Queen of Shadows: 4 (Throne of Glass)

Queen of Shadows is my favourite book in the Throne of Glass series so far. Sarah J. Maas takes everything that made the earlier books so enjoyable and raises the stakes. There are epic battles, political intrigue, friendships, unspoken love, honour, loyalty, and an unforgettable showdown with the King. One of the things that struck me most was Dorian's heartbreaking struggle. His description of himself as being "hardly more than a marionette, struggling to speak" was devastating, especially when he admits he hated everyone for not noticing. It perfectly captures how lonely invisible suffering can be. Chaol frustrated me throughout much of this book. He blames almost everyone except the people truly responsible—mainly the King, and at times himself. He judges Aelin for having magic while accepting it in Dorian, despite everything Aelin has endured. If her parents had never been murdered, she would never have become an assassin. His grief over Sorscha and everything he has witnessed clearly leaves him miserable and broken, but Aelin's challenge to him really resonated with me: "Did you learn nothing from Nehemia's death? Did you somehow think you could win with your honor intact, without sacrificing something?" Later, Dorian's words—"You do not get to pick and choose which parts of her to love"—beautifully expose Chaol's flaws and force him to confront his own failings. I loved how the novel explores tyranny and resistance. The descriptions of the public executions, with the crowd actually applauding, reminded me that executions were once considered public entertainment long before cinemas or television existed. The Temple of the God of Truth, built upon bones, was another fascinating piece of world-building that added a darker historical feel to the story. The witches became some of the most compelling characters for me. Their brutal society, the cruelty of the High Witches, the horrific experiments on the younger witches, and the bond between the witches and their wyverns made them far more complex than simple villains. Abraxos is impossible not to love—a giant, lethal dog... with wings. The hint that the Thirteen, and Manon herself, might be changing was one of my favourite developments. The message, "WITCH KILLER—THE HUMAN IS STILL INSIDE HIM," was a powerful turning point. There are so many memorable moments and quotes. I loved Aelin telling Rowan, "You make me want to live. Not survive; not exist. Live." It marks such an important emotional shift for her. And "Let's go rattle the stars" perfectly captures the spirit of this group as they come together. I also enjoyed spotting little similarities to Harry Potter, from the red and gold colours that reminded me of Gryffindor to the Wyrdkeys, which made me think a little of Horcruxes because of the unsettling, otherworldly power they possess. By the end, the world has become so much bigger. Witches, wyverns, Fae, ancient magic, Erawan waiting in the shadows, and the promise of new alliances all leave me desperate to continue the series. There even seems to be the beginning of something between Lysandra and Aedion, which I'm looking forward to seeing develop. For me, Queen of Shadows is a brilliant blend of action, emotion, friendship, sacrifice, and hope. Every book in this series gets better, and this one earns a well-deserved five stars.

