#Review - Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Throne of Glass # 7
Format: Hardcover, 992 pages
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

The smash hit, New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series comes to an epic conclusion in this final book. 

Sarah J. Maas’s wildly popular, New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass saga comes to an epic conclusion in this final volume in the series. Fans who have read—or heard of—the shocking twist in Tower of Dawn won’t want to miss discovering how infamous assassin Aelin Galathynius’s story ends.
 

 

“Once upon a time, in a land long since burned to ash, there lived a young princess who loved her kingdom"

Kingdom of Ash is the Seventh and final installment in author Sarah J Maas's Throne of Glass series. Aelin Galathynius 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.

Aelin's story was quite literally the most emotional part of the book. Due to her 2 months being tortured and broken and rebuilt over and over again by Maeve and her psycho Cairn, she is not the same character that we've seen in other stories. Her very fiber is near the breaking point by the time Rowan finds her. Yes, she still has some pretty abilities, but it isn't until the final scenes where the pieces of the puzzle, and her role in what happens actually makes sense. Thankfully, she does have one ally, Fenrys, during this horrible time. I absolutely loved Fenrys and was glad that he wasn't just a blip in the story. 

I couldn't get over the nonsense between several of the couples including Elide & Lorcan, and Aedion & Lysandra. The author drove me absolutely silly with their constant bickering, angst and hurtful behavior towards the other. Especially Aedion who spends the entire story, well, most of it, being hurt because someone made a choice, and someone else backed her up 100% and didn't first ask him for his approval. Same for Elide & Lorcan. Yes, what he did sucked big time, but he's not a character who won't find a way to redeem himself for what he has done.

Dorian and Manon's story is probably the most interesting because of their dual missions. He wants to travel to Morath to find the final key, she wants to discover if any of her people, The Crochans, are alive and willing to stand alongside of her. He finds a new ability which he uses to his advantage along with some humorous scenes. I also loved the under tow of their relationship. You know they have feelings for the other, but they won't allow them to get in the way of their own missions.

 

If you are looking for real heroes, look to Lysandra who took the role that Aelin asked her knowing she would cause issues with others. She never once failed in her desire to save Terrasen or her promise to Aelin. Then there's Elide Lochan who was treated so badly by her own uncle, that she has spent most of the series on a bad foot never once complaining that it was too much, or that she couldn't keep going.

Then there's Yrene Westfall, yes that Westfall who has a pretty damn interesting ability. An ability that really shines when hopes are at their bleakest, and our heroes are at their final gasp. Also, I didn't really hate Chaol in this book. Could be that I actually found him likable after the previous installment where he traveled south looking for allies. Dorian really stands up and becomes the hero that I was looking forward to. His new powers were quite amazing as well as his time with Manon and the Thirteen. 

Two characters we met in Towers of Dawn, Nesryn and Sartaq, play roles in this book. I was happy with the way their story played out since their own futures depend on what happens in saving Terrasen. Getting back to Manon. Besides Aelin, she quite literally goes through more than one person should be forced to deal with. She is a strong leader, she loves her Thirteen as though they are family, and she finds that she can be someone else besides a piece of the puzzle to be used by the villains. I loved her connection to Abraxas as well. 

But, let's be real folks without any spoilers. This is war. If you honestly can look me in the eye and say that the author won't make calculated choices whether characters live or they die, you haven't read this series close enough. It quite honestly annoys me that someone says that everyone survives. Just ask Manon about that. Just ask Rowan's friends about how hard it is to survive this brutal world. Has anyone else compared this book to the Lord of the Rings? Because I definitely see the influences. 

One of the hardest scenes in this entire book is the final chapters when characters make their way back to their own homes, and their own broken Kingdoms. My favorites parts were the scenes with Aelin and Manon where never had to say a word. They just survived and saved the world, but with such great costs that you can't imagine. Finally, the last goodbye between Yrene, Aelin, Chaol, and Dorian, the last two who have been with Aelin since the beginning.

For me, the hardest part to overcome was the shear length of this book (992 pages)! I think we can all come to some agreement and say that had the author removed 300-400 pages from this story, there still would have been enough action, and adventure to go around for everyone. One could say that these 300-400 pages were filled with repetitive stuff and long pauses where the characters are traveling from one point to another.

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