Empire of Storms

I’m mad….no no no no no. I’m so vested in this series. It’s a love hate relationship. My heart is about done.

Everything you could want in a read!! Each page is filled with the wonderful story told. The tandem read is a must!

Highly recommend this book! It will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you want to read more

My favorite in the series! So far. Aelin is inspiring all the way to the last chapter. And, I love how all the characters develop in this story.

You've never had your attention and heart so enthralled. The stress is a continuous battle with the printed page. Thebest book I have read!

Idk. But I almost never want to stop. I’ll never stop thinking about this book. Aelin… the fire breathing bitch queen that you are🙌🏽

I can not believe I almost didn’t read this series! This may be the best one of the series so far! I couldn’t put it down. I’ve lost sleep for this book lol. First I’m going to say (**** spoiler****) I wasn’t a Rowan fan at all. He was a mean , grumpy old guy to me in which I believed that Aelin didn’t deserve! But after this book I’m definitely team Rowan and love them together! I’ve read other reviews about how they felt the obsession Aelin had for him was annoying and that it felt like she was weak without him. I get it that’s not what’s expected of her but let’s be real she’s 19-20 years old in love and has only had one real relationship of course she’s obsessed we all were at one point at that age! Second, she and him were destined to be. They are ying and yang, two beats of the same heart. They deserve each other and I’m here for it. Another thing, this whole Dorian and Mannon thing idk it’s ehhh to me. Kinda like it was forced or just too fast for me but whatever not a fan. Elide and Lorcan, yessss idk how others feel about him but I like him lol they match and I can’t wait to see their characters grow! Ughh there’s just so much I feel like my hearts going to be broken soon and I’m not ready. No lie did cry in this book, when Lorcan told Elide that he wanted to go to Perranth with her! I was in tears. Overall it was so fun reading this one and I’m going to dive right into the next one!

I’m amazed at the amount of dedication and energy it must have taken to create this piece of art. Many times it felt like I spent hours reading when it felt like minutes. This book has many encounters and surprises ready to open. I can’t wait to unfold the rest.

It was in such a good state that I was so proud and happy I bought it, the only thing I do not appreciate are the amazon sticker at the back of the book!! I removed it and cleaned but still, next time just make it smaller or sth, books covers can be damaged and some books are quite expensive!

So much happened in this one, Sarah J. Maas, I don't even know where to start other than to say, I am so glad you introduced us to the Ironteeth clan, and especially, Manon and the Thirteen. I love Manon. I love Abraxos. I love Elide. And I love love love all the couples who are brewing. They may not all be on speaking terms right now, but I can't wait to see what comes of all their stories. Thank you thank you thank you for writing this series. I never thought I would say this because I read ACOTAR first, and I Lived in that series, but I think I am hooked on this series even more than that one. You really bring me into every perspective you write in. I think I am fully and irrevocably a Sarah J. Maas fan!

What a trip. This has been my favorite book of the series so far but honestly after the first 2 books I’ve been saying the same thing every time. The character development, the secrets, the lies, the action! Of course I think the book could be edited down a bit but there’s something to be said for those pages that don’t feel necessary. They may not be necessary to the plot as a whole but they contribute to the color of this world.

I love this series, but sadly in this book there was a big misprint. I get to chapter 9, and seems so long - it’s because it’s all wrong. Chapter 10 doesn’t exist, skips to chapter 11. Within chapter ‘9’, the chapter seems to end, but then skips entirely to something else. It skips to pages worth of a chapter from Heir of Fire! I couldn’t believe what I was reading lol, I was like is this a word for word flashback? Nope. Misprint. Anyways, Amazon is sending me a free replacement but figured I’d make my issue know.