This book was storytelling at its best. I read about 5-6 books a week and after a while its very rare that a book manages to excite me or surprise me. Queen of Shadows did. I made the mistake of reading reviews before I read it, just to feel out the vibes in the readers community. And I was shocked. Shocked to see that many of the reviewers were not happy to see this big turn in Celaena/Aelin’s (from now on Caelin, for short) romantic interests (SPOILERS from now on). Some even went as far as to suggest that she would make a poor example for teenage girls, messing around with not one (Dorian) or two (Chaol) but three (Rowan) men. A teenager who has killed, been enslaved, maimed, lied, spied, been tortured, trained as assassin- but falling in love with more than one guys….noooooo. She is a whore. As if one is supposed to find HEA at 17 and stay with the same man forever. On the contrary, BRAVO to Sarah J. Maas for crafting a female lead who has such a depth of character, that does what every teen and post-teen girl in every age would do: try to find love, experiment and move on. We, in Greece, have like 5 words for love, because there isn’t just one kind of love. Caelin explored platonic love with Dorian in book 1, then fell for Chaol, whose relationship with was always stained by mistrust, fights, misunderstandings and, to my opinion, was based on sexual attraction. Which is OK. If you go back and re-read books 1 and 2 you ‘ll find that Celaena and Chaol’s thing was sporadic, interrupted, it didn’t flow. Maybe Sarah J. Maas intended for them to be together, but as Caelin’s character developed, she outgrew Chaol. Let’s face it. After she embraced her real identity and went over the post-traumatic stress of the last 10 years of her life, supported by Rowan, Chaol was just too small for her. Too human. Too limited. And yes, I can see why people felt that the author deconstructed Chaol in this book and broke him. And I hope he comes back. But he is not Rowan. Rowan and Caelin’s relationship started in darkness and pain and hate and developed to deep rooted trust and loyalty and love. Much more trust and loyalty than what Chaol showed her. So she deserves Rowan. She deserves unfaltering trust. The same as Chaol shows for Dorian. That is why I disagree with the negative reviewers and think this is the best book in the series so far. Because Sarah J. Maas dared to break the mold. Dared to have her heroin move on from the same man, even though he didn’t support her, even though they don’t see eye to eye. It’s much more realistic. And I know that we love Fantasy because it’s not realistic, but I for one, love heroines that although live in fantastical situations, react in realistic ways. That’s how one relates to what one’s reading. Yes, I was sad to see the deconstruction of Chaol’s character. He is in a dark space all throughout the book. Sad to also see Aedion’s character a little bit dummied down and subdued. But our heroine really deserved some good and happy moments in this book, especially after the darker previous 3 books. Queen of Shadows has a lighter feeling. Maybe the author is happier, maybe I am happier, but it felt a happier book than the previous. And I for one, found it refreshing. Even it is all going to be taken from her in the books that follow, Caelin finds some happiness and most plot lines are tucked in, the storytelling ending with a positive note and without a cliff-hanger, for which I am very grateful to the author (cliff hangers are like blackmailing the readers to wait for the next one and, for me, demonstrate inadequate storytelling). One can just finish the series here, now. And stay with a great aftertaste. But the author expertly also introduced new interesting players in the game and parallel plotlines and I am sure most are dying to find out what role Manon will play (oh I loved the wicked wicked Manon), also sweet Elide, Marion’s daughter. Maybe Caelin is not going to be the main character in the remaining two books in the series. I almost hope she won’t be. She had enough and deserves some peace and happiness. I loved the ending scene of her quirky court and her reaching Terassen. Also loved Lysandra and hope to meet more shifters in the next books. And Kaltain. OMG. What a surprise and what a tragic end. The scene in Morath where the 3 meet, Manon, Elide and Kaltain is one of the best Fantasy girl-power scenes ever. As is the fight between Manon and Caelin. Pure awesomeness. This is one of the author’s strengths, I think: that she manages to craft characters so rich, so layered and deep and amazing. Even Abraxos, my lovely, flower eating Wyvern (who I am convinced is a Shifter or Fey in his animal form), manages to get a detailed, intricate character. Well done, Sarah J. Maas for such a feel-good book. From kick-ass (Throne of Glass), to dark and gritty (Crown of Midnight) to gut-wrenching despair (Heir of Fire) to re-birth and soaring (Queen of Shadows). I don’t know what to expect from book 5 in the series, but I totally trust Ms Maas for she is one of the best storytellers in existence.

I like it, I don't love it.... It had so much potential to be outstanding, but despite a great story arc it just fell flat in some places - and it's tough to single out quite why that is.... I was really looking forward to this book, but find that it didn't quite reach my expectations. As other reviews stated it is necessary to read the novellas in order to fully appreciate some of the politics and manipulation in the early parts of the book. Otherwise, you are left with a bland half arsed description that feels like filler for those in the know and not sufficient enough for those that aren't. It's a really odd balance that doesn't work in my opinion. Others have had issues with how the Chaol character has been portrayed in this book. I personally have no problem with his behaviour, as it rings true, for me, as extensions of his pride, jealousy and lack of self awareness regarding his own motives / feelings that were showcased in previous books. I do enjoy the development of the Rowan & Aelin relationship - It was a slow burn in Heir of fire and Maas teased us with a very modern yet surprisingly chaste romance - despite having plenty of topless male scenes ;-) Manon was the stand out character in this book and I'm excited to see how she grows in the future and the political wranglings of the witches covens as they regroup and digest recent events. I could definitely dig a novella on this just to flesh out such an intriguing society. The action sequences are well defined and I felt that the pacing of the book was well managed until after the final climax - then we are left with several chapters that could and should have been sharper.... I found myself wondering why it was left in as it took the "sting" out of the book and was just a meandering 'journey' - which didn't need to be told. I still think it is definitely worth a read and will continue with the series.

