Celaena is pure fire and goes straight for her blades, choosing gutting over reasoning, Arobynn’s ways are subtler, he destroys his victims from the inside out, utilizing their strengths and weaknesses against them, to get his way. He’s definitely one of the most incredible characters I’ve ever read, and one of those I wanted dead the most. Bravo, Sarah J. Maas!

This novella is how everything started. In Throne of Glass, we are told that Celaena, as long as she suffered as a slave in the salt mines of Endovier, told herself “My name is Celaena Sardothien and I will not be afraid”, to keep her sanity in a place when very little people could survive. And here, we get to know she learned that from Sam, who told himself the same thing when he was scared. He stayed with her long after his death, and I can only call that love. It gets perfectly understandable why they love each other, and how Celaena wants to be with him because he sees her as more than an assassin, and can love her with all her faults, with the burden of everything she did. No wonder she went berserk after what happened to him. Rourke Farran wasn’t exactly merciful with him.

“Reality opened wide and swallowed her whole.” – I think all of us can think of a situation in our lives that felt this way. Sarah J. Maas’ writing is beautiful, accurate, and painful like a dagger to the heart. She’s a gifted writer, and she’s definitely among my favourites. It took a little while for me to realize that, but after this novella that made me cry a sea of tears, I can positively say so.

Long story short, this novella was utterly heartbreaking, and you need to read it to understand how much. It’s not the same effect if you read them before reading, at least, the first book in the series, because ignorance keeps you safe. If you come here having read as far as Throne of Glass, you know what to expect, and it doesn’t make the ride less painful. 

***

Thank you for stopping by, and I’ll see you soon with another review! Bye! 

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The Bookmas Tag

Hey, everyone!!
Happy Holidays!!

How you've been? I hope you are doing amazing. First of all, as always, thank you so much for reading me, guys, it means so much to me, and I can't properly express how much I love you, and thank you for all the love I've been receiving from visitors, and the wonderful things people have been saying about my reviews. Just THANK YOU!!! 

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to keep posting regularly, but to give you an idea, in the last week of school, I delivered no less than EIGHT papers in the same week. Imagine how my brain ended up after that. But I'm free now, and I want to do something fun for the Christmas holidays. 

Today I bring you the Bookmas Tag. It's old, I know (2016), but it has all this cool questions, and have more than one answer for them. I saw it done by two great booktubers, LilyCReads and SophieSeries, and I thought it would be fun to do it too. I've been wanting to do it since July, but you know... Seasons be crazy.

Anyway, here we go.

1. The Lovebirds: Which two characters would you like to see under the mistletoe? 

With this I'm going with Faramir and Éowyn from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. I was obsessed with this pairing when I was a kid and I used to read their chapter over and over again, to see how they fell in love and how she was able to heal her heart and recognize a man who loved her so much, for everything she was, and was worthy of her. I love them, I absolutely love them. Éowyn is one of my favorite female characters of all time.








2. The Mismatched: Which unlikely pair of characters would get stuck under the mistletoe? 

Oh, I definitely know this one. Nico di Angelo and Reyna Ramírez Arellano, from the The Blood of Olympus. I totally imagine them bumping to each other under the mistletoe and being like "Erm... No." Just friends. For obvious reasons.

3. The Grinch: Which character would spend the day with their face in a knot? 

I could name more than one in this one (and I will). There's a lot of characters out there that could totally be the Grinch, but I'm going with Mr. Darcy, from Pride & Prejudice. I can totally picture him sitting in a corner of the room as everyone else around him is dancing, bored, and giving his opinions on the guests and the music, and the "perfectly tolerable" young woman who's sister is the most beautiful creature his friend is ever beheld. And sitting right next to him is Severus Snape, with the same expression on his face as Dumbledore hands him a cracker. 







4. The Naughty List: Which character has angered so many people that nobody felt like getting them a gift? 
Again, two characters, both in the Potter world. You tell me who, in the name of God, would buy a gift for Dolores Umbridge, or Rita Skeeter. They have to be two of the most annoying character ever written, they have made so many people angry that nobody would bother on getting them a present. Except it's something that would make them even more angry or contain a really, really nasty surprise for them (Fred and George, I'm looking at you!)



