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385bookreviews · 2 months

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1.72.6 Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

SPOILERS

Pages: 689

Time Read: 11 hours and 22 minutes

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ Storyline: ★★★★★ Dialogue: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★

Genre: YA Fantasy

TWs for the book: Violence, blood, war, s*xual content, torture, death, murder, injury, gore, fire, grief, physical abuse, confinement, vomit, kidnapping, body horror, slavery, death of a parent, emotional abuse, abandonment, child death, cursing, misogyny/sexism, colonization, genocide, toxic relationship, ableism, animal cruelty, animal death, s*xual assault/r*pe (not on page), discussions of pregnancy, gaslighting, classism, panic attacks, su*c*dal thoughts, su*c*de attempt

POV: Third Person

Time Period/Location: Terrasen, Adarlan, Skull's Bay, and Eyllwe on the fictional continent of Erilea

First Line: Elide Lochan's breath scorched her throat with every gasping inhale as she limped up the steep forest hill.

Aelin, Aedion, Rowan, Lysandra, Fleetfoot, and Evangeline have finally arrived in Terrasen after a week or two of travel from Adarlan. She arranges a meeting with Lord Darrow, Lord Murtaugh, and Murtaugh's grandson, Ren. They are supposed to meet them in the woods, but the lords demand they come to an inn. When they arrive, Ren and Murtaugh, responsible for Chaol's kidnapping in Crown of Midnight, are shocked to learn that Aelin is Celaena. Lord Darrow is harsh and judgemental, and gives her a decree signed by all of the lords of Terrasen saying she is only a princess and that she is not to be queen unless they see fit. She is discouraged, but as they are leaving the inn, they receive news that the witches are flying to sack Rifthold. She sends Rowan to fly back to rescue Dorian, gives Evangeline and Fleetfoot to Lord Murtaugh to look after, and her, Aedion, and Lysandra make their way to Ilium, a port city in Terrasen that used to be ruled by fierce pirates called the Mycenians.

Meanwhile, Elide travels through the woods on her own to try and get to Terrasen, forging for berries and drinking from streams. She realizes she is being followed. Lorcan senses the Wyrdkey she carries and follows her around, thinking she is Valg. He realizes she is not when she is suddenly hunted down by ilken, terrifying eight foot beasts that were bred by Erawan. Lorcan kills three and Elide evades another, and they manage to make it away. They make a deal to travel together, Lorcan offering protection for Elide's knowledge of Morath. Pretending to be married they join up with a traveling circus to get past the Adarlanian soldiers guarding the river.

At Morath, Erawan reveals his true form, no longer masquerading as Duke Perrington. He orders Manon and the Thirteen, along with Yellowlegs witches led by Iskra, to sack Rifthold. Manon tries to get there before the Yellowlegs, but arrives right as Dorian is about to be attacked by a member of Iskra's coven. Manon kills her, and tells Dorian to flee. Rowan arrives and kills four more witches and tries to kill Manon until Dorian stops him. Rowan and Dorian escape and head for Skull's Bay, and Iskra accuses Manon of being a witch killer. She lies and says that the sentinel attacked her first, but Iskra doesn't believe her and runs back to Morath. When Manon arrives, she is put on trial. The Matrons ultimately decide that while Manon will live, Asterin must be brutally put to death. At the execution, Manon asks for the right to kill her, but she instead swings her sword at her grandmother. The Thirteen flee, and the Matron reveals that Manon is the last Crochan Queen, her father being a Crochan Prince and her mother being an Ironteeth witch, and that her she killed both of them upon discovering the truth. Manon takes a near fatal wound to the stomach, and then drops off the cliff and is caught by Abraxos. She manages to kill the witches that chase her, and then passes out and wakes up in Oakwald Forest. She is attacked by a shapeshifter turned monster by Erawan, calling itself a Bloodhound, and she escapes again and tells Abraxos to take her somewhere safe.

Aelin, Aedion, and Lysandra arrive in Ilium to find it occupied by Adarlanian soldiers, the temple there being used as their barracks. She makes a dramatic appearance, giving some of the soldiers the chance to flee, and then the three of them kill the rest. They go to the temple and Aelin meets with King Brannon's ghost. He tells her to go to the Stone Marshes of Eyllwe to find a Lock that can bind the Wyrdkeys back to the Wyrdgate. The trio are then attacked by Erawan, possessing the body of the Chief Overseer of Endovier that tortured Aelin. She manages to kill him, but not after being taunted by Erawan. They then sail for Skull's Bay.

Dorian and Rowan arrive in Skull's Bay two weeks before the rest of their companions. Upon arriving, they go to meet with Rolfe, who insists upon staying neutral, but also find Gavriel and Fenrys in his company. They say that they were sent by Maeve to hunt and kill Lorcan. Rowan bargains that he will tell them where Lorcan is so long as they help them until then. They hesitate but Rowan tells Gavriel that he has a son, and so they agree. Rowan begins to train Dorian in magic. After two weeks, they go again to meet with Rolfe, and find Aelin, once again acting as Celaena, in his office. She then reveals that she is Aelin, and tries to bargain with Rolfe to get him on her side. He is angry and refuses. After some scheming, Aelin comes up with a plan and sends out a ripple of power that the Valg in the Dead Islands detect. They come with ships and sea-wyverns to attack Skull's Bay. Aelin offers her and her courts' help in exchange for Rolfe's allegiance and him gathering the remaining Mycenians to fight for her. She also says she will make him a lord of Terrasen and give his people back Ilium. He reluctantly agrees. Lysandra turns into a sea dragon and fulfills the Mycenian prophecy that once a sea dragon returns again, so shall the Mycenians. Aelin and Rowan combine their powers to wipe out the Valg ships, but Aelin wears the Wyrdkey, and is possessed by Deanna. Deanna gives them a riddle and tries to destroy Skull's Bay with her silver fire, but Rowan jumps in front of Aelin and she redirects her blow to the ships. She still ends up taking out most of Rolfe's ship, some of his men, and the entire Valg fleet save three boats. Lysandra takes out the two sea-wyverns, but is attacked by three more fully grown ones. She barely is able to kill them, with the help of Dorian and Aedion, and also sinks the remaining three ships. Aedion promises a wounded Lysandra that he is going to marry her one day. After the battle, Aelin then summons Elena, who tells her again that she needs to find the Lock.

