Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Hardcover: 648 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release date: September 1st, 2015

Series:  Throne of Glass #4

Source: 

Reviewed by: 

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

The queen has returned.

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 has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. 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.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Celaena Sardothien aka Aelin Galathynius has been through a lot, especially for someone so young, but her troubles are far from being over. She met and bonded with her precious Rowan during her oversea quest, but now she's back to Ardalan, on her own and needs to learn to fight without her magic powers once more. Her mission is quite simply, retrieve her cousin Aedion from the execution block, free magic, kill the King and free (or kill if it comes to this) Dorian. Easy peasy!

I loved this series and it's been a very long time since I've read the previous books, and I must say, my lack of memory was my worst enemy when reading this book. All through the novel Maas refers to past events or previous characters and while it 'rings a bell' she didn't provide enough information to really remind me what she was referring too. It was very frustrating to KNOW I should remember something, but not have a clue. Keltain and Elide were to two most frustrating characters for me for that reason, because I had no idea who they were! After searching online I found that Keltain was rich self-serving b*tch from book one (and dear lord did she change!) and Elide was the daughter of a maid who helped protect Aelin as a child. Maas did not provide enough details in Queen of Shadows for me to remember them while reading. Did you have the same problem? It might just be me...

I have really mixed feelings about the installment. I read it pretty fast because it's full of suspense and fairly action-packed, keeping a fast pace despite this book being so long (almost 600 pages!) but some parts of the plot seemed impossible. The whole book Aelin sets out on her own doing god-knows-what and later on surprises us with a certain plot twist and we are suppose to believe she plotted the whole things days / weeks before. It made things interesting, but didn't seem plausible.

On the other hand, we got to know Lysandra really well and she was truly a star for me. I learned to hate her in the previous novels but it turns out it was all an act and she is beyond awesome! I really enjoyed her company and her witty lines. We was a happy surprise! As was Nesryn, a rebel solider with wicked bow skills and she's Chaol's second-in-command.

I wasn't a fan of Manon (a witch) at all, and her chapter bored me at first, but she grew on me has she finally showed a bit of balls toward the end of the book and I am really curious about her future role in the final battle. She is currently fighting on the side of evil, but shows signs of redemption. Who knows where it will lead her!

Overall, I'm still in love with the series and plan to read the fifth installment (Empire of Storms) very soon. The events of Queen of Shadows are game changers and I'm really anxious to know what comes next. If you haven't tried this series, I would recommend starting with the novellas (Would can find them bound in a single book titled The Assassin's Blade or purchase 'em individually for e-readers) has the events taking place in those are crucial.

Happy reading!

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by Tynga at Friday, April 21, 2017

 Assassin, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, Fantasy, Fantasy amp; Magic, Fey, Love amp; Romance, Magic, Purchased, Review, Romance, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (second opinion)

I recently read Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.  I know, I know: I'm waaaay behind the game on this series!  I'm kicking myself for not trying them sooner; they're excellent.  On the plus side, I get to binge-read them now, since I waited until so many were released to start reading them!  This is a Second Look on Tynga's Reviews- Tynga herself reviewed this right after it was released in 2013.  You can read her excellent review here.

WOW.  I feel like I've just been on the most amazing roller coaster!  The book's official summary hints at a secret being revealed, but there's no way you could see this one coming.  It's a whammy.  It's going to be so hard to write this review and tell you about this amazing book without telling you the secret!  You will need to go read the book so that we can discuss in the comment section.  ;)

I wholeheartedly agree with Tynga's assessment that the characters really make this book great.  (And the first book, and the third, which I've just started reading.)  Celaena is the most kickbutt heroine I've ever read, I think.  Remember in the first book how hard she worked to overcome immense odds to get herself in shape to win the king's contest?  Now that she's the king's assassin Champion, she isn't slacking!  He has her killing people left and right.  She's dispatching them completely silently- no one in the whole kingdom has any idea how they're happening.  One thing is changing about Celaena, though: she's allowing herself to be slightly (very, very, very slightly) more open.  We readers definitely get to know a lot more about her; Chaol and Dorian get to know her better as well.  I think I mentioned in my first review, of Throne of Glass, that I love how "real" Celaena is.  She has hobbies (books!) and interests (warcraft and martial arts) and favorite foods (chocolate and candy!).  Often this type of book will have a main character with a goal/mission, and that's all they ever focus on.  Maybe they'll have a little romance on the side.  I can't remember ever before reading about how much a character enjoys unwinding with a good book!  I love that.

