Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, 7)

OK, wow, what a great series. None of the books have dropped below 3 stars for me. I love getting to know the characters over a long period of time, especially in a world so full of danger and power. I pretty much went straight from the last book in the series into this one as I am fortunate that they have all been published before I picked up the series so no agonising wait between books for me 😊. This book brings the whole series together nicely, we see the old group rejoining and just in the nick of time. Old relationships are reformed and new ones started. There is a lot of detail in this book and I would suggest that you read it slowly and savour it, even if you really just want to know what happens. The battle scenes are epic and I’m not sure that my imagination really did them justice. There is a lot of character interaction and some of it no longer suitable for a younger audience and there are trigger warnings everywhere here. I loved the small references to a couple of the other Sarah J Mass series’ and the potential hints of worlds to come, these felt special. I cannot begin to imagine the huge mind map Mass must have across her walls, mapping out all of these worlds and characters and how they connect. Overall, a predictable but solid end to the series and I consider myself a real Sarah J Maas fan now.

’Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom...’ Every book in this series so far has been an undisputed, beloved five star favourite of mine so naturally I was immensely excited to finally dive into the final book in the Throne Of Glass series. Yet, I’ll confess, there was a slight undercurrent of nervousness too. Considering the stakes in this series it’s impossible not to worry about the fates of your favourite characters. Plus I couldn’t help but wonder how on earth one book, even a very lengthy one, could possibly hope to tie everything up. Obviously I can’t comment on the first of these two worries but as to the second I truly did worry in vain. Everything was somehow tied up gloriously and none of the big conflicts felt at all rushed or anticlimactic to me. So where to truly begin with this review? I feel like I’ve already gushed about the world and characters enough in my previous reviews of the series. It’s pretty awe-inspiring to look back over the series though and reflect upon how each and every one of the major characters has grown over the course of these books. The amount of believable character development that has gone on is amazing to behold. And the chemistry between each of the pairings truly does blow me away. Everyone seems to slot together perfectly yet they simultaneously face struggles and hardships over the course of these books too. Some people may be daunted by the size of this book but please, please don’t be. Personally I think that a long book, if a well written one, simply gives you more to cherish and treasure. Plus I can honestly say that this book didn’t drag for so much as a second; it may be a big book but there isn’t a moment of filler or unnecessary content. I was so hooked upon this text that I couldn’t have put it down if I’d wanted to...which I think you can probably tell I didn’t. There are so many twists, turns, devastation and anguish. There were numerous occasions when I found myself waiting with baited breath, terrified to discover what would occur. There’s emotional turmoil and depth galore. And, prior to this novel, I don’t think I truly knew just how immensely fascinating siege warfare could be to read about. Let’s be honest; it pretty much goes without saying that I recommend ’Kingdom Of Ash’ and the ’Throne Of Glass’ series as a whole to everyone, especially fantasy fans. There’s plenty to appeal to readers of both YA and adult fantasy novels and I’d definitely also recommend it to any fellow fans of the fae. Truthfully this may even be my favourite novel of the series which is pretty rare for me to say of a finale. Considering just how much these books have enthralled me I’ll certainly be reading more of Sarah J. Maas’s offerings soon.

I have been desperate to know what happened to all my favourite characters. Raced through this book, it didn't disappoint. Will read it at leisure again soon. Sad to say goodbye but thank you so much Sarah J Maas for this incredible series. I only discovered it this year and I am in my 40s - I would say this series has wide appeal to all ages. The characters are incredible, the writing brilliant, the storylines gripping. THANK YOU. Update: I read it again, more slowly. Just amazing, love the character development. It has inspired me to re-read the whole series again. I love it even more. I feel like I know all of the characters personally, just so invested. Each time I read again I discover something more. I think Sarah J Maas deserves a reputation as one of the all time greatest fantasy writers, especially for women.

I first picked up Throne Of Glass on a whim. I was new to reading and at the time books such as this terrified me. That had been 4 years ago and now, as I have finished the last book to the epic series, I am forever greatful that I took the chance and read Aelin's story. It goes without a doubt to say that this book, this final instalements of the Throne of Glass series, was epic. It was everything I wanted and more and I can only how and aspire to one day write a story just as incredible and just as worth telling as Sarah did. I am deeply saddened at having to say goodbye to characters that had held my hand through my teenage years and some of the worse moments of my life caused by my mental illness. But, I take comfort in knowing that Aelin's flame will continue to burn wherever I go and whenever I wish to reread her, now completed, adventure. I implore anyone who has had doubts about this series to give it ago. It was incredible.

What can I say about this massive novel other than OH MY GOD WHAT A MASTERPIECE. I loved EVERY SINGLE PAGE. With this end to the Throne of Glass series being 980 pages – there was A LOT that happened, and I obviously will not be able to capture everything in this review. This review will most likely be spoiler free for the first half and then the second half will contain spoilers that I simply HAVE to talk about, but I will be sure to put a disclaimer warning everyone not to proceed unless you’ve read it or like me absolutely love spoilers. You do you. (although I managed to not be spoiled at all!) First and foremost, I know a lot of people are talking about the length of this novel and the fact that its nearly 1K pages. I’ve read several reviews saying that the length was unnecessary and that AT LEAST 200 pages could have been cut. Honestly, I thought the length was perfect. Yes, it is long. Yes, it is a commitment to read it and get through it. But this book is written so well, and the story is so fantastic that I flew through it and it was over before I even realized I was close to the end. Also, to those that feel it should have been shorter I just want to say I hear you, but to someone that absolutely LOVES this series (and I consider it my favorite) I would have been fine with it being even loner if that’s where Sarah felt the story needed to go ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ A major point I want to talk about with a lot of Sarah’s books is that she portrays mental health/illness/awareness incredibly well. Without spoiling anything there are a lot of parts in this book that speak indirectly on something tragic happening to a character and how they handle it. I think she does a wonderful job portraying that it is OKAY to NOT BE OKAY. It is okay to need time to deal with the pain and suffering in your own way and on your own time. I love how some of the characters in this book deal with situations like that. The world building in this novel and in Tower of Dawn was tremendous, and such an improvement from her earlier books. I can see her growing as an author and I love where she is headed. We were able to see so many new and even various places in Erilea and I loved every word of it. I was happy we got to experience more of this world outside of Adarlan. Another way Sarah has grown as an author is by showing us the amount of character development she puts in to these novels. I thought Kingdom of Ash in particular showed how characters have changed and grown throughout the whole series and I loved seeing it all come together and how it impacted their role in everything that happened. Okay, on to the SPOILER section! So, if you have not finished and don’t want to be spoiled TURN BACK NOW! The first thing I want to cover is Aedion. He seriously bothered me throughout the ENTIRE book. He was being such a self-righteou...