Lorcan and Elide continue traveling together, but are attacked again by the ilken. At the next town over, their traveling companions sell them out to the Adarlanian guards, and they are forced to take a boat and flee. Lorcan discovers that Aelin has tricked him and he didn't actually have Wyrdkey this whole time, and he tells Elide that he will be bringing her to Aelin after all, and reveals that Aelin and Celaena are the same person. After a long ways of travel, they stop in another town, and Lorcan leaves Elide alone to buy clothes. Elide is attacked by ilken and her uncle Vernon, and they attempt to take her back to Morath. Thinking that Manon is dead and Lorcan has abandoned her, she attempts to kill herself, but Lorcan knocks her knife out of her hand and attacks. She and Lorcan kill the ilken, but her uncle Vernon escapes. Elide finally reveals what she is carrying with her, and Lorcan explains about the Wyrdkeys. They continue to head south to Eyllwe.

Aelin and her court travel on boats to the Stone Marshes to find the Lock. On the way, they see the coast of Eyllwe burning, and the townspeople blame Aelin for it. Abraxos finds their boat and they fetch an unconscious Manon out of the ocean and begin healing her wound. Once she is conscious, Dorian and Manon grow closer, and Aelin attacks Manon for leaving Elide alone in Oakwald Forest. Aelin makes a connection between something Fenrys said and Baba Yellowlegs' prophecy, and throws up. Rowan wants to know what's wrong but she only talks to Lysandra about it. Dorian advocates for Manon's freedom on the ship, and when they go to release her, they are attacked by a Bloodhound pretending to be Fenrys. She tells Manon that Asterin and her Thirteen are dead, and then Dorian kills her. The ship is attacked by ilken, and they fight them off, Manon assisting. They worry as Erawan now knows their location. They eventually make it to the Stone Marshes. Manon sends Abraxos to lie low and the court makes its way into the marshes. After three days of travel, they find the temple containing a chest that supposedly holds the Lock. Just then they begin to feel a magical warning signal from Lorcan, who, along with Elide, has noticed an army of 500 flying ilken heading straight towards them. They set up a trap, but Aelin obliterates them with her flame, and the others pick off the rest. When Lorcan comes into sight, Fenrys and Gavriel immediately attack him. Elide jumps in front of Lorcan, causing Fenrys to accidentally wound her arm. Gavriel heals her, and then Rowan declares that Lorcan and Elide are under their royal protection, which delays the blood oath command for them to kill him. Elide has a tearful reunion with Aedion, Aelin, and Manon, and she offers Aelin the second Wyrdkey. They then go back to the temple to open the chest, and find not a Lock but a witch mirror. They carry it back through the Marshes to the beach, and encounter a hooded woman with soldiers at her back. Everyone goes on alert, and Lorcan sends out a pulse of power to signal Maeve to come so that way Elide will be saved if there is trouble. Aelin goes down to talk with the stranger, who reveals herself to be Ansel of Briarcliff, Queen of the Western Wastes, Aelin's old friend turned enemy from when she trained with the Silent Assassins of the Red Desert. Ansel owed Aelin a life debt, and she gathered her forces and conquered Melisande, taking it away from Erawan's control, all for Aelin. They ready to leave for Terrasen, but are cornered by Maeve's armada.

They give them a day to decide whether to surrender or fight. That night, Rowan flies to all of the ships in Maeve's armada bearing the Whitethorn crest and begs them to switch sides. A few hours before the dawn of the day of the battle, Dorian solves Deanna's riddle and the mystery of the witch mirror. Aelin and Manon join hands and step into the mirror. Aedion is enraged at Dorian for suggesting such a thing, and Rowan is left to command the fleet against Maeve.

Inside the mirror, Manon and Aelin are shown what really happened when Elena and Gavin fought Erawan all those years ago. Elena stole the Eye of Elena, the true Lock, from her father Brannon and used it to seal Erawan in a tomb. The gods then appear before her, angry at her for using the Lock. Brannon had made a deal with them to use the Lock to send the gods back to their home world, and they would take Erawan with them. But by wasting all of the Lock's power on Erawan's tomb, Elena ruined their chance and doomed her own bloodline. The gods tell her that her bloodline will pay the price she couldn't and ultimately one would have to give their own life to reforge the Lock and seal away the keys, sending the gods and the Valg out of the world. She agrees, and agrees to set clues and hints for that future descendant to help lead them into doing it. They are then shown Nehemia coming to the Stone Marshes, thinking the prophecies and clues were for her. Elena appears before her and tells her that it must either be Dorian or Aelin that does it, and that Nehemia must help by going to Rifthold and preparing one or both of them, but that she will forfeit her own life in doing so. Nehemia agrees. Aelin is enraged at Elena even though she had already figured out that she would have to die to reseal the Wyrdkeys. Elena shows her what really happened the night her parents were killed and she fell in the river. She almost drowned but was pulled out by Elena put in a physical form by the gods. Aelin died from the cold but Elena revived her, and the gods told Elena to take Aelin then, as a child, to reforge the Lock. But Elena wanted Aelin to at least have a chance to live her life before she died and instead compelled Arobynn Hamel to come and find her. The gods were angry with her for this and as her punishment Elena cannot enter the afterlife and she will simply cease to exist the moment the keys are put back.

The battle between the courts' forces and Maeve's wages on. Lysandra is able to take out some boats in sea dragon form, but against Fae warriors they are ultimately losing. But then the Whitethorn ships turn on Maeve's armada and begin assisting them. Abraxos flies back with the Thirteen, ultimately turning the tide of the battle and causing the remaining force to flee.

Manon and Aelin are sucked out of the mirror and teleported to the beach where Elide had been sent by Lorcan for safety. Her guards are all dead, and Maeve has her held prisoner. She cuts Gavriel off from the blood oath, and reveals Lorcan's betrayal, as well as how Aelin walked perfectly into her years long schemes. She also reveals that Rowan is her mate, and that she used her magic to trick him into thinking Lyria was his mate, and then had her killed in order to get him to take the blood oath. She then demands that Aelin surrender or Elide will be tortured. Aelin surrenders, and Cairn whips her brutally. They seal her into an iron box and sail away, right before Rowan, Aedion, Dorian, Lysandra, and the Thirteen arrive. Elide and Manon reveal everything to Rowan and the others, and Rowan reveals that they had a secret marriage, making him the King of Terrasen. Lysandra then reveals that she and Aelin already made a plan for her disappearance/death in which Lysandra would pretend to be Aelin for the rest of her life and Aedion would father her children so Terrasen would have heirs. Lorcan is immensely remorseful, and Elide and Aedion are enraged. Just then Ansel and Rowan's cousin Enda arrive, along with Galan Ashryver, Prince of Wendlyn, and all of his naval forces, and the Silent Assassins of the Red Desert. They realize that Aelin called in every life debt owed to her to raise an army, and Lysandra shifts to become her to maintain the ruse that she is still leading her own forces. Dorian leaves with Manon, Elide, and the Thirteen to find the Crochans, and Rowan, Lorcan, and Gavriel head off to begin the hunt for Aelin.