Chaol and Dorian continue to get rounded out as well.  Especially Dorian!  I think we got to know sweet, tough, chivalrous, smart Chaol in Throne of Glass.  By the end of Throne of Glass I was 100% "Team Chaol."  Even though the books have an almost medieval-type feel to them, I don't feel like Chaol ever looks down on women just for being women.  He might look down on someone who "simpered" or acted foolish, but he totally respects Celaena, and encourages her development.  To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure how to feel about Dorian by the end of Throne of Glass.  He was already showing signs of being quite a complicated person.  That's good- no one likes 1D characters- but it also complicated my feelings toward him.  In Crown of Midnight, however, Celaena isn't the only one with a secret:  we also learn a very interesting fact about Dorian in the second half of the book!

Throne of Glass wrapped up nicely.  Sarah J. Maas almost could've simply ended there.  (We'd all be clamoring for more, because she built an awesome world with an awesome main character, but the plot wrapped up for the most part.)  So there was a blank slate for Crown of Midnight.  I had no clue what to expect!  The opening was just a tiny bit slow, but once it picks up (about a third of the way in) it REALLY picks up!  If anyone were able to make this into a movie, it'd gross millions.  There's action and adventure and fighting and subterfuge oh my!  Then, at the very end, the much-anticipated huge reveal!  I cannot stress enough:  you need to read this book!  You'll be totally surprised by the secret!

I listened to Crown of Midnight as an audiobook, and it was great.  The reader spoke clearly and at a good, even, natural pace.  I love doing sci-fi/fantasy books as audiobooks so that I don't have to think about how to pronounce all the totally-foreign-to-me place and person names!

I definitely recommend this book!

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by Tynga at Thursday, January 05, 2017

 action, Action amp; Adventure, Bloomsbury Children's, Fantasy amp; Magic, Girls amp; Women, heroine, Library, Review, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, YA, young adult  5 People left their mark

✎

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas

In The Assassin and the Pirate Lord, we get to meet Celaena a super pretty and extremely cocky sixteen years old assassin, on a mission for her master, along with Sam, another assassin she grew up with. Both teenagers thought they were going to the pirate lord to settle a business with him, after some assassins were presumably killed by pirates, but both youth are in for a surprise.

I really enjoyed this story because even though the novella is only 69 pages long, it was enough to fall in love with both main characters. They also showed a bit of growth and their opinion of each other evolved enough to make a difference. The story and its ending were also heart-poundingly exciting!

The Assassin and the Healer takes place next and Celaena is on her journey toward the Silent Master. She stays at a inn and meets a young girl with a difficult life. Despite the beating she took from Arobinn she decides to help this girl too. I like how she is so though on the outside, but is also soft when it come to helping those in needs. This story is the shortest of the bunch, but still an interesting one.

In  The Assassin and the Desert, Celaena is punished for her actions of the first story and sent to the desert heat. She is suppose to gain the approval of the Silent Master, or not come back. But how to you earn the approval of a master who doesn’t want to train you? Celaena will have to draw his attention but it won’t be easy.

My favorite aspect of this second installment is the dramatic growth Celaena showed us. She used to be a cocky, snob, spoiled girl but the desert heat is hard and did wonders to her personality. Nothing brings you back to reality like a 6 miles run under the desert sun. She was also away from Sam, and this time of loneliness allowed her to think about her relationship with him. The ending was once again breathtaking!

The fourth story, The Assassin and the Underworld, was just as engrossing. Celeana is back with her master in this story and she has to decide where her allegiances stands. Can she forgive him for what he did? How does she really feel about Sam now that she’s back in his presence? All the while working on an assassinating mission.

This novella was my favorite thus far for three reasons. First, we finally get to see her assassin talents at works. Second, the plot is much thicker and not everything is what it seems. And last but not least, there is some romance involved and I really like how it played out.

