“‘Blood will run. Dreams will shatter. An army must rise.’ The assassin-queen has sworn not to turn her back on her kingdom again. Especially when she might be the only one who can raise an army to keep the Dark King from unleashing his beasts upon them all. But Erawan will wield Aelin's past, her allies, and her enemies against her. With a powerful court trusting Aelin to lead them, and her heart devoted to the warrior-prince at her side, what – or who – is she willing to sacrifice to spare her world from being torn apart?”
What is the book about?
Finally, Aelin is on her way home, back to the place she never thought she would lay her eyes on again, not since her family was butchered within the walls of their own house. However, just as she starts to feel safe and welcome, she is greeted with a new problem, a new issue that for some reasons only she can provide a solution for. It appears that those who still live in Terrasen do not want an assassin as a queen and, unless she forms an alliance and finds an army for her would-be kingdom, she may never officially be the queen she had taken so long to convince herself to become. But Aelin will not turn her back on her country, her people, ever again. She will do everything she can, cash in every favour and debt owed to her to form an army, to save her kingdom. But, while trying to do all of that, Aelin also faces the threat of Erawan, who will wield her past against her. She must lead the way for her court, the people who would follow her through anything. She must make a decision on what she is willing to sacrifice for the freedom and safety she desires for her kingdom and her people.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
The ending of Queen of Shadows left me with many questions and a need to keep reading that had made me reach instantly for this next book, Empire of Storms, aching to begin. It had been such a casual and calm and somewhat quick ending that made me so interested in continuing reading. I didn't quite know what to expect of this book other than an amazing experience that would leave me dreading re-entering the real world. I knew that this book was going to be incredible, especially after the amazing Queen of Shadows that left me with a new definition of what is a 5 star book, and I was so excited to start reading. I was even more intrigued after reading the blurb as to how Aelin was planning on raising an army when she didn't possess any contacts that I could think of on the spot that would lend any support to her, yet somehow I knew this insane woman was going to succeed. When I started to read I was so glad to see it picked up right where the first book had left off and was surprised at how easily I slipped back into this world, a world that I know has become my personality and escape and reason for being over the few weeks and will continue to be so for months if the books continue to be this good.
Who was your favourite character and why?
This book had a lot of character that I loved and I definitely had a lot of characters competing for the position as my favourite character. However, this time I would definitely say that Aelin was my favourite character, or definitely one of them. I had enjoyed reading about Aelin in all the books that I have read in the series so far, especially in the past 2 books, Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. This is because in these last 2 books and in Empire of Storms she finally stopped hiding behind the assassin's identity she created and was willing to become the queen she had tried to push down for so long. Not only that but she started to really use her magic and grow with it as it made her into one of the strongest and most incredible people I have ever seen. I loved her particularly in Empire of Storms because of the way she truly steeped into her role as queen and did all she could to come up with an army to save her kingdom. I loved how she always had a plan and always knew what to do, even when I myself had no clue what she was thinking. She is only 19 and was able to coordinate with so many people to have them all arrive in one place, prepared to help her court fight Erawan. Not only that but she was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the world and allow the people she loved the chance at a better world. She is so impressive and I am so excited to see what happens in the end.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
This question always has and I know always will be the hardest one to answer because after reading an amazing book you never want to have to single out one part that was incredible. Also a good book is never just created by one good part or even several good parts put together, it is the way that the story flows and the way that the author builds the story up that makes a good book. The whole of Empire of Storms was amazing and there were so many different parts that I loved and I don't think I can choose just one. However, there were some moments that I really loved – those with Lysandra and Aedion. I had had an inkling for a bit of the previous book and the whole of this one that these two characters were meant to be, however Empire of Storms confirmed my suspicions and also had several sweet moments that had me squealing. One particular moment after a battle, where Lysandra found herself just barely holding on, Aedion's reaction and what he said had me wishing I could put myself in the shifter's place. I absolutely loved it and thought it was one of the sweetest moments. Later on there was also a moment like that, where the two discussed what they were and I absolutely loved how they decided to take things slow, how Aedion let Lysandra come to that decision and he didn't stop her. I love these two and I just hope to get more of them in the final book, and that they get their happy ending.