Empire of Storms, the fifth book in Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series, marks a dramatic shift from personal redemption to epic warfare. It’s a sweeping tale of sacrifice, strategy, and soul-deep resilience—where every choice burns and every page carries the weight of fate.At its core is Aelin Galathynius, more isolated and powerful than ever. Her rejection by Terrasen’s lords is a gutting moment, yet it forges her into a queen who earns her crown through fire, not favor. Her secrets and sacrifices push her to the brink—and beyond—as she prepares to pay the price of saving the world.The ensemble cast shines: Manon’s rebellion and embrace of her Crochan identity is transformative, while Dorian’s quiet unraveling adds depth to his rise as king. Elide’s grit, Lorcan’s torment, Lysandra’s mythic ferocity, and Rowan’s unwavering devotion all converge into a story rich with found family and hard-won trust.Romance deepens the emotional core. Aelin and Rowan’s love is elemental—soulmates bound by fire and wind. Their secret marriage is tender, weighted with inevitable loss. Elide and Lorcan’s slow-burn tension, and Dorian’s struggle with power and intimacy, layer the story with vulnerability amid chaos.Maas’s prose is cinematic and crackling with momentum. From rain-slicked forests to storm-battered coasts, her worldbuilding is lush and immersive. The witch mirror revelation reframes the entire series, while the brutal final chapters—Aelin’s capture, her iron mask, her silence—are unforgettable.And yet, even in darkness, light flickers: Lysandra stepping into Aelin’s role. Rowan’s fury. The Thirteen in flight. Dorian holding the Wyrdkeys like sacred fire. This is a story about enduring love, chosen loyalty, and the courage to rise, again and again.Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5 stars)For the crown claimed in fire. For the pain that forged them. For the hope that survives the storm.

There are two things that I want to make note of before starting my review:1). If you want to have the greatest experience reading this series, it is absolutely imperative that you read each book in order. The world-building, character development, and chain of events will make the greatest sense to you if you don’t skip around. Pay attention to each detail. It will make sense as you get deeper into this series.2). I will be listing a few spoilers in my review. Some things have already happened. If you are reading the books in order, you will already know what I am about to disclose. No, I will not give away the ending. It is going to shock you as well as break your heart. I don’t want to take that experience away from an avid reader such as yourself.Now, let’s get started.I love this series. The author, Sarah J. Maas, did a phenomenal job developing each character while giving them room to explore one another and grow into their surroundings. Some writers tend to rush things, so their word count isn’t too lengthy, or they simply follow a formula that has worked for them in the past. Sarah doesn’t give a damn about any of that. She writes to her heart’s content and strings us along with amazing storylines.In this book, we come to learn more about Nehemia’s homeland and the battle she was fighting to try and protect her people. Her death took a huge toll on Aelin. She still blames herself for misreading the situation with her best friend. The struggle to stay true to the promise she made Nehemia is real. We get to see how she copes with the guilt she has laid upon her shoulders, knowing she should have been there to help Nehemia during her last few hours. In all honesty, I don’t see how she could have helped her while doing what she was doing, but Aelin is torn up by her grief over the situation. The scar on the palm of her hand is a constant reminder of what happened under the King’s rule.There is also the constant struggle she has as she grows into being the Queen everyone expects her to be at the tender age of nineteen. Of course, she has her detractors that are plotting and scheming to take Terrasen for themselves. It will be up to Aelin to prove these old men, who are not only set in their ways but are afraid to turn against the possible support of Erawan, wrong. She will have to show that she is cunning enough, loyal enough, and talented enough to reign over her rightful Kingdom. Old men are lecherous by nature, though. The people she thought she could count on will let her down, while others will rise to the challenge.In this book, we are finally shown the true depth and size of the upcoming war. All of the main characters are in place. We have learned about the Wyrdkeys and their importance. We know who has which ones and where they are destined to be. We are left wondering about the great army and the tools being created by Erawan. We’ve been exposed to his treacherous ways and now know that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. With the old King’s death, it appears that nothing will stop him as he advances to what he assumes will be his victory in this great battle.While the battle for all of the territory’s rages on, there are ongoing storylines that are developing in a natural way. Not once did I feel bogged down with the details, or did I question the pairing up of certain people as they formed allegiances with one another. We have Rowan, Aelin, Aedion, and Lysandra moving forward with their plans. Manon and her Thirteen are on their own adventure as they try to determine right from wrong. We mustn’t forget Abraxos and the growth in his storyline, either. He becomes such an integral part of Manon’s life. We have Lorcan and Elide, Fenrys, Gavriel, and Maeve, not to mention the additional bonus of seeing what develops between now King Dorian and Manon.After the original King is killed, we see more of Dorian’s powers develop within himself. He is trying but just has not learned how to control the ice magic that lives within him. He is faced with the uncertain future of Ardalan once his friends are forced to move North in their attempt to secure Terrasen for Aelin and her people. What happens in Ardalan is not only terrifying, but it also shoves King Dorian into a growth spurt that reflects a new, harder edge to him that we haven’t seen up to this point. He has a surprise savior that comes to his aid when he least expects it. The King does step up and we get to see him in a whole new light.Manon is in for her own character development after certain things transpire. One event will force her to look upon her supposed family in an entirely new light. She must learn to accept certain things about herself while trying to remain true to the witch she has been molded into since birth. Some things that come out might shock you. For me, she has become one of my favorite characters in this book. She grows in such a way, (which I always suspected), whi...

