Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Kingdom of Ash - Target Exclusive by Sarah J. Maas

10 reviews

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I haven’t reviewed the rest of the series so far [that I recall] so this is going to be a bit of both a review of the book itself and the series overall. 
KOA is a long ride through a dark night. In the conclusion of this series all of SJM’s strengths and weaknesses are on display. The intricate world building, the poignant moments of growth for each character, and Aelin’s final stand against every force that’s been bending her life all paint an intricate and lovingly crafted modern fairytale. The overdrawn battles that feel like paraphrashed scenes from Lord of the Rings, the repetitive sparing, descriptions, the men being forgiven for doing and saying incredibly fucked up things to the women they claim to love, or “banter” that appear to be the same 5 lines repeated [if I drank every time Aelin “winked”, someone said “mate”, “scent” or “gods save us” after a throw away joke, I would have died of alc poisoning]; without most of these this book probably could have been shortened 10-15%.
  Aelin’s escape from the mask
, the women's growth into their power and the acceptance of the cost, any scene with Manon, and Lysandra saving everyone’s ass 500x are stand out moments to me.
Overall, it is clear Maas spent a large amount of time mapping out this finale to give her beloved characters an end she felt fitting [I still think Aedion should have been killed but I guess he just continues to breathe regardless of his uselessness] and close out the window on the first world she created. I think it was the best of the series, both a blessing and a curse.
Throne of Glass is a fantasy series that builds a beautiful fairytale of a woman who, despite all odds, refuses to back down from what she really deserves. It can feel hard to find fantasy these days that spends as much time really working through the trauma and beauty of wanting to be alive in these kinds of flushed out settings. However, especially as someone who has read her other series the recurring themes, tropes, descriptions, and sentences grow exhausting and lose luster. I genuinely enjoy Crescent City [well maybe the first two…less so the third] and ACOTAR helped me through a time I really didn’t think I would be able to move on from. Slogging my way through Throne of Glass had many highs and lows, but mostly it made me appreciate the other two series for what they’re pacing and character growth. Enjoyable, but not something I think I will be rereading in the next 10 years.

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A very good finale, although the start was let down by following on from the previous book’s cruelly horrific cliffhanger. Nevertheless, it picked up very quickly and gave all the great characters fitting stories to use and deepen them.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a commentary/rating on the series itself, not just this book (which is roughly 500 pages too damn long): I don't get the hype. There are so many threads, so many arcs, character development is borderline contrived, some romantic relationships between characters baffling, and there are just. so. many. plotlines. and too. many. words. And good lord does Maas love to write a torture scene which is 100% not my jam.

TBH, I finished it out of spite.  

Diehard SJM fans will (and do love this). 

Fans of ACOTAR...it's a 50/50 chance and it's worth noting that there's not much spice (or, really, spark).


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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have no words good enough to explain how amazing this book is!!! This book ripped me apart, and left me in pieces. But then made my heart soar! So much sacrifice! So much loss! And then sooo much love!!! These characters & the love they share for one another is pure magic! More magical then any of the magic in the book!! 
But spoiler alert.. fuck the gods! They don’t deserve any fucking sacrifices!! They piss me the hell off & I could have done without their holier then now attitudes! lol

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I love this series. I feel like the end of the plot was a bit rushed and the characters got stagnant towards the end, but that’s not the most terrible thing! It was very intense and enjoyable!

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I have finally made it to the end of my Throne of Glass reading experience.
"Kingdom of Ash" is the conclusion, at least thus far, to the Throne of Glass series. Aelin Galathynius has promised to herself and her people that she would save them, but she could never have imagined what sacrifices she would have had to make to protect everyone. She is locked in an iron box at the complete mercy of the Queen of the Fae, Maeve. With all of her friends and allies scattered around the land, they will need to find a way to come together to finally end this once and for all.
What an epic and intense conclusion this book was! It was very difficult at times to read about Aelin because Sarah J. Maas goes into intense detail with the types of torture Aelin is subjected to. However, Aelin proves to be such a strong leader because she never breaks, even when she thinks she cannot bear to take any more.
I absolutely loved seeing how much Rowan loved Aelin. He would stop at nothing to bring Aelin safely home to him. It was also his commitment to her that helped Aelin survive the brutal torment Maeve put her through. It was beautiful to see their love and respect grow for one another.
I also enjoyed seeing a quick peek into Chaol's and Yrene's lives. I do really appreciate their story and how it allowed a more robust view of the world.
Overall, I was incredibly satisfied with this book. This installment in the series had a little bit of everything and really kept me invested through the entire almost 1000 pages. Once I started this book, I could not put it down because I was enthralled with the characters.
It was definitely not easy to get through this series, and this is not my favorite world from Sarah J. Maas, but I am overall happy with where everyone ended up!

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adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Sarah J. Maas's "Kingdom of Ash" was a thrilling conclusion to her "Throne of Glass" series. From the very first page, I was drawn into a world of magic and falling in love with the complex characters that are both relatable and larger than life. In this final book, she brings all of her beloved characters together for a final battle against the forces of evil.

Maas keeps the tension high, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.There were moments of heartbreak and despair, as well as moments of triumph and hope. Through it all, Maas never lost sight of the emotional core of her story. Each character was given their moment to shine, and the relationships between them are explored in satisfying detail.

Overall, "Kingdom of Ash" is a fantastic conclusion to the series. The world and characters that will be something that I think of often, it is utterly unforgettable. I highly recommended this series for anyone who loves epic fantasy, strong female characters, and a thrilling, action-packed story.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Such a good ending to a wonderfully emotional series. ❤️

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