This is and always will be my favourite book in this series! So many surprises along the way, twists and turns I never would have seen coming, and OMG Aelin is so sneaky and clever, she has me snickering throughout. I love how our new and old Characters weave together in this book, and we can start to see how each separate story is linked very cleverly to the whole. In the previous book I’m not keen on Manon, I read the scenes but I honestly wanted to skip them on the first read because I just wasn’t invested in her yet. I didn’t see the point in suddenly throwing in more people and societies just for the same of it, and yet by the middle of this book I ADORE her and her Thirteen. Nothing about this book goes how I expected, in all the best ways, and there’s SO MUCH I want to say but how do I do that without giving none stop spoilers?! I can’t, because the changes of direction and twists and turns at every other chapter are EXACTLY why I love this book. It changes scenario and surprises at every turn and it’s so much FUN with so much excitement! Various characters connect, secrets are found out, repayment for past behaviours start to be visible, and the plots get deeper and more shocking. I want to say SO MUCH about each of the Characters in this one, and why I LOVE to hate certain peoples butthead ways, I want to rave and chatter about decisions made and oh so sneaky scenarios but I would literally do nothing but tell you what was going to happen. In some cases even talking about the characters in relation to one another would be a spoiler, ARGH!! There are CRAZY amounts of things that happen that I want to chatter about, SO many things that I want to say!! What I will say, is that in true Maas fashion she makes you mad, makes you happy, makes you want to cry, and makes you want to whoop for joy, and of course has those moments that are hear wrenchingly beautiful alongside ones that make you cackle in delight at the wicked humour. In most cases, I would rave about the oh so clever and oh so wonderful ending scenes... and BOY do I want to, but... with Maas it’s the entire book! And I can’t say anything more specific without ruining the OH so many “WAIT, what?” What I WILL say, is that you have read the previous books, you’re going to absolutely LOVE this one!!

OMG, I waited so long for this book I stopped reading anything else, I just couldn't put it down in the times I had to read. All grown up now the story continues with a huge plot twist near the end of the story. All of my favourite characters together at times, and R O W A N, oh Rowan, he is just so delicious. Watching his relationship with Aelin develop is wonderful. They had me laughing out loud in places. As did the very jealous Aedion who eventually accepts the Fae Prince being with his cousin. Another interest was the developing friendship between Aelin and Lysandra who plot their revenge on Arobynn the king of the assassins for the way he has treated them both since they were children. Elide has been mentioned before, briefly, now is in play in quite a big way with Manon and the Thirteen blackbeak witches, whose own stories unfolds wonderfully as the witches get angry at events taking place then Asterin eventually confiding in Manon what had happened to her at the hands of Manon's grandmother. Manon takes it all onboard, is angry enough to start to change things, ends up owing Aelin a life debt after Aelin saves her. Paying the debt Manon lets Aelin know that Dorian is still there, sets Elide free telling her to travel north to where she will eventually meet Aelin in Terrasen. Elide is shocked to discover Aelin is alive and at this point, has changed things enough that magic is back (with the help of Rowan, Aedion, Chaol, Nesryn and Dorian). The book hints at what will happen next but I guess it will be another year before we get to find out if what we think is going to happen does come to fruition. I am looking forward to finding out how the young Queen grows and meets the threat to Terrasen, the young King Dorian in Rifthold and the other places from Morath and what is there that could undo everything they have achieved, plus what is Maeve going to do, does Lorcan pass on the hot gossip about Aedion, if so is she going to cause issues for the cousins and/or their future together. Another well deserved 5 star rating. I just love this series by Sarah and have done ever since I was given a free copy of 'The Assassin and the Pirate Lord' back in the day when it was a stand alone nouvella. I am well and truly hooked!

