Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, 7)

I have put off reading this book for years. Mostly, I put it off due to how long it is. But when I have been in the mood to read here in 2021 after giving birth to my 3rd child, I have wanted to read something I know I will enjoy. Also, I originally read the series on Holly's kindle. But her 1G kindle stopped syncing. So I put KOA on hold with the e-library. I finally got my loaned copy, but of course, you only have two weeks to read a book from the e-library. And 900+ pages is going to take me a bit longer than that these days. My library copy expired, but by that point, I was hooked on the story. So I bought it with my birthday gift card money.

The first thing I want to say review wise about Kingdom of Ash is how very far we've come since Throne of Glass. Oh, my word! It almost doesn't even feel like these two books belong in the same series to me how far apart we've come. I remember thinking, and even commenting in my review, that Throne of Glass not focusing on the assassin competition more was a missed opportunity. Boy, I was completely ignorant about the overall arc of the series story and conflict. Aelin being an assassin was such a small (yet still important) part of the story. I intend to re-read this series from the beginning, and I'm sure I will be just as impressed by the distance from the beginning to the end as I was finishing Kingdom of Ash.

There is so much to discuss and unpack in this book, but with a series ender, I'm always hesitant to spoil anything.

I found it difficult to get back into the story because I put off reading this book for several years. There are so many narrators and so many pieces to this puzzle that it is hard to keep everything straight sometimes. But one thing is for sure, Sarah J Maas has crafted this series like a pro and even the smallest pieces and interactions are remembered for future use and crafted to tie back together. I truly love when a series is like this. Each piece is meaningful and important in some way or another.

Multiple times I found myself thinking that Kingdom of Ash had a JRR Tolkein and The Lord of the Rings vibe. Dorian's quest to find the 3rd key by going into Morath reminded me of Sam and Frodo going into Mordor. Dorian and/or Aelin needing to forge the Lock while war is going on in other areas of the land and story reminded me of the quest to destroy the ring. All of the dark, evil creatures Erawan created of course reminds me of all of the Orcs and creatures from The Lord of the Rings. The battle that Aedion is fighting in Terrasan reminded me of the big battle in Return of the King. Of course, I don't see the religious symbolism throughout Kingdom of Ash like The Lord of the Rings. If anything, maybe there is an "anti-religion" theme throughout Kingdom of Ash.

I want to discuss Aelin and Dorian's mission to destroy the key a little more, but I know that will likely stray into spoiler territory for sure. I'll just say that the self-sacrifice that was touched on in this area felt a little cliche. I was rolling my eyes a good bit through this section. Yet when I analyze it, I'm not sure I can come up with another way things should have gone down. In some ways, I might even say this section could have been skipped altogether.

Sarah J Maas has so many couples going in this book. Each couple has conflicts to overcome. Aedion and Lysandra aren't in a great place. Rowan, of course, has to reunite with Aelin. Lorcan and Elodie are also at odds when things begin. And Dorian and Manon have an impending separation coming. I'm probably even missing someone. Oh and Aedion and Gavriel...not a romantic relationship, but I had to shed a tear at this point of the story.

I really feel like this review has not done this book or this series justice. But there's so much to wrap my head around and so much that I don't want to spoil. Kingdom of Ash gets 5 Stars. And I believe this is my only 5 Star read from 2021 (at least so far). Have you read Kingdom of Ash? What did you think? Let me know!

I'm writing this at nearly a quarter past 1 AM, having just finished the book in one long, unbroken sitting and have more feels than I can process anytime soon. But I wanted to get all this down while it was still fresh in my mind, and in line with the overall impression the series has left me with.

As someone who aspires to be an author, I know the struggle to juggle characters' development, flow of plot and organic, unhurried development of the world and its lore is a tumultuous one, regardless of what genre you write in. I can also safely say that it is a juggling act Sarah J. Maas has in her own ways performed to beautiful and lasting results.

