Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas

June 29, 2021     erinthebooknut     Book review

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J MaasEmpire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on October 1, 2020
Genres: Action & Adventure, Epic, Fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, General, Romance, Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 384
Goodreads

Kingdoms collide as Aelin continues her epic journey from assassin to queen in this instalment of the global #1 bestselling series.
The long path to the throne has just begun for Aelin Galathynius. As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?
Contains mature content. Not suitable for younger readers.

5 Nuts

I find myself debating, is this book a 4.5 or a 5 nut rating? Back when I originally read it I probably would have said 4-4.5. Coming off of the wait from HEIR OF FIRE and QUEEN OF SHADOWS, EMPIRE OF STORMS would have seemed like a lot of set up for little gains. Now, after a few years and several rereads of the series as a complete entity I see just how important it really is.

Much like her Court, we the readers have very little idea of all the plans and actions Aelin is making behind the scenes during EMPIRE OF STORMS. Sure, it may seem like they’re playing musical cities with their back and forth journeys across Erilea, but all the while Aelin is doing exactly what Darrow offhandedly demands of her. Gathering allies.

Be it making deals outwardly with Rolfe, showing off what she can do in Skulls Bay and Illian, or calling in her favors and connections without everyone else knowing, there isn’t a single moment where Aelin isn’t doesn’t something to gain the attention of the other kingdoms. This book is like Aelin’s battle cry to the rest of the world, getting it ready for the war that’s coming in KINGDOM OF ASH.

That being said, Aelin has got to learn to share. Share the burdens and share the plans. Girl, we get it. you’re self sacrificing as fuck. You make Harry Potter look selfish. You make Katniss look conceited. But can you at least get on the same page within your own Court? And yes, I know that’s part of the drama, part of what gives the book it’s razor thin balance between anticipation and all out chaos. But girl, you have friends and allies. Use them!

Romance and Relationships

The other thing this book spends its time doing is building relationships. Dorian and Manon, Elide and Lorcan, Aedion and Lysandra, and of course Aelin and Rowan. But not just romantic relationships become important here. The relationship between Aelin and Manon is HUGE here. Especially since they tried to kill each other in the last book. The relationship between Aedion and his father is also something that needed to start developing here. Because of this EMPIRE of STORMS becomes less about the action and more about the interpersonal relationships that build families, courts, and armies.

A lot of these are things I never noticed on my first or even second read. I was more interested in answers to my multitude of questions than what Aelin was up to behind the scenes. That’s one of the reasons I love Maas’ books so much. She’s always got layers and layers of stuff going on that you won’t notice until she’s ready for you to.

I’m enjoying my reread so much this time around and I hope you guys enjoy reading my thoughts too.

What’s your favorite THRONE OF GLASS book? Let me know in the comments.

From my shelf to yours,

Erin

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