This was a superb read, and hands-down the best of the series so far. The plot was incredible; full of suspenseful twists and turns, and an imaginatively created fantasy world that I loved. The pacing was spot on, and even though it's a big book, I never felt that any part dragged. The writing was great, as usual. At this stage, the characters all seem so real to me, so much so that I feel quite intensely about them. There are minor inconsistencies with some of the characters, and there were plenty of times when a few of them really grated on my nerves, but that's a side effect of being so invested in them and their stories. Honestly not a bad thing. Aelin has really come into her own, and she was amazing in this book. Sharp, shrewd, brave, snarky, and cunning are all words that spring to mind. I adored her and Rowan in this book, and they are so perfect together. And Rowan is just perfect book boyfriend material. (Swooning.) I disliked Chaol for most of this book, and I hated the fact that he was pinning so much blame on Aelin when he was the one who sent her away in the first place! He vented a lot of his own self-frustration in her direction which was massively unfair. Thankfully, he took his head out of his ass by the end of the book and redeemed himself. I actually enjoyed Manon's POV this time around, and the witchy sub-plot added depth and an additional layer which was lacking in Heir of Fire. I figured Elide was going to reappear though it's still unclear what value she offers, or what role she will play. Dorian. Poor Dorian. He has really been through the wringer. I hope he has what it takes to see this thing through, and that he's not too damaged. I'm still intrigued to see how him and Aelin as a magical unit fit into the overall picture. Aelin's dark side still wriggles beneath the surface and I'm wondering if she is strong enough to fight it off in future books. There is definitely potential for her to turn to the dark side, and wouldn't that be an interesting turn of events. All in all, this was fantastic. I can't wait to read the next instalment.

Queen of Shadows is as blood thirsty as it's murderous characters. I can't get enough of the world Maas has created. This story is full of truly bad ass women, with chinks in their armour, but an unswerving ability to be kick ass. I wouldn't mess with Manon if my Wyvern depended on it! Told in parts, as with the previous book, Queen of Shadows shows us what each of our team are up to. Manon and the thirteen are up to nastiness of course. Am I the only one absolutely in love with Wyverns by the way? I know they're supposed to be all evil and whatever, but seriously, they are adorable. Fierce. But adorable. Maas does such a good job of demonstrating characters who are strong and do not yield, but who still have flashes of good natured humanity and this makes them perfectly imperfect to read about. The flawed, complex characters (and Wyverns!) are the most fun to read about and I can't wait for Manon to take a larger role in the next book - it feels like her story is just getting started. This story shows Aelin (Or Celaena, depending on your preference I guess) as she sets out into a trap. She must rescue her cousin, despite knowing the King has baited her with him, and she has three days to do so before he is beheaded. Which might not seem as bad as wearing one of those grim, life sucking, soul destroying collars like Prince Dorian has (I mean he has the worst Dad in the world right? Who does that?). But still, missing a head sucks. So Aelin needs help. And unfortunately that means she needs Arobynn Hamel - her former Master and number one guy she wants to rip apart piece by piece. She does have a flair for the dramatics after all. But bargaining with the King of being a massive two faced jerk isn't as simple as you might think. Especially when your initial mission was to murder him, and the King, rescue his son, Oh and save your Kingdom too! Who am kidding? You're four books deep in this story! You know the drill! I found, as with the previous books, that I really enjoyed reading about the secondary characters and the history as much as I liked reading about Aelin interacting with them; especially when they tied in to some of the back stories (and novellas) as some of the new characters in this book do. The world building and characterisation are so rich that I get instantly invested in them - especially the slightly broken, more intricate characters. Chaol was chief example of a slightly broken character who I loved previously, poor guy, but actually in this book he seemed less like Chaol and more like he was the dude wearing the collar and sunk into the background a bit - his character development changed in a dark way and I'm not sure I liked it. Maybe it's to help us adjust to the Rowan situation, which I liked, but his bitterness and inability to see the bigger picture was a bit too much for me sometimes. I'm all for a complex, grieving or challenging character but this didn't work for me after he had been such a logical character previously. Although his bromance with Dorian made up for that! This story so far has only improved for me, becoming more detailed and complex the further Celaena/Aelin goes. Each character has a unique bond with her, and with each other, and this is often lost in YA books - rather, the romance aspect just takes over. I've found this to be a refreshing change to be honest; it's incredibly rare for me to become attached to so many characters and that speaks volumes for the writing. Whilst there are flashes of romance, it never detracted from the story and I much preferred this approach (although I fully expect the next book to be a bit more full on!!). The plot remained action packed and had plenty to keep me intrigued - I'm looking forward to seeing how this is going to come together and to seeing Aelin rip her enemies a new face!

