BOOK REVIEW + DISCUSSIONS : Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Yes ladies and gentlemen! It took me too long to review this book but finally and with all Mala Fire Bringer’s glory, Queen of Shadows review is on!

 

TITLE: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass # 4)
AUTHOR:  Sarah J. Maas
GENRE: High Fantasy, Young Adult
FORMAT: Paperback
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury UK
DATE READ: June 3, 2016

GOODREADS 

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.

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This book was massively long and eventful. 

 

One of the major appeals of this book aside from its bad ass plot, is the ships. And I have to agree that many ships had already sank or maybe some still sailing. I’m not going to focus on that more because there were so much thing that happened that I wanted to tackle here BTW I’m #Rowaelin shipper.

It was really hard for me to review this book because this book was really long. And after it’s done, there were lots of unanswered question still bugging my mind and I’m still trying to look for answers about what’s gonna happen next. I theorized a lot but I don’t know if any of them were right. And that’s what I really like about this book. It really makes you think. It’s not as easy as reading it. It felt engaging.  This wasn’t the conclusion to everything because we still have two more books to go. The old world ends. The new world begins. I wish my questions will be answered through the next installments. The writing style of Sarah remains sophisticated as ever and the story is like watching my favorite tv series. I don’t want it to end.

I really enjoyed Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight and had a little bit doubt with Heir of Fire. But I’m glad that Queen of Shadows took me back to Aelin’s little complicated world.

Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series and the story picks up right where it ends. Here we find Celaena Sardothien fighting her way to free magic and to take down the evil King of Adarlan and all the bad elements. This book was such a roller coaster ride with a strong plot. I love how versatile it was and as I read, it didn’t ceased to amaze me.

All I could say for the non-spoilery part is that this book was really long but all worth it. It raises questions but that’s a good thing because the book wants to engage us inside the world. Though there were some parts that I felt bored, and I got some complains with the fate of some characters, but it all falls in its place in the end. Even though Sarah introduced us to new characters, I think the heart of this novel is Celaena, Chaol and Dorian. They are the magic trio that I really miss. You should really hang on and believe that Sarah has surprises for the readers. You will see how Celaena struggles to survive the battle with strong forces without her magic, only her assassin skills, wits and also with the help of her friends. I like where Sarah is leading the story and I think if you really enjoyed the last three books, you’ll be a fan of this one too.

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BOOK REVIEW: HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J. Maas

RATING: 4 STARS

 

TITLE: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass # 3)

AUTHOR: Sarah J. Maas

GENRES: Young Adult, Fantasy

FORMAT: Paperback

PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury

DATE READ: April 4, 2016

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Consumed by guilt and rage, Celaena can’t bring herself to spill blood for the King of Adarlan. She must fight back…

The Immortal Queen will help her destroy the king – for a price. But as Celaena battles with her darkest memories and her heart breaks for a love that could never last, can she fulfil the bargain and head the almighty court of Terrasen? And who will stand with her?

 

MY REVIEW:

“It was a message to the world. Aelin was a warrior. Able to fight with blade or magic. And she was done hiding.” 

Massive! This book was effin’ long that I almost had a slump (blame the witches story it was really hard to get into in the beginning) but I didn’t mind it because the more I get to the center of the story, the more it gets interesting! Heir of Fire wasn’t as perfect as Crown of Midnight but this was an important book. I felt like the events that occurred in here were “major” subplots that would be useful for the fourth book. It’s more like bridge that will take us to the highlights of Queen of Shadows and that’s dmn exciting.

Lots of new characters were introduced in this book, also there’s a whole new setting which is in Wendlyn, a country we have yet to explore. It also gave us little revelations but at least we got some of the answers we were looking for.

BOOK REVIEW: CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas

RATING: 5 STARS

 

TITLE: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass # 2)

AUTHOR:  Sarah J. Maas

GENRES: Fantasy, Romance

FORMAT: Paperback

PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury

DATE READ: March 19, 2016

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Crowned by Evil.
Bound by Duty.
Divided by Love.