Young adult series are often overlooked or brushed off as being trope fodder for teenagers, despite some of the most acclaimed and memorable amongst them like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and A Series of Unfortunate Events gaining world-wide renown and even enjoying some of the better (and some of the not so great) efforts of cinematic adaptation. Part of what makes them and others like them some of the best and received to such popularity stems from not treating their target audience as young or naive, not sugarcoating or omitting the darker or more mature aspects of life and the worlds the stories create for themselves. The Throne of Glass series shares this trait, but expands on it in tandem with the way Maas works to create her characters and let them grow as much as the world around them unfolds and develops with the story in turn.

While the first book did have some growing pains to it, from the second onward it was clear Maas knew what kind of story she wanted to tell and wasn't afraid of pouring as much humanity into her characters or lack thereof to craft it as best she could, and in a world packed with enough organic detail to see it as the living, breathing thing that it was. Aelin Galathynius is as much a strong, driven and cunning character as she is human, emotional and vulnerable, and falls into exactly none of the numerous tropes and literary pitfalls that can plague many female protagonists, especially in fantasy fiction. And she isn't the only one, Maas shows no qualms about filling her world with female powerhouses that could all viably headline their own sagas with ease, and even then she doesn't short the male characters at all in terms of their own intrigue and development in the short or longer term plot.

This series has garnered a major following in the years since its initial release for good reason. While the romance angle is indeed a central aspect, the medieval era political struggles, fantasy action and magical combat have always been strong supporting aspects throughout each book as well. The characters feel real and their struggles genuine, the relationships they have with eachother reflecting bonds many readers can empathize with on many different levels. For me, it was a fantastic example of a series that took itself seriously but with enough awareness of its genre to let the characters be people and have fun with who they were instead of just being swallowed by their roles and the drama of the plots' darker aspects.

These characters felt real, their stories and struggles felt like a proper series of adventures and the way they suffered and grew as people throughout the span of the series felt memorable and significant. This ending installment itself is a fitting and heartfelt example of that in its entirety, and without going into spoilers, any happy endings involved are as bittersweet as they are heartwarming for many of the characters in as many ways.

I will miss this world, will miss these characters and can still easily see the potential for so much more that could lie ahead for them. Part of me hopes Maas will return to them sometime in the future, but even if that isn't the case this last installment stands as a testament to the series as a whole and a fitting conclusion to the adventure Maas began years ago with the story of a smart-tongued young assassin girl coming into a royal past she'd thought left far behind her. As an avid fantasy fiction fan, I heartily recommend this series to any and all comers, and can say that making it to this ending will be far from disappointing.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas is a breathtaking conclusion to the Throne of Glass series, weaving a tale of resilience, sacrifice, and unyielding hope. This book, which has become my favorite fantasy read, left me in a profound book hangover.The story follows Aelin Galathynius and her friends as they face insurmountable odds to reclaim her throne and save her world. Maas masterfully balances epic battles, intricate political maneuvers, and deeply personal moments, creating a narrative that is both grand in scope and rich in character development.

Aelin’s journey is nothing short of awe-inspiring, showcasing her growth from an assassin to a queen willing to lay down her life for her people. The supporting characters, each with their own arcs, add depth and emotion to the tale. Notable moments include heart-wrenching sacrifices, unexpected alliances, and the power of friendship and love prevailing in the darkest times.

The pacing is relentless, with each chapter propelling the story forward. Maas’s prose is evocative, painting vivid pictures of both the beauty and brutality of the world she has created. The climactic battles are intense, leaving readers on the edge of their seats.Kingdom of Ash is an epic finale that encapsulates the essence of high fantasy, delivering a story that lingers long after the last page is turned.

What can I say about this massive novel other than OH MY GOD WHAT A MASTERPIECE.

I loved EVERY SINGLE PAGE. With this end to the Throne of Glass series being 980 pages – there was A LOT that happened, and I obviously will not be able to capture everything in this review. This review will most likely be spoiler free for the first half and then the second half will contain spoilers that I simply HAVE to talk about, but I will be sure to put a disclaimer warning everyone not to proceed unless you’ve read it or like me absolutely love spoilers. You do you. (although I managed to not be spoiled at all!)

