Book 31: Empire of Storms

Title: Empire of Storms
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Started: June 25, 2019
Finished: July 24, 2019
Pages: 693
Genre: Young Adult

First Sentence: The bone drums had been pounding across the jagged slops of the Black Mountains since sundown.

Summary: [From B&N] 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 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.

Thoughts: I've been binging this series for so long that all of the books are starting to blend together in my head. It's becoming difficult to remember which story-lines happened in which books. But that's no matter, because I am still enjoying the heck out of this series. Of all the books so far, this one is where all the various plots and characters start to converge. Many of the plots converge in the final pages to set up the rest of the series.

I think what I enjoyed about this book is that, even when you're jumping in-between story-lines, you enjoy the characters that you're with. In the first few books, I sort of hated when the plot drifted away from the main character. Now, I don't care. I like reading about everyone this series has introduced. In some ways, I like some of the side characters even better.

If I had any complaints about this book it's that Aelin is set up like a deus ex machina. She always finds a way out of situations where our hero pack should lose. She's a bit too perfect and too smart. I don't like wholly perfect characters. While she's not perfect (there's still a bit of pouty teenager to her), I think she's a bit to competent for the plot. Also, everyone is ending up in a romance. Don't get me wrong, I love romance... but it just seems unnecessary that everyone is being paired off.

Rating: 6/10 [Good]

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