And who is that mirror for? What if we go on, only to find a horrible friend waiting for us? Aelin looked northward, as if she could see all the way to Terrasen. Everyone begins working to repair. They gave her purpose, they taught her that she could be more than an assassin again. Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas's #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. She escaped her nasty grandmother, but barely; thats an unfinished fight if ever there was one. However, this is later proved to be just a threshold, as Aelin found out another 'bottom' when she delved into her power for a day - to prepare to face Maeve in Doranelle. To withdraw your consent, see Your Choices. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save them. Erawan plans to bring his brothers back. And she made it. Right after she finds out that Maeve is valg, she runs to the river, and Rowan follows her. Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom .very much Aelin to Rowan in Heir of Fire. Manon is grounded and cannot help. He convinces her to help find the Wyrdkey. Is there romance in Kingdom of ash? Aelin rants, baffled as to why Arobynn would deceive them and dispatch them to reprove Rolfe for a crime he was not involved in. I just finished Kingdom of Ash a few hours ago.. and it was phenomenal. Mab's line was mentioned by Maeve to run true - so that her descendants will successfully transition into Fae when Settling. When he questions her about her past, Aelin shoots back a gibe about the map tattoo, implying Rolfe did not work for his position as she did for hers. So much has happened. And while Sam had the looks to be a courtesan, his mother wanted him to go to the assassin's guild. What is it about the witches that would make a Valg prince cringe? She and Sam hand Arobynn's letter to Rolfe; he finishes reading it, then reveals that he will not be compensating Arobynn in gold, but rathermuch to Aelin's horroris brokering a slave trade agreement with him. She bears the mark of the Nameless from her ancestor. Maas ultimately designed Aelin as a highly capable character whose talents also form a basis for numerous faults. She leaves him in a dark room to starve. It is split into two parts, Armies & Allies and Gods & Gates. With help from Nox Owen, revealed to be a rebel even during the King's Champion Tournament, the Lords and their men are drugged to sleep and awaken to find the army gone. In an interview prior to the series' debut, Maas discussed the process of creating her protagonist: I grew up reading books like Robin McKinley'sThe Hero and the Crownand Garth Nix'sSabrielboth of which feature strong heroines, and both of which profoundly shaped my identity and empowered me. He also discovers that the stygian spiders are Valg. Aelin enters Orynth in triumph. Will they somehow all do this together, and not have to die in the process? Aelin's letter to Doranelle had the desired effect; Maeve's armies have abandoned her. For the first eight years of her life, she lived as the Princess of Terrasen. Erawan leaves Maeve to go find Yrene. While some people expected her to marry Aedion Ashryver, her cousin and confidante, to solidify the family's claim to the throne, Aelin found the idea laughable as she . Following her abolition of the Skull's Bay slave trade and the severe beating from Arobynn as a result, Aelin is sent to train with the Silent Assassins as further punishment. This is the end of that girl in chains, the making of a Queen. She loves to read, write, watch films, and talk about Sarah J. Maas books. You dont really notice first time around because, you know, battle, but its this subtle curve weve been following for a while. She had to make choices, and delegations, at the end ofEmpire of Storms. As the threads of fate weave together at last, all our heroesmust fight together,if they are to have a chance at a future. And I just hope that shell go on to live with love because of them. At their meeting he tells them they're moving the army to Orynth. (All that Mab became a goddess stuff issuch a lie and I cant wait for that to become apparent. Rowan begins training her and she slowly regains some of her old self. Elide steals Farasha, Chaol's horse, and rides onto the battlefield to search for Lorcan, who is on the brink of death from wounds he received in battle. Her body also becomes taller and leaner in this form. He demands the Sword of Orynth back. (Also: If the blood oath is a Fae thing, how does it work for her? This is the moment when you know it isnt going to be an easy fix. Hes got such a good arc this book. After defeating Aelin, Maeve has her brutally whipped. Manon has stellar character development in this book. It made me feel so nauseous. *Wipes tears* First, as always, three of my favourite quotations from this book that didnt make it into the discussion: Ive kept it no secret that Crown of Midnight is my favourite TOG book, but here is my ranking of all of them, from favourite to least favourite: Some controversial choices, I know! As well, both their arcs this book is focused on personal growth, so I do like that their romantic plot-line isnt overdone or overly emphasized. Okay am I just dumb or have we never mentioned this magic school before?! Please tell her all your theories on Twitter! Ansels kingdoms proximity to the Witch Kingdom might render her disposableor it might make she and Manon fast friends. These books have some striking covers, so next I decided to rank those as well! I think its really important to note Aelins relationship with her fire. The Ashryvers are the royal family of the kingdom of Wendlyn, the Whitethorns seem to be the royal family from the kingdom of Doranelle. What are you hoping to see in the final book? In Orynth, Aedion and his forces set a trap for Morath's fleet and manage to destroy two of the three witch towers, crippling the third. The battle continues. Aelin killed her first overseer by gutting him with a pickax when he pushed her too hard. Dorian even says at one point the woman I love [Sorscha] is dead. Love, not loved. She fell into a river, and only Elena sacrificing herself to save her kept her alive. But she does still have some. When she cares for someone, she cares for them deeply and has experienced enough loss in her life to never want to feel it again. Aelin suggests that the assassins poison him before he leaks any information to the authorities, as per protocol, but Sam expresses horror to this proposal. She was happy to greet it again under the golden morning sun. , Those she loved with her heart of wildfire. . Her thoughts turn to her own restlessness, as the room she rented from Nolan is foul, the town is too isolated to offer any decent entertainment, and she has already read her books more than once. Maeve and Erawan arrive with the six kharankui hybrids. 