First and foremost, I know a lot of people are talking about the length of this novel and the fact that its nearly 1K pages. I’ve read several reviews saying that the length was unnecessary and that AT LEAST 200 pages could have been cut. Honestly, I thought the length was perfect. Yes, it is long. Yes, it is a commitment to read it and get through it. But this book is written so well, and the story is so fantastic that I flew through it and it was over before I even realized I was close to the end. Also, to those that feel it should have been shorter I just want to say I hear you, but to someone that absolutely LOVES this series (and I consider it my favorite) I would have been fine with it being even loner if that’s where Sarah felt the story needed to go ¯_(ツ)_/¯

A major point I want to talk about with a lot of Sarah’s books is that she portrays mental health/illness/awareness incredibly well. Without spoiling anything there are a lot of parts in this book that speak indirectly on something tragic happening to a character and how they handle it. I think she does a wonderful job portraying that it is OKAY to NOT BE OKAY. It is okay to need time to deal with the pain and suffering in your own way and on your own time. I love how some of the characters in this book deal with situations like that.

The world building in this novel and in Tower of Dawn was tremendous, and such an improvement from her earlier books. I can see her growing as an author and I love where she is headed. We were able to see so many new and even various places in Erilea and I loved every word of it. I was happy we got to experience more of this world outside of Adarlan.

Another way Sarah has grown as an author is by showing us the amount of character development she puts in to these novels. I thought Kingdom of Ash in particular showed how characters have changed and grown throughout the whole series and I loved seeing it all come together and how it impacted their role in everything that happened.

Okay, on to the SPOILER section! So, if you have not finished and don’t want to be spoiled TURN BACK NOW!

The first thing I want to cover is Aedion. He seriously bothered me throughout the ENTIRE book. He was being such a self-righteous, pompous ass towards everyone but especially Lysandra for shifting to Aelin and impersonating her (WHICH IS LITERALLY WHAT AELIN INSTRUCTED HER TO DO), and Aedion just couldn’t get past the fact that his Queen didn’t “trust” him enough to tell him. That wasn’t the case at all, we all know how Aelin operates and it’s a “you don’t need to know until my plan is revealed to the world” scenario.

Because of this he was bitter and cold towards Lysandra for most of the book and took until she was knocking on deaths door for him to realize how terrible he was being. Thankfully she is a strong woman and all but told him to f*** off until she was ready to deal with how awful he was towards her.

Again, with Aedion (I swear most of my issues with this book revolved around him) his anger towards his father was SO DAMN DRAMATIC I could not handle it. He is so angry towards his father for, in my opinion, no valid reason. His father didn’t even know Aedion existed until Queen of Shadows and all he wanted was to be with him, protect him, be a father towards him. All Aedion did was be bitter and aggressive with him. Well, what goes around comes around and Gavriel ended up dying in the last battle and now Aedion will never get to have his father. Only then, only when Gavriel put his life on the line for Aedion did he finally see how mistaken he was. I cannot roll my eyes hard enough at that.

I know that there quite a few people out there who straight up won’t even read Sarah’s books anymore because of some insensitivities portrayed throughout her stories. The one that irritates me the most is in Empire of Storms Aedion makes a comment about loving men and women and that it’s more about who they are as a person rather than whether they are male or female. But I am also bothered by the fact that this was a one sentence in another massive book and then it is literally never brought up again. I was truly hoping it may have been explored a little in this book.

Okay, can we talk about Dorian for a minute? Just a minute? Because holy god did Dorian show some serious character development and an unholy amount of power all of a sudden. I feel like his power was seriously amplified in this novel compared to the previous books. Suddenly he was able to “absorb” other powers? He killed the spider that could shape shift and then he taught himself how to shape shift? I don’t know if I should be impressed or terrified. I think his power exceeded even Aelin’s and definitely went unchecked. But even with that I am happy that him and Aelin together tried to forge the lock and seal the Wyrdgate but in doing so Dorian’s power was diminished and Aelin lost the majority of her fire-bringing abilities.

I loved this part of the story because to me it showed that they are still flawed, they are not all powerful but even without their power they can still lead and rule with conviction. The saddest part of this book to me and I’m sure many others was when the Thirteen (minus Manon, because main character ¯_(ツ)_/¯) gave up their lives to the yielding to ensure the Witch tower would be destroyed. The sacrifice they made, and the heartbreak Manon went through was absolutely heart wrenching. I did not see it coming at all, which made it an even more fantastic and emotional plot point. When that chapter was over, once I was done sobbing I had to put it down and walk away for a while to collect myself and return my heart rate to a resting pace.

