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mmarzullo's reviews
156 reviews
The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither
3.0
Strong start but annoying end. Not sure if I’ll continue the series but might since it’s on KU.
Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie
3.0
Does this girl ever stop crying? If so I’ll read the next one. If not… no thanks.
Reign & Ruin by J.D. Evans
5.0
This book was incredible. What an unexpected surprise. Political intrigue, spice, love, loss and a happy ending. And best of all it is well written. Amazing. And the female MC is brilliant. She’s intelligent and calculating and absolutely slaughters with words alone. It’s refreshing for strength to be measured in something other than physicality. I’ll recommend this to anyone interested in fantasy romance. Plus is was so cool to read a fantasy based in Turkish culture, something I have yet to experience. Loved this so much. Also gives me low key live action Aladdin vibes. Available on KU!
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
4 stars on reread!
These are notes for myself so I remember everything this has nothing to do with my review I just want to remember shit. Spoilers everywhere. You’ve been warned.
-Queen Elena says something along the lines of “a blood bond is forever” after Celaena thanks her for saving her life during the duel with Cain
-The Galathynius line starts with King Brannon who ruled over Terrasen. King Brannon’s half-Fae daughter Elena marries Gavin Havilliard. King Brannon bestows upon them the land of Adarlan as a wedding gift
-Elena was half-Fae, married the human prince Gavin Havilliard becoming the first king and queen of Adarlan. So there is Fae heritage in the Havilliard line. This means something for Dorian. Also are Celaena and Dorian related because of this? Luke and Leia situation here
-The king is using Wyrdmarks. So is the duke. The black rings they wear mean something
-Used Cain to demonstrate the physical effects of their “force” and Kaltain for the mental influence. What is it they’re testing? Maybe Wyrdmarks or something
-Wyrdgates open to other realms
-Why does Celaena have a Wyrdmark on her brow and what does it mean
These are notes for myself so I remember everything this has nothing to do with my review I just want to remember shit. Spoilers everywhere. You’ve been warned.
-Queen Elena says something along the lines of “a blood bond is forever” after Celaena thanks her for saving her life during the duel with Cain
-The Galathynius line starts with King Brannon who ruled over Terrasen. King Brannon’s half-Fae daughter Elena marries Gavin Havilliard. King Brannon bestows upon them the land of Adarlan as a wedding gift
-Elena was half-Fae, married the human prince Gavin Havilliard becoming the first king and queen of Adarlan. So there is Fae heritage in the Havilliard line. This means something for Dorian. Also are Celaena and Dorian related because of this? Luke and Leia situation here
-The king is using Wyrdmarks. So is the duke. The black rings they wear mean something
-Used Cain to demonstrate the physical effects of their “force” and Kaltain for the mental influence. What is it they’re testing? Maybe Wyrdmarks or something
-Wyrdgates open to other realms
-Why does Celaena have a Wyrdmark on her brow and what does it mean
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
This was devastating.
I read this book after Heir of Fire and I think this the perfect spot in the TOG timeline for it. Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire both have very dense and intricate plotlines, so reading The Assassin's Blade was a welcome interlude before diving into Queen of Shadows (I was also informed that Queen of Shadows re-introduces a lot of the characters we first meet in The Assassin's Blade).
After seeing Celaena struggle to overcome her past all through HoF, TAB provides so much more depth to her character and adds to the understanding of who she is. Not to mention the devastation at the end. This book will stay with me for a long time.
I read this book after Heir of Fire and I think this the perfect spot in the TOG timeline for it. Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire both have very dense and intricate plotlines, so reading The Assassin's Blade was a welcome interlude before diving into Queen of Shadows (I was also informed that Queen of Shadows re-introduces a lot of the characters we first meet in The Assassin's Blade).
After seeing Celaena struggle to overcome her past all through HoF, TAB provides so much more depth to her character and adds to the understanding of who she is. Not to mention the devastation at the end. This book will stay with me for a long time.
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
4.0
PLOT SUMMARY (COMPLETE) DO NOT READ SPOILERS EVERYWHERE
Part 1: Retrieving the Wyrdstone Key (aka the Amulet of Orynth) from Arobynn
Upon returning to Rifthold, Aelin wastes no time in finding Arobynn and they strike a deal: she will capture a Valg demon for Arobynn in exchange for his assistance in the rescue and safe return of her cousin, Aedion Ashryver. They rescue Aedion shortly after and bring him to her apartments to recover.