3) I almost threw my book across the room when the gods were like uhh were not taking Erawan. Connall, Fenrys' twin brother, is also summoned who is then forced to kill himself by Maeve through the blood oath. Disgusted with the immorality of slaving and Arobynn's choice to involve her in his deal, Aelin decides to rescue the slaves and convinces Sam to assist her. Aelin had to lose her infinite fire power. Aelin is starting to understand and accept this. In the meantime, no one has noticed in the two months since Aelin's capture that Lysandra is pretending to be her, though the troops are troubled that AelinLysandrahas not displayed her fire magic. They receive a message from Lord Darrow requesting their presence the next day. He asks if she really cannot tolerate teasing, to which she replies that she cannot when it involves her life. During her stay in the fortress, she even has a relationship with Illias, which soon comes to an end because she remembers Sam. She is finally breaking free of her chains (since she was also a slave to the gods this whole time, doing their bidding, lead down this path.) [4] Morath still outnumbers his force with 100,000 soldiers. That everything is changed and knocked off its axis, everything but her love. Thank you thank you thank you. Its a nice framework that keeps us on track with his journey, as we see him decide that Adarlan is worth saving, and that yes, he is human. Maeve messes with all their minds, showing them horrible events. Were the witches bred from female Valg? Dorian receives confirmation from a dead Kaltain Rompier that the third Wyrdkey is in Morath. It is spring, and the kingsflame is blooming. Its not her only driving factor, obviously, but think about what happens every time someone she loves is harmed. I started writing knowing I wanted to create books like thatmostly because that's what interests me and where my passion lies, but also because I'd love for some young woman to read [Throne of Glass] and feel empowered, too.Sarah J. Maas, The story's teenage heroine, Aelin Galathynius, is introduced as an orphan who was raised and trained by an assassin. Sarah J. Maas said that if Aelin was a writer, she would write smut and joked that she would also be the Ultimate smut master. However, she was captured after attempting to exact revenge on Ioan Jayne and Rourke Farran for murdering her lover Sam Cortland. And THEN SHE USES THEM ALL UP TO FORGE A LOCK WHICH WAS UTTERLY USELESS cause the gods are bitches who didnt bring erawan away and KILLED elena too? The time for Aelin's departure nears, and she realizes that she does not want to remain in one place out of uncertainty and resignation like Yrene. Thank you for answering, I need to know before continuing the series. And in a way, she actually is. I would put it down, though, read something else for a day, because I couldnt face getting closer to the end. 86, The Assassin's Blade: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas, pg. Note: Im going to include some rankings and top ten lists and other fun things at the end of this post, so thats waiting at the bottom! What is his deal? And that is perfectly all right. If youre confused as to what Im talking about, Im Molly, and in January I embarked on a reread of Sarah J. Maas Throne of Glass series, and Ive been detailing my findings in a series of posts (linked above). Aelin losing that power and losing the human side of herself was something she never planned for, never wanted, never asked for (once she learned to appreciate it). 145, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas: Chapter 14, pg. I just dont want this series to end. Rolfe arrives with his Mycenians and buys them time to run to Orynth on their boats. But rereading, I took a closer look at it, and, honestly, I think its one of the best scenes in the series. Fenrys is saved by swearing the oath to Aelin. And she would not be afraid. , The heart hed offered and had been left to drop on the wooden planks of the river docks. Ansel gets mad at Celaena for almost kissing Ilias, and they get in a fight. Maeve helps distract Erawan while Dorian disguises himself as the Valg King and sneaks in and removes it. Mala gives Aelin a bit of her magic back, to say thank you for trying to save her daughter. Everyone else comes out, laying down flowers, but this is Manons moment. Aelin returns from the Red Desert after attaining training from the Mute Master with a huge sum of money. She asserts that the guild does not need the money, but she wonders if Arobynn is not as wealthy as she believes and has been spending money that he does not have, or if he simply wishes to become more affluent. In the end, Aelin doesnt need to do everything herself. Did she actually fall in love with him, whoever he was, or is that the story she made up to justify his disappearance? She proposes because she thinks it will help them both politically, and it is stated that she clearly doesnt really want to do this (at this point). That is fantastic. Stars could still glow, still burn bright, even buried under the earth., What if we go on, he said, only to more pain and despair? So much of this story depends on the actions of a beloved princess of Eyllwe who sacrificed herself to set things in motion. It is epic and powerful and heartfelt and meaningful and just lovely all around. Manon and the Crochans receive the call for aid. She is now an immortal Fae, her mortality burned away. She refers to her remaining powers as an ember of what they were. There she finds Fae soldiers and asks after Cairn; nothing is forthcoming until a Fae female named Essar follows her and mentions that Maeve has left and where Cairn is stationed. Will she diefor good, or to be brought back by Rowan? So lets dive in, shall we? So we need to talk about that scene with Aelin by the river. Rolfe arrives and demands that Aelin remove herself from his chair. It's mentioned several times how much of a toll having that much power took on her.