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius (Celaena Sardothien/Aelin of the Wildfire/Fireheart): Aelin has shown a lot of growth in this series, but we still get to see her mistakes. Even though she is learning to trust her court and delegate more, she still takes on a lot of secrets and schemes on her own, which leads to the attack from Maeve in the first place because Lorcan got scared for Elide and summoned her. While she accepts her role as the sacrificial lamb of her bloodline, we still see it scare her, and I'm glad she didn't just stoically accept her death.

Aedion Ashryver (The Wolf of the North): While I am personally not a huge fan of Aedion overall, Aelin and Lysandra's plan to use him to produce heirs was really messed up and he had every right to be angry with them about that. It also doesn't make sense because according to shapeshifter rules (Feyre's pregnancy in A Court of Silver Flames for example) if Lysandra and Rowan made kids while Lysandra was in Aelin's form, the kids would look like a mix of Rowan and Aelin, so Aedion is completely unnecessary. That would have really sucked for Rowan but getting him involved in that way wasn't even needed. The kids wouldn't even look like Lysandra's usual form either because Lysandra's form isn't how she was at birth and she can't go back to her original look because she doesn't remember.

Storyline: I once again loved seeing old characters come back into the fold and watching Aelin's schemes fall into place. Everything feels connected and purposeful and there are reasonable explanations for everything. Nothing is just left up to fate (looking at you House of Flame and Shadow) and things come together either by Maeve, Erawan, Aelin, or the gods' scheming and planning.

Representation: Aedion is bisexual, Rowan's cousin Enda is mentioned as being gay, and Lord Darrow was the former King of Terrasen's consort. Representation for POC is once again lacking. Elide is crippled due to her ankle being deformed from a break that was never healed.

Summary: This is my second favorite book in the Throne of Glass series, right after Queen of Shadow. All of the plot line were entertaining the whole time and everything is intentional and flawlessly comes together.

Quotes: "The world... will be saved and remade by the dreamers..."-Aelin (p.248) "I love you. There is no limit to what I can give to you, no time I need. Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will love you."-Rowan (p.350) "It is not such a hard thing, is it--to die for your friends."-Dorian (p.594)

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gaeilgeoirgay · 2 years

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Whumptober 2021 Day Thirty-One

AN- It only took me *checks calendar* 297 days to post this. But better late than never!

a final defiant salute

Chaol was having a fairly ordinary day. Emphasis on was. Then he had a council meeting where the spy the King had recently placed in General Ashryver’s Bane returned. That’s where his perfectly normal day deviated from the routine.

It’s been eight years since the Terrasenian Royal Family was assassinated and Terrasen fell to the Adarlanian Empire, and throughout those eight years, Aedion Ashryver has been a skilled and valuable general in the Adarlanian Army. Throughout those eight years, Aedion Ashryver has been a traitor.

The spy tells them everything- Aedion stages his battles and helps rebels to avoid Adarlan’s detection. He takes in soldiers from the former armies of the conquered territories and then sends them out to train rebel militias. He feeds confidential Adarlanian information to those who would destroy them. Aedion Ashryver is a godsdamned traitor.

Chaol had always thought of Aedion as a traitor, though it was in the context of Aedion turning his back on Terrasen. He hadn’t trusted the General, feeling that any man willing to helm a battalion dedicated to killing his own people, was not a man who would have his back in battle. And he had been right not to trust Aedion, but he was wrong in the reasons for it.

Honestly, Chaol admires Aedion a little. It couldn’t have been easy, pretending to betray Terrasen and kneeling to his people’s oppressor. It couldn’t have been easy, facing the scorn of his countrymen and women, while dealing with Adarlanians looking down on him for breaking and swearing fealty. It takes strength to do that, which Aedion has in spades.

He even understands his motivations. If their places were reversed, if it was Adarlan under the control of a foreign power, then Chaol would do whatever necessary to restore sovreignity to his kingdom. But the roles aren’t reversed, and Chaol is Adarlanian and Aedion Ashryver still betrayed them.

Aedion had been summoned to the castle as soon as the spy spilled his secrets and it had only taken a few hours before the soldier had been thrown in the dungeon. Eleven of Chaol’s men died before he was taken down and Chaol hates him even more for it.

The King schedules an execution for three days hence and has interrogators try and crack Aedion, to figure out what secrets he told. Aedion gives them nothing, even when he is stabbed and burned and beaten and tortured. He’s a stronger man than Chaol would’ve ever thought. Maybe it’s the Fae in him. It’s a mercy that magic disappeared because if the Terrasen Fae had been at full strength, Chaol would probably be living in their Empire, not Adarlan’s one.

Out of curiosity, Chaol decides to visit Aedion. They’re definitely not friends but he would consider them acquaintances at least. Besides, there are eleven Guards in the morgue and Chaol feels he deserves an explanation.

Rir is on duty when Chaol goes down to the dungeon and he lets him through easily, directing him to Aedion’s cell. The Prince-General looks like he’s been beaten seven ways to Sunday and he’s still bleeding from some of the torture wounds. Chaol couldn’t care less. He leans against the wall opposite Aedion and studies him like an animal in a cage. He’s silent but it doesn’t seem to affect the Terrasenian, who gazes right back at him without an ounce of fear in his eyes.

“You know they’re going to execute you, right?” Chaol says suddenly. He wants to see how Aedion will react to news of his imminent death. Most would be scared but Aedion simply lifts his chin, steel in his eyes. It doesn’t seem to bother him.

“I do. It’s worth it, it was all worth it, for Terrasen and for Aelin. I would do it all again if given the chance. I’m not afraid of death, Captain. In fact, it’s a weight off my shoulders, knowing that my kingdom no longer knows me as a traitor. I die as a Terrasenian and that is all I need.” Aedion says steadily, showing no great reaction to Chaol’s pronouncement.

“Why do it? You could have been a rebel leader, a figurehead they could rally around. No one would’ve ever thought you a traitor.” Chaol asks, genuinely curious. There’s a new side to Aedion Ashryver that he’s never seen before and he wants to know more before the man dies.

“If anyone could ever rally people, it was Aelin. And my people didn’t need a figurehead. They needed training and information and I gave them both. The people who mattered knew what I was doing. I knew what I was doing. I didn’t do any of it for fame or recognition. I did it because it was a way for me to help my kingdom free herself from your tyranny.” Aedion says and Chaol can’t reconcile the humble statement with the excess and ego of Adarlan’s Whore.

