Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)

by Sarah J. Maas

What a shame that the current owner of the Vaults, a former underling of Rourke Farran and a dealer of flesh and opiates, had accidentally run into her knives. Repeatedly.

I love Aelin. Such a savage badass bitch!

At first light, Chaol went to the nearest jeweler and pawned the ring for a handful of silver.

Wowwww

She could forgive the girl who had needed a captain of the guard to offer stability after a year in hell; forgive the girl who had needed a captain to be her champion. But she was her own champion now. And she would not add another name of her beloved dead to her flesh.

WE LOVE THE SELF LOVE JOURNEY

Ren already knew that the blood oath was Aedion’s by right, and any other child of Terrasen would know, too. So first thing Aedion would do when the prince arrived would be to make sure he understood that little fact.

Oh shiiiiiit

“Yes, but—” He sighed. “You met his father. A few weeks ago. Gavriel.”

Fun turn of events

All his plans, everything he’d worked for … Without the blood oath he was just a general; just a landless prince of the Ashryver line.

Oh honey, don’t you worry! Stick with Aelin and she’s got you boo

All amusement had vanished from the courtesan’s face. Shape-shifter.

Was not expecting this plot line for her but I’m so here for it!!

And then I learned that if I made myself prettier—if I made myself beautiful—when I begged for money, it came far faster. I was wearing one of those beautiful faces the day magic fell. And I’ve been stuck in it ever since.” “So this face,” Aelin said, “isn’t your real face? Your real body?”

Omggggg

Why, I’d bet that Lorcan is currently being pursued by the seven other Wyrdhounds, who no doubt have a score to settle on behalf of their king and their fallen brother.”

She is so fucking cunning, always steps ahead

“Ten years ago, my parents were murdered. My father was executed on a butchering block in front of thousands. But my mother … My mother died defending Aelin Galathynius, the heir to the throne of Terrasen. She bought Aelin time to run. They followed Aelin’s tracks to the frozen river, where they said she must have fallen in and drowned.

I’VE BEEN WAITING TO SEE WHY THIS GIRL IS IMPORTANT. WOW.

“I’m going to enjoy having you back,” he purred. Then, faster than she could react, he slid the Wyrdstone ring onto her finger.

The way I SCREAMED

She pulled off the ring. “So that was what he wanted. I honestly expected something grander.”

Dude my heart rate. She’s too smart for me. The delivery of this is amazing.

Lightning gleamed on the blade, a flicker of quicksilver. For Wesley. For Sam. For Aelin. And for herself. For the child she’d been, for the seventeen-year-old on her Bidding night, for the woman she’d become, her heart in shreds, her invisible wound still bleeding. It was so very easy to sit up and slice the knife across Arobynn’s throat.

Man. I so wanted him to be tortured. For Aelin to finally one up him and show up with the ring on and just fucking surprise the shit out of him. But.. I’m so fucking glad he’s dead.

“Did you know that in addition to dealing opium, this man was rumored to sell hellfire?” Rowan whipped his gaze to her. Hellfire—nearly impossible to attain or make, mostly because it was so lethal. Just a vat of it could take out half of a castle’s retainer wall.

She’s so just like “hold my things I got this” just running amuck doing things all on her own

In that cocoon of darkness, she bided her time, letting him think her gone, letting them do what they wanted to the mortal shell around her.

Kaltain with such a character arc my god

“You’re carrion,” Manon said, and lunged.

Still don’t know what this means

The Queen of Terrasen had saved her life. Manon didn’t know what to make of it. For she now owed her enemy a life debt.

YEAH YOU DO. what an example of Aelin’s growth

Chaol spread his arms wide as the darkness hit him, shattered him, obliterated him until there was nothing but light—burning blue light, warm and welcoming.

WHAT IS HAPPENING, HES BEING PROTECTED?? Like why did you think you mortal thing could go against the king and his dark ass power? IS THIS A PART OF THE PLAN?

blocked. And behind them, stretching into the gloom of the sewers, were a hundred Valg commanders and foot soldiers, armed and smiling.

Omg the way I’m at the edge of my seat bc nothing is going right

The commander’s hand came down. And was ripped clean off by a ghost leopard.

Lysandra for the fucking win. WHAT A FLEX

But Dorian’s eyes were on his father, and they were burning like stars. “What did you say. About Chaol.”

DORI IS BACKKKK

Aelin extended her hand—a question and an offer and a promise. “To a better future,” she said. “You came back,” he said, as if that were an answer. They joined hands. So the world ended. And the next one began.

Such a powerful moment

The king standing before them gaped as the shield of flame died out to reveal Aelin and Dorian, hand in hand, glowing like newborn gods as their magic entwined.

I could cry

Then the king looked to where she was on her knees, gaping at him. “Have you come to save me at last, Aelin Galathynius?”

“The Eye—you could have sealed him back in with the Eye …” The look on the king’s face when she’d revealed the necklace … He’d been seeing a tool not of destruction, but of salvation.

BUT I DONT TRUST HIM

The wicked will tell us anything to haunt our thoughts long after, Nehemia had warned her.

FACTS

The Crown Prince tipped his head back to the sky and roared, and it was the battle cry of a god. Then the glass castle shattered.

But did you have to plummet everyone to their deaths?????

She wondered if he had noticed when she’d slipped the real Eye of Elena into his pocket as she’d fled the throne room.

Again, she’s always multiple steps ahead

Elide held it toward the lady as Kaltain reached into her arm, no expression of pain on that beautiful, bloodied face, and pulled out a glimmering sliver of dark stone.

Kaltain just squeezed Elide’s fingers. “You find Celaena Sardothien. Give her this. No one else. No one else. Tell her that you can open any door, if you have the key. And tell her to remember her promise to me—to punish them all. When she asks why, tell her I said that they would not let me bring the cloak she gave me, but I kept a piece of it. To remember that promise she made. To remember to repay her for a warm cloak in a cold dungeon.”

She took out every wall and every column. As she brought it all crashing and crumbling around them, Kaltain smiled, and at last burned herself into ash on a phantom wind.

What a sacrifice. Honestly what a heroic moment.

“That’s why you came to help, isn’t it?” Rowan said. “You saw Aedion when we left the apartment.” “I did not know Gavriel’s son would be in that tunnel with you. Until it was too late.”

LORCAN IS CONFUSING ME. really whose side is he on??

But I think … I think that whole time, all those centuries, I was just looking for you.”

CRYING

“And since you’re now Lord Chaol Westfall, the King’s Hand, I needed someone to fill the position. New traditions for a new reign.”

THE KINGS HAND

There was a massive shadow perched atop it. Dorian froze. Not a shadow but a giant beast, its claws gripping the wall, its wings tucked into its body, shimmering faintly in the glow of the full moon. Shimmering like the white hair of the rider atop it.

Dorian and Mannon in the next books?? 👀

And the smell—of pine and snow … How had she never realized that Rowan’s scent was of Terrasen, of home? Rowan came close enough to graze her shoulder and murmured, “I feel as if I’ve been looking for this place my entire life.”

Oh my lawd. Melting. Even. More.