Aelin, plotting as always, uses her frequent daytime meetings with the Master of the Bank to become acquainted with the bank's layout. This allows her to break in overnight and alter Arobynn's will, making herself the sole beneficiary of all of his assets. In his original will, the only item he left to her was the Amulet of Orynth, confirming that he is indeed still in possession of it. A short time later, Arobynn calls in his favor and invites them for dinner at the Keep.
In preparation for her dinner with Arobynn, Aelin makes a deal with her captured Valg commander: She offers him a swift death in exchange for his cooperation in tricking Arobynn. She cuts off the finger containing his true Wyrdstone ring and slips a false replica onto his opposite hand, courtesy of Lysandra.
Chained in the dungeons of the Assassin's Keep, the commander upholds his end of the bargain- providing Arobynn with false information on how the King uses his rings to enslave and control his army. Arobynn cuts off the finger containing the false ring, pockets it, and slits the Valg’s throat.
Following dinner, alone in his study, Aelin asks Arobynn to return the Amulet of Orynth. He gives her the amulet, but then slips the false Wyrdstone ring onto her finger believing he now has complete control over her. She plays along until she arrives safely back at her apartment with Aedion and Rowan, where she drops the act and reveals her true plan. She then intentionally lingers on her rooftop where she knows Arobynn's spies will be watching to ensure she will not be implicated in his death. Lysandra slits Arobynn's throat while he sleeps.
Lorcan makes his appearance around this time and we learn that he himself is also tracking the Wyrdkeys. He tells Aelin and Rowan that the ring from Athril’s scabbard, the ring Aelin traded to free Rowan from his blood oath to Queen Maeve, was forged by the goddess Mala and grants immunity from the Valg’s power. The bearer need never fear being enslaved by Wyrdstone. Queen Maeve plans to retrieve all three wyrdkeys, and along with the ring, will make herself a god. Lorcan says that doing so will destroy her, and to honor his blood oath, he must gather the wyrdkeys and keep them from her before she can destroy herself. He offers Aelin a trade: the ring for her wyrdkey. She accepts, but deceptively gives him a false replica of the amulet.
Part 2: The Turning Point
Arobynn had one last trick up his sleeve; upon his death, the king was notified of Lysandra’s shapeshifter bloodline. She was captured and is being transferred to Morath. Along with the transport, the King and Dorian will be meeting with the Wing Leader (Manon), and the Blackbeak matron in Oakwald. This is where the storylines begin to converge
Aelin, Rowan, Aedion, Chaol and Nesryn rescue Lysandra from the prison wagon while the King is distracted viewing the weapon built by the Blackbeak Matron. Manon toys with Dorian, but when she locks eyes with him, the demon recoils and Dorian momentarily regains control of his body, indicating that he is still fighting. Aelin, etc. escape with Lysandra, but Chaol is gone. He at last understands that Dorian is beyond saving and disappears to kill him as a final mercy for his friend. However he instead comes upon Manon and her Thirteen. The others find him and Aelin faces off with Manon. One of the Thirteen fires a near-fatal shot at Rowan, and Aelin becomes feral with rage. She ultimately bests Manon, but when she turns to leave her for dead, she hears Asterin screaming in agony after Manon. She decides to save Manon, later telling Rowan, “Because the golden-haired witch, Asterin […] [s]he screamed Manon’s name the way I screamed yours. […] How can I take away somebody who means the world to someone else? Even if she’s my enemy.” Manon wakes up alone in a clearing, realizing she was spared and now owes Aelin a life debt.
We also learn from Manon that the weapon her grandmother is creating is giant transportable battle towers, their inside lined with the sacred mirrors of the Ancients which will serve as amplifiers, reflecting and multiplying any power the king chose to unleash until it became a weapon that could be aimed at any target. The King plans to use Kaltain’s shadowfire.