He asks about that moniker too and Aedion smiles. “My reasons were my own. I didn’t crack to your interrogators heavy hand and I won’t break now that they’ve got a softer approach. I’ll take my secrets to my grave, thank you very much.” He says calmly and Chaol’s lips quirk. Fair enough.

“What was Aelin like?” He asks, curious about the long-dead Princess. She had been eight or nine when she died, he thinks. Aedion smiles at the thought of his cousin, bittersweet.

“Aelin was stubborn and headstrong. She didn’t take no for an answer and she knew what she wanted. She loved Terrasen and her people. Aelin was scared of her fire sometimes, especially the time she nearly set the Orynth Library alight. She loved that library but it burned to Adarlan anyways. She wanted to be a healer like her mother but she didn’t have enough of the Ashryver gift. I was supposed to be blood-bound to Aelin when she came of age and I would’ve happily taken the oath for her. I loved her, my spitfire Queen. She was like a sister to me and she would’ve grown up to become great things, I think. Terrasen would’ve thrived under her.” Aedion says softly, eyes distant with memory.

Chaol thinks of Dorian. They’re both human obviously, but if he was able to make a blood oath like the Fae, he would take one happily for Dorian. He and Aedion are similar in that way, he thinks.

The two of them speak about Terrasen for a while, of Aedion’s memories. Chaol shares anecdotes of his own childhood too- Aedion is bound for the hangman anyways, and it feels good to tell his stories to someone. Eventually, Chaol has to leave and he finds himself melancholy at the idea of Aedion’s upcoming death.

Three days later, Aedion snarls a final defiant salute to his Queen and country before the trapdoor opens and he falls. Chaol raises a toast to the General that night and contemplates his loyalties. He doesn’t have the same faith in his King as Aedion did in Aelin but he keeps that to himself.

Until magic returns and Aelin Galathynius with it. An explosion rocked Rifthold before magic flooded the streets once more and Aelin led a charge against the castle. She executes the king herself and the court executioner is brought to a snarling Fae who bears a remarkable resemblance to Aedion Ashryver.

When Chaol is brought before them, he tells them about Aedion’s last nights. Aelin deserves to know how much Aedion had loved her and what he had done in her name. Aelin touches a hand to her chest, where her outfit reveals the same tattoo Aedion had. A Terrasenian Knot, according to the dead General. There’s one difference though- Aelin’s tattoo holds Aedion’s name, a tribute to the man who gave everything for his kingdom in her name.

#whumptober 2021 #aedion ashryver #chaol westfall #throne of glass #major character death #fanfiction

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acourtofcouture · 3 years

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An Insider’s Guide to Throne of Glass: Bellhaven, Capital of Fenharrow, 1/?

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highqueenofelfhame · 4 years

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potions master

lboh masterlist // masterlist // rowaelin // 856 words follow my writing blog @highqueenofelfhamewrites and turn on post notifications for more accurate updates!

“Daddy,” a little voice whispered loudly from his doorway.

Rowan looked up from his laptop, noticing that a few of the students he was teaching over zoom also looked up at the screen at the sound of his five year old daughter’s voice. Rowan offered her a small smile and pushed back a little from his desk, eyes roving over the outfit she wore. Today, Kiran was a witch. She seemed to be wearing one of Aelin’s more tame, black nightgowns, a scarf, and a black and purple witches hat atop her silver hair. Her green eyes were blazing as she stepped into his office and held up a small plastic cauldron that was full of some sort of liquid. “Do you want to try my magic potion?”

“I absolutely want to try your magic potion,” he told her, stomach already clenching at whatever atrocity he was about to consume.

Halloween had become Kiran’s favorite time of the year. It was October 12th, and she was already in high gear for the holiday. In fact, she’d been begging to decorate the house for Halloween as early as September second, and Rowan and his pregnant wife had let her have exactly what she wanted. Aidan, their current youngest child, didn’t really care. He was three and destroyed anything no matter what holiday it was or how much he liked the decor.

For the last week, Kiran had been standing on a step stool in the kitchen while Aelin watched from her perch on a barstool across the island. She mixed all sorts of spices together with milk, or water, sometimes gatorade or sodas, all while mumbling gibberish or doing her best to speak words that she’d heard her parents use from the Old Language to activate the magic potions. Twice she had tried to make Aidan drink them, and both times he’d started screaming and crying so much that it made Kiran cry because he didn’t like her potions. Aelin was four months pregnant and just the smell of the potions made her stomach turn, which left Rowan as the prime potion tester.

“What’s this potion for?”

Kiran giggled as Rowan took the little cauldron from her, her little fingers covering her lips as she scrunched her shoulders up to her ears. She looked every bit the menace that she was, taking way too much after her mother in everything but the coloring of her hair and eyes.

“It’s a love potion!” She said it so loudly and with a little hop for punctuation.

It made Rowan smile and he heard his students start laughing. He glanced over, momentarily wondering if he should shut off his camera, but decided against it. Peering into the little cauldron, it appeared to have a milky base and was full of so much cinnamon and cloves he could smell it. It couldn’t be that bad. He’d definitely had worse.

Or so he thought, until he downed it all in one brave gulp. It was a mistake. An immediate mistake, because not only was the cinnamon and clove flavor so overpowering that it was making his throat burn, but the kid had dumped so much salt into her potion that it tasted like a very botched chai latte. Rowan fought the grimace, swallowed the mouthful of liquid, and sat back in his chair for a moment while he waited for the potion to have it’s desired effects.

About sixty seconds after sitting and watching his daughter eagerly bounce on her toes with anticipation, he sprang from his chair and shouted, “Aelin? Fireheart? Aelin, my love?” and with a wink at Kiran he bolted down the hall toward where he knew his wife was relaxing on the couch.

She had barely moved from the last time he’d seen her, though now her feet were propped up while she watched the Great Adarlanian Bake Off. Aelin’s lips immediately turned up into a smile as he knelt beside her and began to press kisses all over her stomach, her hands, up her arms to her face. Kiran was cackling behind Rowan as she clapped her hands and hopped up and down with glee.

Aelin began laughing into his kisses while he professed his undying love for her over and over, allowing him to kiss her as many times as he saw fit to please their daughter. She draped her arms around his neck, holding him closer for a longer kiss.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

“My kid asked me to taste a love potion so godsdammit, I’m going to taste a love potion,” he replied, pressing another few kisses to her lips.

“How was it?”

“Would you like to lick the cauldron to find out?” Aelin wrinkled her nose and shook her head, and Rowan knew she was fighting to make a joke about the innuendo that was laced in his words somewhere. He pressed another kiss to her mouth and stood, dropping a kiss to Kiran’s head while he made his way back to his office.

He was halfway down the hall when he heard his wife say conspiratorially, “I think it worked.”