Re-Read Update:This book destroyed me. I cheered when my baby, Abraxos, appeared (legitimately out loud cheered) and wanted to cry at those fateful words. If you've read this book, you know which ones I'm referring to and if not, I can't say because there would be spoilers. Despite the issues and shift in the characterization of some of our leads, this book takes you on an incredible emotional journey with highs that make you cheer (see above) and lows that bring you to tears (almost).Despite the length of the book, I didn't feel as though the story lagged or the pacing was poor. Any free minute I had, I immediately turned to the book to continue where I left off. Even knowing what was going to happen, it managed to enthrall me.One of the problems that I have with this book is its portrayal of relationships. There are aspects of it that are so swoon-worthy and make your heart hurt, but there are some that are not healthy. It's nice to see diverse portrayals of love and relationships, but my concern is that a young adult reader might see the territorial Fae nonsense in the book and not realize that it's an extreme. It might seem normalized. As I am not a teenager, I am aware of the intricacies and can roll my eyes at the "nonsense" without putting any weight on the idea. That may not be the same for teen readers.There are aspects of the character development that seems off and others that, although regrettable, are completely valid. For example, Dorian has gone through an incredible amount of turmoil and emotional upheaval in the last two books. It's understandable that his personality would not quite be the same carefree, flirty scholar that we met in the first book who wished to stand up to his father but could never garner the courage to do so.In a similar vein, we watch other characters develop into multi-faceted people and understand them more. Manon and Lysandra have become much more interesting characters as they were expanded upon, and at least for me have become some of my favourites. Despite the huge cast of fairly main characters, each is still given the time to shine and grow.Finally, the world building continues in this book to an immense degree. A combination of the book's size and the various viewpoints has allowed Sarah J Maas to expand the world we have come to know. Erilea has been developed and we are able to see more pieces of Nehemia's homeland, Aelin's kingdom, and so much in between.I still love this series and highly recommend it to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy books.Original Review:These novels are so addicting, emotional and indescribable - but I'm going to try to do them justice. If you've not yet read up to Empire of Storms, please avoid this review as it has spoilers. I try to leave out the major plot points and just focus on the characters/world, but it's not free from them. Please read on only if you've read the series.Our main cast of beloved and some tolerated, main/supporting characters grows throughout the series. Although we lose Nehemia, which I am still so sad about - we are introduced to the Fae. Their inclusion in the series brings the genre into high fantasy and makes it even more enjoyable. Prior to this series, I hadn't read many novels in which the supernatural creatures were the Fae but now I am obsessed. The world of the Fae isn't experienced or explained much, but I would love to see more of it. Their powers or abilities are so intriguing and well written. Just enough information is given that you can understand what is going on, then beautifully populate the world and battles in your mind.Sarah J Maas makes you fall in love with each of the characters, whether you liked them when they were first introduced or not. One of the first perspective shifts we experience is when we are introduced to the bloodthirsty Manon Blackbeak. At first, you wish her scenes weren't there as they take away from time with our main characters but by the fifth novel she's one of the characters you're rooting for. Although she's a witch and over one hundred years old, she is given the ability to develop and change over the course of the novels. It takes time because she's learning that things she believed her entire life aren't true and don't need to affect how she views life.Even characters that we were originally introduced to, like Lysandre are able to evolve and change over the course of the books. She and Celaena start off butting heads and competing, but that doesn't last. They join together and made a formidable pair (especially once magic is restored to the land). Lysandre grows into one of my favourite characters and her wholehearted commitment to the cause is inspiring.Seeking more information about the Wyrdkeys, Celaena seeks knowledge from the Fae Queen Maeve. Unwilling to give her information away for nothing, Queen Maeve makes a deal that Celaena must train with and impress one of her trusted warriors, Rowan. Prince Rowan is able to manipulate ice and win...

