Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Empire of Storms

I feel lied to.
This is nothing like ACOTAR. Like ACOTAR is so much tamer than this.
And every time you think that there is a flaw in the plot or some plot hole etc. SJM proves you wrong and makes you cry whilst she does it.
I feel bad for anyone who doesn't make it past the first book in the series. The idea that they never get to this book and get to read how everything is coming together ughhh
SJM must have written Aelin as herself because the way she hides things from the reader and reveals them at the perfect point in the book is just insane.

Poor Aelin, poor Rowan omg poor everyone I actually can't.
Also, I did NOT see Lysandra pretending to be Aelin from a mile away.
The ending with the silent assassins and the note that Aelin sent to the Ashryvers is just so typical of Aelin that you can't help but laugh despite what she's currently going through.

And when she's getting whipped on the beach omg....
And Manon's thoughts of hoping Aelin survives this just so she can then die at the time she's supposed to... It's giving Harry Potter but higher stakes and much more brutal.
FINDING OUT THAT MAEVE MANIPULATED ROWAN INTO THINKING LYRIA WAS HIS MATE...
Maeve making Aelin bow on the sand...
F*cking Lorcan man - I thought he had finally semi-redeemed himself but nope!!
Poor Fenrys...
I get why Aelin doesn't tell anyone her plans because she's afraid they'll try to stop her or she's worried they won't go to plan but the way that she only tells Lysandra about the fact that she's going to have to die and that she wants Lysandra to pretend to be her... and have Aedion's kids and pretend that they're hers and Rowans... that's dark man. Like imagine being Rowan and having to live pretending his mate is alive but it's actually Lysandra, and omg and not even consulting with Aedion - Has this flirting between Lysandra and Aedion not been true this whole time?
When Aedion realises all the people that Aelin has called debts back from to save Terrasen after he had shouted at her...
And I was so happy to finally see Rowan show off his power/skill to then have him just kneeling on the beach once Aelin was taken is just so heart breaking...
And the fact that they had gotten married two days prior...

I get why everyone is saying that SJM needs to leave poor Aelin alone and hope she doesn't come back in any other books because if she gets through this man...

Considering there's a whole other book it's pretty obvious that Rowan gets Aelin out but omg the reunion if they do
And then it's all just for Aelin to die anyways ://///

I think I got a little too into this review and could definitely talk about this for a good hour or more
5 starts - Nothing less for an SJM book

Content Warnings

juliapatt2007's review against another edition

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Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

We get to meet new characters (my head is still spinning trying to keep track of them all) but overall they fit into the story alright.

Lorcans betrayal (while somewhat surprising) didn't bother me. Elide is pissed when she finds out what he did and I understand but ultimately he did it so she could be safe. Was it the best choice to potentially sacrifice a kingdom to save her? Probably not but still sweet and shows a rarely seen caring side of Lorcan. I really think that Lorcan and Elide will recover as Elide

sees that Lorcan betrayed them out of love for her. Maeve has already implied that they may be mates so I'm excited to see where that goes. I loved the triumphant ending of all of Aelin’s old contacts rallying around her even as she was locked in the coffin.

I'm interested to see where Lyssandra's impersonation takes the story.

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barbarianmissy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

Wowza. Ok. Ok. Ok.

I gotta wait till tomorrow to finish Tower of Dawn cause I need to process the fucking shit show (said as a term of endearment) that went on in the Empire of Storms.

AELIN GALATHYNIUS YOU COME BACK RIGHT THIS INSTANT SO HELP ME GAWD!

This book had some stellar moments. Wyvern attack on the capital, Manon attacking her mean Grandma, Elide and Lorcan on the run, Lysandra kicking ass in Skulls bay, Aelin blasting all those ILKEN SHITS outta the sky, finding out what Elena did, and the END!!!!! Crazy stuff, man.

Sadly, the gang is unfortunately splitting up AGAIN *sigh* and all of my fav ships are SINKING!!!! 👎

Rowan’s Queen got shipped away in the bad box by the bitchiest UPS worker ever known to man. Elides pissed at Lorcan, and rightfully so (I am too, I have a very strong love/hate relationship with this dude). Aedion is being a man baby about Lysandra doing what she was told to do by THEIR QUEEN. Dorian and Manon are still rockin though 🤘good for those lil emos!

Something cool I realized in this book though was that each of the mains have one of those jerkface gods kind of pulling the strands of their fates together which is neat! Like Hellas with Lorcan, Annieth with Elide, and Mala with Aelin and Rowan.

Im very stressed. I’ll finish tower of Dawn tomorrow. I need a nap.

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