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starksinthenorth · 4 years

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okay so I’ve been rereading TOG recently and I realized —we know almost nothing about how the imperialism/colonialism is practiced in non-Adarlan countries. We know there were armies and burnings and people turned to slaves and such, but we know little-to-nothing about the actual administration. SJM uses imperialism as a setting piece instead of a plot device and it never really affects the plot or the characters’ arcs. Why even have it if you aren’t going to mention it?

And imo that’s actually really important because the way it’s practiced is going to be vital for understanding characters views towards it and to understand the tensions around Erilea. Sure, there’s a satellite king in Eyllwe and queen in Melisande, but what authority do they have? Are they a figurehead with a governor making the decisions? Is it a pretty hands off approach or did Adarlan have loads of soldiers around?

Did King Noname incentivize his people to do an Americas-style colonization, where he took the land of burned villages and gave it away wholesale? Like, any man who moves to Fenharrow gets a 100 acres and some money to build a thriving farm, no charge? Settling the new area with colonies of your own people is a colonization tactic that goes back to Ancient Egyptians and the earliest of humanity. So why don’t we here about tensions between Terrasenians and the Adarlan settlers/colonizers that King Dorian has to reason with and say “look, that’s not Adarlan anymore it’s literally a Demon God.”

And that could also do it on an administrative level - all the second sons of the nobles could get castles in Terrasen. That’s how the Copper Isles white nobility were formed in Tamora Pierce’s Trickster series. Like, why does it seem like no one noble is actually in Terrasen? Dorian’s cousin Roland is from Meah and apparently has no power or prestige or whatever, but why didn’t King Noname give him land. “Here, I slaughtered 50 nobles in Terrasen, go on a tour and your favorite estate is yours as a reward for loyal service.” Same thing for Dorian’s brother, Hollin, who we know virtually nothing about except 1) he sucks, 2) he’s spoiled, and 3) he goes to boarding school. Why not make him / his line the ruling princes of Fenharrow or something? Like, he can still go to boarding school, but set him up for a dynastic future.

Or, based on what we know of Adaralan, maybe they keep a more heavy-handed and militaristic approach. In Wales, the English constructed the Ring of Iron to control the native population of Welsh with dozens of castles and fortifications filled with English soldiers. Instead of salt mines, maybe all the slaves have been building castles all around the Empire to house Adarlanian soliders. Maybe Chaol decided to protect Dorian with his entire being after Dorian saved his life during a rebel attack when they did a military tour in their teen years.

#anti throne of glass #anti tog #anti sjm #anti sarah j maas

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goforwardgreenwriter-blog · 6 years

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The Worm Reads: Empire of Storms, Ch 11 - 12

Luckily we’re not in the boring Elide/Lorcan subplot in this chapter, but back to Manon!

Everything had gone to shit. Everything.

Kinda like this series, huh?

In the end, she’d barely participated in Rifthold’s destruction, leaving it to the others. But she’d again donned her crowned helm, then ordered Abraxos to sail to the highest spire of the stone castle and roar his victory—and command. Even at the distant white walls of the city, ripping apart the guards and fleeing folk, the wyverns had paused at his order to stand down. Not one coven disobeyed.

Yesss I freakin’ love Manon so much. Can this book just be about her and Abraxos conquering evil kingdoms for their own?

Iskra had landed on the only space left: a lower bit of roofing below Manon. The positioning had been intentional. Iskra’s brown hair had come untangled from her tight braid, and her haughty face was splattered with human blood as she’d snarled at Manon, “This was my victory.”

I really like how Manon plans it all out, even down to the positioning so she’s looming over the other witches, reminding them of who is in charge. I propose a Manon fanclub, she deserves one.

Iskra trembled with rage. Not from the words. The wind had shifted, blowing toward Iskra. Blowing Manon’s scent at her. “Who?” Iskra seethed. “Who of mine did you butcher?”

Manon lies and said that the first witch had attacked Manon while she had been supposedly hunting Dorian, and also says that the other witches were killed by Rowan. Isarka all but announces that Manon is a liar and that she killed those witches, and now Manon has to deal with the consequences and face her grandmother.

Manon said to her Second and Third, “This will be messy.” Sorrel said quietly, “We’ll deal with it.” Manon clenched the helmet a bit harder. “If it goes poorly, you are to take the Thirteen and leave.”

Again, another character who is a much better leader than Aelin, looking out for her group’s safety. And Manon is a blood thirsty murdering witch.

So Manon goes in and all the witches have gathered.

“The Crone’s Sickle hangs above us,” Cresseida intoned. “Let it be the Mother’s blade of justice.” This was not a meeting. This was a trial. Iskra began smiling.

Oh my god, characters facing consequences for their decisions?? It isn’t just swept under the rug or dismissed?? In MY SJM novel??

“And, as the sentinel was a part of the Yellowlegs’ heir’s own coven, it is also a crime against Iskra.” Her grandmother’s face was tight with rage—not for what Manon had done, but for getting caught. “Through either your own neglect or ill-planning, the lives of four other coven members were ended. Their blood, too, stains your hands.” Her grandmother’s iron teeth shone in the candlelight. “Do you deny these charges?” Manon kept her back straight, looked each of them in the eye. “I do not deny that I killed Iskra’s sentinel when she tried to claim my rightful prize. I do not deny that the other four were slaughtered by the Fae Prince. But I do deny any wrongdoing on my part.”

I like how it balances each character’s viewpoint. To the witches, Manon has murdered five of her own kind, but to the reader, Manon did it to save a main character and hero, so you’re sympathetic towards Manon but the witches disowning her doesn’t seem like a contrivance.

Petrah, who Manon saved in one of the previous two books, asks Manon if she considers her an enemy or ally, and Manon says she sees her as a rival. Then Petrah asks Manon why she rescued her then while another wyvern killed hers.

Manon lifted her chin. “Because Keelie fought for you as she died. I would not allow her death to be wasted. I could offer a fellow warrior nothing less.” At the sound of her dead wyvern’s name, pain flickered across Petrah’s face. “You remember her name?”

Awww.... this is so heartwarming. It shows Manon isn’t entirely heartless and has a kind side, and it’s really good pay off for Manon’s earlier actions helping her now. Manon really is the best part of these books.

Because of Petrah speaking for Manon, her grandmother decides it’s not worth losing Manon just to fulfill the blood that has been lost.

“The blood shed must be equal,” her grandmother intoned. Her attention flicked over Manon’s shoulder. “So you, Granddaughter, will not die for this. But one of your Thirteen will.”

Oof, that’s super cold. Her grandmother addressing her so personally adds to the impact of the blow. Seriously SJM, you struck gold with the witches, why couldn’t the books be about them?

