Rating: 3.5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.6 stars
Source: Library
Buy the Book: Amazon
Summary: "Kingdoms will collide.
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.
With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear."
Review: For the love, will everyone in this book PLEASE STOP SMIRKING?!?!
While I really (really really) liked Manon and Elide, I felt like the other chapters weren't focused enough. They seemed to switch perspectives mid-chapter (sometimes even mid-paragraph) and it was confusing and irritating.
Maas went for a pop-goes-the-weasel approach to her plotting. She held all the cards close to her chest and refused to let the reader see the whole picture (or even most of the picture) for nearly the whole book until POP here's a twist that changes everything! I found this approach, in this particular story, to be more abrupt and jarring than welcoming. I would have much preferred to be just a little more involved in the plotting. And I thought this book relied a bit too heavily on the momentum from the previous books in the series.
Perhaps that's why I felt so disconnected from Aelin. Much of the book is from someone else's perspective, but even when we're in her head I never really saw her. I think Maas had some great ideas in this story. I'm just kind of bitter that I wasn't included in them for 95% of the book. (Me and Aedion, amirite?)
I would strongly encourage you to read the novellas before starting this book. Luckily I did, or else I would have been really confused. The novellas are not optional reading for this series. They introduce characters and set things in motion that you really should know about, and wouldn't know about if you skip them. Definitely read them, and do so before reading this installment.
I'm still very invested in these characters though. Well, at least I'm invested in the living characters. I have never once in this whole series really understood who the heck Mala is, or what she brings to this story. Or Mab, or Elena, or Anieth, or any of those other ancient/dead/"legendary" beings. I swear Gavin and Brannon are the same irrelevant person, and I wish they'd all been cut from the story. (I know, I know, It would change things if they were cut. But I still think the cast of dead characters is bloated.)
But the current characters rock. I'm team Lysandra all the way, and I'll be rooting for Manon and Dorian until my dying day. I'm really looking forward to the final installment, and hope Maas can close a series as well as she can open one. This was probably my least favorite book in the series. But there's one more book to go, and I am majorly crossing my fingers that Maas can pull off a conclusion worthy of Aelin.
Review in a GIF:
Bottom Line: Not as irresistible as I know Maas is capable of, but this book still has me DYING for the final book in the series.
I've only read the first book in the series and I can tell it's going to be very character heavy. Lots and lots of characters. It always overwhelms me a bit when that happened. I think that's why I haven't continued with the series. I need to and plan on it but I'm nervous.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of characters, but Maas does a good job of only introducing a handful of new characters per book. So at this point in the series there are definitely a lot of characters, but it's not overwhelming because they didn't all appear at once. Does that make sense? Point being, I think you'll be fine. :)
DeleteI haven't read this one yet. I think I'm going to wait until the last book is out to read the last two. I LOVE this series, and I'm sad that this one was a little slow.
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to wait much longer for the last book! I'm sad it's ending too, I've really enjoyed this series. This book was slower than the others, but it was still solid. I think you'll probably still enjoy it. :)
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