Snow City - Book Review

Snow City

By G.A. Kathryns

Details:

Title: Snow City

Author: G.A. Kathryns

Publisher: Sycamore Sky Books

Pub. Date: February 7th, 2017

Synopsis:

Her name is Echo Japonica, and she lives in Snow City. But she was not always Echo, and she did not always live in Snow City. Somewhere else, she was someone else, and it was to Snow City that she fled in order to escape a place and a self that had at last become intolerable. 


For Snow City is a dream — Echo's dream — of a better place, an idealized place, a place of both anonymity and fulfillment. It is, for Echo, a haven of peace, a refuge, a sanctuary. 
But Snow City remains, nonetheless, a dream, and dreams, being such fragile things, can so easily shade into nightmare... 

Disclaimer: I was provided a review copy of Snow City in exchange for my honest review.

My Review:  

            Upon reading the summary for Snow City by G.A. Kathryns, I was instantly intrigued. I really love magical realism when it's done right, like The Night Circus or A Monster Calls, so I went in to Snow City with high expectations. However, it turned out to not be what I was expecting.
            This story is weird, let me get that out of the way right now, and I often found myself unsure as to where the story was going. It wasn't that the plot was bad--it was just very slow paced. It took me longer to finish this book than normal because I often had to put it down after every chapter or two to take a break before I continued on. Aside from the pacing, I did actually find the plot to be very interesting. Out main character, Echo, creates Snow City to be a sanctuary from the horrible real world. One day she meets this girls, Charity, who actually turns out to be a ghost. Echo doesn't like the way people treat Charity, so she takes her in, and, in doing so, she starts to notice that the utopia of Snow City isn't all she thought it was. This book made me constantly question what is real, and that's something I found I quite enjoyed.
            Kathryns' poetic, elegant writing style really added to the book as a whole. It was very beautiful, and almost Jane Austen-esq. I found myself reading the story with a very British accent in my head at times. Every description was enchanting, and it really helped to emerge me into the world of Snow City. Although I found the writing style so beautiful, there were some instances where sentences felt as if they were dragged out for the sole purpose of making them poetic, and that just made the point of the sentence get lost in the delivery. Overall, I thought the writing was fantastic, and I'd love to read something in this style again.
            Finally, let's talk about the characters. It took me a while to warm up the the main character, Echo, but that might've had more to do with the pacing rather than the actual characterization. I kind of felt like the author was trying a little too hard to make her come off as odd and quirky, but as the book progressed that feeling went away. I think Charity actually ended up being my favorite character from the novel. Kathryns writes her to be extremely brave and generous, and I love the mother-daughter like bond formed between Charity and Echo. This is a story truly built around the characters.

In conclusion, I give Snow City by G.A. Kathryns three and a half out of five stars. It's a truly weird, unique book, and that's something you need to be ok with if you decide to pick it up. I recommend it to fans of magical realism, and I hope that you enjoy it if you decide to read it!

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Aru Shah and the End of Time - Book Review

Aru Shah and the End of Time

By Roshani Chokshi

Details:

Title: Aru Shah and the End of Time

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents

Pub. Date: March 27th, 2018

Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. While her classmates are jetting off to family vacations in exotic locales, she'll be spending her autumn break at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture, waiting for her mom to return from her latest archeological trip. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty, traveling to Paris, and having a chauffeur?

One day, three schoolmates show up at Aru's doorstep to catch her in a lie. They don't believe her claim that the museum's Lamp of Bharata is cursed, and they dare Aru to prove it. Just a quick light, Aru thinks. Then she can get herself out of this mess and never ever fib again.

But lighting the lamp has dire consequences. She unwittingly frees the Sleeper, an ancient demon whose duty it is to awaken the God of Destruction. Her classmates and beloved mother are frozen in time, and it's up to Aru to save them.

The only way to stop the demon is to find the reincarnations of the five legendary Pandava brothers, protagonists of the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, and journey through the Kingdom of Death. But how is one girl in Spider-Man pajamas supposed to do all that?

Disclaimer: The publisher provided me with ARC of Aru Shah and the End of Time through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

My Review:  

            As a kid, I grew up reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Hero's of Olympus, and basically any other Rick Riordan novel available to me. From these books sprang my love for all things mythology, and I'm so, so excited about Rick Riordan Presents so future generations can learn all about different mythologies  through characters they will grow to know and love throughout their life times. Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi being the first book by Rick Riordan Presents has me very optimistic about the future of this imprint. 


