Empire of Storms Review

** spoiler alert ** *Spoilers below for Empire of Storms and A Court of Mist and Fury both by Sarah J Maas*

---

Empire of Storms took me longer to read than any other book in the Throne of Glass series! It did not keep my attention like the other books in the series did. I felt tired with the storyline and only found interest in the Elide and Lorcan dynamic as well as Manon's early chapters. I have a love\hate relationship with Aelin. In some books I like her and in others, I can't stand her. I honestly have no idea how anyone could follow someone so rude, secretive, childish, and arrogant into battle and be behind her as she claims the throne. It baffles me and I think all the people they've come across that are wary of her have the right idea.

I did not care what happened to Aelin at the end with Maeve and being taken away because I was too focused on how it had major Harry Potter and A Court of Mist and Fury vibes. I'm honestly not worried about her dying in the last book (Queen that was promised...very ASOIAF prince that was promised), I am 90% certain some dead but then not dead stuff is gonna go down similar to Harry Potter. I read the Court series first so maybe that's why this ending felt anti-climatic to me but holy similarities. The main character goes to the enemy, secret marriage, weird attempts to protect (Thamlin\Lorcan), etc. This storyline blew my mind in ACOMAF and I loved it but here...yawn. I think the author may have bit off more than she can chew with Empire of Storms, A Court of Frost and Starlight, Catwoman: Soulstealer, etc.

Character dynamics and relationships were also something I struggled with in this book. I have never shipped or cared about Rowan and Aelin. Rowan feels like a cheap Rhysand to me and it just feels so forced like the author is making Rowan and Aelin happen when I am still on the Chaol train. Their dynamic is also just so...ick. I'm really sick of that "protective fae male" line. It's weird and possessive. BUT speaking of Chaol...He was a no-show, but since I read this in 2018, Tower of Dawn is already out and I knew he had his own book. So, after I read that I'll see if I think leaving him out and giving him his own entire novel was worth it to me. Chaol is one of my top 5 favorites, so his presence was missed.

I enjoyed Lysandra's whole storyline and she is my favorite character but her relationship with Adeion is lackluster? Also, Manon and Dorian was just...yikes. I thought it ruined Dorian's character development, turning him back into that playboy he was before the series even started. Plus his previous girlfriend was beheaded and then he got possessed...shouldn't he be focusing on himself and his recovery? I think Sarah J Maas has a great ability of making me love characters and then over time slowly start to hate them. The only couple I felt for was Lorcan and Elide up until the end...I hate that she made him pull a weird version of Tamlin's attempt at protecting in ACOMAF. That ship had such potential. Speaking of all these ships, why does everyone have to be paired up? It feels so forced and can't we just have some badass independent people? For Kingdom of Ash, I wonder how quickly Aelin will be with Maeve. Will it be only a few chapters like Feyre and the Spring Court or maybe half the book...I do not know. Kingdom of Ash will make or break the series for me, I think. It seems that with each new book I liked the series less and less. Finales are hard, and I just hope this one is good.

And so begins the countdown to October 2018...

What did you think of Empire of Storms? If you haven't read, I definitely recommend regardless of my feelings on EOS, its still a fun series to read! I also love the Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas as well.

#review #books #bookreview #entertainment