5. The Fraud: Which character would assign a fake date to the gathering, just so they don't appear alone? 

I can totally picture Maria Bertram, from Mansfield Park, doing this. She needs to feel wanted by men, if it isn't one, it's the other, she can't be alone, so I definitely pick her for this one.












6. The Caroler: Which character does everybody have to yell at to stop singing Christmas songs? 

Tom Bombadil, one hundred percent. Tell me it wouldn't be him! He lives by singing, and he wouldn't stop with the carols no matter what they tell him. He's a happy guy and that he will show!











7. The Klutz: Which character accidentally knocks over the Christmas tree? 

Oh, my dear Nymphadora Tonks, this would be you. Stealth is not your thing. She entered the Dursleys' house and immediatly broke a plate, and in Grimmauld Place she kept stumbling upon things, like the umbrella stand. She would totally knock over the Christmas tree.











8. The Snooper: Which character would ruin all of their surprises by trying to figure out what all the gifts are?

Definitely James Potter and Sirius Black during their school days at Hogwarts. They drew the Marauder's Map and without curiosity, that wouldn't have been possible. With that attitude there wouldn't be Christmas surprises left for them.











Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed that. I wish you a very happy and blessed Christmas, as we remember the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have a beautiful holiday, and if you don't celebrate it, an great joyful time.Thank you so much for your visits, and I'll see you soon with new reviews and tags!

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Review - Queen of Shadows

Original Title: Queen of Shadows
Series: Throne of Glass, #4
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: September 1st, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

*THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

If I had to describe this book with one word, that would be intense. The fact that it took me so long to finish it was not the book’s fault. Not at all. It was just life getting in the way. But I did it! And wow, what a ride it was! I couldn’t stop reading, I stayed up late, it was so very intense, and I only stopped because I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

I definitely love Sarah J. Maas’ writing style. It’s utterly brilliant, poetic in the right moments, and raw and direct when it needs to be impactful, like a dagger to the heart. I noticed and loved how well done and fully fleshed-out the worldbuilding is, as she doesn’t try to sugarcoat the world she created. She paints it exactly as it is, with both its bright and dark sides, both with vivid details and without holding anything back. It’s as realistic as it can be, being a fantasy world, and it is incredibly done. Great job, Sarah J. Maas!

Something I really love in this series is that every character is well written, and there for a reason. It’s not that you can remove any of them without disrupting the plot, as it has surely happened before with other authors. Sarah J. Maas makes sure that everyone is there with a purpose, and has their own, unique voice, which is worthy of applause, because you can tell who is speaking even if his/her name doesn’t appear on the page. The protagonist, Aelin –no longer Celaena–, is definitely different from any other character I’ve ever read. She’s a true badass, fearless, and brave, a queen worthy of the name, and not to be messed with. She’s still distrustful but we are far, far away from the characters that started the series in Throne of Glass. That was more like a fairytale –even if darker–, but here, in Queen of Shadows, we are fully into an epic fantasy story, and the characters have evolved accordingly, with deep personalities and complexly layered, and it is good to read the work of an author who actually cares for those aspects.

I was truly impressed and invested in the story of the new people in it. Arobynn Hamel, oh, my God! What a character. Every scene with him made me unable to stop reading, I gasped, and held my breath, and enjoyed that tug-of-war with Aelin, as she fought to get the amulet back without giving in into his requests. She definitely outsmarted him, with a little help, of course, and it was brilliant. The whole trick with the ring, to push him to reveal his true intentions, that was just… Wow. Amazing. Incredibly done. I was truly outraged when it happened. And it’s also greatly done how important the bond between him and Aelin is, how he shaped her identity and her character, and how, through his death, she not only recovered what she needed –the amulet of Orynth–, but also fully stopped being Celaena Sardothien. The ruthless assassin who only yearned for freedom after slavery dies along with him, and a Queen comes to take her place.

