Book Thoughts: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
““Felt the air snap against her as she was hurled back, felt her body back against the stone wall before the agony of that darkness really sank in. Her breath stalled, her blood halted -
”
Get up get up get up."
In the stunning penultimate Throne of Glass novel, Sarah J. Maas undoubtedly shattered all of my expectations for this story, in the best possible way.
The book begins on a plot built on subtlety, a minefield of politics, and characters struggling to find their way back to each other, to dig themselves out of hellhole after hellhole, in a world that threatens to cleave them apart daily. Underneath each page is a hint of violence, each word carrying a promise of bloodshed in the near future, a byproduct of a book which has a heroine that is both an assassin and a queen.
Aelin Galathynius is on a quest to reclaim her throne, accompanied by her Fae prince, her war general of a cousin, and her shape shifter of a friend. Together, they are going to change the world.
The plot quickens as the story goes on, every character's storyline as captivating as the next. With each turn of the page, you learn more and more about each character, watching with bated breath as their paths eventually collide.
Sidenote: The characters in the prequel, The Assassin's Blade, play a significant role in this book, so make sure you've read it.
Aelin is by far my favorite female character I have ever read, because I have never encountered anyone so dynamic, so capable of being ruthless and selfless, arrogant and magnificent. I absolutely adored watching her relationship with Rowan unfold, along with her relationships between Aedion, Lysandra, and Dorian, and the relationships each of those characters form with each other, along with some new and unexpected additions. It still fascinates me that these characters have scars on their bodies, scars on their hearts, and yet they still manage to face each new terror with a wicked smile and a weapon in hand.
The story also delves into the lives of Elide Lochan, Manon Blackbeack, and Rowan's cadre, all of whom add a new layer of depth to the plot, as each of these characters grew stronger and wiser as each page progresses.
The females are the makers of this story: you'll be hard-pressed to find other characters that are as resourceful, cunning, loyal, and the pure definition of "badass" as each of the women hidden in these pages. They are the leaders, despite being alongside honed warrior males, who are trained in cruelty and ruthlessness beyond my comprehension, each of whom can wield a sword as its own magic. These are perhaps some of the strongest characters you could ever meet in a single chapter.
Empire of Storms is a story about loyalty, about sacrifice, about the brutal price for freedom, and about how wounds of the heart can be as painful as physical ones. This is a story about characters who are just starting to learn the vulnerability of love, the vulnerability that comes with the fear of losing each other in such a dire, perilous world.
Each chapter is a shock, each new page bringing a new threat to these beloved characters. At some points of the book, I simply had to put it down, to try and digest the what I had just read. Other times, I would marvel at these amazing characters Sarah created, strong females that contradict all gender roles, and males, who, as Aedion said, can do more than be a pretty view and provide meals. And sometimes, I would just drop the book and swear loudly, because what I read couldn't have possibly just happened.
I promise you this: when you finish this book, you'll be left reeling, your fingers aching with a physical need to get your hands on the next one.
Sarah, I am begging you: I don't know how, but please, please, make the ending of this series a happy one. My poor heart is destroyed after this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, to sink my mind back into a world where I can't pronounce one single character's name.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 6, 2016