I'm warning you right now- this review has spoilers- PLEASE STOP READING NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT THE BOOK RUINED!!!!IIf you were to ask me which series I preferred over the other (ACOTAR vs. TOG) there’s no way that I could answer. Each is splendid in it’s own way. While I was a bit let down with ACOWAR, I have to openly and honestly say the TOG series has YET to disappoint.The character development from “Throne of Glass” all the way to “Empire of Storms” is absolutely, breathtakingly brilliant. Let’s discuss:Celaena/Aelin: Starting from the broken mess we found her in Endovier, all the way to a walking contradiction in the last book. And by walking contradiction I mean:Merciful yet ruthlessFriend yet enemyBroken yet strongOrganized yet lostThere are still times I forget she’s just a girl. To have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time is beyond me. I feel as though throughout the books, Sarah J Maas had everything, every detail laid bare before the reader. And it took the last 3% of the book to reveal itself to the reader.Manon Blackbeak: Let me preface this by stating she is my absolute favorite character. A ruthless beauty. Leader of the Thirteen, heir to the Blackbeak coven, and yet her grandmother hides the biggest secret I could imagine. We all know (for those that have read the series) that Manon starts to “feel”; something a witch doesn’t do. Witches don’t have a conscience. They are born without a soul. But with everything the covens are going through with their wyverns, Manon starts questioning her grandmother’s motives. What I loved seeing Manon develop into her character, is severing that “loyalty” with her grandmother to do what she KNEW was right. Even if it cost her. And when she turned on her grandmother, and her grandmother gutted her (and revealed she’s the last Crochan Queen). . .WOW! For a moment I truly thought I lost my favorite character.Lysandra: When first introduced to Lysandra, I immediately disliked her. Page after page I was waiting for Celaena to just lash out and kill her. Slowly, Lysandra’s backstory was revealed. Readers learned she is a shape shifter, and the her body isn’t even her actual body- she was a plain girl who formed herself to look more attractive: and to this date she has trouble remembering what she truly looked like. Because of her looks (and the fact she is a shape shifter) is what caused her to be in the streets and wind up with Arobynn. Who knew that a character I scoffed at when first introduced to, would wind up being another one of my favorites. Throughout “Empire of Storms” Lysandra turns into a free spirit. Happy to shed the guise she wore for so long, Lysandra tries out many new skins- even an ancient one that stirs the hearts of a city who has given up hope. Lysandra is loyal to her queen. Despite how exhausted she is (shape shifting taxes you) Lysandra keeps showing up to save her friends, and give her queen a fighting chance.Not to mention all the supporting characters Maas makes you fall in love with and yet is lack on all the backstory you truly want :: cough cough:: ASTERIN :: cough cough::Let’s talk about the boys now. . .Dorian: I’ll admit, in the “Throne of Glass” book I had the “girlish crush” on Dorian. That all ended after she chose Chaol. I thought Dorian turned into the “oh, poor is me” person. Whiny, complaining. . .yet still saddled with minor responsibilities is father was grooming him for. And then readers thought we lost Dorian for a bit once that collar was put on. Dorian went into (not willingly) the collar a broken man with the death of Sorscha, interestingly enough he came out a broken man too. Done were the days of fragile women; the darkness left a bit of darkness in Dorian, making Manon look like a goddess in his eyes.Chaol: Thank the good stars above Chaol wasn’t in “Empire of Storms”! He was working on my last nerve too!Rowan: seriously. . . SWOON! I love man who can push a woman to her full potential without knowing it- especially when they’re meant to be together. I will speculate here and say that the relationship between Rowan and Aelin is alarmingly similar to that of Rhysand and Feyre (“A Court of Thorns and Roses”). I’m not complaining. . . .I loved the dynamic of this relationship before it was even a relationship.Aedion: I’m still up in the air about this dude. It’s not that I don’t like him, but I dunno. Throwing internal temper tantrums that he didn’t get to take the blood oath- okay maybe it was due him, but still. . .come on. I will say the relationship with Lysandra though, oh! Heart be still. . . . it makes me laugh every time she’s in her ghost leopard form and he pets her head.We’ve got an empire that once settled after the impending war is going to have 2 dominant queens and a king. An equilateral triangle of power- especially considering Dorian and Manon may or may not wind up together. . .Aelin, if she ever loses the “Man in the Iron Mask” imprisonment is already married to Rowan, and it se...

