Review: Queen of Shadows | Only Justice Remains

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Format Reviewed: Hardcover 
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015
Genre: High Fantasy
Pages: 656
Reviewed by: Stephanie
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Buy It

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Peel Your Eyelids Open

There aren't many novels that have me up late at night, sacrificing precious hours of sleep in order to see what happens next. In fact, I could probably pinpoint the exact series that have made me do this. Without fail, the latest installment in the Throne of Glass series (true to the rest of the novels) had me up late reading. Again.

Queen of Shadows was a whirlwind of fear, not because of the actual events so much as because I know what Maas is capable of, and nothing was off limits here. Anyone could have died. Anything could have happened. I was so invested in learning how things played out, that I didn't have time to contemplate what would happen next. I couldn't read fast enough. I've enjoyed every novel in this series, but there is no doubt in my mind that Maas's skills have grown exponentially while she's been writing this series. Queen of Shadows never took a break. There was hardly any down time and what did consist of down time for the characters, did not translate as down time for readers. Everything was always moving, whether it was the personal relationships, the politics, or physical battles.

The Assassin's Past

Celaena (Aelin) came back a queen and we finally get to see her and Arobynn interact now that she has matured and learned a few things. Arobynn probably excited me the most about this book because I was so eager to see his role in Celaena's new life. There was never a question of how he would act per se, so as much as what he would use against her and his role in the big picture. Every mistake I thought she was making with him, wasn't a mistake. Every time he showed up, I would dread what he was planning for the characters. We saw what he's capable of in The Assassin's Blade. That novel was heart-wrenching because of Arobynn, so I consider my worries to be legitimate.

On the Matter of Growth and Conflicting Questions

Chaol left me extremely frustrated at the end of Heir of Fire. He still refused to accept Celaena as Aelin, so that was definitely a huge arc for his character. Chaol was resentful and angry for a lot of the novel, not really because of anything Celaena did - he was angry and resented himself. It was exactly the arc he needed. I wouldn't necessarily say he grew so much as he accepted himself, others, and the reality of the past, present, and likely future. I had higher hopes for him in the first two novels of this series. I hoped he would be more, but as much as I want to like Chaol the way I did before, I don't. He stuck by the King of Ardalan's side, silent for too long and has experienced the consequences of that decision - consequences that are more emotional than physical. That decision was fatal and changes how he'll be perceived for the rest of the series. He chose the king over the person he claimed to love and that's hard to come back from.

Manon Blackbeak. If you want to talk about growth, then you need to look at dear Manon. I did enjoy her POV much more in Queen of Shadows than in Heir of Fire. She's constantly questioning her world in this novel. She has multiple people trying to tell her what to do in some form or another, and that isn't good when an Ironteeth witch is already feeling conflicted. Manon was just a lethal as before but her eyes have been opened and knowledge is power. I'm really interested in seeing how her story line develops and collides with Aelin's. They both have a lot in common and I look forward to them seeing that common ground.

Closing Old Wounds

Surprisingly enough, Maas didn't devastate with Queen of Shadows, which is actually refreshing. Everything isn't perfect but I feel like our characters have received a reward they deserve after four novels of complete pain and devastation. They're still not out of the woods. People are hurt but everyone has a clear determination that they didn't have before. Maas actually gave further closure not just to Aelin's wounds, but also wounds (known and unknown) that other characters have endured. I'd dare say that a lot of justice was dealt in this novel. I am left, content but eager for the next installment.

And to anyone who hasn't yet read Queen of Shadows, I think that you're going to be extremely satisfied with how Maas handles everything. Also, if you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?

Follow