REVIEW: QUEEN OF SHADOWS BY SARAH J. MAAS.

Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)
Series: Throne of Glass #4
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: September 1, 2015 by Bloomsbury
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 648
Genre: High Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

The queen has returned.

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 has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. 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.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

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3 weeks after reading Queen of Shadows, I am still here in this void of heartaches, holding my shattered heart, couldn't seem to continue with my bookish life anymore. Once again, Sarah Mass left me brain dead, emotionally dead, physically dead, dead, dead, dead. There is nothing better I could have hoped for, guys. Sarah Maas delivered another freaking masterpiece and I can't wait to see how she would top this one off next year.

Seriously. Words are floating away from me. I couldn't even begin to tell how much I was surprised by the turn of events in this installment. Maas exactly knows what she's doing. She freaking nailed this one (WELL, AGAIN!) and what can I ever ask for? More kickass scenes? More sexy times? More Rowan? More Aelin? More Manon? I don't know what else to say but I WANT BOOK 5 NOW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEE.

Aelin (who will always be Celaena to me) matured so much in this installment. Of course, she's still the greatest assassin ever graced my bookshelf but there are a few things I noticed that bothered me and made me ask questions. I know our Fire-Breathing Bitch-Queen is awesome in so many ways but I guess I missed seeing her a little vulnerable and dependent on others. She has the right to be scared and protective though after Nehemia but come on, man! Ask help sometimes. There's nothing wrong with that. I also noticed how she staged everything perfectly by herself. Like, how could she anticipate every single thing without fail? Can she see the future now? I was just a little bit uncomfortable with those things. She's perfect enough that making her too perfect just seemed so off.

But don't worry, I forgive Celaena for being too perfect because OMG ROWAN WHITEHORNNNNNNNNNNNN IN THE HOUSEEEEE! If you are following my live tweets (I used #KateReadsQoS), you would know that I screamed when Rowan finally showed up! OMG THE TENSION IN THE AIR IS UNBELIEVABLE. I am not - not even a singe bit - pissed off by how this part of the book revolved into something BETTER. I am not saying that the 'other one' is bad news, what I am saying is, the 'other one' just got stuck right there and couldn't decide for himself or even for them and I am still mad with his attitude. Good thing that there's some fantastic development in the Hearts Department that FINALLY, SOMEONE WORTHY CAMEEEEEEEE. #TeamRowanFTW

Lastly, I wanted to really highlight this because I think this is important stuff. Sarah Maas writes not only kickass male characters BUT ALSO FEMALE ONES! WE HAVE CELAENA AND JESUS CHRIST, CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT TO APPRECIATE MANON BLACKBEAK'S EXISTENCE?! Seriously, THAT, THATTTTTT fantastic fight scene was something I've always looked forward to since Heir of Fire and Sarah Maas did not fucking disappoint! I want more from these two equally amazing female characters and of course, I WANT ROWAN FOREVER AND EVER THAT I WANT TO LEGALLY CHANGE MY LAST NAME TO WHITEHORN.

Queen of Shadows is another Throne of Glass installment that left me in awe. Jaw dropping, hair gripping and heart wrenching novel packed with unlimited awesomeness!

"She was fire, and light, and ash, and embers. She was Aelin Fireheart, and she bowed for no one and nothing, save the crown that was hers by blood and survival and triumph."

“He shifted his arm so he could brush her hair back. His fingers lingered along her jaw. “You make me want to live, too, Aelin Galathynius,” he said. “Not exist—but live.” He cupped her cheek, and took a steadying breath—as if he’d thought about every word these past three days, over and over again. “I spent centuries wandering the world, from empires to kingdoms to wastelands, never settling, never stopping—not for one moment. I was always looking toward the horizon, always wondering what waited across the next ocean, over the next mountain. But I think … I think that whole time, all those centuries, I was just looking for you.”