Title: Empire of Storms
Author: Sarah J Maas
Publisher/Year: Bloomsbury USA 9/6/16
Length:   595 Pages
Series:  Throne of Glass #5

Overview

Kingdoms collide in Sarah J. Maas’s epic fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what — and who — to sacrifice if she’s to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

My Thoughts

There is SO MUCH going on in this 5th installment that i tried to make reading it take longer since i know that we’ll be waiting ages for the next one to come out.  i LOVE this series and i can’t say it enough.

We have seen Aelin come into her own and really get her strength in her power and control over her kingdom.  It’s not an easy quest and it’s going to get much harder.  She’s still on the trail of all the wordkeys and challenging isn’t even the beginning of what she’s up against.

We saw that her alliances throughout the series have become interesting – how she’s now so completely tied to Rowan that you have to wonder what that will mean for him as a Fae prince and for the others in his cadre since there seems to be quite the unbreakable bond there, even though he’s no longer tied like they are to Queen Maeve.

Then there’s the story around Manon.  we have seen her rise to power in her coven, yet it looks like things are going to get so much worse given that there’s information being kept from her from Erawan and her grandmother, and she’s starting to distrust them all.  What’s so nice about this story line for her is that we see that she’s got emotions and a heart and that while she’s thrown into a situation that’s completely unexpected, she’s able to show that she’s perhaps more valuable than anyone knew.

then there’s Elide – the girl from Terrasen who was held captive by her uncle in Morath, and who we learn that there’s more to her back story than we knew before.  She’s becoming more important since Manon claims care over her and yet, she’s still finding that maybe that’s not the right path for her.  The way that her story goes, and how it intertwines with Lorcan, one of the other strong Fae men in Maeve’s court, well you know that it’s going to be interesting.  Neither of them trusts the other, and yet there’s something unique growing between them.

Then there’s Dorian – well, he’s now the king, yet he’s trying to control his power so it means that we’re going to see that as a tough journey for him.  How strong is he and will he help Aelin take over control of things.

And last, but not least of folks that we know and love, Lysandra and Aedion.  They are a pair that’s becoming a force to be reckoned with.  Lysandra’s role throughout this story is one that no one realizes until it’s too late. Aelin sees what she’s able to become and uses that to their advantage, and to see what that means as this story progresses is incredible.

A war is brewing – that much we know.  There’s no question that there’s going to be a lot of lost lives, lost loves, and there’s really only one chance that they’ll get to get control of the continent.  Maeve proves to be worse than anyone knew, but Aelin is more resourceful than anyone else expected and we see her pulling out tricks right and left.  The problem though is that there’s not enough time for her to get things together before all hell breaks loose and we’re left at a point in the story where hope is lost, friends have been taken hostage and we really have no idea what’s next and how they can win.  if they can win.  i can’t wait until book 6 comes out.  i need it now!!!!