A review by irene2160
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I feel lied to.
This is nothing like ACOTAR. Like ACOTAR is so much tamer than this.
And every time you think that there is a flaw in the plot or some plot hole etc. SJM proves you wrong and makes you cry whilst she does it.
I feel bad for anyone who doesn't make it past the first book in the series. The idea that they never get to this book and get to read how everything is coming together ughhh
SJM must have written Aelin as herself because the way she hides things from the reader and reveals them at the perfect point in the book is just insane.

Poor Aelin, poor Rowan omg poor everyone I actually can't.
Also, I did NOT see Lysandra pretending to be Aelin from a mile away.
The ending with the silent assassins and the note that Aelin sent to the Ashryvers is just so typical of Aelin that you can't help but laugh despite what she's currently going through.

And when she's getting whipped on the beach omg....
And Manon's thoughts of hoping Aelin survives this just so she can then die at the time she's supposed to... It's giving Harry Potter but higher stakes and much more brutal.
FINDING OUT THAT MAEVE MANIPULATED ROWAN INTO THINKING LYRIA WAS HIS MATE...
Maeve making Aelin bow on the sand...
F*cking Lorcan man - I thought he had finally semi-redeemed himself but nope!!
Poor Fenrys...
I get why Aelin doesn't tell anyone her plans because she's afraid they'll try to stop her or she's worried they won't go to plan but the way that she only tells Lysandra about the fact that she's going to have to die and that she wants Lysandra to pretend to be her... and have Aedion's kids and pretend that they're hers and Rowans... that's dark man. Like imagine being Rowan and having to live pretending his mate is alive but it's actually Lysandra, and omg and not even consulting with Aedion - Has this flirting between Lysandra and Aedion not been true this whole time?
When Aedion realises all the people that Aelin has called debts back from to save Terrasen after he had shouted at her...
And I was so happy to finally see Rowan show off his power/skill to then have him just kneeling on the beach once Aelin was taken is just so heart breaking...
And the fact that they had gotten married two days prior...

I get why everyone is saying that SJM needs to leave poor Aelin alone and hope she doesn't come back in any other books because if she gets through this man...

Considering there's a whole other book it's pretty obvious that Rowan gets Aelin out but omg the reunion if they do
And then it's all just for Aelin to die anyways ://///


I think I got a little too into this review and could definitely talk about this for a good hour or more
5 starts - Nothing less for an SJM book
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