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A review by deena_
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
5 stars ✯.
It was good, so good. Earth-shattering, mind-numbing kind of good, I dare say. Getting to know Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, Adarlan's assassin, queen of Terrasen, heir of fire, faerie queen of the west, was a long journey from hell and back but an epic one that I'm sad to part with. I fell in love with the world before her and the world that built itself around her. I want to live in her glorious kingdom, and be a part of her legendary court. I'm convinced I'll never find a gem like this ever again as I'll never be able to get this out of my mind.
Sypnosis: Back in Erilea, on the borders of Adarlan, Terrasen and all other continents, the dark ones set their claws on, as a heart-wrenching finale war erupts across the world. A last chance for the fire queen to fight for her promise to lead her people back home to a better world, despite the sacrifices and grave cost. For Terrasen she is ready to risk it all, but the enemy turns out to be a far greater threat, even against her gift of immortal flames, which puts her allies in unexpected danger. She must find a way to sever the ties of cruel fate if they are to have a chance at a future.
Themes: Romance, love, oppression, slavery, faeries, friendship, hope, freedom, redemption, loss, revenge, war, grief, strength
Plot: 3.5/5 ✯
Theme and setting: 4/5 ✯
Characters: 5/5 ✯ (precious to the bone, wanna give them a hug)
Storyline: 4.5/5 ✯
Writing style: 4.5/5 ✯
Ending: 3/5 ✯ (could've been better; i'm picky i know)
-Might gift you with sleep deprivation, free dark circles and a terrible hangover, as someone who's knee deep in all those wonderful things, you've been warned.
___
This book really took offense to me when I said the Empire of Storms was the most traumatizing book in the series; it threw me in the depths of emotional damage and left me drained to the dregs. 95% of the book we spent in war and the rest 5% were happy moments of shared perspective. It's not nearly enough; I want to drown in all their happy moments.
This book talks about how war can bring unfathomable changes and how it's like being the one left behind while your loved ones march from one war to another, taking a piece of your heart with them. It made me go through the same feelings countless of times. I came to care about the characters so much; they were practically my babies, so trust me when I say I had my heart in my throat the entire time they were head-to-head with enemy forces, hoping like hell they all would come back safe. The attachment was real.
The edge-of-the-seat action and found family trope was every bit epic and heartwarming as I expected it to be. This book combined the best features of all previous books while adding its own touch, which makes it so special. I don't know how I held myself through the sheer intensity of it. Some moments I was bawling my eyes out, some moments had me actually scared, and I lost count of the moments I was so ready to throw the book across the room. This book exceeded all my expectations and some more.
Okay, so let's settle this debate once and for all.
Favorite ship.
↳ Chaol Westfall and Yrene Towers. If you've read Tower of Dawn, then you know the drill. Yrene is incredible to have commanded this much attention for herself considering she only made an appearance in the last two books, and the surprise still remains that the unknown healer Aelin talked about all this while, once again found her way back in her orbit. Chaol's journey from being at the top of my shit list to someone I could actually relate to was remarkable in its own way. Chaol and Yrene had one hell of a chemistry, the official comfort couple of TOG.
↳ Sorry to Rowan and Aelin; they were amazing together but there was just so much going on that they hardly could work on their couple goals. In fact, it was a blessing they could spend any time together at all with the demon pricks and tyrant queen pulling ugly pranks.
↳ I'll be honest, Lorcan and Elide's story was unexpected but quite plain. The very foundation of their relationship was built on misunderstandings; it was meant to be disastrous eventually. Surprisingly, they managed quite well. Elide's character was hard to not adore, and Lorcan, however mean and cranky he is, I would label his feelings as the 'I hate everyone but you' trope.
One of their favorite scenes of mine is--->when elide runs in the middle of a battlefield full of valg soldiers to search for lorcan's fallen body and brings him back to the safety of the keep, injured and bleeding. their confessions afterwards when they realized what they could have lost<---
↳ Aedion and Lysandra could have been my favorite pair, they were friends before they were lovers; they were warriors on the same battlefield; but in this book, I just couldn't ship them as much as I wished. Aedion was mostly to blame for that, his mistreatment towards Lysandra for something that wasn't her fault to begin with and the way he took out his pent-up anger on her was unreasonable as hell. He did apologize after she took a great fall on the frontlines at the war of Orynth and almost died from it, but he should be on his knees, begging till she finds it in her heart to forgive. I still think he was forgiven too easily.
