Review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: September 6, 2016
Pages: 693
Format: Hardcover/Own

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.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Timesbestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

*Spoilers about both this book and events of previous books. Sorry guys, its getting really hard to avoid spoilers with this series now*

Review: Oh my heart. The ending to this really broke me, and I'm sure Kingdom of Ash is going to break me more. So I've come to realize I've been 5 starring every book since book 2 or 3 but every single one for different reasons. This one was genuinely 5 starred not only because of the surprises we get thrown at us, but also because of how incredibly emotional this one made me. There were just so many parts that really pulled at the heartstrings. And we even see a number of our characters break and have to sacrifice so much. It was just an emotional roller coaster for me. 

Aelin and Rowan. I genuinely love these two together. They really do compliment each other well. And they are just put through the ringer in this book. We see Aelin go to Terrasen only to be told none of the lords will currently except her as Queen because she's been gone for 10 years. Like um. They do realize she's only 19 currently. Would you have rather had her been found a be queen with a regent until she became of age or actually take up her throne when she's legally of age and maturity to do so. I mean. Are they stupid or what?? So instead they have to go off finding allies and an army to fight Erawan and the armies in Morath. Well, little Darrow and his power stealing cronies are going to be in for a shock when they see how many allies she's pulled to her. Clearly more than they ever tried to get. I loved that Aelin was literally constantly working to get allies. So many actions that seemed small were clearly sent messages to potential allies. And those who couldn't be called for with actions were sent actual messages. And even in the middle of journeys or negotiations she was already planning ahead. She really took uniting armies, finding the lock, and wanting to save Terassen seriously. She has so much maturity in this book, even if she did keep some of her actions secret to her court. I felt like that was more in case things didn't pan out so she didn't have to have everyone suffer the loss. And Rowan. He's working on allies as well. He finds some of Maeve's cadre and convinces them to temporarily be on their side until Maeve forces them back through the blood oath. And we finally get our scenes with Aelin and Rowan. They finally have their time in private. Ok, lets be serious. So many people said these scenes were on par with ACOMAF and uh, no. Read both thank you and Aelin and Rowans scenes were much more tame than Feyre and Rhysands scenes thank you very much. Not even close in comparison. 

Aedion and Lysandra. I really genuinely like these two together. I think they are as good of a match as Aelin and Rowan. They care and protect each other. They are there for one another when the other falls. Its beautiful. And the scene on the beach and what Aedion says. OMG the feels. And you know he's serious too. After almost losing her, he incredibly serious about not losing her again. I also loved how loyal they are to Aelin. Aedion loses his temper sometimes and goes off on Aelin but he never wavers in loyalty. And clearly Lysandra has truly come to see Aelin as a friend and ally because she is 100% loyal as well. I did not Lysandra in the short stories but I truly love her character now. I also think her shape shifting abilities seriously helped out immensely in all the battles that took place in this book. I also loved that Lysandra was there for Aedion while he torn himself apart trying to figure out what to do about his dad. 

Dorian and Manon. I was not sure about anything revolving around these two but I've come to like them together. I mean, I didn't trust Manon for a good long while. She's not bad, just didn't trust her. But I really like her character as well. She suffers a lot at the hands of her grandmother in this book, so much that she almost dies. And that really changes her. She also finds out the truth about her heritage which is actually a shock to me. And she learns that her and Aelin's fates are a bit intertwined and also, that Aelin is actually not 100% bad like she thought before. And Dorian is actually acting like the freaking king he is. Making decisions, taking on bigger roles. Using his powers to help the greater good. Trusting Manon initially which lead to others starting to trust her. Dorian saw some serious growth in this book. And we even find out a bit more about his bloodline as well. Wow!

Elide and Lorcan. I really liked Elide. I liked that she found a way to use having Lorcan around to her advantage. I also like that she refused to give up getting to Aelin. And I also loved that she inspired some decent feelings in Lorcan. I'm definitely not a huge fan of Lorcan with his attitude and all he thinks throughout the book, but I'm glad he at least has some semblance of feelings in this book.

I really enjoyed the fact that we get to see multiple people from the short stories in The Assassin's Blade make an appearance. Rolfe the Pirate Lord and Ansel of Briarcliff. Of course we couldn't forget those guys right? And I know Yrene will show up in Tower of Dawn since Chaol and Nesryn are heading to where she left for. It's so cool seeing these early stories really come back and play a role in everything going on now. Definitely gave me a nostalgic feeling for The Assassin's Blade.

The ending. Oh my god guys the ending. I hate Maeve. She is a nasty piece of work and I really hope she freaking dies in Kindom of Ash. Like seriously. I despise her. And Aelin, poor Aelin. Omg. Not cool. And Rowan. Guys. The last paragraph gave me the feels. Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius. AHHHHH. They got married and he has her name. I mean, I get it, she's the queen and its her name that makes it so, but ahhhhhh. How cool seeing him have her name. Like its not often shown with the guy taking on the woman's name, even in stories like this. I'm dying. So beautiful. Can't get enough of this. And the reason Aelin got married to him. Had me in tears. Just so Terrasen could have a rightful King with the fact she knew bad shit was going to happen to her. My heart can't take the feels of all this.