"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" Returning to Adarlan stronger than ever, Celaena—now embracing her true identity—sets out to rescue her friends and reclaim what was stolen from her. As allies gather and enemies close in, the fight for her kingdom begins 👀 This book is where things really start to kick off and the stakes are now unbelievably high! Friends and lovers are reunited, villains are unmasked and help comes from the most unlikely of sources 🤯 Unlike the last book, this one is straight into the action and pretty much stays that way for the entire time. There are a lot of different POVs going on at this point, but you are familiar enough with the characters to be emotionally invested in all of them 😩 🪬Book vibe🪬 - Tested loyalties - Jilted lovers - Prison break - Badass women - Spicy tension This is the best instalment of the series so far, and is when you realise how emotionally attached you have become to the characters. There is a fair amount of spicy tension in this book to help satisfy those that need a bit of a romance to stay invested ❤️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️ Everyone told me the Throne of Glass series gets better with every book, and they were NOT WRONG. I liked Throne of Glass. Crown of Midnight was disappointing and just SAD. Then Heir of Fire came along and everything finally kicked off. But Queen of Shadows?! I could not put it down. The action was nonstop, there were surprises at every turn, and so many questions were finally answered. And then ROWAN SHOWED UP. 😍 Honestly, one of my favorite moments of the entire book. I can officially see why Rowan Whitethorn is the OG of book boyfriends because that man sets the bar HIGH. The way he looks at Aelin?! Their chemistry is undeniable. I have loved him since the moment he crossed the page in Heir of Fire—the grumpiness, the loyalty, the protectiveness, and, of course, those lovely canines. 😂 I especially love seeing his character come alive around Aelin. We’re finally getting smiles and glimpses of happiness from our favorite grumpy Fae warrior! And Aelin and Rowan finally admitting their feelings while still not realizing that this whole carranam connection might be something MUCH MORE?! 👀 COME ON. I am ready! But then we got MANON AND DORIAN’S MEET-CUTE. 🔥 SPECTACULAR. It was such a small moment and somehow immediately left me wanting more of these two. Dorian deserves some happiness after everything he’s endured, and if it happens to involve a certain terrifying white-haired witch, I fully support it. And MANON VS. AELIN?! Easily one of the best scenes in the book. Two queens finally meeting face-to-face and absolutely going for it. I didn’t even know who to root for because I love them both! Sarah J. Maas also does such an incredible job of introducing characters you genuinely care about and slowly creating this found family out of people brought together through impossible circumstances. I love watching these relationships grow. But I still feel a real sense of loss for Dorian, Chaol, and Celaena. That trio will never exist again. Their lives have changed them too much, and they’re all moving forward in different directions. There’s something incredibly sad but realistic about that. Sometimes people belong to a certain chapter of our lives, and no matter how much we loved them, we can’t go backward. Chaol is still pompous, stubborn, and rigid—but somehow you love him for it. 😂 I was glad he and Aelin finally found some common ground and worked through at least some of their complicated past. Their friendship may never be what it was, but maybe that’s okay. Overall, Queen of Shadows was a fantastic read and easily my favorite of the series so far. The action, character development, friendships, romance, and twists had me completely hooked. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Now bring on Empire of Storms and Tower of Dawn because I NEED more Rowan and Aelin, and I definitely need to know what’s happening with Manon and Dorian. 👀🔥 Also, Rowan Whitethorn smiling with those little canines? I’m done. 😂