The beginning of this book finds Aelin and her court traveling North to finally reclaim her throne in Terrasen. But a meeting with several Lords of Terrasen changes her plans when she finds out that they refuse to recognize her as their queen. So instead of heading to Orynth, she heads out to raise hell and raise an army for Terrasen in the war against Erawan and his darkness.What I liked:When we first met Manon and the rest of her Thirteen in Heir of Fire, I was so annoyed. I thought that her point of view was pointless. I didn't like her or any of the witches. I thought that they were unnecessarily cruel to everyone. But Manon has grown on me SO much! She is probably my favorite character in this series. And I thought that the turn her storyline took in this book was SO interesting! When we first see her she is getting ready to sack Rifthold. She kills one of another coven's sentinels to save Dorian and as punishment, her second is to die. But she has other plans for her Thirteen than what is laid out before them.I love how much Manon cares about her Thirteen, despite it generally seeming like witches don't care about anything except getting back to the Wastes and killing Crochans. I love Manon's relationship with her flower-sniffing wyvern. I love how they can communicate and how they care about each other and it's just so cute. Even though cute doesn't seem like the kind of word Manon would appreciate being used to describe her.I liked all the action in this book. I don't feel like things really ever felt slow in this book, I think they did feel a little bit repetitive after awhile, but something was always happening and it was EXCITING.I love all the strong, wonderful ladies in this book. They're all such fighters. I love how they keep the boys on their toes.I think the other character I felt the least blah about was Aedion because he's so caring and loyal and he actually seemed to have real feelings beyond lust, being pissed off about something, or just generally being kind of cold.And I LOVE how things from other books that you wouldn't even think of connecting come up in this book. How things have been coming together for this ENTIRE series and you get to really see some of that in this book and it honestly kind of astounded me and made me really regret not rereading anything before reading this because I bet I would have noticed even MORE! But before I read the last one, I will definitely reread all of the books. I'm excited to see what new things I'll pick up!What I felt 'meh' about:Aelin. As usual she is incredibly badass. Which I always have and always will love about her. She's so strong and she cares so much about her people, even if not all of them obviously feel the same way about her. She just gets stronger and stronger and more and more clever as this series goes on.But.I just feel like the descriptions of her power were so over the top. The parts where she is digging deep into her power to obliterate some enemy just felt really overwritten to me. And there were several scenes in this book like this, where either Aelin or Rowan are diving into the depths of their power and they're all written the same!Another thing that bugged me about Aelin was how she was constantly scheming and hardly ever involved anyone else in her schemes. I mean, I can kind of see why, but at the same time, they are there to help her bear the burden of what they're doing. She can lean on them. It was just almost obnoxious how every step of the way something that Aelin schemed up seemed to just happen and everyone is like, "Whaaaaaat?"Granted, the big scheme at the end did rather impress me.Honestly, most of the characters were kind of 'meh' for me. I truly do like all of them to some extent, but I just didn't love most of them in this book. Rowan because he's not Chaol and I just don't love him.Lysandra... I like her. I think she's brave and strong and can definitely pull her own. But I don't know, she was always there, but it was always just talked about how she's in some various animal form and I wanted more of her interacting with people.Dorian just felt so different to me. And I can understand why. He went through hell in Queen of Shadows, but he just feels so much darker and colder in this book and I don't know how I feel about it yet.Elide and Lorcan... I will probably eat my words like I did with Manon in Heir of Fire, but I just didn't see how most of their points of view were necessary to this book. I don't see how so much of their journey to find Aelin was important. I think Elide is kind of badass as well, but just don't see why I needed to see so much of her travels.I don't know, I just wanted MORE from the characters.What I disliked:I think that this might partially be because I'm forever butthurt about Chaol not being the object of Aelin's affections, but I just didn't like the romance in this book. Like, generally I feel like Rowan is growing on me. I don't HATE him anymore, but I don't like him w...