I utterly loved the character Lysandra, even though, at first, I thought I’d hate her. What a good addition to the series! I think she’s an expression of how people can actually change, and aren’t always what they seem, something I thought before knowing she was actually a shapeshifter (but that only made it literal). I mean, she was able to deceive with her looks even without her powers, right? Her story was sad, but I liked to see how she was a badass in her own way, not afraid in the least when she had to end Arobynn’s life; and also, her wits, and her selflessness, both sacrificing herself to save this girl, Evangeline, from her own fate as a courtesan, and later coming to help in battle! I really liked her relationship with Aelin, and I’m glad that Sarah J. Maas decided to include female friendships in this series that are far from the typical cat fight, that I despise so very much. First Celaena and Nehemia, and now Aelin and Lysandra. And that is something that needs to happen more often in YA fiction, because there’s already enough books out there filled with girl hating and slut-shaming, as if it were impossible to tell a story without that. But this author proves that is possible, even when one of the characters is, literally, a whore, but with enough depth as to see that she’s a lot more than that.

I have to say it, people. I really loved Manon in this one, even when in the previous book I used to grumble every time I encountered a chapter on her and the rest of the witches. But her character has definitely gone far, proving that the Crochan witch was right, that they are made into monsters, not born. She’s a badass, she demands respect, and doesn’t let anyone control her, and with every chapter, she’s a little stronger and more willing to stand up to her grandmother, changing her fate into what she can be, instead of focusing on what others think she should be. Her fight scene with Aelin on the crumbling temple was absolutely epic, and I loved how she respected the life debt, helping her with Dorian when they had given up all hope on saving him, and were ready to kill him to stop the demon inside of him. Oh, and finally the whole thing came together! Rebels, Valg and witches, all together in the same scene at last. It was about time, and I didn’t want to wait for the next book for it to happen. And also, I don’t know how relevant this is, but I really loved Asterin after she told the story about her love for a human, and the baby she lost. 

As for Dorian, wow, that was depth. He’s king now, but still, he’s not a warrior, and by that, I mean he’s not the typical prince. He’s fragile, broken, and doubtful, and carries very heavy burdens, especially Sorscha’s death, that he should have prevented, but couldn’t. Thanks to an unintentional spoiler before he even met Manon, I kind of knew where the story was heading into, and I wasn’t worried about him, but his scenes fighting the demon inside of him were very intense. I really want to read a further development in his relationship with Manon, because he’s utterly broken, even though he’s free, and that gives a lot of potential to deepen his story. He needs to heal, and I don’t know how he will do that, but I’ll gladly read about it.

Oh, Elide, poor little girl. She’s actually the proof of how much I drifted away during Heir of Fire, because I revisited it and it actually says that she is Marion’s daughter, so I shouldn’t have been so surprised when she said so. I really liked her, and I can tell she has a lot of potential. Even though she has witch blood in her veins, she’s still very human and fragile, and has authentic reactions in front of terrifying situations, or under her uncle’s thumb. But she also has this inner strength and courage, not fully developed, but there nonetheless, that will make her a good character to read about. I definitely want to know more about her, and I can’t wait to read her reunion with Aelin, and of course, the moment in which she finds out Celaena and Aelin are the same person, and gives her the stone Kaltain gave her. 

Oh, and Kaltain. Wow. Just… wow. That woman was smarter than anyone gave her credit for. From ambitious court girl to devourer of worlds, capable of standing up to demons when everyone else begged for death, there’s no other like her. I’m just sorry she’s gone, she would have made a hell of a character in battle, although she did make a spectacular final act. She went down but took as many as she could with her, ruining Perrington and Vernon’s plans and destroying the offspring of witches and demons, which I’m glad she did, because after Elide’s description, I’m ok with not knowing more about how that came to happen. Yes, it was that terrible. It is so well written that it is absolutely horrifying, and had me doubting who was the real monster there: the creatures they bred, or the people who forced the Yellowlegs to give birth to them? Again, well done Sarah J. Maas. If I have nightmares, it will be your fault.

I absolutely loved the scene in which Aelin went undercover as a dancer to rescue Aedion, it was so intense, so well written, that I couldn’t stop. And of course, the reunion! Hopes not disappointed at all. Such raw emotion, and open feelings, it was greatly done. I really like Aedion, his attitude and badassery, and I’m happy we got to know a little more about him. The only thing I just don’t quite get is how Aelin, Aedion, and Rowan walked through Rifthold just like that, with no guards looking for them, after the spectacular rescue. One would think that after Aelin herself was in town to rescue his cousin after she openly defied the king, and that the party in which he was to be executed was clearly a bait, every soldier in the city would be looking for her. But they go from here to there like nothing is happening and that felt a little odd. The only thing I really couldn’t care about was Rowan and Aedion’s little alpha male drama. It’s ok, but honestly, I didn’t care enough about their battle of wills as much as I was supposed to. But it’s understandable, as Aedion wanted to be bonded to Aelin for so long and found out Rowan did it before him, so in general terms, it is well done. I’m glad they could eventually work together.