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, I loved reading Empire of Storms and there is nothing that could have been improved because the book was perfect. One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was the main theme throughout the book where Aelin was trying to come up with an army to help her and her court face Erawan and despite the many people who doubted her, she always had something up her sleeve. Even though it annoyed the hell out of everyone, Aelin kept her plans to herself, all of them surfacing only when she wanted them to be known and she always managed to catch me and all the other characters unawares. It was so entertaining and honestly I do not know how she came up with, let alone managed to succeed with, some of these plans. Aelin was actually crazy but I loved it and I love her. Another think I enjoyed about the book was all the answers I got to some of the things that had been bugging me for a while. I had had several questions that I wasn't sure I would ever get answers for, but this book managed to reveal the truth and shock me with the amount of plot twists that revealed answers to these questions. I really loved the shock and how this book caught me off guard so many times and had me on the edge of my seat for most of it. One last thing about Empire of Storms that I absolutely loved and will always love about the books that I read is the way that it had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. There were so many moments while reading the book where I physically screamed or gasped or spoke aloud or even cried and I absolutely loved it. It is one of my strongest beliefs that a book hasn't done it's job if it doesn't make you feel something and that until you get to experience the emotions that you can feel while reading, you haven't fully lived. Books are one of the magical things this world can give you and the way that they can make you react as if the stuff that you just read and the characters you have grown attached to aren't just a figment of your imagination is one of the best things in the world. I loved this about Empire of Storms, even when I wanted to through the book across the room after the cliffhanger ending that I can't continue reading about until I read a whole entire book on different people. This book was amazing and I am honestly dying to continue reading and finally reach the epic conclusion that I have been waiting for.
Which book did you like better: 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5?
So far every book in the Throne of Glass series has been more incredible than I could have ever imagined when I first started it. As I read more it was as if each book was even better than the last, which I still don't know how it was possible as even the first book, Throne of Glass, was perfect. Although I absolutely Empire of Storms and thought it was one of the best I have read in a while, I would probably say that my favourite book is still Queen of Shadows. Empire of Storms was very similar to Queen of Shadows and had all the aspects that I had loved in the fourth book of this incredible series. It had the romance that I don't know how I could ever live without and the characters that I don't think I will ever stop thinking about even in a few years. It also had a lot of magic, one of the things that has always been my favourite in fantasy books, definitely more than Queen of Shadows, which definitely made it a strong contender as my favourite book. However, although Empire of Storms was amazing, there was something about Queen of Shadows that I can't quite describe that made it stand out to me more. Maybe it was because it was the first book where everyone came together, all the big players that I had met coming together to fight the evil that had presented itself. It was also the first book where Aelin really embraced her identity and really used her magic as if it were a part of her her whole life and she hadn't spent years without it, trying to forget it. It was also the first book where Rowan and Aelin admitted to themselves and each other that they had feelings for each other (though their relationship certainly developed in Empire of Storms). It was also the first book that didn't feel like it was just setting the backstory and it actually had a much more substantial plot than the previous 3 books. Queen of Shadows was just a lot better than Empire of Storms and, if I had still had doubts about it, the cliffhanger ending that had me wanting to through the book across the room and the rather explicit scenes would have been enough to have me come to the same conclusion.
Would you recommend this book?
Yes, yes, yes, I would 100% recommend this book and have no doubt in my mind that anyone who reads it will be left just as stunned as me. It is an amazing book full of romance, adventure and fantasy, however I do think it is for older readers (those over 17) as there are some more mature (or ‘spicy’) scenes.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
Another stunning instalment in the Throne of Glass series whose cliffhanger ending will leave you screaming and reaching for the next book within seconds, aching to continue and never leave the most magical world ever.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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