I know this review was wordy and long (the longest I’ve ever written!) but I felt it was necessary to convey my feelings toward this book and the series as a whole. I thought the ending was absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t have changed a single thing. The last page alone had me crying like a baby curled up in the corner (the flowers guys, the flowers). I thought the end of this series was more than I could have ever hoped for these characters that have become my friends. Even though I won’t be able to read these books for the first time again I am happy I will be able to thoroughly enjoy them in my rereads, because this series deserves nothing less than being read and loved all over again.

I began this series on a whim. I don't typically go for the more "historically worded" books. I kept reading because of Aelin. The brash and broken woman. The heart of gold and fire. I kept reading for the surrounding characters. They became real and I rode along with them through their insane journeys. I ended the series with tears and a snotty nose. I only wish it wasn't over. Even if they have no further great adventures, no more evil to battle, I feel almost as though I've said good bye to friends. That, my friend, is the mark of an excellent story teller. The ability to make a fictional character real. The ability to make you laugh, cry, cringe and worry. So I end this series with remorse. No longer will I be able to visit my friends and see what is new. I can only reread the journeys we've already had. This book is the last of the Aelin adventures. All of the characters, great and small, converge in this book. They each face their own battles and meet up to face the final battles together. Strong alone, unbreakable together. Aelin has an insanely difficult start as you can imagine. We last saw her in book two being carted off at the mercy of Mauve, the fae queen. Of course you knew it wasn't going to be tea parties and dress up dates. No. She endures so many things that should break anyone. She endures. Some are with her, some search for her and some play their part not knowing how the rest of them fared. I don't want to go into detail because I'm afraid I will spoil something. I will leave it with saying she does what she does best. Plot, execute and rally. Through it all, love carries her. Love for her mate, her home, her friends and strangers. With this book being the final battle between the forces that have destroyed so much and those who seek to build a better land, some people will fall. Those parts left me in tears. Of course, it didn't take death for me to cry either. Some parts were so full of brokenness and longing that it also made me cry. Some of the realizations, the battles within themselves, the loss and reigniting of hope....all left me bawling. So needless to say, I spent a great deal of time in tears. Two sets of death hit me particularly hard. Both a result of sacrifice for someone they loved more than themselves(I'm tearing up again!). I don't want to say more and give out any hints as to who it is, but ugh those parts really got to me. It ends nicely and wraps up most things. The plot lines are all finished. The questions all answered. As I said before though, it does feel like a friend has moved away and I'll never get to know how their family is, what their wedding is like, what they name their first child, and so on so that was sad for me. It was bittersweet for sure. Obviously it must end at some point and this was a good ending point story wise. Of course the editing is very well done. The writing style follows the previous books. All of the books are fairly long and well worth the price I paid for them. There are some minor sex scenes, nothing graphic. There are also scenes of torture and a lot of violence, which probably should be expected in a series about an assassin and war. If you've already read the first three books, I would strongly suggest getting the final book of course. If you haven't started the series yet and just happened upon this one while browsing for something new, grab book one. Start now. Just be warned that you may end up bingeing on the entire series after you get hooked into book one. This series will take you on an adventure. Not only within the pages, but also within yourself. A rare 5 stars from me.

