Crescendo

It was Celaena Sardothien who left for Wendolyn but not she who returns. Forged by fire and friendship, a new woman – a queen – returns in her place. Will Aelin Galathynius finally defeat the evil King of Adarlan? Will she free her friends from their torture? Will she finally take her rightful place as Queen of Terrasen?

The first few chapters of this, the fourth installment in the ‘Throne of Glass’ series had me worried. After having journeyed with Celaena through the first three books, the beginning of this novel felt like a step back in terms of her character development. The woman who had shed blood, tears and fire to become a queen, seemed to have shriveled back into the shell that was Celaena Sardothien.
And then Rowan arrived…
The action snowballed into a crescendo, characters bloomed, and the plot reached a magnificent high. One of my favorite things about this particular novel is the way Maas has tied up the strings in the last few chapters. She knows exactly how to round off the story and leave a reader satisfied, while still creating excitement for the novels to come.

Once again, the fantasy aspects were thrilling and I loved the inclusion of magic. The witches added a darker dimension, but this time, with a hint of hope. The love angle was a little disturbing at first because of the expectations created in the first few novels around the characters of Chaol and Rowan, but Maas paced the relationship development well.

I can’t wait to find out what happens next!