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A review by surbhi_reads
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
“Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom.”
I am running low on words to describe this magnificent, marvellous and mammoth of a book. Because this book guys, where do I even begin, this book is perfection, its epic, it's ethereal and it's exquisite. This series is extremely important to me because it will forever remain that series which solidified my love for the fantasy genre. And I suppose there were times that the series went overboard and that I didn’t agree with certain things but this is also a series that made me dream and hope and swoon. It is also the series that sucked me instantly in its world and never made me want to leave it and it is also the series which gave me immense joy and heartbreak. Now that it has come to an end I am more than wrecked emotionally even though the conclusion couldn't have been done better and I think it will take me a very long time to recover from this series hangover.
How does one ever explain this plot, it is just so colossal, glorious and huge with a little short of 1000 pages. Battle lines have been drawn and all the characters are spread across the continent fighting their own battles and racing against time before it’s too late. We have Aedion and Lysandra along with the armies that Aelin gathered at the end of “Empire of Storms” in Terrasen. We have Dorian, Manon and her thirteen trying to rally the Crochan witches and find the third and final Wyrd Key, we have Chaol, Yerene and Nesryn along with the Khaganate armies and Ruk riders approaching the continent, we have Rowan, Lorcan, Gavriel and Elide searching high and low for Aelin who has been captured by the Fae Queen Maeve and then we have Aelin and Fenrys tortured and beaten but still fighting with everything they have got because surrendering means doom not only for them but for all of Erilea.
“Remember that we have something to fight for, and it will always triumph.”
Sarah J. Maas does it once again! Without a doubt, “Kingdom of Ash” is beautifully written, some parts are borderline gorgeous but what matters most is that everything is tied up so stunningly at the end. I can’t stress enough how much I loved all the battle sequences. I was on edge for almost the entire time because even with a bazillion page this book is so action-packed with never a dull moment. My heart was in my mouth for half the time because I was so invested in the story and just wanted everything to be alright. And when there was no action, there were some really gut-wrenching emotional scenes which had me crying my eyes out. This world is outstanding and enthralling, the story as it has changed and developed so much since the first book but the essence of it remains still. There is still so much love in it, there is still so much importance given to friendship and relationship between characters, there is still that need for characters to perpetually sacrifice themselves and there is still that hope of a better world.
One of the best things about Sarah’s books is her characters, all of them are unique in their own way, all of them have their own personal struggles, they have gone through hell but they are also so, so strong, they are so brave and resilient and I don’t have words to say this except that they mean the world to me. There are so many characters but I loved the fact that each one gets an equal importance, everyone contributes something significant to the story and play a distinct role in the final war.
Once again, I am doing a character breakdown to pour my feelings about these wonderful and superb characters, however, I feel my words won’t do justice. Also, this section includes some major spoilers from this book as well as others in the series so please stop reading if you aren’t caught with the books.
“Evalin’s face blazed with the fierceness of the women who had come before them, all the way back to the Faerie Queen whose eyes they both bore. You do not yield.”
Aelin- I don’t know where to begin with Aelin because I absolutely loved her in this book. Aelin is such a brilliantly written character but I felt I stopped connecting with her after “Heir of Fire”. In " Kingdom of Ash” though she is spectacular. She is so unyielding in this book, so vulnerable, broken and strong and courageous and compassionate. Everything that she went through under Maeve’s captivity broke my heart into million pieces. It really got extremely torturous and dark at times and I felt that there was some really powerful representation of PTSD through her character. That "Take it off" scene honestly shattered my soul. Still she fought till the very end and emerged as a true queen in this book. I am in her awe! I am so thankful to Sarah J. Maas for giving us a character like Aelin, who is flawed in a perfect way possible.
Rowan- I have always had such mixed feelings for Rowan but once again, this book made me fall in love with him from the very first chapter and his “I will find you” to the very last when he and Aelin join their powers to bring about the end of Maeve. They were indeed the power couple in this book and I am so happy that they got their sappy and cheesy ending. They kind of deserved it.
Dorian- He is the love of my life, honestly Dorian has such a powerful character development in this book, like I can’t even express. He has come a long, long way as a magic wielder and I loved him so much for his determination, resilience, courage and selflessness. I was so scared for him when he ventured into Morath but he literally played Maeve and brought down Morath, which was stunning and epic. And I can’t express just how happy I felt when he said, “There is only one witch who will be my queen” because that made my heart swell with such unbound joy. Hail! The king of Adarlan.
