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savage_book_review's review against another edition
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!!!
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!!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
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
4.0
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!
"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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
emilygibbs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Death of parent, Murder, and War
imds's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War
nerdkitten's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Medical trauma
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Deportation
beckyremillard's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sdemo08's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
Whew. I got a little worried toward the end and wasn't sure if I could finish. There were so many plot points to keep up with and I felt like every couple of pages was some sort of mind-boggling plot twist, martyrdom, or marathon between characters racing to the finish before their clock stopped. Ultimately I liked it but I'm glad it's over.
[Fire on "black currant" crocheted blanket]
[Fire on "black currant" crocheted blanket]
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
dmatson21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was an epic conclusion to this series and had me crying, on edge and smiling by the end. There were a few plot holes/areas I found lacking or unnecessary, but overall a fantastic book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
avie_j's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, and Gaslighting
Minor: Physical abuse and Pregnancy
mollydollydoodah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
I’m pretty satisfied with that ending. To be honest, less people died than I thought they would! I thought either Lysandra or Aedion were goners for sure, along with either Borte, Nesryn, or Dorian himself. I feel like it was a little too much of a happy ending despite all the loss, because there weren’t really a lot of deaths I could connect to. The rest of the Thirteen dying was sad, and I cried for Asterin, but I didn’t really know any of the others other than Vesta and Sorrel. I feel like a little more loss would have been effective (in making me sob), but I am of course happy that it did not end that way. I would get annoyed with how often the pov’s switched, because I’d get so invested in what was taking place in one storyline that I’d get frustrated at having to leave it behind. But that frustration would soon be forgotten as I was sucked into the new perspective, so I wasn’t too upset. I thought that the storyline progressed well, even if it stressed me out to no end that nobody was aiding Aedion and the Bane and how badly I wanted to slaughter the old Terrasen Lords. Aelin’s time being tortured and her recovery were some of my most-anticipated things to read about in this book, and they were written very well. It was very sad and heartbreaking, especially the parts with Fenrys, but it was powerful. I’m so glad that they had each other both through it and afterwards, and I thought that their unspoken language was so powerful as well. I really enjoyed all the action and adventure in this book, but I was definitely frustrated with certain points. I thought it was BS how Aedion was treating Lysandra, and how she just ended up forgiving him. And I agree that it was important to have those effective final battle scenes with Maeve and Erawan, but I thought it was BS that the gods just didn’t follow through with their bargain and even more BS that Aelin tried to save Elena, who’d had a thousand years already, like wtf? I’m very disappointed that she and Dorian lost most of her powers but oh well. I loved Dorian in this book, especially how he slayed and played Maeve at Morath, even if I thought he was being an idiot in how he was frolicking about in his different forms and in letting Maeve free when he left. My favorite parts of these books have been badass Aelin kicking ass and taking names and looking amazing while doing it, wielding schemes and plans and powers like no other. It was disappointing that we didn’t get a lot of those this book, but it made sense with the whole tortured deal. I still have a few questions about things, such as whatever happened to Dorian’s mom and Hollin? Also, who is that other member of the cadre that was ever so briefly mentioned, and how will he come up again in the future SJM universe?? Oh yeah, and Aelin totally saw Rhys and Feyre when she was falling through worlds, so that was pretty cool. All in all, I think it was almost too happy of an ending, but I’m glad there was no pregnancy trope with Aelin.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail