Sexy Fae Warriors and Sassy Banter // Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s UK (6th Sept 2016)
Series: Throne of Glass #5
Format/Source: Paperback (sent by Bloomsbury Children’s UK for review)

Blurb:
The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

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.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth instalment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

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The stars have aligned for us. Everything is coming into place. Empire of Storms, guys! It’s the fifth book in the much-beloved Throne of Glass series and shit is getting real. I swear to God, Empire of Storms was lit. It was epic, mind-blowingly awesome. I would read anything of Sarah J. Maas because she’s the Queen in my heart. Number one auto-buy author, hands down.

The reason I’ve taken so long to write this review is because I really wanted to think it through and recap everything that happened in Empire of Storms. And I had friends who were reading it so I wanted to be there for them. I know, I’m a saint. But still, if you do not have a buddy to support you once you finish a Sarah J. Maas novel, I am here for you.

So here we go!

Empire of Storms was definitely one of my most-anticipated books this year because:

1. a) it’s Sarah J. Maas


2. b) Queen of Shadows left me reeling so I needed Empire of Storms more than air

I will really try not to spoil anything for you if you’ve not read the previous books, but Gods above, you need to read them because Empire of Storms was fucking spectacular.

Where do I even begin my incessant fanboying? Shall I just talk about how much I loved Aelin in Empire of Storms because she’s finally embraced her role as Queen of Terrasen? Or do I start gushing about the ships that were sailing at breakneck speed?

The longest Throne of Glass book to date, Empire of Storms packs a punch when it comes to heart-stopping action, swoony and sweet romance and friendship/squad goals. With the King of Darkness, Erawan gathering his forces, Aelin and her court (I’d prefer to call them “squad”, to be honest) must also seek for allies to go against the ominous darkness over Erilea. So stakes are high and shit is about to get real.

I was hooked from the first page because Empire of Storms follows different characters throughout the entire book and the genius that is Sarah J. Maas successfully weaved an epic story with such wonderful, well-loved characters. The plot was sublime because you can never be disappointed with a Sarah J. Maas book. Why? She is the Queen of Fantasy in my book and she’s proved herself to be such a prolific writer in the genre. Sarah J. Maas was the reason I started reading fantasy.

As expected, Empire of Storms was such a brilliant book because there was so much going on and Sarah J. Maas had to explore the sides of every character's story. And in the end, she tied things up so beautifully, I was in awe. My Queen could do no wrong, I tell you. She has this amazing gift as a storyteller that can get you forget about everything and immerse yourself in the book.

With a booming 689 pages of pure enjoyment, exhilaration, heartbreak, anguish and a hell lot of emotions, Empire of Storms is a definite must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas. If you’re not prepared for it, be prepared because this book will blow your socks off. There were moments in the book that made me cheer for Aelin and her squad.

Can you imagine being in the same room as someone who shouts “Yassssssssssssssssss, slay, Queen!” while reading? I am just so proud of my fire-breathing baby because she’s grown so much.

Look at me babbling away like a complete Aelin worshipper. In Empire of Storms, other characters had their own arcs and once again, I was hugely impressed and pleased with Manon’s chapters because I fucking love that witch. She’s ruthless, cold, calculative and vicious, but in Empire of Storms, you’ll discover something about Manon that would break your heart. (I hope this makes you more excited to read Empire of Storms if you haven’t because it’s amazing and you’re cool!)

What surprised me the most was Elide having her own arc. I really liked her character in Queen of Shadows and in the latest book, she gets to be in the spotlight as she navigates the harsh terrains of Erilea to look for a certain someone. Ahem. Again, read Empire of Storms.

If you’ve not read up to Queen of Shadows, please skip the following part and head to the conclusion, unless you don’t mind being spoiled.

And dudes, Empire of Storms has a few steamy scenes so I'd steer clear of reading them in public, guys.

All right, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. Let’s talk about the ships because I am just dying to fanboy over the relationships in Empire of Storms because I have a feeling that Sarah J. Maas will kill us in the last book, so these ships and their adorable romances that would make your heart soar like Rowan in the skies are little distractions to keep us happy until the last book. *whimpers*

Aelin and Rowan: I ship these two so hard, my heart couldn’t expand more because fuck me, Aelin and Rowan are like the unstoppable pair in Erilea and their babies will rule the world. Their carranam bond and telepathy were so amusing and the only thing I have for them is my love.

Dorian and Manon: You don’t have to tell me but I get where this is going. It’s creepy because I do wonder if there are iron claws/blades hidden in Manon but I really like the King of Adarlan and Wing Leader as an item because they are just too cute. Incredible, isn’t it? Never in a million would I thought of using the word “cute” to describe Manon Blackbeak.

Lysandra and Aedion: Hello, I died reading their banter because they are just hilarious. I can never get enough of these two quarrelling and challenging each other. I hope they live happily ever after and they don’t die.

Elide and Lorcan: To be perfectly honest, I didn’t really like Elide and Lorcan from the beginning of the book but as the book progressed, I started liking Elide and Lorcan for separate reasons. Halfway through the book, I had already started shipping them.

So, the verdict? I would give Sarah J. Maas my soul if I could just spend the rest of my life reading her books. And stroking her gorgeous golden mane.

If you think you survived Queen of Shadows, you have to really prepare yourself – physically, mentally and emotionally – for Empire of Storms. You have been warned, my friend. The ending was brilliant and I had to have a moment to absorb everything that happened after I finished the book. The plot progression was intense and the once everything got together and they finally made sense, I was blown away. And I thought I knew what was coming.

Now that there’s one book left in the series, the stakes are sky high and I am wincing at the thought of waiting for an entire year to read the last book, which will undoubtedly be an epic conclusion. To sum it up, Empire of Storms was epic, glorious and severely badass. Sarah J. Maas is a marvel and I would read anything she writes.

Credits to Bloomsbury YA for these gorgeous graphics of the beautiful quotes from Empire of Storms.