This is my first review of 2019 and I couldn’t be happier that it’s for book five in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, Empire of Storms. This book was a massive read with 75 chapters so a lot happened, obviously. This isn’t really going to be an in depth review just because of how huge this book is but I’ll be sharing my general thoughts. I’ll let you know the synopsis and then we’ll get into what I think about this book. This review will contain spoilers.

Synopsis

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

My Thoughts

This book left me mentally exhausted. I mentioned in my review for Queen of Shadows, book four, that it was mostly slow paced except for the last 25% of the book and then it had a fairly happy ending. Empire of Storms, however, kicked off the action in the first chapter and Did. Not. Stop. There is almost constant battles, enemies, daring escapes and secret plots. There really was no break in the action and I LOVED it. All of the characters from the previous book are back in this one, except for Chaol and Nesryn but from what I understand they play a large role in the sixth book, Tower of Dawn. Elide, Manon and Lysandra have much bigger roles in this book and I loved getting to know them. We also get to see much more of Maeve’s cadre: Lorcan, Gavriel and Fenrys. I have no complaints with any of the characters and I love them all either for how wonderful they are or how completely evil they are.

There’s a ton of character and relationship development throughout this book which is something I think Maas does very well. However, I think it’s important to talk about which genre this is appropriate for. Whether you mind it or not, Sarah J. Maas is infamous for swapping up genres in the middle of a series. The first four books in this series were plainly Young Adult. The Young Adult genre covers from around 14/15 years old and up. Empire of Storms, however, is in the New Adult genre which is typically more appropriate for older teens and up. There is many somewhat explicit sex scenes. Aelin and Rowan’s relationship really grows in this book along with Manon and Dorian’s relationship. I personally don’t care and I love the way Maas has developed these characters but I think this is something important to be aware of. I feel as a general rule Maas’ writing should be considered appropriate for adults, not young teens.

I truly loved this book from beginning to end. Each book in this series, for the most part, is even better than its predecessor. I’m officially over half way done with this series and while I’m ready to find out everything, I’m going to be so sad when it’s over. If you’ve read this book I’d love to know what you think! Thanks for reading and have a great day!