At this point Manon’s grandmother announces that Asterin will die the next day to pay the blood debt, and the chapter ends. I turned the page after that desperate for more, only to see that Chapter 12 is Aelin’s POV. Isn’t that just...great.

Without Evangeline slowing them down, Aelin, Aedion, and Lysandra traveled with little rest as they hauled ass for the coast.

“hauled ass” are you fucking kidding me... this is a fantasy novel and you’re gonna describe the characters as hauling ass....

Aelin tried not to dwell on it too much—on the threadbare estates, the abandoned farms, the gaunt-faced people whenever they ventured into town, cloaked and disguised, for desperately needed supplies. Though she had faced darkness and emerged full of light, a voice whispered in her head, You did this, you did this, you did this. That voice often sounded like Weylan Darrow’s icy tones.

Yeah, because it’s totally Darrow’s fault that you’re a spoiled snot who did nothing to help your kingdom for years.

The town of Ilium was as ancient as Terrasen itself, and would likely have already been forgotten by traders and history were it not for the crumbling temple at the northeastern edge of the city, drawing enough pilgrims to keep it thriving.

So they arrive at Ilium and Aelin wastes no time missing her fae prince’s dick. I understand she’s worried and all for his safety, but I know as soon as he’s back they’re gonna fuck like animals because they can’t stand to leave each other for two seconds and I’m not looking forward to it.

Some soldiers of Lord of Meah,one of the Lords in Adarlan, are camped in the port. Apparently after Dorian left after the witches attacked, all the Lords are starting to try to take over bits and pieces of land. Naturally this should upset Aelin, since Dorian is her friend and here are the people supposedly on his side claiming territory for themselves, right?

Aedion kept quiet as they rounded a corner, aiming for the small seaside inn Lysandra had also scouted that morning. On the other side of the city from the temple. The temple the soldiers had the nerve to use as their barracks. “Is this about sending a message to Adarlan, or to Darrow?” Aedion asked at last.

FUCKING FUCK OFF WITH THIS DARROW HATE I S2G!!!! Aedion has his nose buried so far up Aelin’s ass he can’t take even one tiny piece of criticism directed towards her!!! Darrow was right to not trust you assholes hoooooly shit

“It is about freeing my people, who have dealt with these Adarlanian pieces of shit for too long,” Aelin snapped, reining her mare in to a halt before the inn courtyard. Lysandra’s talons dug into her shoulder in silent agreement.

At least Aelin doesn’t agree. And whoa, Lysandra, are you trying to tear Aelin’s shoulder apart? Unless Aelin is wearing something over her shoulder to protect herself, those talons have gotta hurt!

Aedion mentions the Mycenians, and maybe it is just my short attention span, but who are they...? Man, SJM just keeps adding new people and groups and I honestly cannot remember who any of them are.

“And [the Mycenians] disbanded and vanished soon after that, never to be seen again,” Aedion countered. “What’s your point? You think liberating Ilium will summon them again? They’re long gone, Aelin, their sea dragons with them.”

OH SHIT SEA DRAGONS??? Sign me up. Gimmie bad ass warriors on ships commanding their sea dragon companions. Hell yeah.

[Aedion] double-checked that Rowan’s knife was securely buckled at his side before he said to Aelin and Lysandra, still by the window, “I know you two are of the opinion that we males are here to provide you with a pretty view and meals, but I am a general of Terrasen.

Aedion, I used to like you, but now SJM has ruined you.

“That temple is my birthright,” Aelin said. “I cannot allow that insult to go unchecked.” She rolled her shoulders. Revealing her plans, explaining herself … It would take some getting used to. But she’d promised she’d try to be more … open about her plotting. And for this matter, at least, she could be.

Yeah, we’ll see how long she sticks to that. Also, love how she’s implying she’s only mad they took the temple because it is hers. As in, if they stole one of Dorian’s temples she wouldn’t care.

So Aedion mentions this kingsflame flower that used to bloom in the kingdom. Darrow is in possession of the last one. I have the feeling this is leading up to a scene where the kingsflame flower will bloom when Aelin takes back her crown. I love symbolic shit like that, but I know SJM is gonna make it allll about what a great ruler Aelin is and we’ll have 300 pages of everyone gushing about her.

Aelin and the rest leave to eat, and the chapter ends.

#anti sjm #the worm talks #the worm reads: eos #anti tog #anti eos

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shepard-wrex-shepard-grunt · 6 years

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TOWER OF DAWN (spoiler free!) + ACOFAS

Soooooo who enjoyed Tower of Dawn??? I absolutely loved it! I already loved Chaol- I know he isn’t perfect and he said things to Celaena/Aelin that aren’t excusable, but then again, he’s human and he makes it mistakes (this just makes him a more well-rounded character!), and he was kind of indoctrinated to believe that all Fae and magic are bad because of the stupid Adarlanian empire and stuff. I think he fully redeemed himself in ToD, and I can’t wait for him to reunite with the others characters in TOG7!!!

Also the title for the next ACOTAR book!!! A Court of Frost and Starlight!!! I love that name!!! *fangirls 5ever*

#tower of dawn #sarah j maas #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #throne of glass #a court of frost and starlight #feels #chaol westfall

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385bookreviews · 2 months

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1.72.7 Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas

SPOILERS

Pages: 660

Time Read: 11 hours and 58 minutes

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ Storyline: ★★★★☆ Dialogue: ★★★★☆ Characters: ★★★★☆

Genre: YA Fantasy

TWs for the book: Death, violence, grief, injury, disability/chronic illness, blood, war, murder, medical content, s*xual content, ableism, vomit, death of a parent, gore, medical trauma, animal death, torture, pregnancy, drug use, emotional abuse, su*c*de, body horror, cursing, mental illness, alcohol, physical abuse, child death, fire, abandonment, classism, su*c*dal thoughts, toxic friendship, child abuse, infidelity, stalking, colonization, body shaming

POV: Third Person

Time Period/Location: Taking place during the events of Empire of Storms. On the fictional southern continent, in the city of Antica.

First Line: Chaol Westfall, former Captain of the Royal Guard and now Hand to the newly crowned King of Adarlan, had discovered that he hated one sound above all others.

Chaol and Nesryn arrive on the southern continent in Antica, the god-city, known for its 36 gods and ruled over by the Great Khagan. They go straight to the palace to meet with the Khagan and ask for his aid in the war and a healer to fix Chaol's paralysis. They meet the stern man, and his five heirs, Arguhn, Sartaq, Hasar, Kashin, and Duva. They beg the Khagan for aid but he is insulted that by the gold they try to bring him and that they were unaware of his youngest daughter, Tumelun's, death. He says that they are welcome to stay so Chaol may be healed, but must consider any plans of war while also taking time to grieve. Chaol and Nesryn also learn of Rifthold being sacked and are devastated. Shortly after their meeting with the khagan, Kashin, who has control of the horse warriors of the continent, arrives to speak with Chaol. He tells him he doesn't believe Tumelun committed su*c*de like everyone thinks, and that there might be a threat that has come from the north. Chaol explains briefly about the Valg and promises Kashin to keep a look out for anything amiss.