↳ Sartaq and Nesryn, and the whole thing between them felt way too rushed. Is it just me? I'm happy they found each other but I didn't really feel any sparks blooming.
↳ Yeran and Borte, I'd like for this duo to try their hands at romance and see how exactly that thing works out. If they had more screentime, I bet they could play out yet another amazing enemies to lovers worthy of our time.
↳ Dorian and Manon, do I really have to say anything about them and the gravely disappointing endgame we got from this couple? They were the most interesting couple in all of TOG and also the one and only one I was cheering my heart out for. They need a separate book of their own cause I refuse to accept them parting ways. A big, fat WHY to Sarah J. Mass for playing with my Manorian heart like that.
I don't know how Dorian came to love Sorscha; the time they spent together was brief, and I can't think of anything grand regarding them. Dorian loved her in Heir of Fire and continued to love the ghost of her existence till Kingdom of Ash. Sorscha was kind and she didn't deserve what was done to her, I understand, but seriously Dorian? Took him long enough to realize his feelings for Manon, all because he thought he was still in love with Sorscha, and when the realization set in place at last, it was too late like why?!
Favorite MMC.
Rowan, it's always Rowan. No one else could come close, thank you very much.
Favorite FMC.
Well, guess what? Confession time: I've been in love with Lysandra ever since she was introduced.
Level 10 traumatizing scene.
I wasn't bluffing when I said this book served a little too well on the emotional damage area. The scene that hit me the hardest is probably the fall of thirteen
--->manon's thirteen made the yielding together to buy terrasen allies time to regroup when it was sure they were losing the war. their power wiped out the matron of ironteeth clan and a good number of their enemies<---
I didn't even cry that much when
--->aelin escaped the doranelle war camp after months of captivity. she ran to the mountains and fell on her knees before her friends while desperately clawing at the iron mask and skacles, crying and begging someone to take those off<---
Highlight of the book.
It wasn't the great war, wasn't the damnation of Maeve and Erawan, wasn't the slaughter of cruel gods, not the victory and glory, not the many epic confessions. It was the coronation scene that slapped some band-aid on my cracked heart—the thing we were promised and waited for what it felt like ages. Aelin Galathynius has been a woman of numerous names, burning through them as fast as her own gift of fire. But becoming the one name that will change everything, the one title that matters most to her people—Queen of Terrasen. She finally got her throne and we got to see a glimpse of the better world she promised us—a throne not made of glass but the hope of her kingdom.
Favorite book.
A tough pick. I'm tempted to give it up for Kingdom of Ash and be done with it, but while it was a great read, it wasn't really THE BEST. It's either Heir of Fire or Queen of Shadows for me, though I can't decide which one to be exact.
Usually I feel somewhat empty when approaching an end of a good series but I didn’t feel that way with 'Kingdom of Ash', I felt like the ending was the end and needed nothing more at all. I am so sad to say goodbye to this beloved, companionable series, but for now i hope one of my most prized couples in fictional history, Rowan and Aelin, live a content and wholehearted thousand years together as the king of queen of Terrasen and walk towards that better world to whatever end.
➷ Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom
It was good, so good. Earth-shattering, mind-numbing kind of good, I dare say. Getting to know Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius, Adarlan's assassin, queen of Terrasen, heir of fire, faerie queen of the west, was a long journey from hell and back but an epic one that I'm sad to part with. I fell in love with the world before her and the world that built itself around her. I want to live in her glorious kingdom, and be a part of her legendary court. I'm convinced I'll never find a gem like this ever again as I'll never be able to get this out of my mind.
Sypnosis: Back in Erilea, on the borders of Adarlan, Terrasen and all other continents, the dark ones set their claws on, as a heart-wrenching finale war erupts across the world. A last chance for the fire queen to fight for her promise to lead her people back home to a better world, despite the sacrifices and grave cost. For Terrasen she is ready to risk it all, but the enemy turns out to be a far greater threat, even against her gift of immortal flames, which puts her allies in unexpected danger. She must find a way to sever the ties of cruel fate if they are to have a chance at a future.
