Astounding. Action packed. Addictive. The incredible Throne of Glass series was finally joined in publicised harmony with its eagerly anticipated sister, Queen of Shadows, and I was itching to get my fingers on this one. Throne of Glass is perfect in every sense of the world (or another) and after the climatic ending of Heir of Fire, I seriously didn’t know what to do with myself. When Queen of Shadows finally arrived, things got real very quickly.
Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, and picks up straight after the events of Heir of Fire. Aelin (are we calling her Aelin now?) has gone through so much amazing character development, and bringing her back to Rifthold to face her demons for the final time as a Queen was bittersweet and really rewarding to read. With many POVs, it can sometimes get very confusing for readers to keep up with so many different parts, but Queen of Shadows manages it. It felt like swimming in the sea, and getting swept by many different currents, but always being driven in the same direction as the tide.
With character reunions and feels galore, Sarah has really outdone herself. In writing terms, this is her BEST book yet. The flow of the chapters and past paced storylines were riveting and hold-onto-your-seats exciting. Don’t get me started on those plot twists.
My favourite characters in this book were Dorian, Elide, Aedion and Lysandra. Obviously Aelin was her normal ‘fire-breathing bitch-queen’ self, but these characters in particular stuck out to me, especially Dorian in later chapters. The vengeance in this book was at critical levels, and I enjoyed it with every swipe of the knife and explosion of fire. It was truly the only way possible to say goodbye to Celaena’s Rifthold.
Queen of Shadows is vivid, heartbreaking and a warrior in its own right. Saying goodbye to Celaena Sardothien for the final time was difficult, as she is one of the fiercest, baddest YA protagonists on the market, but I am excited for future books with Aelin Ashryver Galathynius. She may no longer be an assassin, but with magic as fierce as her dry humour and a court of people you definitely wouldn’t want to mess with, this Queen’s got it from A to Z. Damn girl.
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