Empire of Storms

About This Product

Kingdoms collide in Sarah J. Maas' epic fifth installment in the global best-selling Throne of Glass series.The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

Product Details

Manufacturer

Sarah J. Maas (Author), Elizabeth Evans (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher) & 0 more

ASIN

B01KIQV5EU

Customer Reviews Summary

There are two things that I want to make note of before starting my review:1). If you want to have the greatest experience reading this series, it is absolutely imperative that you read each book in order. The world-building, character development, and chain of events will make the greatest sense to you if you don’t skip around. Pay attention to each detail. It will make sense as you get deeper into this series.2). I will be listing a few spoilers in my review. Some things have already happened. If you are reading the books in order, you will already know what I am about to disclose. No, I will not give away the ending. It is going to shock you as well as break your heart. I don’t want to take that experience away from an avid reader such as yourself.Now, let’s get started.I love this series. The author, Sarah J. Maas, did a phenomenal job developing each character while giving them room to explore one another and grow into their surroundings. Some writers tend to rush things, so their word count isn’t too lengthy, or they simply follow a formula that has worked for them in the past. Sarah doesn’t give a damn about any of that. She writes to her heart’s content and strings us along with amazing storylines.In this book, we come to learn more about Nehemia’s homeland and the battle she was fighting to try and protect her people. Her death took a huge toll on Aelin. She still blames herself for misreading the situation with her best friend. The struggle to stay true to the promise she made Nehemia is real. We get to see how she copes with the guilt she has laid upon her shoulders, knowing she should have been there to help Nehemia during her last few hours. In all honesty, I don’t see how she could have helped her while doing what she was doing, but Aelin is torn up by her grief over the situation. The scar on the palm of her hand is a constant reminder of what happened under the King’s rule.There is also the constant struggle she has as she grows into being the Queen everyone expects her to be at the tender age of nineteen. Of course, she has her detractors that are plotting and scheming to take Terrasen for themselves. It will be up to Aelin to prove these old men, who are not only set in their ways but are afraid to turn against the possible support of Erawan, wrong. She will have to show that she is cunning enough, loyal enough, and talented enough to reign over her rightful Kingdom. Old men are lecherous by nature, though. The people she thought she could count on will let her down, while others will rise to the challenge.In this book, we are finally shown the true depth and size of the upcoming war. All of the main characters are in place. We have learned about the Wyrdkeys and their importance. We know who has which ones and where they are destined to be. We are left wondering about the great army and the tools being created by Erawan. We’ve been exposed to his treacherous ways and now know that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. With the old King’s death, it appears that nothing will stop him as he advances to what he assumes will be his victory in this great battle.While the battle for all of the territory’s rages on, there are ongoing storylines that are developing in a natural way. Not once did I feel bogged down with the details, or did I question the pairing up of certain people as they formed allegiances with one another. We have Rowan, Aelin, Aedion, and Lysandra moving forward with their plans. Manon and her Thirteen are on their own adventure as they try to determine right from wrong. We mustn’t forget Abraxos and the growth in his storyline, either. He becomes such an integral part of Manon’s life. We have Lorcan and Elide, Fenrys, Gavriel, and Maeve, not to mention the additional bonus of seeing what develops between now King Dorian and Manon.After the original King is killed, we see more of Dorian’s powers develop within himself. He is trying but just has not learned how to control the ice magic that lives within him. He is faced with the uncertain future of Ardalan once his friends are forced to move North in their attempt to secure Terrasen for Aelin and her people. What happens in Ardalan is not only terrifying, but it also shoves King Dorian into a growth spurt that reflects a new, harder edge to him that we haven’t seen up to this point. He has a surprise savior that comes to his aid when he least expects it. The King does step up and we get to see him in a whole new light.Manon is in for her own character development after certain things transpire. One event will force her to look upon her supposed family in an entirely new light. She must learn to accept certain things about herself while trying to remain true to the witch she has been molded into since