When Manon returns to Morath, Asterin pulls her aside. She explains to Manon that many years back she fell in love with a human man and became pregnant. She was sequestered by the Blackbeak matron until she gave birth. When she gave birth to a stillborn witchling, the matron incinerated the child, beat Asterin to near death and branded the word “UNCLEAN” on her abdomen. She then banished her from the witch clan, all the while keeping it secret from Manon. This, along with the knowledge that Aelin Galathynius is alive, becomes Manon’s breaking point and she finally sees the truth behind her grandmother’s cruelty. She flies with Asterin to Rifthold, painting signs all over the city for Aelin to find, reading ”WITCH KILLER—THE HUMAN IS STILL INSIDE HIM.” Aelin races to tell Chaol that the prince can still be saved.
Part 3: The Tower
Aelin and her court head to the castle to destroy the tower, restore magic, kill the King and save Dorian. Aedion and Rowan bring vats of Hellfire into the dungeons where Lorcan supposedly destroyed the Wyrdhounds via a trap previously orchestrated by Aelin. When they arrive at the chamber beneath the clock tower, they realize that Lorcan lied, and all 7 Wyrdhounds are awaiting them. In the ensuing fight, Rowan and Aedion are able to destroy 4 of them, but are soon overrun. Lorcan then shows up, killing the remaining 3 and igniting the hellfire. As they are retreating through the tunnels, the Hellfire ignites, freeing magic, just as hundreds of Valg warriors arrive to overwhelm them. Rowan is mortally wounded and despite magic returning cannot heal himself fast enough. Just as him and Aedion are about to make their last stand, Lysandra appears in the form of a Ghost leopard, slaughtering all of the Valg and allowing them all to escape.
Meanwhile, Aelin once again disguises herself as Celaena Sardothien, the King’s Champion, hauling in a shackled Chaol through the front gates as a “gift” for the King. The King, however, sees through the ruse and calls her by her true name. Aelin reveals that she wears the Eye of Elena, which we now know is the key to unlocking (and sealing) the Valg king’s sarcophagus beneath Morath. The Eye is a fake, which she uses to lure Dorian from the throne room, leaving Chaol to face off with the King, sacrificing himself to buy her time to free Dorian. This was the plan her and Chaol agreed to after discovering that Dorian was still fighting. Just before she leaves, however, she slips the true Eye in Chaol’s pocket, hoping it will offer him some protection.
The Valg prince possessing Dorian chases Aelin through the castle and she lures him up to the bridge that her and Chaol had selected, knowing she would be standing there at the apex of the solstice when her power was at its strongest. Aelin slips Athril’s ring on his finger, banishing the demon and freeing Dorian. The King arrives, and together Dorian and Aelin overpower him, shattering the black ring from his hand. The true King at last surfaces, a human once more. “Have you come to save me at last, Aelin Galathynius?”
We learn that when the King was younger, he found the Eye of Elena, learning it was the key to the sarcophagus containing the Valg king Erawan. Duke Perrington brought him into the crypt beneath Morath and together they opened the sarcophagus and released the Valg king. The Valg King took Perrington’s body and his minion took the King. Erawan remained hidden, biding his time to create an army, but by hiding his presence he also stifled his own abilities, making him unable to scent others, such as Aelin and Dorian. When Dorian was born, however, the king was able to wrest control away from the demon long enough to order the towers built and use that spell to banish magic in an effort to protect his son. He used his only remaining strength to hide the truth of the towers from Perrington/Erawan, making him unable to stop the demon controlling him from committing his heinous crimes. Unfortunately, using his blood in the spell made his line immune and Dorian was able to access his magic despite the towers. Aelin realizes that now that magic was free, the magic-wielders would be sniffed out by every Valg demon in Erilea. The King then reveals that Chaol is still alive, injured but protected by the Eye of Elena. Dorian shatters the glass castle, killing his father, the King.
Shattering the glass castle sends a wave of deadly glass shards that threatens to destroy the city of Rifthold. Aelin, with the help of her carranam, uses her fire to stop the destruction.
Part 4: Morath
Back in Morath, magic has returned and the keep is in chaos. Manon realizes that Elide is missing, and tracks her to the dungeons where she slaughters all the Valg in her way. She rescues Elide, but is soon overrun when she suddenly sees Kaltain waiting for them.