Manon- Another character, who is the love of my life because let’s be fair, there isn’t anyone who has got a sass like Manon Blackbeak. My witch queen with her crown of stars. Honestly, she is the character who lost the most and I can’t get over the fact that the thirteen died, it had me screaming and gasping. However, Manon and Dorian were breathelessly awesome together. I was so sceptical about their relationship after “Empire of Storms” but after this book, I absolutely loved them together. I loved the fact that they can be their own person with each other and they understand each other like no other. I am a little mad because they are like the only couple who didn’t get their cheesy ending also, I don’t think I will ever have enough of Dorian and Manon together.
Chaol- This guy deserves the world, there is a strength in his character that cannot be explained. He fought and fought and fought against all odds and I have never loved him more. Also, his reunion with Aelin and his reunion with Dorian. They are friendship goals No! I am not crying.
Yerene- Lady of steel heart, where would these people be if it weren’t for Yerene. She is so brave in this book it is needless to say that I adored her. Also, she and Chaol are going to be parents. Like I wasn’t crying enough already.
Aedion- I have always adored Aedion for his devotion to his country and his queen and he did fight like a warrior in a very adverse situation against all odds but I was a little mad at him for how he treated Lysandara. Aedion was so nasty and unfair to Lysandara when she was only helping them in pretending to be Aelin. Even though everything worked out at the end and I was devastated when Gavriel died because honestly this father-son duo could have really done with some bonding time, I am still a little bit mad.
Lysandara- After Dorian and Manon, I think Lysandara is one character I love the most. She is one of her kind, so loyal, so self-sacrificing, so daring and so diligent. I am in her awe. Honestly, everyone needs a friend like Lysanadra in their life.
Elide- Elide’s character is a force to be reckoned with and one of the best written characters of this series but what was true for Aedion, it is true for her as well. Her behaviour towards Lorcan was extremely bitter and nasty. He might have deserved to receive some of that wrath but he redeemed himself. Yes! Once again everything just worked out fine between the two of them but I am just a little bit mad.
Lorcan- He really did go out of his way for Elide I mean anyone who is ready to be accepted as Lord Lorcan Lochan, deserves the world.
Fenrys- I just want to hug him and wink at him 4 times. I loved his character so much, I loved how much he supports Aelin and how important they become to each other. Their's is one of the best written friendship of this series. I loved his dedication, I loved his courage and I absolutely loved his strength and vigour.
Abraxox- My angel! My love! Just hang in there you, everything will be alright!
“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.”
Other random things that I loved in this book---
1. Fenrys, Aelin and their secret language.
2. Aelin giving the blood oath to Fenrys and saving his life.
3. Rowan and Aelin in the Barrow.
4. Yerene being so badass infront of Chaol’s dad.
5. Aelin crying after seeing Chaol walk on his own.
6. The reunion between Yerene and Aelin.
7. The Ruk and its riders.
8. Little folks and lord of the north showing the army the way to Orynth.
9. The faceoff between Manon and the matrons and Manon being crowned as the queen of witches.
10. Dorian and his shapeshifting abilities.
11. Dorian and Gavin.
12. Chaol running towards Dorian and Dorian weeping with joy.
13. The thirteen, their sacrifice and their last words “Live Manon”
14. Dorian stealing the wyrd key right under Erawan’s nose.
15. Rowan tattooing Aelin so that she could find her way back to him.
16. The forging of the wyrd gate
17. The former king of Adarlan and his last attempt for redemption.
18. Elide running in the battlefield to find Lorcan.
19. Aelin vaporizing the entire river.
20. Aelin trying to save Elena’s soul.
21. Petrah Blueblood and the rebellious Ironteeth.
22. The cadre.
23. The last face-off and the end of Erawan and Maeve.
24. Manon breaking the curse on her lands.
25. Dorian and Manon hugging each other after the battle.
26. The reunion between Aelin and Aedion.
27. The reunion between Lysandra and Falkan.
28. Dorian finally forgiving his father and learning his true name.
29. Aelin’s coronation and the after party.
30. The original trio hugging each other and saying goodbyes.
31. Evangeline and her heart of gold.
32. Nesryn, Sartaq-- Emperors of the southern continent
33. A better world.
This is officially the longest review that I have written and the amount of time I have used the word “Loved” in this review is a record in itself. This series will forever hold a special place in my life. These are not just characters to me but a very significant part of my life. I have laughed with them, cried with them, felt their every single emotion, their joy, their angst, their selflessness and their courage. I will keep on revisiting this series every now and then because now that I have finished reading this book I feel so empty and hollow inside. It’s certainly going to be hard for me to accept that this epic saga has come to an end because I am not ready, not even in the least.
P.S- I loved the Crossover!
Trigger warnings- Bloodshed, torture and assault.