*big sigh*

Can we talk about Aelin and Rowan? The big romance twist in this series. I have to tell you, it makes a lot more sense with him than it ever did with Chaol, a relationship I’m actually glad is over. At least we can say that it was relevant to the plot, because a lot of things that happened wouldn’t have, if it wasn’t for their brief, intense romance. But with Rowan is different. He is in her heart the way Chaol never was. I love them together, but at some point I got a little tired with their comings and goings. I ended up yelling at my book “just kiss already!”. They did everything, except kissing, and I ended up begging them to please, once and for all, act on your horniness so I can stop reading pages and pages of every little detail every time you touch each other. But if you, as you claim, can’t be together for the time being, no matter what it costs, the solution is very simple: stop sleeping in the same bed, and save me some time! 

Another thing that bothered me about them is how they both kept sulking about their past loves. Don’t get me wrong, it adds depth to their characters, and their past loss is what, in a way or another, brings them even closer together, because they understand each other better than anyone ever could. I get Rowan though, because Lyria was pregnant with his child, and she shouldn’t have died. But Aelin, I mean… yes, she really loved Sam and suffered a lot when she lost him. But, for the love of God, let him rest in peace! I completely understand that Sam was important to her, being her first love and everything, but it exhaust me to read about someone who isn’t even in the book. He belongs to a past I can only get to know through snippets from Aelin’s memories, but I can’t share her pain, simply because I don’t know Sam enough. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, as it is all linked to Arobynn’s character. I’m just saying that I prefer to read about characters that actually are in the book, that are relevant to the plot, and that I can care for, because I know them. 

The only character I can’t like, no matter how much I try, is Chaol, and luckily, he barely appears in this one. His attitude, I mean… I don’t know how to explain it. I just don’t like him. But I like the bond with Dorian, their strong friendship, and how Chaol didn’t give up on him, and protected him when Aelin tried to kill him to save him from the demon. As for Nesryn, there’s not a lot about her, but I’m not opposed to read more about her, now that she’s in the king’s army. I can’t say more because the book doesn’t give them a lot of importance, but I wish them well. 

Something I appreciate is when characters spend a big part of the book talking about their plans to do something, and they actually do it before the end, like here, when they said they would blow up the clock tower with hellfire. For a brief moment I thought I’d have to wait until the next book to see that happening, but they did it, and I couldn’t be happier when magic was unlocked. That opens the road for a lot more powers, and to see the real reach of everyone’s magic: Aelin, Rowan, Dorian, the witches… It’s promising. Just one thing: during the battle in the tunnels, I really thought Rowan, Aedion and Lorcan would be killed, but I loved when Lysandra suddenly jumped over them in her animal form and saved them, not only for that, but because what it meant for her to have her shapeshifting abilities back. I let out a breath when she leaped over the enemies and started ripping throats here and there, proving her loyalty and her true power. She truly deserved what she got at the end, and I really hope to read more about her.

Finally… the plot twists. Oh, my God. I’m shocked with the turn of events, because the king is no longer there, and there’s still a lot of story to read. That let me with my mouth open, like, “and now what?”. In one, brief second, Sarah J. Maas introduced a new villain, changed my attitude towards the king, raised a lot of questions, and moved the plot in a way I never saw coming. And that, my friends, is what a true writer does. Well done. Truly, well done. 

*LOUD APPLAUSE*

Not much else to say, because I can’t possibly cover every little detail, except that I’m very excited now that Aelin is back in Terrasen. I’m really looking forward to know more about Elide, and Manon, and all the consequences left by the events in this book. This one truly is a great fantasy series, I can’t possibly cover all the details here, but I recommend it to everyone who hasn’t read it. Sarah J. Maas is a great author, and I will keep reading this amazing series until I can answer every single one of my questions!

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