The Assassin and the Empire is the last novella and is the longest.

Sam & Celaena are in love and want to leave town, but if they don’t want to live their lives as fugitives, they have to strike a deal with the Assassin’s Guild and the price will be a steep one. Even steeper than the astounding number the leader is asking for, but our heroes will find out the hard way…

I’ve already read the following books in the series, which gave me a very interesting perspective. I truly enjoyed discovering about the lovers, especially knowing what came next. Even though I knew the final outcome of the installment, I enjoyed discovering the particulars, and I was simply hooked to the pages. That’s just how enticing Maas’ writing is.

The plot proved to be exciting and engrossing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and felt the weight of grief right by Celaena’s side. The emotions were honest and raw and I truly enjoyed it.

I strongly urge you to read The Assassin's Blade because even though it's not absolutely necessary to your enjoyment of the series, it will definitely enhance your experience. Miss Maas often refers to events happening in the stories, and having read them will enlighten those moments.

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by Tynga at Friday, April 10, 2015

 Assassin, Bloomsbury, Bloomsbury Children's, Fantasy, Fantasy amp; Magic, Love amp; Romance, Purchased, Review, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, young adult  3 People left their mark

✎

The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J Maas

The Assassin and the Empire is the last of a series of four novellas taking place before the first book in the series, Throne of glass.

Sam & Celaena are in love and want to leave town, but if they don't want to live their lives as fugitives, they have to strike a deal with the Assassin's Guild and the price will be a steep one. Even steeper than the astounding number the leader is asking for, but our heroes will find out the hard way...

I've already read the first three novellas as well as the first two books in the series, which gave me a very interesting perspective. I truly enjoyed discovering about the lovers, especially knowing what came next. Even though I knew the final outcome of the installment, I enjoyed discovering the particulars, and I was simply hooked to the pages. That's just how enticing Maas' writing is.

Another element I particularly liked is that reading those novellas provides the readers with the exact events that brought Celaena to become the person she is in Throne of Glass. See, the girl from the novellas, and the girl from the series is completely different. The Novellas are a tale of hope, love, betrayal and grief, which explains our hero's behaviors later in the series.

The plot proved to be exciting and engrossing. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and felt the weight of grief right by Celaena's side. The emotions were honest and raw and I truly enjoyed it.

I strongly urge you to read the four novellas in the series because even though they aren't absolutely necessary to your enjoyment of the series, it will definitely enhance your experience. Miss Maas often refers to events happening in the stories, and having read them will enlighten those moments.

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by Tynga at Friday, November 08, 2013

 Assassin, Bloomsbury, High Fantasy, Novella November, Purchased, Review, Sarah J Maas, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Now that Calaena is the King's Champion she has to face the responsibilities going with her title. He has a never-ending lists of man for her to dispatch, sending her on missions to spread his wrath. It doesn't mean she's ready to trade her soul for her freedom though and she finds original ways to convince the King of her loyalties.

Crown of Midnight was simply amazing and in perfect continuity with the first book, Throne of Glass. Miss Maas created an awesome world and I felt right back home when I launched beside Calaena into her new adventures. Filled with hidden magic, conspiracies and passion in a medieval setting, I had everything I like in a novel to be completely engrossed.

Despite its awesomeness, the world building isn't everything and the characters are definitely the main reason I love this series so much. Each character is so rich, full of life and mysteries, you really have to pay attention to the subtleties if you don't want to miss out on some very important nuances.

Caleana herself is a big secret to unveil. Who is she really? Where does she come from? Why won't she face her past? Why keep everyone at arms length? A lot of answers are provided in this novel and I have to admit I was completely shocked. Yes, I knew there was some big secret, but I never grasped the extend of it and now that I know, I feel this strong urge to re-read the book and see which clues I missed, and I MUST read book three ASAP or I'll go nuts. I want to know what happens next *cries*

Chaol and Dorian are both amazing for their own reasons. Dorian is a bit left behind in this novel mostly because Calaena broke things with him and despite his wanting to move on he is having a hard time and can't help but wanting her from afar. He isn't a groveling mess though and he isn't a fool. He stepped up his game by the end of the novel proving to be a very important element to the plot's progression and I applaud him for that. Go for boys handling their own! Chaol simply broke my heart for so many reasons. First, because he is intentionally blinding himself from his real feelings for Calaena and when he FINALLY decides to give in, because yes he does!!, I had to *awww* in an extremely girly moment. He is such a romantic under his thick armor, it's very endearing. He isn't perfect though and makes mistakes that will hunt him for the rest of his life, hence the third reason he broke my heart.