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I am running low on words to describe this magnificent, marvellous and mammoth of a book. Because this book guys, where do I even begin, this book is perfection, its epic, it's ethereal and it's exquisite. This series is extremely important to me because it will forever remain that series which solidified my love for the fantasy genre. And I suppose there were times that the series went overboard and that I didn’t agree with certain things but this is also a series that made me dream and hope and swoon. It is also the series that sucked me instantly in its world and never made me want to leave it and it is also the series which gave me immense joy and heartbreak. Now that it has come to an end I am more than wrecked emotionally even though the conclusion couldn't have been done better and I think it will take me a very long time to recover from this series hangover.
How does one ever explain this plot, it is just so colossal, glorious and huge with a little short of 1000 pages. Battle lines have been drawn and all the characters are spread across the continent fighting their own battles and racing against time before it’s too late. We have Aedion and Lysandra along with the armies that Aelin gathered at the end of “Empire of Storms” in Terrasen. We have Dorian, Manon and her thirteen trying to rally the Crochan witches and find the third and final Wyrd Key, we have Chaol, Yerene and Nesryn along with the Khaganate armies and Ruk riders approaching the continent, we have Rowan, Lorcan, Gavriel and Elide searching high and low for Aelin who has been captured by the Fae Queen Maeve and then we have Aelin and Fenrys tortured and beaten but still fighting with everything they have got because surrendering means doom not only for them but for all of Erilea.
“Remember that we have something to fight for, and it will always triumph.”
Sarah J. Maas does it once again! Without a doubt, “Kingdom of Ash” is beautifully written, some parts are borderline gorgeous but what matters most is that everything is tied up so stunningly at the end. I can’t stress enough how much I loved all the battle sequences. I was on edge for almost the entire time because even with a bazillion page this book is so action-packed with never a dull moment. My heart was in my mouth for half the time because I was so invested in the story and just wanted everything to be alright. And when there was no action, there were some really gut-wrenching emotional scenes which had me crying my eyes out. This world is outstanding and enthralling, the story as it has changed and developed so much since the first book but the essence of it remains still. There is still so much love in it, there is still so much importance given to friendship and relationship between characters, there is still that need for characters to perpetually sacrifice themselves and there is still that hope of a better world.
One of the best things about Sarah’s books is her characters, all of them are unique in their own way, all of them have their own personal struggles, they have gone through hell but they are also so, so strong, they are so brave and resilient and I don’t have words to say this except that they mean the world to me. There are so many characters but I loved the fact that each one gets an equal importance, everyone contributes something significant to the story and play a distinct role in the final war.
Once again, I am doing a character breakdown to pour my feelings about these wonderful and superb characters, however, I feel my words won’t do justice. Also, this section includes some major spoilers from this book as well as others in the series so please stop reading if you aren’t caught with the books.
“Evalin’s face blazed with the fierceness of the women who had come before them, all the way back to the Faerie Queen whose eyes they both bore. You do not yield.”
Aelin- I don’t know where to begin with Aelin because I absolutely loved her in this book. Aelin is such a brilliantly written character but I felt I stopped connecting with her after “Heir of Fire”. In " Kingdom of Ash” though she is spectacular. She is so unyielding in this book, so vulnerable, broken and strong and courageous and compassionate. Everything that she went through under Maeve’s captivity broke my heart into million pieces. It really got extremely torturous and dark at times and I felt that there was some really powerful representation of PTSD through her character. That "Take it off" scene honestly shattered my soul. Still she fought till the very end and emerged as a true queen in this book. I am in her awe! I am so thankful to Sarah J. Maas for giving us a character like Aelin, who is flawed in a perfect way possible.
Rowan- I have always had such mixed feelings for Rowan but once again, this book made me fall in love with him from the very first chapter and his “I will find you” to the very last when he and Aelin join their powers to bring about the end of Maeve. They were indeed the power couple in this book and I am so happy that they got their sappy and cheesy ending. They kind of deserved it.
Dorian- He is the love of my life, honestly Dorian has such a powerful character development in this book, like I can’t even express. He has come a long, long way as a magic wielder and I loved him so much for his determination, resilience, courage and selflessness. I was so scared for him when he ventured into Morath but he literally played Maeve and brought down Morath, which was stunning and epic. And I can’t express just how happy I felt when he said, “There is only one witch who will be my queen” because that made my heart swell with such unbound joy. Hail! The king of Adarlan.