            Before even entering Aru's world I loved Chokshi's writing style from her previous novels, and I knew she would do an absolutely fantastic job. Aru Shah is a twelve year old girl who lives with her mother above the Ancient Indian Art and Culture. She has a bad habit of lying, and ends up getting caught in a web of lies by her three class mates. As a result, she lights the Lamp of Bharata, freezing everyone in time, releasing the Sleeper, and setting Aru off on the adventure of a life time. I don't really want to say too much about the plot in fear of spoling anything, but it was just so much fun to go on the adventure with Aru, Mini, Boo, and everyone else. It was wonderfully paced, and there was never a dull moment. I really learned so much about Hindu mythology through this novel, and it has even inspired me to go out and do some of my own research to learn some more. 

            What I think really made me enjoy this novel was Aru herself. Chokshi gave her such a fantastic voice and a sense of humor that I found very Percy-esq that made this book just so much more enjoyable. There was a moment in the very beginning of the book where Aru made a reference to the song "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash, and I knew from that moment forward that I absolutely loved her. Overall I think Chokshi did a fantastic job with the novel as a whole, and I can't wait to see where she goes with the rest of the Pandava Quartet. 

In conclusion, I give Aru Shah and the End of Time four out of five stars for being fun, hilarious, and a great entrance into the Pandava QuartetI highly, highly recommend this for young readers, anyone with any interest in Hindu mythology, and anyone who grew up loving Rick Riordan novels as much as I did.

              

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Furyborn - ARC Review

Furyborn

By Claire Legrand

Details:

Title: Furyborn

Author: Claire Legrand

Page Count: 512

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pub. Date: May 22nd, 2018

Synopsis:

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other. (Goodreads Summary)

Disclaimer: The publisher provided me with ARC of Furyborn through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

My Review:  

            I was so sad to see that I had missed receiving an arc of Furyborn in the November 'Ladies that Slay' Fairyloot box, but then I was granted an ARC off of Netgalley and all of my sadness was forgotten because I finally had the book in my hands! I didn't read too much about it before starting because I wanted to be surprised, and I think I have discovered one of my new favorite fantasy novels of all time!
            Legrand does a fantastic job of weaving two stories together in Furyborn--Rielle's story and Eliana's story. Though the two take place in different time periods, they are connected in multiple ways which are revealed as the story goes on. Each chapter switches back and forth from Rielle to Eliana, which some people might find annoying, but I was so invested in both story lines that I didn't mind it at all. It seemed to me, even though the book is over 500 pages, that it is very fast paces and almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more. There were multiple times throughout Furyborn that I found myself completely caught up in the story, completely oblivious to the outside world. I managed to finish it in one sitting during an 11 hour plane ride, and I could barely notice the crying baby just three rows ahead of me. I thought that the plot itself was brilliant. Rielle is a lady who has grown up in court hiding her powers over pretty much every element from everyone else, until her best friend, the price, is in danger. After revealing her power, the people are frightened, and she has to prove to them that she is the good queen, the Sun Queen, who has come to help the world. She's put through a series of trials to prove herself, and in the midst of the difficult physical challenges, she's going through several things in her personal life--like how to deal with this voice which has appeared in her head and her feelings for the crown prince who just happens to be engaged to one of her other best friends. That's pretty much all I can say about Rielle's story without spoiling it. Now, Eliana's story reminded me somewhat of Celaena/Aelin from the Throne of Glass series. She's a bounty hunter working for the government, but after her mom gets captured by a mysterious group who's been kidnapping women and a group of deadly assassins try to recruit her--her life gets turned upside down. Oh, and she also has these powers she can't explain. I really can't say too much about her story because then I really would be spoiling it, but I think I liked her story slightly more than Rielle's because I found it less cliche. 
            Aside from her wonderful storytelling abilities, Legrand also possesses the ability to create an abundance of characters you just can't help but care for. The two main characters, Rielle and Eliana, are both bad ass women. There's a constant juxtaposition between the two, and by switching perspectives each chapter, the reader gets to see how they both react to somewhat similar situations. Rielle has been forced to hide her powers her entire life in fear of what might happen to her if someone was to find out, while Eliana is the famed 'Dread of Orline,' a famed assassin who's just trying to survive and keep her loved ones safe. I found myself enjoying both characters for several different reasons, and I enjoyed both of their characters immensely. Aside from the main characters, Legrand includes a plethora of side characters people are sure to love. My personal favorite is Simon, also known as The Wolf, because he is the perfect companion for Eliana, and, I'm not going to lie, they are one of my new favorite ships. In Rielle's story, she has two best friends, Ludavine and Audric. I adored Ludavine because I could see a lot of my best friend in her, and Audric was so sweet and truly cared for Rielle. Now, let's talk about the big, bad Corien. I loved him. I thought the way Legrand introduced him as a voice inside Rielle's head was wonderful, and he definitely gave me some Darkling vibes which was just the cherry on top. I can't go into too much detail on the characters in fear of spoiling something for y'all, but just know that each and every one of them is fantastic in their own way.

                In conclusion, I give Furyborn by Claire Legrand five out of five stars for being a refreshing, new fantasy novel everyone is sure to love. I already can't wait to read the second novel, and the first isn't even out yet! I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fantasy lover, as well as anyone who is looking to get into fantasy. I can't wait for everyone to read it--I'm bursting at the seams to discuss it with someone! 

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Sky in the Deep - Spoiler free ARC Review

Sky in the Deep

By Adrienne Young

 Details:

Title: Sky in the Deep

Author: Adrienne Young

Date of Publication: April 24th, 2018

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Summary:
            Seventeen-year-old Eelyn’s world is war. Raised to fight alongside her Aska clansmen in a generations-old blood feud against the Riki, her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago. 

            Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki if she wants to make it back to the fjord after the thaw. But when she begins to see herself in the people she's been taught to hate, the world Eelyn once knew begins to crumble. And after the village is raided by a ruthless clan many believe to be a myth, Eelyn is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend who has tried more than once to kill her. Together, they must end the blood feud between their clans or watch their people be slaughtered. 

            A lush, Viking-age inspired fantasy about loyalty, forgiveness, and the definition of family. (Goodreads Summary)

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of Sky in the Deep in exchange for my honest feedback.

My Review:  
           As a massive fan of the Vikings TV show as well as the history of the vikings in general, I was looking forward to Sky in the Deep from the moment I read its description on Goodreads, and I did not leave this book disappointed. I managed to finish it in one sitting, and am already dying to get my hands on Young's next novel.
            I don't often get to read YA historical fiction/fantasy stories, so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on Sky in the Deep.  Young manages to build a lush, wonderful world while following what we know of the vikings from history. The story itself had me hooked in from the very first moment with an epic battle scene to start the story off. While reading it, each chapter seems to flow into the next, leaving you wanting more until you reach the very end. It's both brutal and violent, while also managing to be a touching story about family and loyalty. I especially love the description Young includes in her fighting scenes; she never holds anything back and allows for there to be blood and gore. I don't want to say too much about the plot in fear of spoiling it, but Young does a fantastic job in pacing her story so it doesn't feel rushed, letting things occur naturally. Sky in the Deep is truly an incredible Viking inspired story that will not only make your pulse race with adrenaline, but also cause you to appreciate those you have in your life.
            A badass story has to have some badass characters, and Young certainly delivers in that category. Our main character, Eelyn, is a piece of work and I absolutely love her. She is a fierce warrior who loves ferociously, and will do anything to protect those she loves. I loved how we got to see her develop throughout the story from an Aska who hates the Riki with every fiber of her being, to living and fighting amongst them. Fiske, her love interest, is the strong, silent type. He and Eelyn don't start off on the right foot, but we see them grow together, bringing out the best in one another. Young did a fantastic job in not letting the romance take over the story. Instead, the romance sneaks up on you when you least expect it, and actually adds to the story as a whole. Aside from the two main characters, there are also several other well written characters with tons of personality such as Inge, Halvard, Runa, Iri, Myra, and so many more! I can't discuss everything I loved about every single one of them without spoiling things--or making this review about five thousand pages long--but I feel I need to mention how Young doesn't skip out on the character development of any of the side characters as well. I've truly finished this book with several new favorite characters who will stay with me for years to come.

                In conclusion, I give Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young four and a half out of five stars for being an exciting, action packed piece of YA historical fiction, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new book to read--but especially to anyone who enjoys the history of the vikings. I can't wait to see what else Adrienne Young comes out with in the future.

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Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy - Book Review

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

By Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Robin Wasserman

WARNING: Spoilers for City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Title: Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Robin Wasserman 

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderly Books

Summary:
             After being stripped of his memories in City of Heavenly Fire, Simon Lewis goes back to being a normal mundane who knows nothing about the hidden world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders he was once a part of. He remembers he was once friends with Clary, and somehow dated Isabelle Lightwood, but has no idea what happened between them all. Every time he has to face his old friends, Simon feels as if he's letting everyone down by not being the man they used to know and love.
           With the re-opening of the Shadowhunter Academy, Simon decides throws himself back into the world of demons and monsters by training to become a Shadowhunter in hope of finding himself again. The Academy is basically a functioning ruin with many, many problems as all the new students are bound to discover, but for Simon it is his chance to bring back who he once was. With a mixture of old favorites as well as several new characters, exciting adventures are bound to occur in Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy.