** spoiler alert ** Kingdom of Ash was the epic conclusion to the Throne of Glass series. I don’t know if it is possible to talk about it without giving away spoilers, so you’ve been warned. There were many intense scenes throughout the book. Action packed, this story had me on the edge of my seat every hundred pages or so. Aelin’s escape was pulse pounding, heartbreaking, and impactful in equal measure. Aedion leading the battles in Terresan was stressful and epic. The battle of Anielle kept the hits, both emotional and physical, coming. Elide’s desperate search of the battlefield had me glued to the page. Dorian’s assault on Morath had me totally fooled and confused until the end. I shouldn’t have fallen for it. It turned into one of the smartest parts of the book. When Lysandra fights as Aelin my heart was racing. When Manon shows up to Terresan just as Morath is approaching had me in tears. The hope they offered when all hope was lost was beautiful. Then the fate of the 13 had me wrecked. For me this was the emotional pinnacle of the book. No other part moved me as much as this sacrifice, going out in a blaze of light. For being 980 pages long, I didn’t feel like it was too long. Everything had purpose and direction. There are some 600 page series finales that could have been 300 pages shorter, so for this many pages to be merited is quite an accomplishment. I did find the big moments with Aelin to be more predictable than usual. When they mention the dam in Anielle, right away they tell you about what would happen if it came down. So your first thought is “Well, obviously, that’s coming down.” So when it does, it’s not as surprising. How Aelin had been tunneling her power that whole time was surprising but the big moment of the dam coming down was not so. Additionally, later when they read about that wrydmark that can open portals to move from place to place, it is once again obvious that it is going to be utilized. What I can’t figure out is why they didn’t use it to move the army when they agonized again and again about how they were never going to make it to Terresan in time. Did they want to save that trick as a final surprise? I know it is written as she doesn’t think of it until later. But they still traveled for days after that. So the use of the portals was a nice final surprise for Maeve, but I thought it could have been utilized sooner. The timeline of the story was a little confusing for me as well. I think I would need to go back and write down every movement in time and see how the days add up, but while reading it seemed like things were being told to build the suspense and the drama and not necessarily as they line up specifically day by day. The ending for me wavers between love and okay. On one hand, it was epic and beautiful. It built to a final battle and left us with the satisfaction of seeing the demise of all that was evil. Good triumphed and all of the characters we loved, lived to fight another day and live in peace. Everyone goes off to rule their specific parts of the world and make a better world there. It was heartwarming, witty, and hopeful. There is a lot to love about seeing the characters you adore live on in the peace they worked so hard to achieve. The bit with Rhysand and Feyre was so amazing I read it like three times in a row. On the other hand, toward the end I got a little sick of it being the end of everything and then they get saved by another random army of people coming to save the day just in time. I like the incorporation of all of the different kinds of people, but it was a few too many times of this is the end, see you in the afterlife, ope just kidding, here’s another army to save the day. I liked Aelin and Rowan’s final plan, but maybe was a little sick of everything being built up as the final moments only to have that rewritten a few sentences later. So maybe shaping that part a little differently would have resonated with me more. Additionally, in the nicest way possible, I was expecting more important people to die in the end. As I said, I am torn because I’m really happy that most everyone ended up alive. But for such an epic battle with such a dark presence to overcome, I was waiting for more loses. Not that I could pick anyone to put in that position, but it seemed a little too perfect that all of the couples ended up alive together. A strange thing to be torn about but that it what I observed while reading the book. The most wonderful part though was that after finishing such a favorite series, it made me want to go out and read more so I could try to find another series that would grab on to my heart the way this one did and take me on a memorable journey.

I’ve had the Kingdom of Ash on my bookshelves since it was released in 2018. I know it’s been four years, but I finally got the courage to read it. I knew that Sarah J. Maas would rip out my heart with the last book in the Throne of Glass series, which is why it took me this long to read it. Well, I finally finished it, and yes, Sarah ripped my heart into threads in certain parts of this book. Some more than others. I’m happy I finished it and sad at the same time. I told myself I would read it slowly to savor the story and characters, which I did. All I wanted was for a happily ever after. It did take some time to get there, but it finally happened. Thank you, Sarah J. Maas, for writing these characters and world. I’ll cherish the Throne of Glass books forever. This is one world I can’t get enough of, and I definitely plan on re-reading them again in the future.

My Thoughts: Here are things I enjoyed about the last book in the Throne of Glass series:

I love reading several points of view in a book, and Sarah J. Maas gives readers several angles to what is enfolding in her books. I felt the pain of what was happening to Aelin and Fenrys when she had been chained, bound, and taken away with Maeve and her sadistic friend, Cairn. I also felt the pain of Aelin’s mate, Rowan wanting to save her. He was determined to find her and get her back. Yes, it was hard to read, but it made me root for Aelin to fight back and Rowan to find her. The biggest tearjerker to me was when Aelin and Rowan are reunited. Knowing what she had to endure with Maeve and Cairn broke my heart. Carin’s fate came too quick in my eyes. Don’t even get me started with what happened to Fenrys’s brother.