Manon- Another character, who is the love of my life because let’s be fair, there isn’t anyone who has got a sass like Manon Blackbeak. My witch queen with her crown of stars. Honestly, she is the character who lost the most and I can’t get over the fact that the thirteen died, it had me screaming and gasping. However, Manon and Dorian were breathelessly awesome together. I was so sceptical about their relationship after “Empire of Storms” but after this book, I absolutely loved them together. I loved the fact that they can be their own person with each other and they understand each other like no other. I am a little mad because they are like the only couple who didn’t get their cheesy ending also, I don’t think I will ever have enough of Dorian and Manon together.
Chaol- This guy deserves the world, there is a strength in his character that cannot be explained. He fought and fought and fought against all odds and I have never loved him more. Also, his reunion with Aelin and his reunion with Dorian. They are friendship goals No! I am not crying.
Yerene- Lady of steel heart, where would these people be if it weren’t for Yerene. She is so brave in this book it is needless to say that I adored her. Also, she and Chaol are going to be parents. Like I wasn’t crying enough already.
Aedion- I have always adored Aedion for his devotion to his country and his queen and he did fight like a warrior in a very adverse situation against all odds but I was a little mad at him for how he treated Lysandara. Aedion was so nasty and unfair to Lysandara when she was only helping them in pretending to be Aelin. Even though everything worked out at the end and I was devastated when Gavriel died because honestly this father-son duo could have really done with some bonding time, I am still a little bit mad.
Lysandara- After Dorian and Manon, I think Lysandara is one character I love the most. She is one of her kind, so loyal, so self-sacrificing, so daring and so diligent. I am in her awe. Honestly, everyone needs a friend like Lysanadra in their life.
Elide- Elide’s character is a force to be reckoned with and one of the best written characters of this series but what was true for Aedion, it is true for her as well. Her behaviour towards Lorcan was extremely bitter and nasty. He might have deserved to receive some of that wrath but he redeemed himself. Yes! Once again everything just worked out fine between the two of them but I am just a little bit mad.
Lorcan- He really did go out of his way for Elide I mean anyone who is ready to be accepted as Lord Lorcan Lochan, deserves the world.
Fenrys- I just want to hug him and wink at him 4 times. I loved his character so much, I loved how much he supports Aelin and how important they become to each other. Their's is one of the best written friendship of this series. I loved his dedication, I loved his courage and I absolutely loved his strength and vigour.
Abraxox- My angel! My love! Just hang in there you, everything will be alright!
“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.”
Other random things that I loved in this book---
1. Fenrys, Aelin and their secret language.
2. Aelin giving the blood oath to Fenrys and saving his life.
3. Rowan and Aelin in the Barrow.
4. Yerene being so badass infront of Chaol’s dad.
5. Aelin crying after seeing Chaol walk on his own.
6. The reunion between Yerene and Aelin.
7. The Ruk and its riders.
8. Little folks and lord of the north showing the army the way to Orynth.
9. The faceoff between Manon and the matrons and Manon being crowned as the queen of witches.
10. Dorian and his shapeshifting abilities.
11. Dorian and Gavin.
12. Chaol running towards Dorian and Dorian weeping with joy.
13. The thirteen, their sacrifice and their last words “Live Manon”
14. Dorian stealing the wyrd key right under Erawan’s nose.
15. Rowan tattooing Aelin so that she could find her way back to him.
16. The forging of the wyrd gate
17. The former king of Adarlan and his last attempt for redemption.
18. Elide running in the battlefield to find Lorcan.
19. Aelin vaporizing the entire river.
20. Aelin trying to save Elena’s soul.
21. Petrah Blueblood and the rebellious Ironteeth.
22. The cadre.
23. The last face-off and the end of Erawan and Maeve.
24. Manon breaking the curse on her lands.
25. Dorian and Manon hugging each other after the battle.
26. The reunion between Aelin and Aedion.
27. The reunion between Lysandra and Falkan.
28. Dorian finally forgiving his father and learning his true name.
29. Aelin’s coronation and the after party.
30. The original trio hugging each other and saying goodbyes.
31. Evangeline and her heart of gold.
32. Nesryn, Sartaq-- Emperors of the southern continent
33. A better world.
This is officially the longest review that I have written and the amount of time I have used the word “Loved” in this review is a record in itself. This series will forever hold a special place in my life. These are not just characters to me but a very significant part of my life. I have laughed with them, cried with them, felt their every single emotion, their joy, their angst, their selflessness and their courage. I will keep on revisiting this series every now and then because now that I have finished reading this book I feel so empty and hollow inside. It’s certainly going to be hard for me to accept that this epic saga has come to an end because I am not ready, not even in the least.
P.S- I loved the Crossover!
Trigger warnings- Bloodshed, torture and assault.
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