Manon discovers that Kaltain destroyed the demon contained inside her collar long ago, giving her free will and reign over her power. She reveals that the Valg king (Duke Perrington) implanted a wyrdkey into her arm: His precious gift, his key, he had called her. A living gate, he promised. Soon, he had said he would add the other. And then find the third. So that the king inside him might rule again.
Kaltain cuts out the Wyrdkey and hands it to Elide, wrapping it inside a scrap of cloth that belonged to the cloak Aelin had given her in the dungeons long ago. ”You find Celaena Sardothien. Give her this. No one else. Tell her that you can open any door, if you have the key. And tell her to remember her promise to me—to punish them all. When she asks why, tell her I said that they would not let me bring the cloak she gave me, but I kept a piece of it. To remember the promise she made. To remember to repay her for a warm cloak in a cold dungeon.”
Kaltain sacrifices herself to buy Manon, Elide and the Thirteen time to flee Morath, killing the enslaved Yellowlegs, their demon offspring, and a third of the keep.
Part 5: The Aftermath
Aelin and Dorian are recovering in the stone castle. Rowan watches over Aelin while Aedion assumes temporary control of the castle. Lorcan shows up, and explains that once he saw Aedion and realized he was Gavriel’s son, he ran to save them in the tunnels. He leaves with a warning, stating, “It’s not over, […] not even close.” Upon waking, Aelin realizes that Lorcan had stolen back Athril’s ring, though he does not yet realize that the wyrdkey she gave him was fake.
Dorian is haunted by his actions under the control of the Valg prince as well as Sorscha and the king’s deaths and Chaols injuries. Chaol is paralyzed from the waste down. Dorian, now King, names Chaol the King’s Hand, and sends Chaol with Nesryn to the Southern Continent—to the Torre Cesme—to be healed.
After escaping the destruction of Morath, Manon, her Thirteen and Elide are resting in a clearing. Manon tells Elide to travel north to Terrassen and her Queen while the witches return to Morath. Elide travels north with the Wyrdkey, vowing to find Celaena Sardothien and fulfill her debt to Kaltain. She is not aware that Celaena Sardothien is Aelin Galathynius, her Queen.
Part 1: Retrieving the Wyrdstone Key (aka the Amulet of Orynth) from Arobynn
Upon returning to Rifthold, Aelin wastes no time in finding Arobynn and they strike a deal: she will capture a Valg demon for Arobynn in exchange for his assistance in the rescue and safe return of her cousin, Aedion Ashryver. They rescue Aedion shortly after and bring him to her apartments to recover.
Aelin, plotting as always, uses her frequent daytime meetings with the Master of the Bank to become acquainted with the bank's layout. This allows her to break in overnight and alter Arobynn's will, making herself the sole beneficiary of all of his assets. In his original will, the only item he left to her was the Amulet of Orynth, confirming that he is indeed still in possession of it. A short time later, Arobynn calls in his favor and invites them for dinner at the Keep.
In preparation for her dinner with Arobynn, Aelin makes a deal with her captured Valg commander: She offers him a swift death in exchange for his cooperation in tricking Arobynn. She cuts off the finger containing his true Wyrdstone ring and slips a false replica onto his opposite hand, courtesy of Lysandra.
Chained in the dungeons of the Assassin's Keep, the commander upholds his end of the bargain- providing Arobynn with false information on how the King uses his rings to enslave and control his army. Arobynn cuts off the finger containing the false ring, pockets it, and slits the Valg’s throat.
Following dinner, alone in his study, Aelin asks Arobynn to return the Amulet of Orynth. He gives her the amulet, but then slips the false Wyrdstone ring onto her finger believing he now has complete control over her. She plays along until she arrives safely back at her apartment with Aedion and Rowan, where she drops the act and reveals her true plan. She then intentionally lingers on her rooftop where she knows Arobynn's spies will be watching to ensure she will not be implicated in his death. Lysandra slits Arobynn's throat while he sleeps.
Lorcan makes his appearance around this time and we learn that he himself is also tracking the Wyrdkeys. He tells Aelin and Rowan that the ring from Athril’s scabbard, the ring Aelin traded to free Rowan from his blood oath to Queen Maeve, was forged by the goddess Mala and grants immunity from the Valg’s power. The bearer need never fear being enslaved by Wyrdstone. Queen Maeve plans to retrieve all three wyrdkeys, and along with the ring, will make herself a god. Lorcan says that doing so will destroy her, and to honor his blood oath, he must gather the wyrdkeys and keep them from her before she can destroy herself. He offers Aelin a trade: the ring for her wyrdkey. She accepts, but deceptively gives him a false replica of the amulet.