Aedion, on the other side of the world, is dealing with fighting Erawan’s forces with Lysandra. He’s livid on Lysandra and Aelin betraying him. Lysandra is doing everything to keep up the charade that she’s Aelin to the people. Unfortunately, things come to light, and the truth comes out. I felt terrible about how Lysandra was treated, especially with Aedion, but I knew he was frustrated. His queen and cousin didn’t want him to see the truth. It wasn’t easy for them at all in this book. In this book, there’s one scene between Aedion and his father Gavriel after they reunite, and then it all goes to hell. I had to put the book away for a while and come back and reread the scene. I couldn’t believe Sarah had done that to me.

Yrene and Chaol. I loved these two in Tower of Dawn and was happy to be back with them, even when battling Erawan’s forces. I also loved when Yrene finally reunited with the woman who had helped her so many moons before to get her to where she needed to be to learn her healing abilities. If you didn’t read Assassin’s Blade, I highly recommend you do because you’ll find out how Yrene and Aelin met the first time. Aelin is a favorite female protagonist in this series, but Yrene is a favorite, too. I adored Yrene and what she did in this book. She kicked butt, and she’s going on my list of favorite kick-butt females characters. She even did with sharing a secret. =)

Dorian. What can I say about this damaged King? He has grown since book one. He did go through a great deal. He’s still broken, but he’s getting there. He proved himself in this book and that he could deceive enemies and assist Aelin in retrieving the keys. I was worried about him when he faced Maeve and how he handled himself. I loved when he reunited with Chaol and met Yrene.

Manon. Manon will always be a morally grey female character that grew on me in this series. I was devastated by what she went through in this book. Yes, another scene broke me. I had to step away from the book to regain my composure. I’m glad that Dorian and her didn’t really get together at the end. Manon was too independent, and Dorian still had issues.

Lorcan and Elide. Lorcan tried to prove himself to everyone, even to Elide, the most in this book. I felt Lorcan because no one trusted him. Elide even couldn’t trust him. What she did, though, towards the end to save me, almost broke me, too.

Maeve. After finding out the truth about Maeve in Tower of Dawn and what she put Aelin through, I was ready for someone to end her. The person who ended her was epic. I’ll never forget the scene of Maeve meeting her maker.

Erawan. He was the biggest issue in the series when the truth came out on what he had been planning. The person who ended him was another epic scene. Yes. He deserved every bit of what happened to him, and I’m happy with who did it.

Aelin and Rowan. These two. I love them together. The ending with them together will forever be one of my favorites to read. To whatever end. Aelin proved herself in this book as a true Queen with everything she went through. I was pissed with what the Gods did to her, though, and will never forgive them.

Fenrys. Readers don’t get his point of view, but I wish we had gotten it. He won me over in this book, and he has a special place in my heart, maybe even over Rowan.

I’m glad I finally finished the Kingdom of Ash. Am I upset that the series has ended? Yes, definitely. I’m happy, though; they all got a happily ever after in their own ways.

Sarah J. Maas managed to suck me into this world, and I’ll never forget it. The action-packed scenes, the adventure and danger the characters went on to get to where they needed to, and a lost princess/assassin who finally claimed her crown back. It was an epic journey, and it’s worth so many re-reads in the future. Thank you, Sarah J. Maas, for sharing these characters and the world with us. Five stars for this fantastic ending.

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Throne of Glass series, and I highly recommend reading these books in order.

Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. If you are a fan of Young Adult Fantasy that takes you on a epic adventure to claim a crown and defeat enemies that want to destroy everything, then yes, read this book.

Before I begin, I should preface this review with how much I love SJMs writing style & creativity. That anything in my review that is negative is coming from a place of love-- love for reading, writing & adventure. Any criticisms are just my opinion as an avid, life-long reader of many genres, and are hopefully constructive (sometimes passion is an unruly beast).

