What’s it all about?:
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.
Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.
What did I think?:
Have I mentioned that I’m an unashamedly desperate and adoring Throne Of Glass groupie? Because I am and with every book in the series, Sarah J. Maas’ world keeps getting more complex and the plot practically explodes with even more intricate details. Seriously, I’m beginning to wonder whether the author had this whole thing mapped out in her head from day one or if she is making it up as she goes along because this world she has built is so fascinating and incredibly detailed that I just marvel at her imagination and story-telling ability.
Queen Of Shadows is the fourth book in the Throne Of Glass series and, as a result, is always tricky to review as I’m super wary of giving away spoilers and ruining everything for anyone who has not started this series yet and is considering it. I’m going to keep things as vague as I possibly can but I highly recommend if you’re at all interested in the epic journey that is Throne Of Glass to go and read the first few books and then come back. In this novel, Celaena Sardothien grows exponentially as an individual after having been under the most horrific suffering in the previous instalments of this story. She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, is ready to wreak revenge on those who have wronged both her and those that she loves, is desperate to save her land and her people and bring down the evil forces in her world that are determined to cause as much havoc, death and destruction as they can.
It’s not going to be an easy ride for Aelin. She comes across both old and new adversaries that are hell-bent on stopping her before she can ruin their mission. With Rowan Whitethorn by her side however and the blossoming of their relationship, she feels that she can face anyone and anything. The addition of new characters and the formation of strong friendships builds her strength and confidence up even further and with their ferocious support, Aelin may finally be able to move mountains, take down her own personal barriers, learn to love again and, of course, save the world from a deadly enemy.
I think I’ve already gushed on enough about how much I love the world building in this series, now I just have to take a few moments to describe to you the wonderful characters that Sarah J. Maas has created. First of all, Aelin herself, the gutsy, independent female lead that I fell in love with the instant she was introduced in the first Throne Of Glass novel. Then we have Manon Blackbeak, who I mentioned in my previous review Heir Of Fire and is just as utterly brilliant and intriguing in this volume – I’m eagerly anticipating great things happening with her character in future novels and can hardly wait. Then we have the new additions, Aelin’s new friend, the enigmatic Lysandra who I adored and Elide whose story at times actually broke my heart. In fact, there are a lot of characters to get to grips with in this series but they are all so beautifully fleshed out that I never found myself overwhelmed by the sheer number of them, I loved them all as individuals – yes, even the villains of the piece. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, Empire Of Storms although I have to admit, it’s tinged with a side note of sadness. I can sense the series coming towards the end and although I know it has to happen, I’m dreading it!
Would I recommend it?:
But of course!
Star rating (out of 5):
