Title: Queen of Shadows
Author: Sarah J Maas
Publishers: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 656

Goodreads Synopsis:

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world


I was so so so excited for Queen of Shadows for so many reasons and I have to say even though I still enjoyed it a lot it was not what I was expecting and I was a little disappointed.

I have to split this book into the half I liked and the half I didn't like. I didn't really like the first half of the book because I really didn't like Aelin. Now that she has stopped being Celaena all together and transformed into this COMPLETELY NEW PERSON she has adapted her personality and for the first half of the book I didn't like it. I thought she was completely irrational and selfish as well as being just plain mean.

She would not listen to Chaol and my heart went out to him because she was giving him such a rough time and she thought all of her ideas were the best. She just didn't listen to anyone and it annoyed me to no end. Also, she started becoming sort of disgusted when people didn't treat or talk to her as if she were their queen, even people who were close to her! This annoyed me so much.

In most of the first half I had no idea where the plot was going and I was kind of just reading for the sake of trying to get somewhere so for most of the first half I wasn't sure what Aelin's motives or goals were or who she was friends with and who were her enemies.

The action throughout this whole book was spectacular. Sarah J Maas is so clever when it comes to writing because she will deceive you and come up with amazingly cunning plans that the characters will follow through with and I was awed with all the deceiving and secretiveness that was this book and it's characters.

Speaking of characters, I really liked Elide's story and how it intertwined with Manon's and I found that throughout most of the book I was enjoying the parts from Manon's perspective or Elide's the most which was the exact opposite to Heir of Fire. I loved the tension between the Thirteen and how they protected Elide from whatever was going on at Morath.

I was super pumped in the scene where Aelin and Manon met because that is now probably one of my favourite scenes ever in the book! That scene blew me away because it was an epic fight scene but we had no idea what was going to happen because it was Manon vs. Aelin SO ANYONE COULD WIN!

Something else I really enjoyed was Dorian's perspective from him and his demon. And can I just say...The next book in this series better have some Dorian Manon action because I was so not expecting that but I ship it so much!

Of course, if you know any of my views on ToG you will know that in this book my ship did not sail, it kind of just...sank. I've never been a huge Rowena fan throughout this entire series because it kind of creeps me out how he is 300 years older than her, immortal and related to her... I managed to get through it in this book and it does not creep me out as much now and I did find myself enjoying some aspects of their relationship.

The ending left me in tears because of the final scene in the last castle and if you've read the book then you will know that it is suggested that someone dies and HOW COULD YOU DO THAT SARAH! Anyway, it was an amazing last scene with a killer reveal that makes me so excited for the next book!

Overall, I did enjoy this book despite the slow start for me so I gave it...