SPOILERS

Honestly, I had pretty low expectations for this book after finishing book 6. Because book 6 was a departure from the main plot that broke the series pacing. And, I knew going into book 7 that there were still 2 villains, a kidnapping, the lock, & the reclamation of a throne to be addressed. This meant that there was a high likelihood that book 7 would either be very long, or it would be rushed because book 6 did nothing to advance the main plot. I was hoping I would be proven wrong.

Well, after reading book 7 I feel, somehow, that both positions are applicable. At times the book felt interminably long & boring because of (a) repetition in how the torture scenes were portrayed; (b) the long pages devoted to various groups of people traveling around; and, (c) a few characters acting in ways that felt untrue to themselves for no explicable reason (here's looking at you especially, Aedion-the-unflappable-badass-who-weirdly-loses-his-faith-in-himself-&-Aelin-and-we-aren't-given-a-reason-as-to-why-he-does-this). I did find myself sometimes contemplating whether I should just skim ahead, but my more patient self won out.

At the same time, the book felt unnaturally truncated in other ways. Particularly with regards to anything involving Aelin's estranged Ashryver family, Rolfe & the Mycaenians, and the two biggest baddest villains. In this book, the biggest baddest villains (Maeve & Erawan) lack that ever-present sense of danger that you would want them to impose. Their minions are more fearsome because they are a constant source of conflict for the good characters. We never see Erawan himself do anything memorably evil before he is dispatched (yes, I know there was the King & Kaltain but those things had little emotional impact as one was a tangential character the readers knew very little about whose exit was more memorable than her trials & tribulations, and the King was mostly a one-dimensional plot device). Some of the "gods" felt more evil to me, than Erawan. As did Maeve. And when we finally get to the final showdown it felt forced & strange. Suddenly, Erawan can't control himself around healers? And Maeve's defeat felt too easy. There was no real cost involved.

Finally, the book left the reader with many questions. What is Asterion steel (besides something fae-made)? Why describe the Asterion weapons when they were found but never do anything or saying about them being used in battle (except by the missing fae who lived with wolves)? Was it a red herring that missed the mark. What was the big deal about Asterion fae? Why does Dorian learn Maeve's portal magic but never use it? It seems absurd that he wouldn't try to get the reinforcements to Orinth quicker. What happened to Rolfe? Why did it take so long to gather his people? If Aelin's humanity was burned away, does that mean that she "settled"? Or would she continue to grow and gain more power since she wasn't supposed to settle for at least 5yrs more? If fae children are rare why did Rowen get a sort of premonition of them having many children? Why wouldn't the fae go fight beside the humans once they learned how Maeve had tricked them all into subservience making a mockery of their traditions?

I feel like almost all of the problems with the last book stem from the problems with book 6. That book should not have been entirely about Chaol & Nesryn & their new love lives. There was a missed opportunity to dive deeper into other characters & situations that tied more directly to the main plot. Had book 6 been better, book 7 wouldn't have suffered for its flaws.

Okay, that said, let's get into my favorite parts of this book. SJM has a real talent for writing colorful, complex characters. Manon & Dorian are standouts. Some of the best parts of the book centered on Dorian's internal struggles with life after the collar was removed. Manon was one of the few characters in the book to experience true growth/ evolution with only her own wits & strengths to guide her. The ending, despite being a little too neatly packaged, was appropriate & enjoyable.

In all, I could take or leave the 4 novellas; I loved & devored the books 1-5; extremely disliked book 6 & would recommend that readers skip it; and, found book 7 to be as good as was possible for a 1 book resolution after the book 6 issues. In short, I would recommend books 1-5 & 7.

Whew! That was a wild ride! I've been following this series for five years. Preordering the books and rereading countless times. This is the series that really brought me into blogging. My own personal Harry Potter, if you will. I love this series and this ending is nothing but bittersweet.

Mild spoilers for the beginning of this book and major spoilers for the rest of the series.

