Queen of Shadows
By Sarah J Maas
Series (Book 4)
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015
Pages: 656
ISBN: 1619636042
Genre: Fantasy
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Book One Synopsis:
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 king's 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.
By Sarah J Maas
Series (Book 4)
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015
Pages: 656
ISBN: 1619636042
Genre: Fantasy
Add to Goodreads
Book One Synopsis:
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 king's 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.
Review
My Reaction to finish this book was crying. BECAUSE IT WAS OVER. I loved this book THAT much. Throne of Glass is my all time favorite series, and it just keeps getting better! It astounds me how Sarah J Maas's writing style has matured! Heir of Fire was really the turning point for me, when I realized how attached I was to these fictional characters. Each one of them has a very deep personality, and I think that's wear Maas's writing really thrives: in the characters. I am now going to talk with spoilers, so if you haven't read this novel yet, avert your eyes.
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*Spoilers from this point*
<<YOU'VE BEEN WARNED>>
1. First off, just to get this off my chest, I still call Celaena Celaena. You can't change her name in the middle of the series and expect me to go along with it!
2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Celaena and Rowan!!! I used to ship Celaena and Chaol, but after Queen of Shadows my mind is completely made up. When I think about Chaol in the first book versus now, it feels as if he's become immature in my eyes. Am I comparing him to a fae centuries old? Probably. Rowan is such a well rounded character. Flaws are essential in order for them to be relatable, and I just think that Maas did such a beautiful job with this. I just love Rowan and Celaena's relationship too. I love how he reassures her, rather than break down her confidence as Chaol does. I am a hopeless romantic, and when Celaena ran into Rowans arms when he arrived, I practically cried tears of joy.
3. I grew to like Manon more in this book. In Heir of Fire I felt as if she was a machine, and so I didn't have the empathy I think Maas intended for me to feel. However, Manon has progressed so MUCH, and I loved her 2nd in command's reveal on the mountain. The thought of an old man in the woods, waiting for his daughter is so sad :( It was also so cool when Manon and Celaena met! I loved their showdown! And when Celaena saw the message about Dorian etched in by iron fingernails, I got ALL THE FEELS.
4. AEDION. CAN I HAVE HIM??? His protectiveness for Celaena made my heart break, and I was definitely jealous. And when he found out about the blood oath!!! (which everyone knew would happen) I just wanted to curse Celaena stupidity!
5. THE EPIC BATTLE. THE FIRE WALL. DORIAN. THE KNIFE IN THE SIDE AND ROWAN'S REACTION. YAAAAAASSSS.
6. I was never a huge fan of Dorian, ever since the beginning. However, I found myself missing him in this book. I just wanted his flirty self the heck back. I also missed the dynamic between Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian. Even when the valg left his body, Dorian and Celaena didn't have the same relationship; it made me miss Throne of Glass :( I can only hope their relationship will develop once again in the next novel.
<<YOU'VE BEEN WARNED>>
1. First off, just to get this off my chest, I still call Celaena Celaena. You can't change her name in the middle of the series and expect me to go along with it!
2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Celaena and Rowan!!! I used to ship Celaena and Chaol, but after Queen of Shadows my mind is completely made up. When I think about Chaol in the first book versus now, it feels as if he's become immature in my eyes. Am I comparing him to a fae centuries old? Probably. Rowan is such a well rounded character. Flaws are essential in order for them to be relatable, and I just think that Maas did such a beautiful job with this. I just love Rowan and Celaena's relationship too. I love how he reassures her, rather than break down her confidence as Chaol does. I am a hopeless romantic, and when Celaena ran into Rowans arms when he arrived, I practically cried tears of joy.
3. I grew to like Manon more in this book. In Heir of Fire I felt as if she was a machine, and so I didn't have the empathy I think Maas intended for me to feel. However, Manon has progressed so MUCH, and I loved her 2nd in command's reveal on the mountain. The thought of an old man in the woods, waiting for his daughter is so sad :( It was also so cool when Manon and Celaena met! I loved their showdown! And when Celaena saw the message about Dorian etched in by iron fingernails, I got ALL THE FEELS.
4. AEDION. CAN I HAVE HIM??? His protectiveness for Celaena made my heart break, and I was definitely jealous. And when he found out about the blood oath!!! (which everyone knew would happen) I just wanted to curse Celaena stupidity!
5. THE EPIC BATTLE. THE FIRE WALL. DORIAN. THE KNIFE IN THE SIDE AND ROWAN'S REACTION. YAAAAAASSSS.
6. I was never a huge fan of Dorian, ever since the beginning. However, I found myself missing him in this book. I just wanted his flirty self the heck back. I also missed the dynamic between Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian. Even when the valg left his body, Dorian and Celaena didn't have the same relationship; it made me miss Throne of Glass :( I can only hope their relationship will develop once again in the next novel.
That's it! Have you read the Throne of Glass series? Tell me what you think of Queen of Shadows in the comments below!