The plot proved to be everything I desired and then some. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the romantic aspect, but the conspiracies and the action completely satisfied me. Everytime you think you have everyone figured out, something happens and blurs the cards. Maas never allows you to sit back and be confident in your knowledge of the characters because she drops a game-changing bomb every once in a while and you are forced to reconsider everything.  The plot is so intricate, the possibilities are mind-boggling!

If you haven't read this series yet, I strongly urge you to do so, starting with the 4 e-novellas available (I still need to read the 4th one).  They will give you a great background on Caleana and even though they are not exactly mandatory, she refers to those events a lot in the two actual books so I think you would enjoy your experience more if you did read them.

Read an Excerpt

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by Tynga at Friday, September 06, 2013

 Assassin, Bloomsbury, Fey/Faeries, Gifted, High Fantasy, Magic, Review, Sarah J Maas, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, young adult  5 People left their mark

✎

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Book Stats:
Reading level: Ages 12 and up (though I would recommend older teen)
Genre: fantasy
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release date: August 7, 2012

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Endover, is a salt mine where criminals are sent to work, where all of them die within a month. All, except Celaena Sardothien, that is. She was sent to the mines a year ago, after a crime that wasn’t disclosed, with instructions from the King himself to not kill her. He wants her to suffer – no easy way out for her. Celaena sees a shimmer of light at the end of the tunnel though when Crown Prince Dorian offers her freedom, with one tiny condition. She must fight for him, as his champion, against 23 other fighters, to become the King’s assassin for 6 years. Ironic how she is asked to work for the very man who put her through Hell.

Throne of Glass is exactly the kind of fantasy books I love. Right along the lines of Poison Study by Maria V Snyder and Graceling by Kristin Cashore, this book engrossed me from the first page and kept me captivated ‘til the very end. I love those books set in castles, with politics, treasons and magic and let me tell you, I got what I was looking for! Sarah J Mass might be a debut author, but this book was written like an experienced writer would write.

There are four novellas available and they are prequels to this book. I read the first three and have yet to read the fourth one, and even though they are not mandatory to read Throne of Glass I strongly suggest you do because they are awesome, but also because Maas refers to those events in the book and I loved that I knew exactly what she was talking about. I really need to read the fourth story because I’m sure it says how Celaena ended up in Endover and I want to know what happened to Sam, a character from the novellas that isn’t present in Throne of Glass.

Sarah J Maas created awesome characters. I love Celaena and her morals, yes an assassin with moral! She is strong, determined and isn’t one for an easy way out. Her journey is hard but she’s hanging on and I can’t wait to see what awaits her in the next book. We were also blessed with a plethora of amazing secondary characters. Prince Dorian was interesting but I have to say Captain Westfall was my favourite on the two. Color me team Chaol Westfall. I also liked Nehemia the Ellwyn Princess and her relationship with Celaena.

The plot was highly engrossing. Celaena competes with the other contenders on a weekly basis, trying not to be the next victim of a ritualistic killer hunting the competitors. She also try to piece together a magic related puzzle, all the while pretending to be a lady. Let’s just say she has enough to keep busy – very busy. Maas really surprised me with the different stunt she pulled on Celaena.

The conclusion was exciting and I loved how all the events unfolded. I’m really thrilled for the next book and while the action is appealing, the romance is really what I’m most looking forward to. There was a pseudo love triangle between the Assassin, the Prince and the Captain and I’m really anxious to see what awaits the three of them.

Throne of Glass is engrossing, exciting and addictive. One of my favourite book this year!

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by Tynga at Friday, September 14, 2012

 Penguin, Review, Sarah J. Maas, young adult  5 People left their mark

✎