Celaena Sardothien, royal assassin, is the King of Adarlan’s deadliest weapon. She must win her freedom through his enemies’ blood – but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. And every death Celaena fakes, every lie she tells, put those she loves at risk.

Torn between her two protectors – a captain and a prince – and battling a dark force far greater than the king, Celaena must decide what she will fight for: her liberty, her heart or the fate of a kingdom.

MY REVIEW:

*Warning. By the Wyrd! This review is full of feels.*

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THE LAST TIME I GAVE A BOOK A 5 STARS! AND I THINK THIS SEQUEL REALLY DESERVED IT!

 (apologies if this review isn’t that organized. My mind is flying off elsewhere)

“But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.”

NON-SPOILERY SECTION

I cried upon finishing this because I think Sarah J. Maas is genius and phenomenal. I had a great deal of feels.

The book was indeed intelligent and I love how each of the foreshadowing puzzle pieces fit together and smashed me with a superb plot twist that I didn’t expect.

First things first! It’s really interesting to see how much vast the plot is. It doesn’t focus on a simple one but the plot is slowly becoming intricate and complex. Even this is just the second book, you will know that there is A LOT TO COME. I mean Sarah didn’t just write a sequel for the purpose of continuing the series but also wrote in a very ornate way. And the story is very dynamic and unexpected. Crown of Midnight really opened doors for another possible plot twists in the future.

This book has all the elements and turn of events I’ve been waiting and wanting to see. This is by far the best sequel of a book I’ve ever read. My emotions were at its height and I can’t put this book down. Before I knew it, I was in the last pages, left wanting for more. The characters grew so much here and I like the direction Maas is taking us (which will most likely make me feel insane later on). There are more secrets to unravel about the Wyrdkeys, about Celaena’s past, about the King’s plans. I am excited on how Celaena would change not just her fate but also the fate of her whole kingdom. She is an assassin but indeed a very special one. Every heroine is destined for a greater purpose but it all has a price.

The world building is superb and there were lots of other worlds to explore here. Other cultures, race, kind, magic. More plot twists! revelations! and more.

In here I felt connected to the characters especially to Dorian. I felt like I understood him and I sympathize with him. I felt sad that he’s like an outcast in the palace who just wanted to get away from all of it and also his love isn’t reciprocated. He’s an official member of the friendzone club that’s why I want to hug him and tell him it’s gonna be okay. But that didn’t made me change my ship. Despite what happened, I still root for Chaol and Celaena. I think these two could work together and make differences. I can see how true their love is for each other. Envisioning future together is one thing, but sacrificing yourself just to save the person you love and to keep them safe is another thing. I am #TeamChaol all the way!

But as the book goes on and the plot deepens, more questions arise. I will discuss it more in the spoilery section down below.

The last part of the book hit me right in the feels.  As Chaol sank on his knees, I did too. and I KENNOT. It was so amazing. I am deeply excited for Heir of Fire. And I think you should too!

(If you have read the book, you can proceed to the spoilery section. If not then shooo!!! Don’t let yourself suffer in regret :p)

BOOK SIGNING RECAP: Sarah J. Maas in PH

Seems like yesterday when I first read her book and fell in love with her style of writing. Throne of Glass series is a phenomenal bad ass book and A Court of Thorns and Roses is a book with an enchanting story and a deep allegiance to true love. Sarah J. Maas has magic in her that made her one of my all time favorite authors. And up to now, I’m so happy for the opportunity to finally meet her and thank her for making an epic fantasy story that helped me see the world not what as it is, but what lies underneath it.

It took me a week to post this recap since I was busy with school works 😀 But now here’s my recap of the amazing book signing of the #1 New York Times best selling author, Sarah J. Maas here in the Philippines organized by none other than, National Bookstore 🙂 They did a stellar job in organizing this event and it was different from the previous book signings organized by them which I have attended to.