This is not heroic fantasy, this is epic heroic fantasy with one of the strongest and most formidable heroine I've read about. Sarah J Maas is incredibly gifted and impresses me each and every time. With the Throne of Glass series, she has created real artwork worth The Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Ring series. Celaena/Aelin is one hell of queen warrior. She kills with skills but her heart also bleeds every time she loses a friend or innocent people are hurt in the process. Beautiful and terrible Queen of a conquered kingdom, Terrasen, she'll fight with all her might and tricks to free magic, kill the king of Adarlan and help Dorian. In Queen of Shadows, Aelin was an incredible strategist, she planned everything and placed her pawns in a formidable chess game. Working in the shadows of the night, she orchestrated her revenge against Arobynn, her former Master, King of Assassins and everyone who hurt her loved ones. This book is full of spectacular escapes, furious battles against Valg princes, flights in the sewers, in the slums and will take you on an incredible journey. Think to breathe, from time to time, usually when you begin seeing stars dancing before your eyes because that's how breathless that book is. I swear Aelin must be some kind of cat as she always escape death at the last moment. You think "that's it, all hope is lost, this is the end" and ... something happens to save the day, be it an incredible move of Aelin, an unexpected ally or... And you're left panting with trembling hands. Most of the time, I wanted to shake Chaol as he was so different from the first books. His disgust and animosity for Aelin was so unexpected. I was really angry with him. How did he not see Aelin was the savior? I loved the connection Aelin shared with Rowan but they're dancing around each other and it made me think of some TV shows where you're always waiting for something to happen between the male and female protagonists but nothing comes and you get frustrated. It's a clever way to keep the reader on his/her toes as he/she wants these two to realize they're made for each other in more ways than one. Manon of the Blackbeak Clan, Wing Leader witch is a complex character and I loved how Sarah J Maas played with her emotions and conflicts. Manon and her Thirteen side story was truly fascinating to follow. It adds layers to the book, all individual stories running alongside to collide at some point in a clash of swords and knives. When Manon meets Aelin, arrows, punches and sparks fly. Now that Aelin had revenge, she has to prepare for the final battle... in the next book.

This book itself is a 5 star. All the characters, the plot, the world I just want to live in it. The female characters are chef's kiss.

Queen of Shadows is a standout entry in the Throne of Glass series and easily one of its strongest instalments. From the first chapters, the story feels larger, darker, and more confident, raising the stakes for both the characters and the world they inhabit. Sarah J. Maas continues to expand Erilea in impressive ways, introducing new locations and perspectives while deepening familiar settings. The sense of scale grows significantly here, and the series begins to feel truly epic rather than simply adventurous. This book places a strong emphasis on character relationships and how past events shape current decisions. Aelin’s arc is particularly compelling as she faces increasing expectations and responsibility. Her determination, confidence, and refusal to be controlled create meaningful tension and drive much of the story forward. The supporting cast is expansive, and Maas largely succeeds in keeping a large group of characters distinct and engaging. Several new additions bring welcome depth, especially through strong female representation and non-romantic bonds that enrich the narrative. While the book isn’t without minor pacing or structural issues, its momentum, emotional payoff, and character development more than compensate. The plot is ambitious and fast-moving, with frequent moments that feel designed to push the series into new territory. Overall, Queen of Shadows is a bold and gripping continuation that solidifies the series’ strength. It balances action, character growth, and world-building in a way that feels rewarding for long-time readers, and it sets the stage beautifully for what follows. A highly recommended read for fantasy fans invested in this series.

I like the way the books were packed. The smell of the books. How fast they arrived.