Themes: Romance, love, oppression, slavery, faeries, friendship, hope, freedom, redemption, loss, revenge, war, grief, strength
Plot: 3.5/5 ✯
Theme and setting: 4/5 ✯
Characters: 5/5 ✯ (precious to the bone, wanna give them a hug)
Storyline: 4.5/5 ✯
Writing style: 4.5/5 ✯
Ending: 3/5 ✯ (could've been better; i'm picky i know)
-Might gift you with sleep deprivation, free dark circles and a terrible hangover, as someone who's knee deep in all those wonderful things, you've been warned.
➷ “Tell Rowan that I’m sorry I lied. But tell him it was all borrowed time anyway. Even before today, I knew it was all just borrowed time, but I still wish we’d had more of it.”
➷ “Rowan followed her, as he would follow her until his last breath, and beyond it.”
➷ “Beauty. There was still beauty in this world. Stars could still glow, still burn bright, even buried under the earth.”
➷ “Death had been her curse and her gift and her friend for these long, long years.”
➷ “Her mother placed a phantom hand over Aelin’s heart.
'It is the strength of this that matters. No matter where you are, no matter how far, this will lead you home.”
➷ “Hellas guards Lorcan,” Fenrys murmured. “And Anneith, his consort, watches over Elide. Perhaps they will find each other.”
➷ “Aedion leaned in, and kissed Lysandra, kissed the woman who should have been his wife, his mate, one last time.”
➷ “The loss and pain—they had not broken him wholly. Without them, would the moments of happiness be as bright? Without them, would he fight so hard to ensure it did not happen again?”
➷ “Adarlan itself had been destroyed. But from utter ruin, it might be built again. If not by him, then by others. Perhaps that would be his first and only gift to Adarlan as its king: a clean slate, should they survive this war.”
➷ “We are the Thirteen. From now until the Darkness claims us.”
➷ “When this war is over, however it may end, I will still be here, with you. Whether in this life or the next.”
➷ “Aelin looked at Chaol and Dorian and sobbed. Opened her arms to them, and wept as they held each other. “I love you both,” she whispered. “And no matter what may happen, no matter how far we may be, that will never change.”
___
This book really took offense to me when I said the Empire of Storms was the most traumatizing book in the series; it threw me in the depths of emotional damage and left me drained to the dregs. 95% of the book we spent in war and the rest 5% were happy moments of shared perspective. It's not nearly enough; I want to drown in all their happy moments.
This book talks about how war can bring unfathomable changes and how it's like being the one left behind while your loved ones march from one war to another, taking a piece of your heart with them. It made me go through the same feelings countless of times. I came to care about the characters so much; they were practically my babies, so trust me when I say I had my heart in my throat the entire time they were head-to-head with enemy forces, hoping like hell they all would come back safe. The attachment was real.
The edge-of-the-seat action and found family trope was every bit epic and heartwarming as I expected it to be. This book combined the best features of all previous books while adding its own touch, which makes it so special. I don't know how I held myself through the sheer intensity of it. Some moments I was bawling my eyes out, some moments had me actually scared, and I lost count of the moments I was so ready to throw the book across the room. This book exceeded all my expectations and some more.
Okay, so let's settle this debate once and for all.
Favorite ship.
↳ Chaol Westfall and Yrene Towers. If you've read Tower of Dawn, then you know the drill. Yrene is incredible to have commanded this much attention for herself considering she only made an appearance in the last two books, and the surprise still remains that the unknown healer Aelin talked about all this while, once again found her way back in her orbit. Chaol's journey from being at the top of my shit list to someone I could actually relate to was remarkable in its own way. Chaol and Yrene had one hell of a chemistry, the official comfort couple of TOG.
↳ Sorry to Rowan and Aelin; they were amazing together but there was just so much going on that they hardly could work on their couple goals. In fact, it was a blessing they could spend any time together at all with the demon pricks and tyrant queen pulling ugly pranks.
