Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas | The Basic Bookworm: Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas

Monday 14 December 2015

Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas



Began reading: 25.11.2015
Completed reading: 11.12.2015
Overall rating: 4 stars


No masters. No limits. No regrets.
Celaena Sardothien is cloaked in her assassin’s hood once more. She is back in Rifthold, but this time she is no one’s slave. She must delve into her more painful memories and fight for her survival, while resisting a smouldering passion that might very well consume her heart. And she will face her former master, the King of Assassins, again — to wreak revenge for a decade of pain…

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas is the fourth instalment of the Throne of Glass series. Queen of Shadows combines genres such as fantasy, romance, paranormal and adventure to create an enthralling novel suitable for young adults. Personally, I believe that this series gets better and better with the book, and I don’t think that Sarah J. Maas’ writing will ever disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and I can’t wait until the fifth book is released!

As always, Sarah J. Maas has included some great quotes, amazing dialogue and detailed descriptions. Some of my favourite quotes from the novel include:

‘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’ (pp. 122-123).

‘You’re here — and you’re perfect. You always were, and you always will be’ (p. 187).

My absolute favourite quote was from when Aelin played the piano forte for Rowan in the theatre. The quote is:

It was not the sorrowful, lovely piece she had once played for Dorian, and it was not the light, dancing melodies she’d played for sport; it was not the complex and clever pieces she had played for Nehemia and Chaol. This piece was a celebration — a reaffirmation of life, of glory, of the pain and beauty in breathing (p. 295).

The reason why I loved it so much was because it described the type of relationship that Aelin had with the characters mentioned.

                    

*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* I’m not sure if this is an error, but I just have to bring it up. In the novel, Arobynn’s bodyguard, Wesley, revealed that Arobynn ordered Sam’s death and how Farran was to torture him. It was similar to how Lysandra had to endure Arobynn, knowing that he killed her lover. So, when I read this quote from Aelin’s thoughts, I was confused:

She wondered what it was like to have to endure the man who had slaughtered your lover (p. 191).

*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER* This book also had a few interesting ideas that I thought were pretty genius. For example, using stones to decorate a grave instead of flowers: “Stones were eternal — flowers were not (p. 199), was brilliant. The entire scene where Aelin visits Sam’s grave was so sad, and brought back the feels. However, I’m glad that it brought closure to his character. Well done!

Finally, there was some humour, which I appreciated! For example, when Rowan got a haircut:

‘Your hair was so pretty. I was hoping you’d let me braid it one day. I suppose I’ll have to buy a pony instead.’ She cocked her head. ‘When you shift, will your hawk be plucked, then?’
His nostrils flared, and she clamped her lips together to keep from laughing (p. 237).

I was hoping Mort would make an appearance in the book, but sadly, he was only mentioned in passing. The way in which he was mentioned seemed to mean that he wouldn’t be returning in the upcoming novels, which I’m disappointed about.

                 

As I mentioned in my review for Heir of Fire, Manon Blackbeak was quickly overtaking Celaena in becoming my favourite character. I can now say that Manon and Celaena/Aelin are equal in being my favourite characters. Manon and Aelin are so alike, and I was so glad that they FINALLY came face-to-face in this book.

Speaking of, their argument and fight was one of my favourite parts of the novel. Both characters were badass, yet compassionate towards each other. Two leaders facing off against each other — it was both exciting and tense. I loved it! I also enjoyed reading about Asterin’s story and how it inspired her to become Manon’s Second.

I really like the idea of Dorian and Manon together. I don’t think that they really suit each other, but I think that their interactions in this book were so cute, especially when Manon visited him at his castle!

                     

*WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS* I’m glad that Lysandra and Kaltain contributed to helping the ‘good’ characters. I was especially happy that Lysandra and Aelin became such close friends. Also, I enjoyed reading about Evangeline. I hope she makes an appearance in the next book!

To be honest, I thought that Chaol acted like such a d*ckhead in this novel, so I don’t know how I feel about him anymore. I’m just glad that he was helpful and assisted Aelin with her missions.

Recommendation time! If you like The Assassin, Hanna, Reign, Kill Bill and Kill Bill 2, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz, and the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

My reviews for The Assassins BladeThrone of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir ofFire can be found by clicking on the titles.

I will also be reviewing the rest of the Throne of Glass series when the books are available. Keep an eye for those!

Happy reading!


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