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3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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And so the re-read comes to a close.
Rating: 4.5/5
Pages: 980
Started: 25 July 2023
Finished: 28 July 2023
Summary:
Locked in an iron box by the Fae Queen Maeve, tortured every day and healed every night, Aelin Galathynius has no idea that Rowan Whitethorn, her mate and husband, is hunting for her. As the days pass, and the torture becomes more creative and more damaging, Aelin begins to question how long she can refrain from submitting to Maeve's desire to seize Aelin's autonomy, her power, and the locations of the Wyrdkeys.
In the North--in Terrassen--Lysandra has been masquerading as Aelin for months. But despite Aedion's battle-planning prowess, without Aelin's real fire to wipe the Valg off the map, Erawan's seemingly endless forces cannot be defeated. The army can only hope for strength, for allies, for supplies, and for the return of their real queen.
Manon may have been disowned by her Ironteeth grandmother, but she has another side of her lineage to persue--the Crochan witches. Determined to win their favor and their swords, Manon, accompanied by her Thirteen and by the crown-less Dorian, ventures into the mountains to try and win the allegiance of the witches she once hunted for sport. Though he is happy to advise Manon in the business of crown-winning, Dorian has another task: to find the final Wyrdkey. He must venture deep into his power, deep into his soul, to find the magic required for his vital task.
Erawan and Maeve, two looming sources of evil, two powerful sovereigns determined to bend this world and others to their will. Though the armies of Terrassen and its allies are outnumbered and outmatched, they have one thing the Valg do not--hope. Faith in their leaders, hope for their future, and the promise of a free world, a better world, a world worth fighting for.
Thoughts:
This book has impact. There are lots of facets of the story and writing that could be dissected and judged, but it can't be denied that the book has momentum and power. Compared to the previous book, this one is sadder, more hopeless, more harsh. But there is also more love, more care, more faith. People come together, fight for the world they believe in, and forge amazing bonds in process. It takes a lot to get me fully invested in a book, but I cried three times reading this. The sacrifice is powerful. The pain is powerful. Reading the death of the Thirteen and thinking about their oath, "from now until the Darkness claims us," is powerful.
There were a few utterly infuriating things about this book, I will admit, and all of them are tied to the power loss trope. First of all, Aelin giving up her power is bs. She needs to only maintain a safe, normal, human level of power, and she makes a sacrifice for her world, blah blah blah. All I see is a woman forced to give up her strength in order to be more palatable to the fearful and misogynistic men who are too afraid to let her have power in her own right. And the fact that both Aelin and Dorian make stupid choices and fail to kill Erawan and Maeve despite perfect opportunities is also bs. I love to read sacrifice, but only when it achieves something. Aelin gave up her power to seal the gate but not Erawan, and Dorian walked away from Maeve because he ... didn't feel like killing her? Does not make much sense at all.
That being said, all the loyalty and sacrifice and emotion of this book fully makes up for the idiocy of those few choices. As always, I love the structure of loyalty and power that Maas has built; it's obviously antiquated but I find it so satisfying to read. And, also as always, I define a good book by its ability to make people feel something. People can say what they will, but this book is essentially an epic and sweeping emotional iron maiden. Lots of emotional pain; I adore it.
I didn't really have the time to spare, but I am very glad I chose to re-read this series. It's both comforting and thrilling, and the characters bring me so much joy. Who knows, maybe another re-read will be in store for next summer!!