• Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass) by Sarah J. Maas
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Kingdom of Ash Book Cover Kingdom of Ash
Throne of Glass Series
Sarah J. Maas
YA, fantasy, paranormal, epic
Bloomsbury YA
October 23, 2018
Kindle, Hardback, Paperback, Audiobook
992

Aelin has risked everything to save her people-but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they've gathered to battle Erawan's hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation-and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen-before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

So worth the wait…

A book series is really a relationship between an author and their readers, following the typical stages normal relationships transverse: the initial excitement of embarking on a new adventure, the commitment of working towards a common goal, and the winding down and parting of ways.  The more involved the books are and the longer the time span from the beginning to the end of the series the more significant that final book becomes, considering the reader has invested a significant amount of time and emotional involvement in the story.

 Throne of Glass, the first book in the series, came out in May of 2013.  In the five years since its premier, Sarah J. Mass has produced seven novels,  five novellas, spawned a vast array of fan art, and generated a fanatic fan base around the fantasy realm of Terresan.  An epic tale centered around the deadly assassin, Calaena Sardothien who would soon find out she was the Fae heir Aelin Galathynius – Queen of Terrasen,  quickly mushroomed into a multi-plot novel following the fate of numerous and fascinating characters.  Throughout the entire journey, Sarah was unrelenting in maintaining her captivating storytelling and the natural evolution her characters.  

Kingdom of Ash is the culmination of the multiple plot threads, deftly woven back together into a goose-bump inducing thriller that you will not be able to put down.  The story resumes with Aelin, the prisoner of the Fae queen Maeve, locked in an iron coffin, subjected to unspeakable horrors.  Maeve is intent on forcing Aelin into revealing the whereabouts of the third Wyrd key, which would give unimaginable power to the one who has all three.  With battles waging on multiple fronts, Aelin’s mate Rowen must find her before both she and the world, as they know it, is destroyed.  The various characters from the different books come together, each overcoming different trials and hardships, to fight against the ultimate evil.  In typical Sarah style there are plenty of twists and turns that will floor you and an ending that is completely unexpected but wholly satisfying, after committing five emotional years to her.

There is definitely a reason that Sarah J. Maas is a best selling author, not only of the Throne of Glass Series but of the Court of Thorns and Roses Series, which have been written simultaneously.  She is truly gifted as a storyteller, who creates amazing worlds filled with fascinating characters.  But, almost more importantly, she honors the emotional commitment her readers have given her and gives them a finale they won’t soon forget!  This is what makes Kingdom of Ash a   worthy book.