1. The characters. This last installment was a MASSIVE undertaking for Maas. Throughout the previous six books, we've been accumulating characters and backstories. Aelin, Chaol, and Dorian forming the backbone with Rowan, Nesryn, Yrene, Sartaq, Elide, Manon, Ansel, Rolfe, Gavriel, Lorcan, Fenrys, Dorian's father, Maeve, and Erawan all playing major roles. This series would make an absolutely fabulous reread with all of the character interactions that you can trace from book to book. I loved each and every one of the characters. They each had their own complex backstory that propelled their choices incredibly. Something I wish Maas had payed a bit more attention to, however, is their own unique voices. When I see a specific character from another's eyes, their unique voice is absolutely there, but once we merge into their POV, it becomes difficult to distinguish them by voice and tone alone. Moving on to Aelin, she went through such a character arc in this installment. I'm sure y'all remember that amazing arc she went through in HoF as she truly accepted her magic and her birthright. This is a little like that but scaled down and taken in a different direction. As I'll talk about in the next section, there are so many full circle moments that really caused her character to grow.

2. The plot. As I said above, there are SO many full circle moments and I loved it! I'll be repeating this throughout my review, but this series would make for an excellent reread in order to catch all of the individual strands that Maas mapped out so wonderfully. More practically speaking, this is 980 pages which is longer than any of the others in the series (it's a contender for the longest-books-I've-ever-read list) which means that keeping the tension levels right throughout is a task in of itself. Maas does a very good job of this throughout the book, allowing small breaks in the tension for the reader to stop for a breath. Something that always irks me about any fantasy that involves a war and a chosen one is how easily and quickly the wars are won through some special power of the chosen one. There was none of that here as each of the members of Aelin's squad contributes in a major way. As I'm sure many have seen, there are some very striking similarities between the ending battles in LOTR and the ending battle in this novel. Personally, this doesn't bother me too much but it is something to consider if you're a LOTR fan. Worth a quick mention: the symbolism associated with Aelin's torture and physical journey. Suffice to say there is an ample amount of circling and implied character self. Going along with that, there are so many reoccurring motifs that really enriched the writing and the plot in general.

3. The romance(s). There are so many relationships happening here. Aelin and Rowan, Yrene and Chaol, Lysandra and Aedion, Nesryn and Sartaq, Elide and Lorcan, and Dorian and Manon. I don't mind the large cast of characters in general (in fact, I prefer it to the alternative) but I do think that this many romances is a bit too much. I love each of the romances individually, in a vacuum (excepting one which I'll talk about in a minute), but collectively, it's a lot. Some of the romances are well-established (Aelin and Rowan for example), and some are more fledgling relationships only introduced in the most recent books (#5 and #6 were really books for relationship development). I love the overall timeline (this series takes place over a good three or four years including Assassin's Blade) and it's entirely realistic but I could have lived with one or two fewer romances. The one romance I'm unsure about is Dorian and Manon's. Granted, while Dorian is a major part of the series and has been from the beginning, he isn't given too much character development (I loved Chaol's arc and I wish Dorian's followed suit) so his evolution from Sorcha to Manon was a bit whip-lashy for me. One other issue I wanted to bring up: the heterosexuality. I don't mind all of the romances being 100% heterosexual in books (author's choice, after all) but in previous books, Maas introduced several LGBT+ reps (most notably Aedion and Manon) but they promptly melded into the heterosexual atmosphere. In the southern continent, there is some great representation, but they're all mostly side characters and none are allowed to have the spotlight. Overall, there are just so many relationships in this final installment and there definitely should have been at least one that was not heterosexual.

4. The world. I love this part. In the book, there is an extended map at the beginning and it's so interesting to look back at ToG and see how far it's expanded as we've been acquainted with more of the world. During the war, I loved how Maas moved the armies around on the map, paying careful attention to routes, climates, and opposing army positioning. I could really see them all moving around the continent and the consequences of their choices. I would have loved more detail on how the different peoples of different cultures interacted with each other (other than the Crochans and Manon). There are so many different peoples all converging for this cumulative war on Morath (there's another LOTR reference for those of you keeping track at home) all for the promise of a better world (side note, I LOVE how quotable this book is) and I would have loved more cooperative scenes.

The Final Verdict: A massive culmination effort that soars a bit too close to the sun. Rampant heterosexuality and the muddying of voices kept it from it's true potential. 4 stars