My Review:  
          I was somewhat cautious going into Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy because Cassandra Clare was not the only author, but I must say I was relieved to find that almost every story had a similar voice to Clare's past works. There were ten stories in total, and I'd be lying if I said I loved them all equally--some were better than others. Each story followed Simon throughout his time at the Academy and built up to the final story with their own separate arcs. I particularly loved how a majority of the stories offered flashbacks to characters that readers previously met in The Infernal Devices. I felt like the anthology really connected and added something to the Shadowhunter world as a whole rather than being a separate, stand alone collection. My personal favorite from the collection is the final story, “Angels Twice Descending”, because I loved how it combined aspects of all of the stories as well as the twist at the end in which Simon must face  a tragedy which follows Clare's trend of ripping out and stomping on the hearts of all of her readers. I also have to give an honorary mention to “The Whitechapel Field” because it was about Jack the Ripper, a Shadowhunter world version of Jack the Ripper! My least favorite was probably “The Lost Herondale” because I kind of spoiled myself by reading Lady Midnight before Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, which revealed who the lost Herondale is, and it is not as interesting to me as the other stories, but I like how Catarina was more prominent in it than she is in the other stories. I believe all the stories flowed well together, and it really makes me want to read the other Shadohunter anthology, The Bane Chronicles.
           One particular thing I believe the authors of Tales from the Shadowhunter academy did well is blend the old characters with fresh new faces. Sure, I loved how my old favorites like Magnus, Alec, Jace, Izzy, Clary, and etc. showed back up, but I really loved a majority of the new characters introduced to us at the academy. There's two main groups at the academy: those with shadowhunter blood, and mundanes who are training to be worthy of becoming shadowhunters by drinking from the Mortal Cup. My personal favorites from the mundane group are George Lovelace and Marisol Garza. I loved George from the very first story when he and Simon are freaking out over a rat in their room, and I came to love Marisol throughout the story because I found she had some of the best character development. My favorite from the Shadowhunter group has to be Beatriz Mendoza because, unlike the rest of her group, she does not look down upon downworlders or the mundanes who are at the academy. Instead, she stands behind them and defends them. My least favorite of the new characters has to be Jon Cartwright--not because his character is terribly written--but because he's pretty much a terrible person until the last two stories. I'm really glad that Clare chose to continue Simon's story in this anthology because he really got the short end of the stick in City of Heavenly Fire. We get to see the 'new' Simon develop throughout the story and go from being confused about his place in the world, to forging his own path without his past holding him back. All in all I was pleased with the characters, both old and new, throughout the novellas, and I can't wait to see more of them in future novels.

               In conclusion, I give Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy four out of five stars for being a delightful addition to The Shadowhunter Chronicles as well as introducing several new characters I have grown to love. I highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Cassandra Clare's work, as long as they have read the entirety of The Mortal Instruments series as well as The Infernal Devices trilogy.

          

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Frostblood by Elly Blake - Book Review

Frostblood

By Elly Blake

 Details:

Title: Frostblood

Author: Elly Blake

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:
            In a world ruled by a ruthless frost king, Firebloods grow rarer and rarer every day, making Ruby Otrera's gift extra special. She's spent her entire life trying to learn how to conceal her powers, but after she is discovered by the king's men and her mother murdered, she finds herself rotting in prison, waiting for the executioner to take her.
            Rescued by two mysterious Frostbloods, Ruby finds herself thrust into a world where her powers are the key in a rebel plan to overthrow the king, and bring the world together again. They train her on how to properly use her powers, and she grows stronger. However, before they deem Ruby ready for her mission, she is captured by the kings men, and forced to compete in the King's tournament, where she must fight to the death to survive. It's now up to her alone to destroy the evil man who took everything from her and her people. 

