Monday, September 16, 2019

Kingdom of Ash - Review

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)

By: Sarah J. Maas

Published: October 23, 2018 by Bloomsbury YA

992 pages

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Source: Personal Kindle Library

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:
Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.
 
MY REVIEW:
Not gonna lie....this series ender nearly did me in. For reasons unrelated to the book or series itself, more like life in general, it took me 8.5 MONTHS to finish it!!! I began reading this on December 25, 2018 and on September 15, 2019 finally finished it. At nearly 1000 pages, I knew it was a giant undertaking for me to even attempt to read it because my reading time since I began working outside the home 3 years ago is seriously limited. But I have LOVED this series and this fantasy world and I couldn't NOT finish the series. After all, it was the ONE reading goal I had for myself in 2019. So I decided to start it, and however long it took me to finish it would not be a deterrent in my mind to put it down. And I didn't put it down. When I had time, even when it was few and far between, this was the book I opened to see what was next in the story of Aelin and her companions. It always kept my interest and always kept me intrigued, wanting to know more.

While this series ender didn't have me emotionally drained or crying, possibly because of the length of time between readings, it did give me all the happily-ever-after feels by the ending, even though there are many who lose their life in the ultimate battle against good and evil. The previous books all covered multiple characters and many moving pieces of the story. This final book brings all of those moving pieces into one final epic event - the battle against Erawan and Maeve. There is so much that happens to bring everyone onto the same playing field so to speak. Which is why the story is so long. There were lots of loose ends to tie up.

The story is full of strong female characters. Aelin of course has to be at the top of my favorites as she is THE main female character and has been from the beginning. She portrays what it means to truly be the ultimate sacrifice during the course of her journey in everything she does. She always puts her people and her land above all else. Manon became one of my favorite female characters in the story. Initially I wasn't a big fan of the witches, but she has such strength and grace and integrity that I grew to love her.

"We are the Thirteen," she said. "From now until the Darkness claims us."

Yrene, Lysandra, Elide are all worthy fighters, each in their own way. There is so much that happens in this one book that I would fail to really do justice to it in a review. In summary, I am pleased and fulfilled. I have enjoyed the world that Maas wrote in Throne of Glass and the depth of her characters. If you're a fantasy fan and haven't yet experienced this world I strongly recommend this series!

Check out my reviews for the previous books:

Book One: Throne of Glass (4 stars)
Book Two: Crown of Midnight (4 stars)
Book Three: Heir of Fire (4.5 stars)
Book Four: Queen of Shadows (4.5 stars)
Book Five: Empire of Storms (book five, 5 stars)
Book Six: Tower of Dawn (4 stars)

Top 5 Favorite Quotes:
"It is the strength of this that matters. No matter where you are, no matter how far, this will lead you home."

"And while we might not have their numbers, we do have something worth defending. And because of that, we can overcome our fear. We can fight against them, to the very end. For our friends, for our family..."

"For those we love, we can rise above that fear."

"All of us who fight here today do so with someone standing invisible behind us."

"One flame against the darkness gathered. One flame to light the night."

Language: 1.5 (light-medium)
Mature Content: 1.5 (light-medium)
Final Rating: 4 stars

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