Part 2: The Turning Point
Arobynn had one last trick up his sleeve; upon his death, the king was notified of Lysandra’s shapeshifter bloodline. She was captured and is being transferred to Morath. Along with the transport, the King and Dorian will be meeting with the Wing Leader (Manon), and the Blackbeak matron in Oakwald. This is where the storylines begin to converge
Aelin, Rowan, Aedion, Chaol and Nesryn rescue Lysandra from the prison wagon while the King is distracted viewing the weapon built by the Blackbeak Matron. Manon toys with Dorian, but when she locks eyes with him, the demon recoils and Dorian momentarily regains control of his body, indicating that he is still fighting. Aelin, etc. escape with Lysandra, but Chaol is gone. He at last understands that Dorian is beyond saving and disappears to kill him as a final mercy for his friend. However he instead comes upon Manon and her Thirteen. The others find him and Aelin faces off with Manon. One of the Thirteen fires a near-fatal shot at Rowan, and Aelin becomes feral with rage. She ultimately bests Manon, but when she turns to leave her for dead, she hears Asterin screaming in agony after Manon. She decides to save Manon, later telling Rowan, “Because the golden-haired witch, Asterin […] [s]he screamed Manon’s name the way I screamed yours. […] How can I take away somebody who means the world to someone else? Even if she’s my enemy.” Manon wakes up alone in a clearing, realizing she was spared and now owes Aelin a life debt.
We also learn from Manon that the weapon her grandmother is creating is giant transportable battle towers, their inside lined with the sacred mirrors of the Ancients which will serve as amplifiers, reflecting and multiplying any power the king chose to unleash until it became a weapon that could be aimed at any target. The King plans to use Kaltain’s shadowfire.
When Manon returns to Morath, Asterin pulls her aside. She explains to Manon that many years back she fell in love with a human man and became pregnant. She was sequestered by the Blackbeak matron until she gave birth. When she gave birth to a stillborn witchling, the matron incinerated the child, beat Asterin to near death and branded the word “UNCLEAN” on her abdomen. She then banished her from the witch clan, all the while keeping it secret from Manon. This, along with the knowledge that Aelin Galathynius is alive, becomes Manon’s breaking point and she finally sees the truth behind her grandmother’s cruelty. She flies with Asterin to Rifthold, painting signs all over the city for Aelin to find, reading ”WITCH KILLER—THE HUMAN IS STILL INSIDE HIM.” Aelin races to tell Chaol that the prince can still be saved.
Part 3: The Tower
Aelin and her court head to the castle to destroy the tower, restore magic, kill the King and save Dorian. Aedion and Rowan bring vats of Hellfire into the dungeons where Lorcan supposedly destroyed the Wyrdhounds via a trap previously orchestrated by Aelin. When they arrive at the chamber beneath the clock tower, they realize that Lorcan lied, and all 7 Wyrdhounds are awaiting them. In the ensuing fight, Rowan and Aedion are able to destroy 4 of them, but are soon overrun. Lorcan then shows up, killing the remaining 3 and igniting the hellfire. As they are retreating through the tunnels, the Hellfire ignites, freeing magic, just as hundreds of Valg warriors arrive to overwhelm them. Rowan is mortally wounded and despite magic returning cannot heal himself fast enough. Just as him and Aedion are about to make their last stand, Lysandra appears in the form of a Ghost leopard, slaughtering all of the Valg and allowing them all to escape.
Meanwhile, Aelin once again disguises herself as Celaena Sardothien, the King’s Champion, hauling in a shackled Chaol through the front gates as a “gift” for the King. The King, however, sees through the ruse and calls her by her true name. Aelin reveals that she wears the Eye of Elena, which we now know is the key to unlocking (and sealing) the Valg king’s sarcophagus beneath Morath. The Eye is a fake, which she uses to lure Dorian from the throne room, leaving Chaol to face off with the King, sacrificing himself to buy her time to free Dorian. This was the plan her and Chaol agreed to after discovering that Dorian was still fighting. Just before she leaves, however, she slips the true Eye in Chaol’s pocket, hoping it will offer him some protection.
