Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

"You do not yield."

Synopsis: Aelin Galathynius has vowed 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. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve is unraveling with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, friends and allies are scattered to different fates. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. As destinies weave together at last, all must fight if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.

Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an explosive conclusion as Aelin fights to save herself―and the promise of a better world.

There will be spoilers throughout this review. If you have not read Kingdom of Ash (or the other previous Throne of Glass books), please proceed with caution!

Sarah J. Maas must have turned me into a broken record, because this book was phenomenal.

In Kingdom of Ash, we get the long-awaited conclusion to the Throne of Glass series, and with 984 pages, it is packed with action. I'll admit, when I first saw that this book was as big as the bible, I was intimidated. Now that I've finished it, I can confidently say I wouldn't cut a single thing.

To begin, the main cast of characters is split off into groups: Aelin and Fenrys are trapped with Maeve, Dorian and Manon are searching for the Crochans with the Thirteen, Aedion and Lysandra are fighting in Terrasen, Chaol and Yrene are returning from the Southern Continent, and lastly, Rowan, Lorcan, Gavriel, and Elide are searching for Aelin. This is a lot of plotlines to follow, which usually means that, inevitably, some are going to be more captivating than the others. And yet, miraculously, Maas constructed the narrative in a way that made each storyline feel just as crucial as the others. Each set of characters was relying desperately on the others pulling through. If even one group failed at their task, they would have lost the war. These are the kind of high stakes that lead to an epic conclusion that puts all others to shame.

It may sound a touch dramatic, but that's how it feels to read this book. So, without further ado, let's get into it.

The storytelling in this installment was truly top tier. Empire of Storms leaves off on the agonizing cliffhanger where we see Aelin captured by Maeve, and Kingdom of Ash picks up some time after it. Aelin has been gone for two months, with Maeve and Cairn torturing her in every way imaginable while Rowan and the others search for her. Aelin's torture and Rowan's despair were painful to read, but the arc of her rescue was incredibly well done. Between her escape, Fenrys breaking the blood oath, Lorcan desperately trying to signal her to come to him, Aelin begging them to remove her mask, and Rowan and Aelin’s reunion, it felt like a blur of a scene that's impossible to look away from. And it is through this section of the story that we are introduced to one of the best platonic relationships of the entire series: Aelin and Fenrys.

I'll keep it brief, because there is so much plot to discuss, but I wept when Aelin gave him the blood oath to save his life. The way they supported each other throughout the entire book was so heartwarming, and I will never get over the emotional weight that comes with something as simple as four blinks.

Simultaneously, we also have Dorian and Manon's arc, which was easily one of my favorites. At this point, Manon is trying to win over the Crochans while Dorian hunts for the third Wyrdkey. Characters and their progression are one of my favorite aspects of reading, and this is a shining example. In her quest to persuade the Crochans (and through spending so much time with Dorian), Manon discovers her own capacity for caring about others and the desire to rule in a way different than her grandmother. This is especially apparent when she and the Thirteen bury the dead Crochans with nothing but their bare hands, and it serves as a major turning point. I already loved Manon and her badass tendencies, but watching her come to terms with the fact that she cares for people felt so special.

At the same time, we also have Dorian, who is coming to terms with his past and the person he's now become, all while questioning his own humanity. As my favorite character, I am partial to all of Dorian's storylines, but I found this one especially fascinating, watching the final stages of his transformation from a young, aloof prince to a powerful, calculating king. His invading Morath and going toe to toe with Maeve was one of my favorite parts of the book, not only for the action, but for the vision of Dorian coming into his full potential. Aelin often receives the majority of the credit when it comes to power moves in the series, but destroying Morath single-handedly? All while Erawan didn't even know he was there? He may not be the Fire-Bringer, but he was beyond crucial to their victory.

Meanwhile, at Anielle, Chaol, Yrene, and the Khaganate's army reunite with Aelin and the others as the city is being overwhelmed by the Valg, creating one of the greatest fight scenes of the series (while Yrene puts Chaol’s father in his place like the godsend she is). From the initial fight, to the foreshadowing of the dam breaking, to the rushed evacuation attempt, and Aelin facing off against the giant wave...my heart felt like it was about to beat straight out of my chest. The pacing and suspense were exceptional. Elide rushing across the plain to find Lorcan alone had me flipping the pages feverishly. I cannot stress enough how talented of a writer Sarah J. Maas is. This is peak fantasy, and it wasn't even the final battle.

One of the most critical moments, however, was the forging of the lock. Which, if I'm being honest, did not go at all how I expected it to. I was certain that the lock would come into play at the end of the final battle and serve as the winning blow. What I did not expect was for it to be decided by something as simple as a show of hands when there was still plenty of pages to go, or for Aelin to let go of Dorian's hand halfway through in order to spare him. It proves that despite what so many people said, Aelin was far from a selfish person. In fact, she is arguably the most selfless person in the series. To give up nearly all of her magic while not expecting to survive, all to appease a group of uncaring gods for a mistake that wasn't even hers. Despite the many who doubted her, she was a queen through and through. And when I read about how Rowan filled her tattoo with Wyrdmarks to bring her back home, or Dorian's father taking his son's place, I cried. A lot.

Which brings us to the finale, the battle at Terrasen that had gradually been being lost throughout the book. I've read many fantasy series in my life, and unfortunately, it is easy to write a fight that feels underwhelming. Especially if that fight has been built up for eight books. The last fantasy series I read fell into this trap, and I was praying that Kingdom of Ash wouldn't do the same. To my delight, it blew my expectations out of the water, despite also leaving me in a puddle of tears.

It had everything I'd hoped for: an incredible fight between the witches, Aelin making it back and tearing her way through the Valg in a bloody blaze of glory, Erawan getting destroyed by Yrene, Fenrys getting to stab Maeve. The moment that Aelin stood her ground against Maeve and Erawan without her bottomless supply of magic alone felt cinematic. But the real heroes of this fight are, without a doubt, the Thirteen. Without their sacrifice, there would have been nothing left of Terrasen to save. I was crying hard enough that it was difficult to breathe, and Gavriel's death restarted the whole process. It was the perfect finale, but it packed one hell of a painful punch.

There are very few books that have left me in such a whirlwind. I've already praised the action, but the characters and their relationships left me feeling raw. Everything Rowan and Aelin went through, Manon realizing that she loves Abraxos and would rather die than live without him. When Lorcan says he'll give up his immortailty for Elide. Asterin's final words to Manon and the Thirteen yielding into light instead of darkness. Dorian asking Manon if she'll come visit him in Adarlan. Dorian and Chaol reuniting, the original three saying goodbye in the end...and that barely scratches the surface. It was like I'd had my heart carved out of my chest.

The only sigifnicant complaint I have is how Aedion treated Lysandra for the majority of the book. She deserved better, and I think she forgave him a little too easily. But in the grand scheme of a plot spanning over 984 pages, I can hardly say that it tarnished my reading experience.

In summary, Kingdom of Ash is without a doubt the best fantasy finale I have ever read. It was executed beautifully, with epic plotlines, incredible characters arcs, and a world that will leave you aching when it's over. I already miss it, and I have no doubts that I will find myself returning to Throne of Glass in the future. One read through simply will not be enough.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars