Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Kingdom of Ash

Solid ending to a long series. The pace of the book is slow which is on brand and war/battle scenes mostly bore me, but I enjoyed the wide range of POVs and found a few of the plot developments very moving.

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yilliun's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful 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 started reading when throne of glass was first published. It was very emotional for me as a reader to have finished this series. There are so many quotable moments that will stick with me. Maas calls back and connects so many different moments in the book, my favorite being “tell me tomorrow.”

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angelofthetardis's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

The grand finale of the 'Throne of Glass' series, this almost 1,000 page tome promises the deepening of bonds, the severing of others and the climax of a seemingly unwinnable battle. The question of who will live and who will die are on the reader's mind from the outset, and by this point you are so invested in the series that it feels like you're right there in the thick of things with the characters.

Having made it through the previous books, you will now be familiar with all of the characters and their backgrounds, unless you have a terrible memory and have to rely on the library delivering the books to you, like me. In which case, there are a LOT of different story threads you now have to follow, each of them vital to the plot in their own way. For the vast majority of the book, the perspective shifts between at least four different spheres of action, and each chapter takes you to a different thread. Given how short the author's chapters generally are, you would be forgiven for getting into a spin trying to keep everything straight! It's not hard to do, but to me it does make the book feel rather choppy - I'm not sure if another tandem read situation followed by a smaller finale book when everyone comes together might have been a better way to go. That way, you could have the choice of taking it all in in one go, or choosing to focus on one or two threads at a time.

I do think a lot of my opinions rest on the fact that I haven't been able to binge-read this series (see library comment above); I'm hoping that I will get more out of it when I finally get around to buying the series and reading it straight through. But right now, I feel like I should be more affected by the Valg, Maeve and the other darker aspects of this book than I am. I can't say I've ever found the Valg part of the storyline that straightforward to follow, but now I'm at the end I found their ultimate story arc to be quite lacklustre. Likewise, I didn't see the need to add another layer to the 'Wicked Queen' storyline; I actually found Maeve worse when she was supposed to be just Fae! Ultimately, although there are dark moments, Aelin's fire shines too brightly to give them any real depth or impact for me.

SJM is a queen of worldbuilding; she has an amazing ability to paint vivid and ridiculously detailed images with her words. While in broad terms this series is no exception, by the time I reached 'Kingdom of Ash' a part of me was thinking that she's almost gone into too much detail, which means I now have a less clear picture in my mind because I've got too much to consider.

I've come to love all of the main characters and their personalities; some are so easy to picture (I'm sorry, but I can only see Tom Hiddleston with his 'Loki' attitude playing Lorcan!) Their personal journeys are so well thought out and executed, it really is a pleasure to watch them mature and adapt. However, in this book it was really only the fate of the various romantic entanglements that gave me any sort of visceral reaction; the need for the right people to end up together became more important to me than the outcome of the war. I feel like a significant shock was needed to properly tear out your heart, but nothing ever really materialised. There is character death, yes, but for once in my life I am slightly disappointed that there wasn't more... I don't want any of them to die, but I just think the story was crying our for it to turn it from good to great. It's also in dire need of an epilogue!!! I need a 'One Year Later' (or similar) update!!!

The series overall is very enjoyable and a great read, but ultimately it does feel like the dress rehearsal for ACOTAR, which I do still prefer. But I'm hopeful we haven't heard the last of Aelin, Rowan and their Court... keeping everything crossed!!!

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mia_dt13's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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maddienev's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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emmacartlidge's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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tagau's review against another edition

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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

5.0

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.

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