The Valg prince possessing Dorian chases Aelin through the castle and she lures him up to the bridge that her and Chaol had selected, knowing she would be standing there at the apex of the solstice when her power was at its strongest. Aelin slips Athril’s ring on his finger, banishing the demon and freeing Dorian. The King arrives, and together Dorian and Aelin overpower him, shattering the black ring from his hand. The true King at last surfaces, a human once more. “Have you come to save me at last, Aelin Galathynius?”
We learn that when the King was younger, he found the Eye of Elena, learning it was the key to the sarcophagus containing the Valg king Erawan. Duke Perrington brought him into the crypt beneath Morath and together they opened the sarcophagus and released the Valg king. The Valg King took Perrington’s body and his minion took the King. Erawan remained hidden, biding his time to create an army, but by hiding his presence he also stifled his own abilities, making him unable to scent others, such as Aelin and Dorian. When Dorian was born, however, the king was able to wrest control away from the demon long enough to order the towers built and use that spell to banish magic in an effort to protect his son. He used his only remaining strength to hide the truth of the towers from Perrington/Erawan, making him unable to stop the demon controlling him from committing his heinous crimes. Unfortunately, using his blood in the spell made his line immune and Dorian was able to access his magic despite the towers. Aelin realizes that now that magic was free, the magic-wielders would be sniffed out by every Valg demon in Erilea. The King then reveals that Chaol is still alive, injured but protected by the Eye of Elena. Dorian shatters the glass castle, killing his father, the King.
Shattering the glass castle sends a wave of deadly glass shards that threatens to destroy the city of Rifthold. Aelin, with the help of her carranam, uses her fire to stop the destruction.
Part 4: Morath
Back in Morath, magic has returned and the keep is in chaos. Manon realizes that Elide is missing, and tracks her to the dungeons where she slaughters all the Valg in her way. She rescues Elide, but is soon overrun when she suddenly sees Kaltain waiting for them.
Manon discovers that Kaltain destroyed the demon contained inside her collar long ago, giving her free will and reign over her power. She reveals that the Valg king (Duke Perrington) implanted a wyrdkey into her arm: His precious gift, his key, he had called her. A living gate, he promised. Soon, he had said he would add the other. And then find the third. So that the king inside him might rule again.
Kaltain cuts out the Wyrdkey and hands it to Elide, wrapping it inside a scrap of cloth that belonged to the cloak Aelin had given her in the dungeons long ago. ”You find Celaena Sardothien. Give her this. No one else. Tell her that you can open any door, if you have the key. And tell her to remember her promise to me—to punish them all. When she asks why, tell her I said that they would not let me bring the cloak she gave me, but I kept a piece of it. To remember the promise she made. To remember to repay her for a warm cloak in a cold dungeon.”
Kaltain sacrifices herself to buy Manon, Elide and the Thirteen time to flee Morath, killing the enslaved Yellowlegs, their demon offspring, and a third of the keep.
Part 5: The Aftermath
Aelin and Dorian are recovering in the stone castle. Rowan watches over Aelin while Aedion assumes temporary control of the castle. Lorcan shows up, and explains that once he saw Aedion and realized he was Gavriel’s son, he ran to save them in the tunnels. He leaves with a warning, stating, “It’s not over, […] not even close.” Upon waking, Aelin realizes that Lorcan had stolen back Athril’s ring, though he does not yet realize that the wyrdkey she gave him was fake.
Dorian is haunted by his actions under the control of the Valg prince as well as Sorscha and the king’s deaths and Chaols injuries. Chaol is paralyzed from the waste down. Dorian, now King, names Chaol the King’s Hand, and sends Chaol with Nesryn to the Southern Continent—to the Torre Cesme—to be healed.
After escaping the destruction of Morath, Manon, her Thirteen and Elide are resting in a clearing. Manon tells Elide to travel north to Terrassen and her Queen while the witches return to Morath. Elide travels north with the Wyrdkey, vowing to find Celaena Sardothien and fulfill her debt to Kaltain. She is not aware that Celaena Sardothien is Aelin Galathynius, her Queen.