Title: Kingdom of Ash
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: Originally published in 2018
ISBN: 9781639731077
Synopsis:
Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people-but at a tremendous cost. Locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve unravels with each passing day.
With Aelin captured, her friends and allies have scattered. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. But as destinies weave together at last, all must stand together if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.
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Oh my heart. This book has changed me, changed my life, and changed how I will measure a good book forever. All I can say is wow, if I didn’t think Sarah J. Maas was an excellent writer before now, I would be a total convert after reading this final book in the Throne of Glass Series. This culmination of the previous 6 books in the series takes this story to new heights. Returning after Tower of Dawn to the mult-POV style, we follow characters across the continent in the final throws of this epic war right to the brink of destruction and despair as the mighty power of the valg threatens everything they’ve ever known. No amount of planning and scheming can go up against the might of the valg villains, Erewan and Maeve, though the armies of this world will not give up their freedom without a fight.
This book had me in absolutely tears over and over again as Maas takes the readers through an incredibly emotional ride through the final battles taking place across Adarlan and Terresen. There is so much at stake and it’s clear early on that not everyone will make it through this war alive. There will be incredible loss if there is ever going to be a chance at living in this world freely in the future, however remote that possibility is.
Maas proves again and again her mastery of these plot lines, this world she’s imagined, and the characters as they grow and develop. Every character arc is indulged and explored, following a number of protagonists and secondary characters and fully fleshing them out so that they are all as real to the reader as any person. This book is evocative and visceral in its portrayal of the love and devotion these characters have for one another. Alliances and friendships have been formed across race and country lines, in the most unlikely of situations, and it is through the characters overcoming their own struggles and pride that they are able to put the differences of the past behind them and forge a strengthened and united force anew.
I cannot tell you enough how much I loved this series. I’ve been moved to my core by the love and sacrifices made between these pages. It is rare to encounter a series that you love this much and I can honestly say that this is one of the best book series I’ve ever read. I hope for any who have not encountered Throne of Glass before, if you love fantasy, this is one of the most moving tales, with strong female characters, supportive male characters, and a world forged through dedication, sacrifice, and love of the deepest kind. I’m already counting the days until I can reasonable re-read these books.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 