Yrene, the healer girl that Celaena saved in The Assassin's Blade, has been working to become a healer at the Torre Cesme for two years, and is now a fully fledged healer. Hafiza, the Healer on High, instructs Yrene to heal Chaol. She refuses at first, not wanting to help anyone from Adarlan after Adarlanian soldiers burned her mother alive for practicing magic. Hafiza says this will be her final test before she is to return to Erilea. She tentatively agrees to assess him. The next day she goes to the palace, and it is tense between her and Chaol, and Yrene is very rude, but she agrees to heal him anyways. Nesryn visits her aunt and uncle that live in the city, and they tell her that her father, sister, and nieces and nephews managed to make it out of Rifthold before it fell, but they don't know where they are now. Chaol tries to speak to Arguhn, but he refuses him.

Yrene begins her healing on Chaol, but finds that there is still a remanent of the Valg's dark power wrapped around his spine, and that she can fight against it with her healing gifts, but it will be very painful for Chaol and take a lot of time. Yrene goes to the Torre's library to try and find out more information on the Valg. She finds a scroll with Wyrdmarks, and a book called The Song of Beginning, but it is written in Eyllwe and she can't decipher it. She suddenly feels as though she is being hunted in the library and begins to rush out. On her way out, she trips on the body of a healer, who is now an empty shell sucked of all life. She runs from the library and the Torre is put on high alert. When she tells Chaol of this, he tells her it was a Valg. Sartaq and Nesryn begin to bond, as Sartaq also suspects that the threat growing in the north may be worth fighting against. He takes her on a ride on his ruk named Kadara, a giant, sentient bird that makes up the southern empire's aerial legion.

Yrene has a special saddle made for Chaol so he can ride a horse again. He offers to help her teach a special defense class for the young healers at the Torre. While there, she uses the opportunity to teach her students about Chaol's spinal injury, and they move him off his horse, almost dropping him. He is immensely humiliated and him and Yrene fight. Despite this, they manage to make progress in his healing. Chaol is forced to relive all of the painful, traumatic moments of his past, but Yrene manages to grant him some movement in his toes. Hasar, who is friends with Yrene, summons her to ask her to get information about Aelin's whereabouts from Chaol. At a party a day or so later, Yrene and Chaol pretend to flirt so they can talk privately. Yrene reveals what Hasar has asked of her, and Chaol has genuinely no idea where Aelin is, so he tells her Skull's Bay, as he thinks that that is the last place she will go after her fight with Rolfe as Celaena. Yrene hides the scrolls and books with Wyrdmarks or mentions of the Valg in Chaol's room. Chaol gains movement in his ankles and feet.

Nesryn leaves with Sartaq to go south to the rukhin, the aeries and homes of the warriors who ride the ruk. Sartaq knows that his hearth-mother knows of the Valg and they decide to gather information there. Nesryn leaves Chaol a note saying she holds him to no promises and will not be adhering to any promises of her own. Chaol is angered by this and him and Yrene fight, causing her to leave him before even healing him for the day. She then hears that Nesryn left and deduces that to be the reason for Chaol's attitude. She heads back to the palace to argue with him again, but realizes she is being followed by the Valg. She sprints into Chaol's room and locks the door, but the Valg begins banging on it, trying to get it open. She runs into Chaol's room and blocks off the doors, and they stand united. The Valg knows Yrene's name and says it through the door, banging and pounding, but it eventually goes silent. Kadja, Chaol's servant, sees the damage and runs to get Kashin, who comes to see what happened. Kashin, who is in love with Yrene, offers to walk her back to the Torre, but Yrene refuses and spends the night with Chaol.

Nesryn and Sartaq arrive in the Tavan Mountains. They are greeted by Sartaq's hearth-sister, Borte. She says that the hearth-mother, Houlun, is out on a mission and will be back in a day or two. When she eventually does return, she speaks with Sartaq, Nesryn, and Falkan, a northern merchant who has been traveling the continent for two years. He reveals that he is only 27, even though he appears to be in his 50s, because he sold his youth to the stygian spiders for spidersilk so he could be rich (this is the same merchant Aelin encountered in Xandria in The Assassin's Blade). He is hunting the spiders, in the south known as kharankui, to see if they can be killed and he can get his youth back. Houlun reveals that the kharankui are on the rise, and stealing hatchling ruks from their nests. She says that during the first demon war on the continent, when the three kings battled against Maeve and Brannon, a Wyrdgate opened there and let in the kharankui. Most of the Valg went to Erilea, and some Fae came to teach the ruks to understand language and fight back against the spiders. She tells them that the Fae set up watchtowers around where the spiders now reside, and that most of them are broken down but still have active booby traps. She tells Nesryn and Sartaq to investigate the watchtowers to see if anything useful can be found in them. Sartaq and Nesryn investigate the first watchtower, making sure to throw rocks to set off the traps. They find some Fae weaponry but not much else before a kharankui descends on them. They fight and run, and are then aided in killing it by a gray wolf. Kadara makes the final kill, saving the wolf, who shapeshifts and reveals himself to be Falkan. Borte, Sartaq, Nesryn, and Falkan go to investigate the other three watchtowers but find nothing. Borte's betrothed, Yaren, comes to tell them that hatchlings have been stolen from his aerie as well.

Chaol and Yrene search for more books and scrolls on the Valg and the Wyrdmarks. The librarian tells them to go to Aksara Oasis, but it is owned by the royals. Chaol gains movement up to his knees. Chaol and Yrene then learn from Hasar about Aelin and Dorian's display of power in Skull's Bay. The khagan grows more wary of Aelin. Chaol attempts to have a private meeting with the khagan but it does not go well and he is removed. Yrene comes to heal him but he is raging with anger at the khagan's dismissal. They fight, and Chaol says something hurtful and makes Yrene cry. She turns to leave. Instantly regretting his decision and panicking about her leaving, Chaol stands and walks. When he finally reaches her, they kiss. Yrene convinces Hasar to throw her a birthday party at the Aksara Oasis so her and Chaol can investigate the necropolis in the jungle around it.