birth. Some things that come out might shock you. For me, she has become one of my favorite characters in this book. She grows in such a way, (which I always suspected), while undergoing a cruel twist of fate. I love watching her turn into the woman I always knew she could be. The relationship she shares with Elide, Abraxos, and her loyal Thirteen will only endear her even more to you as the book progresses.Speaking of Elide, she truly comes into her own in this book. In the last one, her history was explained, and she was given a pretty good chunk of a storyline. In this one, her travels become imperative to her growth not only by herself, but also with Lorcan. Lorcan starts out hunting Elide but through time, he becomes closer to her as she exposes his softer side. I am still on the fence as to whether or not I like him but that seems to be the case regarding Lorcan. Aelin, Rowin, and the crew don’t know if they can trust him either. In the end, I am extremely upset with Lorcan, but we shall have to see what happens next.Rowan and Aelin continue to grow their pair bond as they travel forth. Aelin still doesn’t let her guard down enough to share her plans with anyone, but after what she has endured, I can understand this. Do I think she should let Rowan and Aedion know what is happening more than she does? Yes. Yes, I do. Will she relent and tell them more of her plans? No. No, she won’t. She keeps her cards closer to her chest at all times. I guess not knowing who you can genuinely trust will do that to a person. She is cunning and exceptionally brave. Rowan is patient, loving, and extremely protective of Aelin. Does he sometimes become overprotective as the male Faes are wont to do? Again, yes, but you have to understand that this is the nature of the Fae. They tend to mate for life and will fight tooth and nail to protect their loved ones. One can’t read too much into that situation if you genuinely like fantasy characters. The Fae are who they are for a reason. The same goes for Lorcan, Fenrys, and Gavriel.We also get to see the Fae men grow on this journey forward. Fenrys and Gavriel, through their blood oath, have been ordered to kill Lorcan as soon as they come across him. What happens next, though, is a very clever way to work around a blood oath. Maeve is surely going to impose some harsh punishments at this apparent thwarting of her wishes, but that day hasn’t arrived yet.I also enjoyed watching Aedion come into his own. He has always been a powerful general, riding the line of safety and fighting for the future of Aelin and Terrasen. In this book, we get to see his real-time struggles as he learns certain things about Aelin, Rowan, and now, his father. He is also, in his own way, getting closer to Lysandra. I love this coupling! Lysandra is a strong character on her own. Now that magic has been released upon all the lands, she can live her life in different animal forms since she is a true shapeshifter. The ways that she offers to help Aelin are miraculous.We are exposed a bit more to Elena and Gavin, too. The backstory that they bring to this tale is imperative, if not frustrating at times. There were certain points in time that I wanted to shake both of them and make them stop speaking in riddles. I get the point of this character trait but jeez, sometimes I just want the characters to speak plainly. I am not the best at solving riddles, so, yeah. I like it when things are spelled out for me. Elena and Gavin hardly ever speak directly regarding any given topic.Aelin and Rowan’s relationship continues to grow and deepen as they explore their pair bonding. The included sex scenes aren’t really necessary, but they aren’t overly graphic either. It covers just enough so that you get the point but doesn’t go too far into detail. We really get to see how patient Rowan is with Aelin as he comes to understand her fierce stubbornness and determination. He also walks side by side with her as her fire magic continues to grow and develop into the mighty person that she is. Aelin is just now learning how to control her water magic. I love that we finally learn more of their backstory individually and combined.I do also want to note that Chaol isn’t really in this book very much. I won’t tell you why, but the reasoning is important to the next book.I loved the world-building, character development, and the descriptive writing utilized in this book. All of the characters are finally on their set paths. We have the full backstory of everyone, but I am sure more hidden details will be exposed in the next two books. Sarah isn’t going to give us everything at this point of the series. She makes you work, enjoyably, for every detail provided. I cannot wait to start Book Six.I will also tell you that I hated the ending of this book, in a good way. I cried so hard. That’s it, though. I won’t tell you what happened. You will need to read the book to find out for yourselves.I cannot recommend this series enough. I had never read Sarah J. Maas before last month. Now, I am glad that one of my best friends never stopped recommending this series to me. It is a must-read for any fantasy reader.