Scan barcode
barbarianmissy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Wowee that was quite the epic tale!
Felt a smidge slow at the start but the last 200 pages were crazy af in usual SJM manner.
Here are my thoughts on the characters for this book:
I’m so flipping HAPPY that Dorian got freed, poor sweet summer child, he didn’t deserve to be possessed for so long! BUT ALSO! Every single person just frickin left him to run a country on his own???? After he was tortured for months?!??! Like Aelin and her court all left to go North, and Chaol and Nesryn are going south! Who’s going to watch our battered and bruised lil king?!?! I don’t trust any of these Adarlan jerks to treat him right! But something I’m hopeful for is that I feel like Manon and him may become a thing????? That’d be quite the dynamic! Can’t wait!
Manon you’re sick af and a rockstar queen. Keep rocking, girlie! Hope Elide doesn’t get lost in the woods or break her other leg after you just left her there.
Also Lorcan was a fun lil addition, I don’t like him but I think he’s fun! Saucy lil guy!
I hope Lysandra and Aedion get together, they’d be really cute especially since she can scare the shit outta him. Good for her. She’s becoming one of my favs.
Aelin, I love you and Rowan together but I really wish it wasn’t established that you are blood relatives. I don’t care how distantly related you are, the fact that you can say “let’s go visit our aunt” is WEIRD. But long live the QUEEN!
Chaol, buddy, you really were pissing me off this book. Sorry about your lil leggies and I hope you get them back but you need to drink your “respect women” juice and treat Nesryn right pls cause I am getting real sick of your antics.
Now, ONTO THE TANDEM READ! LETS GOOOOOOOO
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Incest, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
anguawolf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Hate crime, Self harm, Cannibalism, and Classism
Minor: Stalking
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
No Written Review
Reread- 4.5⭐️ 1.5🌶️
Multi POV
Slow burn
Found Family
Mythical Creatures
Magic
War
Tw: discussion on infant loss
This series is a lot. There is always a lot going on, but the multi POV shifts solidly enough that you don’t feel jostled all over the place. Every character has an important viewpoint and unique voice.
I do think that some of the characters had kinda big personality shifts from the last book to this one. Mainly Chaol and Aelin. No maybe they aren’t endgame… but all of a sudden finding out that Chaol was having an illicit affair the summer before the champions competition and acted in a way that he had quickies in alleys??? I don’t buy it.
And Aelin while I appreciate the grief that was focused on in Heir of Fire… in Queen of Shadows she was working well below her standard badassery. As if her entire personality became dependent on Rowan.
And what is up with the “he seemed to say” and “she seemed to say” conversations?! Full blown, detailed conversations all with facial expressions. I bet they looked like absolute idiots to the people around them when they happened………… so weird. Just make them telepathic already.
Starting the story with Dorian’s POV was so important to see his depression and mindset since his situation was the last we read about in Heir of Fire. It definitely put in some tension and anxiety when it came to no one else knowing what was going on.
Knowing everything definitely makes the reread fun and heightens my ratings… but I am definitely not blowing through them on a binge the way I did on the first read.
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
infjkiki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
britwalsh16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Watching Aelin become who she was always meant to be & fight for her loved ones & what is right, is inspiring! The growth she has had since book 1 is in incredible!
And the bromance between Chaol & Dorian is like my favorite bromance ever! Coming in second only to my bat boys.
All the characters have incredible growth in this book! & I could go on about how much I love them all, but then this will get really long, so I won’t.
But my favorite character is Rowan! & having him not being in the first third of the book gave me serious withdrawal! My heart just leaped out of my chest when he finally showed up! I was so ecstatic! I can’t wait to read more of him, & more of his relationship with Aelin! My heart! 💜
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Misogyny, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
dlsmk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
mhairi_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, and Cannibalism
kat1105's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
tiredtori's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and War
Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, and Abandonment