↳ I'll be honest, Lorcan and Elide's story was unexpected but quite plain. The very foundation of their relationship was built on misunderstandings; it was meant to be disastrous eventually. Surprisingly, they managed quite well. Elide's character was hard to not adore, and Lorcan, however mean and cranky he is, I would label his feelings as the 'I hate everyone but you' trope.
One of their favorite scenes of mine is--->when elide runs in the middle of a battlefield full of valg soldiers to search for lorcan's fallen body and brings him back to the safety of the keep, injured and bleeding. their confessions afterwards when they realized what they could have lost<---
↳ Aedion and Lysandra could have been my favorite pair, they were friends before they were lovers; they were warriors on the same battlefield; but in this book, I just couldn't ship them as much as I wished. Aedion was mostly to blame for that, his mistreatment towards Lysandra for something that wasn't her fault to begin with and the way he took out his pent-up anger on her was unreasonable as hell. He did apologize after she took a great fall on the frontlines at the war of Orynth and almost died from it, but he should be on his knees, begging till she finds it in her heart to forgive. I still think he was forgiven too easily.
↳ Sartaq and Nesryn, and the whole thing between them felt way too rushed. Is it just me? I'm happy they found each other but I didn't really feel any sparks blooming.
↳ Yeran and Borte, I'd like for this duo to try their hands at romance and see how exactly that thing works out. If they had more screentime, I bet they could play out yet another amazing enemies to lovers worthy of our time.
↳ Dorian and Manon, do I really have to say anything about them and the gravely disappointing endgame we got from this couple? They were the most interesting couple in all of TOG and also the one and only one I was cheering my heart out for. They need a separate book of their own cause I refuse to accept them parting ways. A big, fat WHY to Sarah J. Mass for playing with my Manorian heart like that.
I don't know how Dorian came to love Sorscha; the time they spent together was brief, and I can't think of anything grand regarding them. Dorian loved her in Heir of Fire and continued to love the ghost of her existence till Kingdom of Ash. Sorscha was kind and she didn't deserve what was done to her, I understand, but seriously Dorian? Took him long enough to realize his feelings for Manon, all because he thought he was still in love with Sorscha, and when the realization set in place at last, it was too late like why?!
Favorite MMC.
Rowan, it's always Rowan. No one else could come close, thank you very much.
Favorite FMC.
Well, guess what? Confession time: I've been in love with Lysandra ever since she was introduced.
Level 10 traumatizing scene.
I wasn't bluffing when I said this book served a little too well on the emotional damage area. The scene that hit me the hardest is probably the fall of thirteen
--->manon's thirteen made the yielding together to buy terrasen allies time to regroup when it was sure they were losing the war. their power wiped out the matron of ironteeth clan and a good number of their enemies<---
I didn't even cry that much when
--->aelin escaped the doranelle war camp after months of captivity. she ran to the mountains and fell on her knees before her friends while desperately clawing at the iron mask and skacles, crying and begging someone to take those off<---
Highlight of the book.
It wasn't the great war, wasn't the damnation of Maeve and Erawan, wasn't the slaughter of cruel gods, not the victory and glory, not the many epic confessions. It was the coronation scene that slapped some band-aid on my cracked heart—the thing we were promised and waited for what it felt like ages. Aelin Galathynius has been a woman of numerous names, burning through them as fast as her own gift of fire. But becoming the one name that will change everything, the one title that matters most to her people—Queen of Terrasen. She finally got her throne and we got to see a glimpse of the better world she promised us—a throne not made of glass but the hope of her kingdom.
Favorite book.
A tough pick. I'm tempted to give it up for Kingdom of Ash and be done with it, but while it was a great read, it wasn't really THE BEST. It's either Heir of Fire or Queen of Shadows for me, though I can't decide which one to be exact.
Usually I feel somewhat empty when approaching an end of a good series but I didn’t feel that way with 'Kingdom of Ash', I felt like the ending was the end and needed nothing more at all. I am so sad to say goodbye to this beloved, companionable series, but for now i hope one of my most prized couples in fictional history, Rowan and Aelin, live a content and wholehearted thousand years together as the king of queen of Terrasen and walk towards that better world to whatever end.