BOOK REVIEW: THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas

 

TITLE: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass # 1)

AUTHOR: Sarah J. Maas

GENRES: Young Adult, Fantasy

PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury Publishing

FORMAT: Paperback

DATE READ: March 11, 2016

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly.
Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

 

MY REVIEW:

“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

 

This is my ideal fantasy book! Though it wasn’t a perfect book, but it has so much potential. I’m so glad that Sarah J. Maas has given us a series to anticipate. She has written a story that is so compelling that will hold your attention from start to finish. This wasn’t my first S.J Maas book. My first read was A Court of Thorns and Roses and I must say that her style of writing is impressive.

This book has been one of the most talked about books out there. By the Wyrd, I realized just now why it deserves every praise.

The plot was indeed exciting and will surely leave you greatly astonished.

[Waiting on Wednesday] A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Hi Bookish peeps! This segment is called Waiting on Wednesday. It is a weekly meme/ event hosted by Breaking The Spine 🙂 This week’s pre-publication I-KENNOT-WAIT is none other than, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas!

 

 

TITLE:  A Court of Mist and Fury ( A Court of Thorns and Roses # 2)

AUTHOR:   Sarah J. Maas

PUBLICATION DATE: May 3, 2016

PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

GOODREADS SYNOPSIS: 

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court–but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms–and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future–and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

This series is beautiful. I really enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses so much. It’s one of the best beauty and the beast fairy tale retelling out there. I’m anticipating to see the twists Ms. Maas has prepared for us for the second book. “NIGHT COURT” with Rhysand? Is this a Hades and Persephone myth retelling? But I strongly ship Feyre with Tamlin, after all they’ve been though in book 1. But Rhysand is purely irresistible and.. arghh my ship is torn! Can I just sign up for Rhysand’s bargain instead of Feyre. I VOLUNTEER!

What’s your most anticipated year 2016 release?

Read my review of the book 1 HERE (But beware of some spoilers hihi)

 

[UPCOMING] BOOK SIGNING TOUR | Sarah J. Maas

 

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of ‘Throne of Glass’ series and   ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ series, Sarah J. Maas will be having a  book signing event on the Philippines this coming March 13, 2016 at 2 p.m. in National Book Store, Glorietta 1. Registration starts at 10 a.m. Only books purchased from National Book Store, National Book Store Express, and Powerbooks will be accommodated. The event is made possible in partnership with Raffles Makati. Tag #NBSevents #SarahJMaasinPH to join the discussion.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES ON THE BOOK SIGNING MECHANICS.

MY THOUGHTS

I think March is really going to be a special month for Filipino fans of Victoria  Aveyard and Sarah J. Maas. The year has just started and these awesome authors are already on their way to their Asia Tour. I personally love and adore these two authors because their works are really on my favorite list (because fantasy is my favorite genre hihi) Now for Sarah J. Maas, the first book of her that I’ve read was A Court of Thorns and Roses and I must say that her style of writing is really beautiful. I like how she crafts and story and insert edge of the seat plots. I have yet to read Throne of Glass series but I’m planning to this year. And now that she’ll come here, then I guess I have buy the books as early as possible and read them all.

I prefer the U.S version of ToG rather than the U.K one. But sad to say, that only the U.K version are the ones I’ve only seen on National Bookstore. I hope they will put this on stock before March. Fullybooked is always a step ahead of National bookstore in terms of book releases. But it’s always National Bookstore who hosts most of the book signing tours of famous authors. That’s why it’s difficult sometimes for us bookworms to choose which bookstore you’ll buy the book since NBS only accommodates all the books that were purchased from them.

I have bought ACOTAR on Fullybooked though. Now I have to sell it or maybe if I suddenly became rich overnight, I will host a giveaway for ACOTAR haha :p This is indeed the best graduation gift. *mom dad??? anyone?? notice my plea*

For those who are also interested in her books, you can check them out here on GOODREADS

Also, you can also check my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses HERE            *SPOILERS ALERT*

Wish I can complete her books soon. Anyways, that’s all for today. See you next time bookish peeps and see you there on the event bookish pinoys 😀