Queen of Shadows Review

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance

Rating: 5 stars

She had once believed that she’d been born to be queen. She had since learned that she’d been born to be a wolf.

Queen of Shadows is the fourth highly anticipated novel in the Throne of Glass series. Thank the Gods that Sarah J. Maas did not make this into a trilogy. Set place in Erilea, Queen of Shadows begins where Heir of Fire ended with the return of Celaena, assassin, king's champion, and queen . But not everything is as it seems as all the characters undergo a complete make over, creating almost a juxtaposition to their previous selves. Rifthold is slowly falling apart with more executions and brutality from the king. Darkness seeps into the world of Erilea and morality blurs. It seems as if the world is on Celaena's shoulders and the people anxiously wait to see what she will do with it....

She was the heir of fire. 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.

Queen of Shadows deserves 5 stars if not only for the bar it set for any other YA fantasy in the future. Do not get me wrong I loved the first three books in this series, but they always tethered on 4 to 4.5 stars. It seemed as if Sarah J. Maas was a bit tentative about exploring the world of magic and fantasy. And even with her attitude as such, she did create a master piece. However, no one can dispute that she put everything into Queen of Shadows! Nothing was stopping her. 

“If you are allowed to change so greatly in two years, may I not be permitted to have changed as well?”

The characters surpassed any of my expectations. There was an air of maturity and civility that wasn't there previously. Most of the characters finally established their role in Erilea and their actions became more conscious and  perceptive. I commend Maas for telling the story in third person omniscient, allowing everyone's story to be heard. It made the world more vibrant and blurred the lines between good and bad. Being forced to acknowledge everyones' past and story, the reader placed in a situation where they can't dehumanise the other side. This is what makes a great fantasy, the ability to understand that the world is not made of definitive and absolute elements. 

The Wing Leader said from behind her, “Do you believe monsters are born, or made?” From what she’d seen today, she would say some creatures were very much born evil. But what Manon was asking … “I’m not the one who needs to answer that question,” Elide said.

There is no way I can articulate the power, drive, passion that is Celaena. Gone is the brute, who would act first and think later. What emerges is a woman, not a girl, a woman so confident and sure of herself. Celaena does not hide, but embraces everything she is, the good and the bad. She becomes a predator, watching everyone's steps with a killing calm. She become the shadow itself, always moving, shifting, changing. With her intelligent golden eyes, her panther-like body and her deadly court, she is unstoppable. Finally! After so much anticipating, the readers were introduced to a QUEEN.

“You bring my court into this, Chaol,” Aelin said with lethal softness, “and I don’t care what you were to me, or what you have done to help me. You betray them, you hurt them, and I don’t care how long it takes, or how far you go: I’ll burn you and your gods-damned kingdom to ash. Then you’ll learn just how much of a monster I can be.”

The plot was slower than usual, but for a purpose. We had to relearn everything because everyone and everything has dramatically changed. The plot also mirrored Celaena's new personality by reflecting on her new intuitive and keen manner. With Rowan by her side, everything felt RIGHT. The build up was phenomenal, when two worlds crashed into each other. Epicness.  People have been complaining about Manon's story but honestly by the end, I was CRAVING more Manon! Everyone played an instrumental role at the end of the novel and those 656 pages were well presented. 

That wildness, that untamed fierceness … They weren’t born of a free heart, but of one that had known despair so complete that living brightly, living violently, was the only way to outrun it.

Objectively, I believe Queen of Shadows deserves all acclaim is shall receive. Its moments like these that remind me why I keep reading until my eyes burn and my body shuts down. There is no better high in the world than reading a great book. I just know I will be floating for a long while. 

“What if we go on,” he said, “only to more pain and despair? What if we go on, only to find a horrible end waiting for us?” Aelin looked northward, as if she could see all the way to Terrasen. “Then it is not the end.”

You can find Queen of Shadows on  Goodreads, Amazon, iBooks.

Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram | Photoblog