My Review:  
           I had Frostblood sitting on my self for quite a while with no real urge to read it, but for some reason I was drawn to it about a week ago, and I was unable to put it down once I picked it up.
            While I enjoyed Frostblood, I found the story itself to be rather cliche and nothing new. It shares several common elements with books like The Red Queen, Throne of Glass, etc., but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The struggle between two different 'races,' the frostbloods and the firebloods in this case, is a bit played out in YA, but I thought that Blake did a fantastic job in providing a history between the two people which caused the animosity between the two. I actually believe this helped redeem the story overall. Though the book is rather cliche, there is no denying it is well written and that the cliches such as prophecies and tournaments to become the king's champion did add something to the story rather than just be there to be there. The story itself is very fast paced and easy to follow; the first few chapters had me completely sucked in, and I actually managed to finish Frostblood in one sitting. Even though I found parts of the novel to be very predictable, Blake includes a multitude of plots twists I did not see coming--especially at the end, and if I had any less self control I would have thrown my book across the room. Despite feeling like I've already read this book at times, I overall enjoyed the plot and am excited to pick up the next in the series.
            As previously stated, I believe Blake giving a detailed history of Tempesia and its people help redeem the story from being too cliche. She does a fantastic job in describing the land, the people, and how the country has changed throughout history. One particular thing I enjoyed was when Ruby and Arcus compared the frostblood and fireblood histories of how the war between the two began. It gave an introspective view on how the people view each other which helps the reader understand how deeply the hatred between the two runs. We are also given tales of a frostblood king and a fireblood queen, which shows that despite the hatred, the two can work together and bring peace to the nation. Overall, I believe Blake's addition of the histories of Tempesia added a certain quality to Frostblood which most YA fantasies lack.
            Without a doubt, the characters are the driving forces of this novel. Ruby, the fierce protagonist, Arcus, the brooding rebel with a secret, Brother Thistle, the kind monk offering her aid and asylum, and King Rasmus, the despicable villain. Admittedly, the characters do follow certain YA tropes, but less so than the story. I found myself truly enjoying Ruby and her spitfire personality. She is not afraid to speak her mind, and finds herself in a dark place after her mother's murder. She always has a witty comeback, and how she allows her emotions to run wild. Ruby's love interest, Arcus, is almost her opposite. Arcus is a brooding frostblood who's afraid to open up to anyone. While I liked there characters separately, I felt like there relationship followed the trope of hate to love (I found their relationship closely mirrored Aelin and Rowan from Throne of Glass), as well as a little bit of insta-love. Things are made very interesting between the two by Rasmus though after Ruby is taken by the king's men. Rasmus is the epitome of evil; he lives for chaos and does not care who gets hurt in the way. I found most--if not all--scenes with him very interesting and some of my favorites. I think that Blake does a fantastic job with characterization throughout Frostblood despite following some common tropes.
       
                In conclusion, I give Frostblood by Elly Blake three and a half out of five stars for being a fun, although somewhat cliche, YA fantasy read. I recommend this to anyone just starting to read YA, or any hardcore YA fans who won't mind that it shares some common themes with other mainstream YA books.

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Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Empire of Storms

By Sarah J. Maas

Details:

Title: Empire of Storms

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Page Count: 693

Publisher: Bloomsbury 

Summary:

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.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

My Review:  
           Having been a fan of The Throne of Glass series since the very beginning, I expected nothing less than perfection from Empire of Storms, and Mass pulled through once again with another fantastic installment.
            The already long list of character grown in this addition to the series with some fresh new faces, but Maas doesn't forget about our favorite, original characters. Everyone from Aelin, to Manon, to Dorian, and beyond further develops, and I've found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with this set of characters every day. Manon is now officially my favorite, and I find her story so interesting. I love where Maas has taken her story, and I think it is such a good move on her part to put Dorian and Manon together. Aelin is still as problematic as ever, but I grew to respect her more throughout this novel. I still think her relationship with Rowan is a bit annoying and creepy to be honest, but by the time I read that ending I was sobbing for their sakes. There isn't much more I can say without spoiling the series for those who have not read the series yet, but just know that everything about the characters gets better as the series goes on.
             At almost 700 pages, Empire of Storms is the longest book in the Throne of Glass series, but it moves faster than the rest and is filled to the brim with action packed drama. The tension is tangible throughout the novel with war a war brewing, and I know that all the minor battles described in this book are going to be nothing compared to the full fleged war we expect to come in the sixth installment, but I still can't help but be impressed with Maas' ability to go from a romantic scene to one where Aelin is literally ripping off someones head in the span of a few pages without making it feel broken up and disjointed. The different character POVs throughout the story allowed for us readers to experience stuff beyond Aelin, truly opening up the world. I briefly mentioned the ending earlier, and oh my god--THAT was an ending. It caught me off guard, and I'm so mad at Maas for doing that to me, but so happy with how she's setting up the next book in the series. 
       
                In conclusion, I give Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas four out of five stars for being another fantastic installment in one of my favorite series of all time, as well as leaving all of us readers on a cliffhanger, setting up the next installment. I highly recommend the Throne of Glass series to anyone who loves fantasy, and hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

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