Nesryn, Falkan, and Sartaq ride on Kadara to Dagul, the land of the kharankui, to find the hatchlings. They spot one and fly down to save it, but when Kadara tries to fly back up she is caught in a spider web. They all fall, and Sartaq is injured. Nesryn tries to save the hatchling but a spider kills it and eats it before she can. Kadara is also injured but manages to fly off, and Nesryn and Sartaq run. Sartaq gets stuck while they try to squeeze through the rocks. He tells Nesryn to run, and that he loves her, before he is snatched by the spiders. Nesryn and Falkan hatch a plan to save him, and she allows herself to be captured.

Yrene and Chaol go to Aksara with Kashin, Renia, Hasar, Arguhn, and other viziers. While the royals are swimming, Chaol and Yrene slip into the jungle and find the necropolis. They realize it is a Fae burial site, not a human one. Chaol theorizes that healers are descendants of the Fae that are buried there, and that their powers might be able to kill the Valg.

Nesryn awakes wrapped in web, Sartaq near her. Falkan, in the form of a mouse, begins chewing through her bonds. A kharankui comes in though, and Nesryn begs for their story before they kill her. The spider obliges, and tells her that they are the handmaids to a Valg Queen who came here to escape her husband, Orcus, the most powerful Valg King. The spider reveals that Valg Queen is Maeve, and that the kharankui stand guard of the Wyrdgate that is there to pave the way should Maeve decide to go home, or use the gate to conquer more worlds. Falkan shifts into a spider and lures the one speaking to Nesryn out of the save. Her and Sartaq then run, but are once again confronted by the spiders when they can't find Kadara. Falkan tells Nesryn that he has a shapeshifter niece who was thrown out on the streets of Rifthold, and that he has been searching for her for years. He says his fortune is hers and then he lunges into battle against the other spiders. They are fortunately rescued by Borte, who went against her grandmother's wishes and brought her betrothed and some of his warriors to save them.

When they return from Aksara, Yrene and Chaol find his room completely sacked, and all of the books and scrolls stolen, save for one scroll, the one with the Wyrdmarks. Yrene takes the scroll to leave with Hafiza, who has a locked iron cabinet containing a ton of books with Wyrdmarks. She says she will consider letting Yrene take them to Aelin to be translated. Yrene arrives back at the palace to find Chaol in immense pain. She decides to test out his theory and says that she is ending this now. Chaol faces all of his worst memories again, and feels as though he is drowning in them, but slowly, slowly works through them, and realizes that not everything was his fault, and that he is a changed man now who still has a promise to Dorian and Aelin to uphold. When he comes out of the memories, he is fully healed and can walk again.

Nesryn and Sartaq ask the rukhin to fly north with him to fight, as Sartaq plans to do so whether or not the Khagan agrees to it. Nesryn receives Chaol's warning to come home, and asks Falkan to come with them, revealing that she thinks his niece is Lysandra.

Yrene and Chaol go to see Hafiza but find her missing. They go hunting for her in the tunnels beneath the library, and find her bound and captured by the Valg: who is possessing a pregnant Princess Duva. They fight her while also trying not to hurt her or the baby. She reveals that she was possessed because Duke Perrington sent her a box of wedding presents, and Duva claimed the silver ring as her wedding ring. She didn't know that it was actually made of Wyrdstone covered in silver, and the second she was married she was possessed. The Valg in Duva killed Tumelun for questioning her change in behavior, and killed the healer in the library to try and scare Yrene out of healing Chaol. Duva demands Yrene put on the ring. Yrene refuses and Duva lashes out with her power. Chaol jumps in front of her and takes the blow to his back, destroying his spine and organs. Nesryn and Sartaq appear, and Hafiza manages to make Duva unconscious. Yrene tries to heal Chaol, but even with all of the healers of the Torre coming down to try and save him, he is dying anyways. Silba, the healer goddess, speaks through Hafiza, offering a deal and asks Yrene to pay the price. She agrees. When Chaol awakes, he asks Yrene what she did. Hafiza explains Yrene bound her life to Chaol's and that her magic is constantly flowing through him like a brace so he will be able to walk. But when Yrene's magic is drained, so too will the brace, and he will either have to walk with a cane or be in a wheelchair. Also, if one of them is killed, the other one will also die. They then take Duva before the royal family, who is utterly distraught. Yrene purges the Valg from Duva, killing it, but not before it reveals itself to be a Valg Princess, not a Prince. Duva and the baby are fine, and the khagan offers to do anything for Yrene and Chaol for saving her life. She asks him to help save her people, and he agrees. Sartaq, Hasar, and Kashin agree to go to war with them. Sartaq tells Nesryn that he has been chosen as Heir to the throne, and that he loves Nesryn and wants her to be with him. She agrees.

Chaol and Yrene sail north with 1000 ships and 300 healers. They reveal they were married before they left Antica. Yrene shows Chaol the note Celaena/Aelin left for her with the money, and Chaol recognizes her handwriting and begins to cry, promising he will tell her exactly who it was she met that night.

Chaol Westfall (Lord Westfall/Hand of the King of Adarlan): I was never a huge fan of Chaol's character, but I'm glad that he got the character development and redemption arc that he so desperately needed. I like how he didn't instantly get over his trauma, and had to face it and do it on his own (with support from Yrene). There was no magical fix for it, and he had progress and regressions just like anyone else would. I also like that he was not completely fully healed of his paralysis, and it became something that he will still have to deal with. Him being completely healed would have been too easy of a fix, and it puts a lot more nuance into his character, especially since he had to grieve the loss of his body, but then when that full, perfect healing was taken away, he was still grateful for what he did have and no longer viewed the mobility aids as "prisons".

Nesryn Faliq (Captain of the Guard/Wind-Seeker/Neith's Arrow): I really like how Nesryn was so patient with Chaol (even when he was being an ass and didn't deserve it). She realized that he was struggling with his emotions, trauma, and feelings, and she decided to be patient and understanding with him, while simultaneously not being willing to let herself be his second choice.

Storyline: While definitely an integral part of the storyline, and good closure for Chaol, he has never been one of my favorite characters so getting through an entire book just about him after reading Empire of Storms is a little bit difficult (I couldn't brave the tandem read). The storyline is definitely a bit slow at parts, but getting to see SJM expand her worldbuilding on a new continent was interesting, despite the amount of information thrown at you all at once.

Representation: There was thankfully a lot more representation in this book than in any of the other books in the series. Yrene, the royal family, and just about everyone else on the southern continent is POC. Hasar and Renia are lovers, and it is mentioned that Arguhn was being touchy with a male and female servant. Chaol uses a wheelchair and cane, and it is made clear at the end that this will be a chronic illness for him. While paralyzed in the beginning, due to Yrene's magic he is able to be an ambulatory wheelchair user. Shen, one of the guards, has a prosthetic arm.