Queen of Shadows

Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)
Author: Sarah J Maas
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.  

***

I tried to write a spoiler-free review. I really did. Despite my best efforts, some of them leaked in, so... proceed with caution if you haven't read it yet.

I don't think I can say enough how much I love these books. Maas paints and weaves an intricate world, where all the characters entwine together in intricate, complicated patterns. And trying to figure out those patterns is an awesome hobby - for example, I hope like hell that Manon will side with Aelin, despite their... misgivings towards each other. And now things are looking more possible on that front... because of [spoiler] reasons.

It's all very exciting, and there wasn't a dull moment to be found; even the slower ones just tended to be tooth-rottingly sweet.

The Dorian chapters ripped my heart to shreds. All of them. Every single last one of them. Damn my weakness for fictional men with dark hair and blue eyes!
On the other hand, the Rowan chapters filled me with joy. Yay for the Rowan Fire Fanclub! And no, of course I didn't cry when Rowan showed up *shifty eyes*

But the cake for Best Character Ever goes, hands-down to Lysandra (with honorary mentions to Aelin, Manon and Elide). Such a lovely, lovely surprise to see her blossom into herself. She had me in stitches by the end of the book with her relentless teasing of Aedion. I can't wait to see more of her and Evangeline (that kid is gonna be something else; with all the people she has around her as her role models, there is no way she won't grow up to be a ball of sass, and I hope we get to see more of that sass).

I'm excited about where we left off; I think there's loads more to come in the next two books, although some of the... complications... were dealt with faster than I expected (then again, with a 600-page behemoth, is that really any surprise?).

ps: FLEETFOOT!